First, I am not endorsing PE in
college athletics in any way shape or form. You say that is a belief of mine, and given our history, how in the world could you espouse what I believe? I stated very clearly, that it is a development that is on the table, and can not be dismissed, no matter what either of us believe in. The FACT that PE firms have a relationship with ALL professional sports leagues, is just that, a FACT. With the NFL, you might be correct that it is a way for minority ownership to change hands - but really, I will have to take your word on that, as I don't have the time to research it. What I do know, is that the relationship with the NHL is much different, and as been a success to all franchises, and the PE firms alike.
The actuary comment was just a different way of saying it has to pencil out - but you knew that.
Your personal interactions with PE are completely irrelevent in the present tense. You are certainly entitled to your biases and opinions, but that doesn't change what is happening on the ground today. Like it or not, All but two of the BIG voted FOR PE involvement. I assure you, the presidents of those universities were most certainly involved in the discussions and votes. To do simple math, that is 16 for, and 2 against.
To repeat myself, I am not advocating for PE to be involved in college athletics, I am saying it is on the table, and to retain an archaic opinion of private equity in college athletics is putting your head in the proverbial sand.
Thread Replies (67)
Curious about payments to get out of conference
-- The_VT_Rock
Jul 01, 2026 at 09:56 AM ET
The_VT_Rock
•
07/01/26 09:56 AM ET
If the Mag 7+1 leave, it’s very different answer than a couple leaving.**
-- Stech
Jul 01, 2026 at 03:28 PM ET
Stech
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07/01/26 03:28 PM ET
If P2 goes to 24 the ACC probably loses at least 11
-- 4x4hokies
Jul 03, 2026 at 07:06 PM ET
4x4hokies
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07/03/26 07:06 PM ET
ACC will lose Mag 7+1 IMHO in that scenario, maybe Stanford &Cal too, but
-- Stech
Jul 03, 2026 at 07:43 PM ET
Stech
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07/03/26 07:43 PM ET
I doubt ESPN would be active on breaking up the Big 12. They tried before.
-- HouClone
Jul 04, 2026 at 12:03 PM ET
HouClone
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07/04/26 12:03 PM ET
ESPN will want the best ratings they can get, some B12 teams would help
-- Stech
Jul 04, 2026 at 02:23 PM ET
Stech
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07/04/26 02:23 PM ET
Sad part it really is not ESPN that is the final decision.
-- HouClone
Jul 04, 2026 at 04:47 PM ET
HouClone
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07/04/26 04:47 PM ET
Presidents do have a say, but ESPN is only willing to pay 4 certain schools
-- Stech
Jul 06, 2026 at 07:48 AM ET
Stech
•
07/06/26 07:48 AM ET
I see Stanford, Cal and ND going in an exodus **
-- 4x4hokies
Jul 03, 2026 at 08:00 PM ET
4x4hokies
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07/03/26 08:00 PM ET
In an exodus, that’s certainly possible.**
-- Stech
Jul 04, 2026 at 02:20 PM ET
Stech
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07/04/26 02:20 PM ET
I'd recommend finding a private equity investor to front the exit fee. TIC**
-- MP4VT2004
Jul 01, 2026 at 02:54 PM ET
MP4VT2004
•
07/01/26 02:54 PM ET
It really doesn't matter - if they get a chance to jump, they have to jump.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 01, 2026 at 01:03 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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07/01/26 01:03 PM ET
Rather than wait around for the inevitable, can the ACC self-prune?
-- VT ChemE 1986
Jul 06, 2026 at 10:32 AM ET
VT ChemE 1986
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07/06/26 10:32 AM ET
I don't think there's a viable way to do it.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 06, 2026 at 10:36 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
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07/06/26 10:36 AM ET
You really think ESPN w/ 50% of ACCN is going to pick that over the B12?
-- Stech
Jul 03, 2026 at 12:40 PM ET
Stech
•
07/03/26 12:40 PM ET
Can we stop the obsession with the ACCN? The ACCN is small potatoes-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 06, 2026 at 10:01 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
•
07/06/26 10:01 AM ET
585M and up 16%, it’s facts and linked below, ignore it if you choose.**
-- Stech
Jul 06, 2026 at 02:10 PM ET
Stech
•
07/06/26 02:10 PM ET
Please go back and read my post again, carefully.
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 07, 2026 at 10:20 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
•
07/07/26 10:20 AM ET
Look at how I edited your subject line.
