teams) are going to be amped when the Longhorns and Sooners come to town. "Hell hath no fury like a woman (or conference opponents) scorned." I was in Morgantown for our last game with WVU as Big East opponents. Just looking at the body language of our kids, compared to theirs, before the game, told me we were in for a long night, and we lost 28-7. Texas must play @ TCU (#5) and @ Baylor (#6). Oklahoma has no away games at any of the top 6 (other than Texas), but must play @ Oklahoma State.

they actually win football games, and attract eyeballs. it's just amazing how that happens. remember when the ACC used to be able to say they were good at basketball?

Which conference would come out on top? Or playoff participants + Final Four teams. Honest question. I don’t know off the top of my head. But I definitely know the Big Ten wouldn’t be at the top. And we can all enjoy that.

just football and basketball or all sports and your time frame 10 yes, 20 yrs, etc. I believe you will find the SEC clearly #1, the ACC and PAC12 #'s2 or 3 depending on sports and years and the B1G and Big 12 distant #'s 4 and 5. IF you factor in conference realignment future locations the gap between the SEC and everybody widens, the ACC is the clear #2, the B1G rises to #3 and the PAC 12 and Big 12 crater to distant #'s 4 and 5. Bottom line is the SEC is a level unto itself, the B1G consistently does the least with the most, and the ACC has gotten strong performance results despite trailing in the revenue arms race by a substantial margin.

if you look at purely at revenue generating sports (men's hoops and football). B1G hasn't had a men's bball championship in over 20 years, and only 1 football championship in 20 years. Big XII and Big East can claim multiple men's bball and 1 football for Big XII

depends on the measure and number of years and my opinion was just confined to the group currently constituting the P5.

Why is the Big10 getting the payouts they are, why is the ACC so underproducing from a revenue standpoint. I think it's lack of compelling stories that resonate at a national level. The Big10 has a bunch of plodding along mediocre teams with a couple of over-rated teams at the top, BUT, they create good media stories with love em or hate em coaches (but you have an opinion), love em or hate em teams (everyone has an opinion about McChicken, bucknuts and pedo State) and it doesn't hurt that one of the largest producers of sports journalists is Northwestern. Plus, people in that part of the world are from there, mostly stay there and live and breath the Big10. They can bash their rivals, but if you're an outsider, you can't. Again, passion, stories to tell. The ACC, polite, friendly, we're like Canada. Look at the big markets in the ACC (DC, CLT, ATL) they are all transient, huge parts of those markets aren't from there. They don't care about the ACC, they have no history or passion. Why was ACC basketball so interesting and media hyped up until a few years ago...personalities. Rat Face, Dean Smith, Buzz, Uncle Fester. Nationally, people were interested, the media had a story to tell. Now, yawn...they're playing basketball...oh goody. And football? Good lord, never has there been a more boring group of men in a room than in an ACC Football coaches presser. It's not all the product on the field, it's entertainment and until the ACC realizes that and starts creating stories people are interested in, we'll just be the conference that overperforms in the NCAABB tournament.

a numbers game as far as that goes. But they have massive fanbases and those fanbases watch the games. They probably have well more than double the living alumni. It gets worse when you look at the populations and total number of fans. They dominate every state they're in. The ACC doesn't.

as it relates to capacity. I don't know if those trends will continue after the new 4 come on board in the B12, but full stadiums make for good television, no matter who is playing. https://espn960sports.com/news/why-the-pac10-is-strugglin...

and points are accurate. I also believe the real answer is pretty simple. Large alumni and fan bases translate to eyes, history of the big boys OSU, UM and PSU translate to eyes as well and eyes translate to advertising and revenue dollars. Very little about the B1G on field/court product draws anyone not already tied to one of their schools and the reality is they have been marginal for closer to 50 years than 30 years.

the casual fan has to have interest and that interest comes from a compelling story. The largest school's entire alumni base is still a tiny fraction of a ratings point. Why is Lane Kiffin still coaching? Because people love him (if he's your coach) or hate him. He runs his mouth, creates buzz, generates ratings. He's at best a mediocre coach and at worst, an abhorrent human being, but he creates a great heel up against the Saban and generates massive amounts of money and interest.

because he is a salesman and can recruit. If just running your mouth and creating a buzz/story was what it was about Mike Leach would have owned the yard.

all show, no go. The downside risk with him is very high, the upside opportunity is not so great. But that creates great media and a school like Ol Miss, that just wants to matter, is willing to take that chance.

