HouClone

Just like ESPN and SEC.

If Sankey retires, wouldn't be surprised if the ESPN #2 or #3 guy takes the job.

when completed. Yes am an Iowa State fan. It isn't just football, basketball seasons and then nothing. It is designed for year round revenue, though the football season will be more. it is a mix of Iowa State and private funding. Good to hear it was referenced in the VT presentation.

This stuff is confusing and smarter people may have figured out what teams will expect. This past year, each ACC team (except Stanford, Cal, and SMU) each received about $45 million. With this brand initiative assuming a little overall bump in media, we expecting the below? Clemson = $65 million (from $45 million) FSU = $58 million (from $45 million) Miami = $55 million (from $45 million) NC = $55 million (from $45 million) All others (except Stanford, Cal, and SMU) = $40 million (from $45 million)

I thought they don't but not sure. I asked an English fan of a smaller club on if he is ok with the best and most expensive players on clubs like Chelsea, he had no problem with it. I would.

The ACC is going through a very similar path as the Pac. The Pac touted the brands, the tv network, and the academics as superior to the Big 12. And they were right. But they experienced the same fate, actually worse, than the Big 12 when the Big 12 lost its brands. Their arrogance and losing the brands did them in. If the ACC loses its brands, the ACC still would have two things the Pac didn't have: a tv deal and a tv network tied to ESPN. However, the tv deal likely will be renegotiated by ESPN for the brands leaving. The ACC can backfill or try to lure some Big 12 teams, but the ACC would not be in position of strength. There is a solution that would benefit the Big 12 and most of the remaining ACC. VTech, Pitt, NC State, Duke, and Louisville leave with the brands but are able to keep the ACC name and commissioner. This new ACC would invite the Big 12 in its entirety for a 24 team conference. The 23rd and 24th teams are up for debate. ESPN and Fox may make this worthwhile to this new ACC also. Strength in numbers of good teams is the only way to combat the Big 10 and SEC.

(WVU, UCF, Cincy, TCU, Houston) and there is your two (2) 12 team divisions. Need 1 more school however which may not be from the ACC. ** Edited by HouClone at 7/26/2025, 12:16:52 PM

was getting waxed in the AAC by Houston, Cincy, Memphis, and UCF. Cal and Stanford have got to be hemorrhaging money on the travel and limited media money coming in. All three are temporarily doing this to ensure they were at the table until the next reckoning happens in 2030/31.

That changed the past couple years with Comcast and DirecTV pushing back and winning after SMU, Stanford, and Cal were added.

I didn't even know the championship game was on until that morning. The playoffs dragged on. More playoff games means less importance on the regular season. With 16 teams, you are going to get 1-2 teams with 4 losses in consideration when the SEC goes to a 9 game schedule. That sucks.

which is fine with me. 16 is too many, 12 is too many also but they aren't going to reduce. Next year is the MOU where ACC and Big 12 give the Big 10 and SEC control of the format. What that means, who knows. To hear Sankey talk where he believes the MOU is absolute, he believes they could dictate that a Big 12/ACC team only qualifies if the team goes undefeated and have an average margin of victory of 50 points. I think we stay at 12 next year again but then the 4-4-2-2-1 with 16 teams gets pushed through.

not because they think the committee can't get it right. In my opinion, they want the auto bids for a Big 10-SEC non-con. They could schedule 2 out of the 3 non-cons with each other and then go with a FCS or G5 patsy for home game revenue. This locks out the Big 12 and ACC. I may be willing to go auto bids if it is flexible where # of bids is determined by the conference performance the year before or total of 2 years before. Some sort of formula.

Plus, what are Sankey and Petitti talking about for 4 days a week - what movies they watched?

with both no shot at a Big 10 championship but have #3 and #4 locked up. They both rest their starters for the final regular season game. Going to be like the NFL for the final week with the top teams resting starters. Except for a few games, last week of the NFL season sucks. ** Edited by HouClone at 7/10/2025, 1:11:28 PM

Big 12 didn't want another Texas/Oklahoma snob but on academics and non-revenue sports. Big 12 pack their stadiums for football and basketball. Cal and Stanford just don't care about those. SMU was already in the footprint and thus not needed. UCF, Cincy, and WVU bring passionate fans with big states (Cincy, UCF) and eastern time zone so I wouldn't do it if I was the Big 12. Stanford and Cal fit in better than the 3 Big 12 schools for the ACC due to the ACC valuing more academics and non-revenue sports. ** Edited by HouClone at 7/5/2025, 11:11:12 AM

Near equal around $5 million say. If not, I don't see them staying. ** Edited by HouClone at 7/4/2025, 4:17:47 PM ** Edited by HouClone at 7/4/2025, 4:18:25 PM

Being in the Central time zone allows your mostly conference CST viewers flexibility to watch early morning or late evening games. If you are viewer in the PST (like the Pac), the first national game kicks off at 9 a.m. Ugh. For EST viewers, the late games kick off at 10 p.m. EST. That's rough for most working 8-5 people. I don't have the stat handy but there is something out there where viewers exponentially decline after 10 p.m.