-- Will Stewart
Jul 07, 2026 at 12:44 PM ET
Will Stewart
•
07/07/26 12:44 PM ET
Point taken. Thanks, Will.**
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 07, 2026 at 02:11 PM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
•
07/07/26 02:11 PM ET
Me thinks the conference networks are a failed business model. If
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 02:37 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 02:37 PM ET
The ACC's record revenue was reportedly fueled by $588.5 million in tele-
-- Stech
Jul 03, 2026 at 03:14 PM ET
Stech
•
07/03/26 03:14 PM ET
This is so for one reason and one reason only-
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 07, 2026 at 10:24 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
•
07/07/26 10:24 AM ET
This is interesting as thought
-- HouClone
Jul 04, 2026 at 10:22 PM ET
HouClone
•
07/04/26 10:22 PM ET
Point well taken, but even you
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 03:44 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 03:44 PM ET
Increase was mostly that, I think ESPN thinks of ACC as 🏀 conference 1st,
-- Stech
Jul 03, 2026 at 04:50 PM ET
Stech
•
07/03/26 04:50 PM ET
I think the first conference that gets
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 05:22 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 05:22 PM ET
I prefer your original idea of the best from the ACC and Big12
-- VT ChemE 1986
Jul 02, 2026 at 03:54 PM ET
VT ChemE 1986
•
07/02/26 03:54 PM ET
I agree with you. Not so much because I think VT can't compete, but because
-- Baltimore_Hokie
Jul 06, 2026 at 10:02 AM ET
Baltimore_Hokie
•
07/06/26 10:02 AM ET
We won’t finish 6th, our recruiting will even be better than this year,
-- Stech
Jul 03, 2026 at 03:33 PM ET
Stech
•
07/03/26 03:33 PM ET
I encourage you to do the math:
-- VT ChemE 1986
Jul 03, 2026 at 06:05 PM ET
VT ChemE 1986
•
07/03/26 06:05 PM ET
SEC missed Champ game last 3 years *Bama 🤷, A&M 🤷♂️, Ok 🤷♂️, UF🤷♂️,
-- Stech
Jul 07, 2026 at 07:46 AM ET
Stech
•
07/07/26 07:46 AM ET
Don't forget LSU. Also, if we join with Clemson and FSU, that brings more
-- wwhokie1
Jul 04, 2026 at 01:26 AM ET
wwhokie1
•
07/04/26 01:26 AM ET
Well, we’ve beaten many of them…
-- HOKIEGOBBLE
Jul 03, 2026 at 07:38 PM ET
HOKIEGOBBLE
•
07/03/26 07:38 PM ET
Done the math, it will be a different situation recruiting against them
-- Stech
Jul 03, 2026 at 07:38 PM ET
Stech
•
07/03/26 07:38 PM ET
If the ACC is collapsing we will have no choice.
-- VT ChemE 1986
Jul 03, 2026 at 10:35 PM ET
VT ChemE 1986
•
07/03/26 10:35 PM ET
I understand that point of view.**
-- Stech
Jul 04, 2026 at 02:19 PM ET
Stech
•
07/04/26 02:19 PM ET
Who's the best from the Big 12?
-- HouClone
Jul 02, 2026 at 07:59 PM ET
HouClone
•
07/02/26 07:59 PM ET
BigXII: No blue bloods, but no doormats. Just parity.
-- Maroon Baboon
Jul 03, 2026 at 06:01 AM ET
Maroon Baboon
•
07/03/26 06:01 AM ET
One possibility is that if VT (or any other ACC team) is invited to the P2
-- Maroon Baboon
Jul 01, 2026 at 11:15 AM ET
Maroon Baboon
•
07/01/26 11:15 AM ET
Utah made a PE deal for $500M, and
-- Big12 guy
Jul 01, 2026 at 11:32 AM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/01/26 11:32 AM ET
Could very well be, but let's look
-- Big12 guy
Jul 02, 2026 at 05:31 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/02/26 05:31 PM ET
The fact that every single.....
-- 2hhoop3
Jul 02, 2026 at 05:59 PM ET
2hhoop3
•
07/02/26 05:59 PM ET
First, I am not endorsing PE in
◄
-- Big12 guy
Jul 02, 2026 at 10:50 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/02/26 10:50 PM ET
I will ask you a question. what
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 03:39 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 03:39 PM ET
And I 100% agreed with you when you responded to one
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 04:05 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 04:05 PM ET
Now that is a post I can wrap my head around. it's different
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 05:41 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 05:41 PM ET
I did not answer your questions because
-- Big12 guy
Jul 03, 2026 at 02:43 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/03/26 02:43 PM ET
I've lost respect for Utah through all of this.
-- Maroon Baboon
Jul 01, 2026 at 12:22 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
•
07/01/26 12:22 PM ET
There are at least 7 states the BiG would target for expansion
-- VT ChemE 1986
Jul 02, 2026 at 04:00 PM ET
VT ChemE 1986
•
07/02/26 04:00 PM ET
I'd add AZ. But yeah.**
-- Maroon Baboon
Jul 03, 2026 at 01:05 AM ET
Maroon Baboon
•
07/03/26 01:05 AM ET
100%. TT however, is getting
-- Big12 guy
Jul 01, 2026 at 12:25 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/01/26 12:25 PM ET
Yeah, perhaps I was too harsh on TT.
-- Maroon Baboon
Jul 01, 2026 at 12:55 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
•
07/01/26 12:55 PM ET
Depends what kind of deal the SEC/BIG offer for full vs partial payments
-- HokieAl
Jul 01, 2026 at 10:16 AM ET
HokieAl
•
07/01/26 10:16 AM ET
The best thing VT can do......
-- 2hhoop3
Jul 01, 2026 at 10:10 AM ET
2hhoop3
•
07/01/26 10:10 AM ET
Possibility #3, start kicking bottom teams out. The Big East booted Temple.
-- Truthahn
Jul 02, 2026 at 01:48 PM ET
Truthahn
•
07/02/26 01:48 PM ET