They’re paying fair market price for the product they’re putting on TV. The better the product, the more they’ll pay. The worse the product, the less they’ll pay. The fact that leagues fall apart when their media payouts are not competitive with other leagues isn’t ESPN or Fox’s problem. And that 48-team breakaway is easier to see than you think. And it’s because of how the realignment process is slowly churning along. The P2 has slowly added 2 teams at a time every few years, slowly shifting the power structure of college football. The ACC is dying now because its death has now been discussed for years upon years. Finebaum, Brett McMurphy, the Athletic, Dellenger, Herbstreit, Cowherd, etc… (but not ESPN per se). When the ACC dies, there’s only one other conference to talk about dying in the future. And the Big XII has already taken its biggest hits, losing its 4 elite football programs. (Who cares if Nebraska is no longer relevant) It just needs to be finished off. Between 2026 and 2029, when you hear for 4 straight years how Kansas, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma St, Miami, Baylor, and whoever else are looking to leave the Big XII, the Big XII is dead as soon as they get snapped up before the next Big XII contract gets signed. At that point the Big XII ceases to be relevant for the CFP, because we all will spend years getting prepped for it by the media, just like the ACC. And because ESPN and Fox won’t pay it enough in media rights to be able to field competitive football teams. Because of fair market value. ** Edited by hokieZ71 at 7/7/2024, 12:17:21 PM ** Edited by hokieZ71 at 7/7/2024, 12:18:54 PM