with USC will bring in big numbers of viewers for a few years, but like Nebraska, those games just become another meaningless game unless they are ranked, and vying for a playoff spot. Toledo is ranked in someones top 25. I'm pretty certain that revenue isn't the measure of that team. I also think that Indiana will not rise to the top of college football because of a fat paycheck. It will all still come down to coaching and recruiting. This conference stuff will pass, and it really doesn't matter where your team lands.

it's brand marketability. It's the ability to generate revenue. Nobody gives a rat's butt about Toledo outside Toledo unless they go undefeated and ESPN talking heads can make up stories about how the poor little guy is being mistreated, but they absolutely have no interest in them making the playoff because no one will watch after the first 5 mins when the David vs Goliath thing wears off. Only reason anyone ever cared about Cinci and UCF is that they each created good stories for one December, the underdog that has a claim to the title (despite the fact it was a fairy tale). That's good media for 15 mins, meanwhile, no one is turning on a game between an 8-1 Cinci and a 7-2 UCF in Oct, while a 4-4 Texas vs a 5-3 OK is going to draw a decent rating. In the end, coaches have to recruit and players have to play and when a big name school doesn't win and stay relevant they lose value, but there is a line of coaches ready to take over because they have the name and the media exposure it takes to attract the best players. Why are the same half dozen teams the only teams that ever win championships? They get the coaches and the players, those around them get the money for being in their conference. Money doesn't win championships, money comes from winning championships and more importantly, creating stories for the media that drive ad revenue.

Kansas football year in and year out, unless of course they are undefeated, playing an undefeated Duke team. It was a relly good story last year, and the only reason those teams were even mentioned was because of the win loss column. Next year, a ranked Toledo will be very relevant, as they have a chance of getting an automatic in the playoffs. This year, if they get a major bowl like Tulane last year, they most certainly will be relevant. That run last year by Tulane got them mentioned in discussions about a power 5 invite, and let me tell you, if a Toledo, a Marshal, an Old Dominion have a run, it will dwarf the middle of the pack B12, ACC, and PAC stories. As soon as this realignment mess is settled, the story will the playoffs - period, no if ands or buts about it. People will forget about these media deals as soon as the first snap of the season happens. Kansas has a 100% better chance of making future playoff games then Rutgers, Indiana, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and just about every lower tier SEC of BIG University.

Kansas and Toldeo making the playoff while the 3rd place SEC team doesn't is not a good thing because people won't watch and the casual fan loses interest. The expanded playoff is going to look like the ACC Championship in Jacksonville when we played BC and get about the same ratings. Those stories you mentioned are for a week (more promo hype than a story in reality) or at best the end of season (everyone loves David vs Goliath, but they really won't watch David play). My original point is that the reason some conferences and teams get more money is they produce long term revenue because they viewers are interested. As I've said before, the Big12's mistake was the knee jerk reaction of adding 3 in the middle of their 15 mins programs that no one nationally cares about unless they can create that once in a great while story. Problem is, once they are part of the "system" they are no longer a story even if they can continue to win.

that all the conferences are represented, and the blue bloods get picked off by one of them every year. How boring would it be if only the top 3 teams of the power conferences play? America loves the upset, and if there is a Troy (for example) that knocks off a #1 FSU (also an example), they will be talking about it for years. I can't wait for the expanded playoffs, and they will find a way to get more BIG and SEC teams in, by expanding to 16. Also, I'd be OK if realignment stopped right now. I don't even care the perception of the B12 conference, as long as they continue to be relevant in the playoffs, and compete in the tournament. This fan is satisfied with where the B12 landed. I hope no matter where you guys land, you are satisfied, and looking forward to the games as much as I am.

It's all about the big schools and their alumni base in the end.

vested interest in any of the teams participating in it. Now that a lot more sports are televised/streamed, I have no problem finding an alternative sporting event to watch, even if it is on replay, than whatever is the most popular sporting event (i.e. March Madness, FBS College Playoffs, Super Bowl, World Series, etc.) that is going on at the time.

of the PAC, and c;early, they are the "better" conference compared to the newly formed B12. In this day and age, with all of the unknowns with the realignment, it doesn't even matter. ESPN and FOX made a bet on the B12 on current and trending numbers, not the past. The ACC, like the old B12, and the old PAC, is top heavy - and if you take the head off the snake, many in the ACC will be right there with the PAC and B12.

ACC has had a team in 5 of last 8 NCAA finals and claims 3 titles in that span by 3 different teams. Year in and year out we have also had the best record in the dance over any reasonable time period.