Nothing Disney/FOX/etc. does is for the benefit of actual CFB fans.
Their entire motivation is to get casuals who aren't already attached to a specific college to watch college football when they otherwise wouldn't have. That's why they're turning it into the NFL and only promoting certain conferences and programs.
They don't want 40 teams. They don't even want 30 teams. I will tell you this with zero uncertainty in my mind/heart: if the broadcasters had it their way, history/tradition would go right out the window tomorrow, and they'd have one elite national conference for football-only with 14-16 teams in it, those programs would get a golden goose, and that would be it. Everything else would be chopped liver, little more than logos to fill boxes on streaming apps that get zero promotion and zero money. They don't give a F about anything except their bottom line.
I think the ultimate end game for ESPN/Fox/etc. is to consolidate the premium brands into one football conference, so they have just enough inventory from that conference to put on their national free OTA broadcasts and their top-line cable (soon to be streaming subscription) channels. I imagine it would include, let's say, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas, Tennessee, Florida State, Nebraska, Penn State, Oklahoma, TAMU, Clemson, Florida, and Southern Cal. With bye weeks, that gives them just enough inventory to fill their prime broadcast slots on their prime networks every week in the fall. Not too big, not too small. Not spending one more dime than they have to. And, every game can be promoted as a BLOCKBUSTER MUST-SEE GAME OF THE CENTURY.
Their attitude is that we don't matter, because we will watch anyway, casuals will be more prone to tune in to watch the same 10-15 or so huge brand national programs play each other over and over (just like the NFL), and people that are too young to remember the old ways will grow up with the sport as it is now, and won't find it strange or off-putting at all. They will have no concept of geographic rivalries (the NFL doesn't promote geographic rivalries - it's all built around conferences and divisions - the Jets-Dolphins and Cowboys-Commies rivalries have zero to do with geographic proximity.) They will have zero understanding/context that the "best" programs developed their huge followings by beating up on a bunch of tomato cans and winning 85-90% of their games every year for a century.
The thing that we loved is dead, and it's never coming back. And, frankly, it was dead before NIL and unrestricted free agency. It died as soon as they implemented the first CFP in 2014-15.
Thread Replies (42)
IMO, depending on ACC media money to fund your athletic department is a
-- manassashoo
Apr 06, 2026 at 10:36 AM ET
manassashoo
•
04/06/26 10:36 AM ET
ol Swafford, the Douche that keeps giving til 2036. **
-- VT Pez4Life
Apr 08, 2026 at 02:19 PM ET
VT Pez4Life
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04/08/26 02:19 PM ET
He waited too late but all the schools voted yea on the deal**
-- ancient alien 2018
Apr 08, 2026 at 10:34 PM ET
ancient alien 2018
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04/08/26 10:34 PM ET
I agree, athletic depts need to change
-- 1947Sunbowl
Apr 07, 2026 at 11:46 AM ET
1947Sunbowl
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04/07/26 11:46 AM ET
Not sure if everyone saw my money chart post from last week
-- HokieAl
Apr 06, 2026 at 04:46 PM ET
HokieAl
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04/06/26 04:46 PM ET
There's zero ability to be competitive when Vanderbilt and Miss. State-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 06, 2026 at 10:56 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/06/26 10:56 AM ET
True, but you have to put in the effort to secure independent funding or
-- manassashoo
Apr 06, 2026 at 12:23 PM ET
manassashoo
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04/06/26 12:23 PM ET
There's that magic word that the HC lack,...effort.**
-- saret
Apr 08, 2026 at 11:49 AM ET
saret
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04/08/26 11:49 AM ET
The bottom line is that it makes it impossible for ACC teams to "outbid"-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 06, 2026 at 01:28 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/06/26 01:28 PM ET
VT needs to "sweet-talk" Bill, Elon or Jeff...or all three!**
-- EDGEMAN
Apr 07, 2026 at 10:55 AM ET
EDGEMAN
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04/07/26 10:55 AM ET
Many folks dont realize VT DOES have some very succesful business people
-- 1947Sunbowl
Apr 13, 2026 at 11:08 AM ET
1947Sunbowl
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04/13/26 11:08 AM ET
That's how much more they each get paid on their media deal vs. ACC teams.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 06, 2026 at 01:06 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/06/26 01:06 PM ET
According to tax returns and......