In order to keep cultures, rivalries, and a geographic fit, the ACC and Big 12 should stay separate. They could go in together on negotiating a shared tv media contract and scheduling agreement for football only. So why 2 conferences instead of 1? They won't be able to match the Big 10 and SEC in brands, but they will have strength in numbers and two votes on all matters since separate. Though the Big 12 and they won't like it, but maybe trade Cal, Stanford, and SMU to the Big 12 and West Virginia, Cincy, and UCF to the ACC for geography reasons.

ESPN is going invoke a contract negotiation clause once a few brands leave. The media revenue is going to tank for the remainder and for the 2036 new contract. Utah would like to get away from BYU, as of now, but if they bolt, they better be sure they are going to a better situation as the Big 12 would never invite Utah back. Cal and Stanford aren't looking for travel partners. They're looking for a lifeline in the hope they get a Big 10 invite or the whole college landscape changes. They're probably losing money or breaking even with their current revenue. Adding 2 or 3 somewhat local schools is barely going to put a dent in their travel budget being 10 miles from the Pacific ocean playing all their sports in the Atlantic coast. ** Edited by HouClone at 7/1/2025, 9:06:48 PM

gets 8 bids, Big 12 8 bids, SEC 6 bids, Big 10 5 bids.

to the Pac's hopeful survival. He wasn't objective.

besides a commissioner, coach, AD, or president think this expansion is a good thing. And of this group, there are probably a majority, Calipari included, that don't want it.

schools? I guess I am answering my own question, but I see Kliavkoff said either $8.1 million (commercial), $13.4 million (1/2 charter), or $23 million more (full charter) additional when he was trying to keep UCLA in the Pac. ** Edited by HouClone at 6/24/2025, 2:11:56 PM

at a smaller school but wanted the big sports environment.

Big 12 / ACC school: "Ha ha. They are selling their soul." Big 10 / SEC school: "What a proactive move!"

away. Big 12 also doesn't want another school like Utah bad mouthing the conference while in the conference. Big 12 thought it ended with Texas and OU moving on. Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville wouldn't be too pleased either, but these schools don't have a shot at an even future Big 10 and SEC invite (Utah thinks they do). Plus, these 3 were new additions to the ACC and have sort of been treated as step-sister by the rest of the ACC.

Big 10 (20): FSU, GT SEC (20): NC, UVA, Miami, Clemson Big 12 (20): Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse, UConn ACC (10): USF, Tulane The Big 12 team adds are curious. VT, NC State, Pitt, Louisville and then maybe Duke are the ones they probably want. Big 12 offers 4. After the shock of the Big 10 and SEC blowing up the ACC, VT, NC St, and Duke resist, Louisville is a lean Yes, and Pitt a moderate No. Yormark always wanted a NY presence, and he convinces the Big 12 to pivot to add Syracuse and UConn. Pitt and Louisville then quickly say Yes. Big 12 stop at 20. After a couple months later, ACC adds the 2 to get to 10. ** Edited by HouClone at 6/1/2025, 10:23:01 AM

with the 4-4-2-2-1 format. 9 conference games with 3 non-conference games against each other or Notre Dame. Heck, Big 10 or SEC could go 11 conference games, 1 against each other or Notre Dame. Or what is stopping them from going 6 conference games with 6 against each other or Notre Dame. All the other sports will stay the same playing other conferences. No reason to leave the NCAA if you can control the CFP format, the CFP revenue, and the tv revenue. For the argument that the Big 10 or SEC is giving up the home game revenue playing the typical G5 schools, ESPN and Fox will gladly sweeten the pot for this. Rumor is that each SEC team would each receive $5 million more for just a 9th conference game.

and Big 10 and SEC themselves only can dictate the format in 2026. The 4-4-2-2-1 is just a sideshow. What this does is allows the Big 10 and SEC schedule each other, locking out the other conferences to play them, while Fox and ESPN sink the best timeslots and more money into the Big 10 and SEC at the expense of other conferences. Then, the strength of schedule will be all the talk of Herbie, the rest of the ESPN crew, Fox studio guys, and the national media during playoff teams discussion. There will be no data point for comparison if you can't play them. Virginia Tech plays South Carolina this year. If Tech wins and South Carolina beats some SEC teams vying for the playoff spot, this is one data point the ACC can use for their contending teams.