-- 2hhoop3
Apr 06, 2026 at 01:16 PM ET
2hhoop3
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04/06/26 01:16 PM ET
I've seen different numbers, but does it matter? 20 million? 30 million?
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 06, 2026 at 01:45 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/06/26 01:45 PM ET
I do think there will be a "crisis" situation involving the ACC sometime-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 06, 2026 at 02:02 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/06/26 02:02 PM ET
Agree. Big ? How, and Who makes the decision to tell 6-7ACC teams to go
-- ancient alien 2018
Apr 08, 2026 at 10:18 PM ET
ancient alien 2018
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04/08/26 10:18 PM ET
I'm starting to suspect more and more that the next seismic shift will be-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 10:31 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 10:31 AM ET
I’d be cool with this scenario. Call it the Big Country Conference.
-- mancunian
Apr 12, 2026 at 08:17 PM ET
mancunian
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04/12/26 08:17 PM ET
I think there will be a shift as well, but i have a different take.
-- Big12 guy
Apr 09, 2026 at 11:19 AM ET
Big12 guy
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04/09/26 11:19 AM ET
What if ratings is an outdated way of negotiating future media contracts
-- VTHokie2000
Apr 09, 2026 at 11:53 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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04/09/26 11:53 AM ET
You have a REALLY good point about the gambling
-- Big12 guy
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
Big12 guy
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04/09/26 12:00 PM ET
In Virginia, there are like 20 sports gambling apps available.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:14 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 12:14 PM ET
Why I think the so call bubble may not pop for college athletics because
-- VTHokie2000
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:17 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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04/09/26 12:17 PM ET
Each network either has their own app or they are affiliated with an
-- VTHokie2000
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:08 PM ET
VTHokie2000
•
04/09/26 12:08 PM ET
My only problem with that is basketball is such a small piece of the pie.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 11:30 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 11:30 AM ET
The money will land where it does, and it
-- Big12 guy
Apr 09, 2026 at 11:49 AM ET
Big12 guy
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04/09/26 11:49 AM ET
Re: forming a new conference - The Big East did it in the late 70's.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:09 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 12:09 PM ET
I couldn't agree with you more on all points.**
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 01:09 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 01:09 PM ET
i think it's time to separate football from
-- Big12 guy
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:14 PM ET
Big12 guy
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04/09/26 12:14 PM ET
The conference paradigm will never die while the SEC and Big 10 are-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:16 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 12:16 PM ET
FWIW there are examples of football only conferences at the DI level, so it
-- VTHokie2000
Apr 09, 2026 at 12:05 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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04/09/26 12:05 PM ET
How much gambling activity did the UCLA vs. Rutgers game generate for all
-- VTHokie2000
Apr 09, 2026 at 10:37 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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04/09/26 10:37 AM ET
The vast majority of gambling activity is by casuals/squares, and it-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 09, 2026 at 10:49 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/09/26 10:49 AM ET
I never said there was a connection between sports gambling and viewership
-- VTHokie2000
Apr 09, 2026 at 11:18 AM ET
VTHokie2000
•
04/09/26 11:18 AM ET
My prediction is that fan engagement is going to start waning at some point
-- MP4VT2004
Apr 07, 2026 at 08:30 PM ET
MP4VT2004
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04/07/26 08:30 PM ET
Nothing Disney/FOX/etc. does is for the benefit of actual CFB fans.
◄
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Apr 08, 2026 at 11:32 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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04/08/26 11:32 AM ET