In 2026 and beyond, Big 10 and SEC have all the power. They can dictate the future format as long as they hold “meaningful consultation” with the other conferences. Meaningful consultation is "Hey, we are doing the 4-4-2-2-1 format. What do you think?" "We don't like it." " Ok, thanks for your input. We are moving ahead." What a crock.

CFP format is going to stay the same 12 until 2027 in my opinion. Big 12 and ACC ceded control starting next year of the future CFP format. All this "discussion" now is just buttering us for when the Big 10 and SEC ramrods the 4-4-2-2-1 format. What a joke. Great job Phillips and Yormark agreeing to that.

with the ACC as the ACC could be a shell of itself after 2030.

The money it too good he says. The 19:20 mark is where they talk about the super league and fan regionality. The Fox guy believes most college football fans are just fans of college football and will watch these 30-32 teams. I have heard another former Fox guy and former CFP executive, Bill Hancock, say the same thing. I disagree myself, and hope this super league fails miserably if it happens.

with the expanded 12 team playoff granting "access". Sure but then they squeezed: unequal CFP payouts, control of the CFP structure, re-seeding, the 4-4-2-2-1 model, and OOC scheduling with play-in games against each other. Their illusion has no end in sight. I wouldn't be surprised if they say any non-Big 10 or non-SEC team qualifies for the CFP only if the team is undefeated and only if ranked within the top 4.

for their own super league, the Big 12 and ACC should pull out of the NCAA revenue sharing settlement now. The athletes' lawyers would go after all colleges, but they would focus on the money, which would be with the Big 10 and SEC. They have provided the most and best recruited athletes in the past. Sounds like a lot of back pay these athletes didn't get. It also sounds like it will be very expensive for the Big 10 and SEC. They have it good with the Big 12 and ACC footing an equal bill right now.

ACC & Big 12: "We'll agree to straight seeding, but conference champs need to be paid like a bye, ranked no lower than 8th, have a home game, and automatic conference bids have to be dropped." Big 10 & SEC: "Paid like a bye is only one we will agree on." ACC & Big 12: "Oh, ok." ** Edited by HouClone at 5/23/2025, 2:09:17 PM

one voting member (say a larger ACC or Big 12) to help blunt any further SEC/Big 10 power plays. With just a 3rd, I see the SEC/Big 10 eventually pushing this 3rd out. Not saying they won't do it anyways with two conferences, but seems it will be harder to do with more teams combined in these two conferences. Strength in numbers.

will be getting full revenue.

will likely be the voice of reason for this committee for all of college football. Saban may want to look out for all college football's interests, but his subconscious bias for the SEC will be hard for him to do so. Cody Campbell mentioned pooling the media rights, aka sort of revenue sharing of conferences. When Saban thinks revenue sharing, he only thinks players and not conferences.

ACC, Big 8, WAC, Metro with television rights, rules, and playoffs unified agreements.

the major sports, aren't out of way (no BC or Syracuse), and show up to the games - so Stanford and Cal are out. AZ, AZ St, Utah, Colorado, BYU, Texas Tech, Baylor, Houston, TCU, K St, Kansas, Iowa St, Louisville, Cinci, Pitt, WVU, Ok St, Miami, UCF, NC St, NC, Virginia, VT Tech, FSU, Clemson, GT, Duke, Notre Dame for a 28 game league. 4 regional quads of 7 teams. I still see Notre Dame not joining due to independence so Syracuse takes ND's spot.

basketball and football. They have a big time whale with the Smith family (Fed Ex), and Beale street is a blast.

ACC (as well as the Big 12) mindset should be for strength in numbers. Getting another $5 million per year by adding 4 members at the expense of the other is not going to put a dent in the Big 10/SEC gap. A clear cut 3rd conference is still going to get eased out by the Big 10/SEC. But by banding together with as many conferences (Big East, Mountain West, Pac, AAC, etc.), it will make it harder for the Big 10/SEC to do their own thing. These schools have to have some legal teeth to bind them together or you will just see the Big 10/SEC break away and offer money to some conferences to join their basketball or track and field tournaments as examples. Yormark and Phillips casting in with the Big 10 and SEC is a mistake in my opinion.