Personally, I think the B1G and the SEC will add at most two schools each by 2030. I believe UNC is a lock and one of the Florida schools will get an invite. The ACC and Big 12 schools with P2 aspirations are vying for the remaining spots.

so yes, as long as that is the case the P2 will continue to do whatever serves their (and their networks) interests. And that means keeping the P2 as an exclusive major league with minimally adding new schools. And as long as the "rest" can remain viable maybe Congress isnt forced to act and consider antitrust exemptions and basically reworking the entire college model. But should all the non P2 schools ultimately get pushed to the edge of the cliff and no longer be sustainable, the political pressure to do something will become enormous and the B12 and ACC "flyover" type state senators will IMO act. We arent there yet- and right now it is a balancing act where the P2 spreads enough crumbs around to forestall the possible mutiny. So what does mean for the VTs of the world? Play both sides, because no one really can say with any certainty where this is all headed. If there is truly to be a shaking out- be on the right side. And if you end up on the wrong side, be prepared to play the political game.

not act. If Congress does decide to get involved, then I don't think Congress could prevent the P2s from either leaving the NCAA to form a brand new association or forming a brand new division level within the NCAA. At least I don't think Congress has any interest in trying to micromanage the situation at that level. Congressional involvement may only work if NCAA DI remains intact as it is now and that may not be a given since the schools from all three division levels are currently meeting to discuss a re-org within the NCAA.

those with an antitrust exemption could operate on much more favorable terms that it could make it a mistake. Anyway my greater point is that governmental involvement is just one of a number of unknown variables that make it truly impossible for any school like VT (in the middle) to know exactly what tact and strategy is best to take. Although I do think going "balls to the walls" for the interim period (as we are doing) is at this moment the best course to cover all flanks .

more favorable for the schools. I don't know if the schools and/or networks will have the patience to wait until Congress amends the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 to include the colleges in the antitrust exemptions. At least I don't think the schools can expect Congress to act quickly vs. slow playing it and seeing how the dusts settles. If a new P2 division is created during the NCAA re-org, then Congress may not be motivated to get involved even though some of the members may be politically motivated to make sure the big schools in their state aren't left behind. The wild card with Congress is which way the members, who have no skin in the game, will side on the issue because their state currently doesn't have any DI-FBS schools and/or DI-FBS schools with any interest in joining a P2 conference. You are right schools like VT are in a somewhat impossible situation because there are too many unknowns to know which path is the right one to go down. At some point schools like VT may have to just make a decision, be 100% committed to that decision regardless of the outcome, and hope for the best because that is all they can do with the information that may be available at the time. ** Edited by VTHokie2000 at 2/5/2026, 11:41:41 AM

THey said 2029 as a target, way they are rewiring the unversity this is just the beginning. another fear munger, Is it the ependitures you fear, of VT becomes the next indiana with national level program with best facilities in power 2and the enterprise is complety professional and others left behind. VT is NOT going to be left behind, and they will do ANYTHING they need to make it so. Its a multi billion dallor enterprise with 3500o students going to 40-45,. They are know building football. atheltics to be world class like the rest of university. Also, blacksburg dont have have the enterprise to support it, like other universities they have the land through developmetn to create their own hokie villege with restuarants, hotels entertainment and living venue for 365 day destination and including VT events,. Could even include a new arena.

the road it wants to continue down, it must be 100% committed to path regardless of the final destination. Anything less is a recipe for disaster in more ways than one.

way too much emphasis on getting to the P2, like that is the difference between surviving or not. It isn't. K-State as an example, has never matched Texas or Oklahoma in athetic spending, football, or otherwise. It was never even close when Texas and Oklahoma were in the B12. Schools like that, and I'll throw Nebraske in that bunch, have been outspending the K-States of the world by 10's of millions for decades. So, now Texas can outspend K-State by $30M more. May as well be $100M a year, because it doesn't matter - a K-State can still put a competitive product on the feild. The players getting paid is where all of this rush for new money is coming from. Add in the transfer portal, and Texas, while being able to out spend K-State, can not load up second and third string players like they used too. Add in that (for the sake of argument) second tier schools can most definetly come up with the money to pay their players as well, it's no wonder the Big 10 wants 4 auto's. Indiana gave every single school the roadmap. While yes, they get more conference distributions being in the Big 10, that is not why they just won the National Championship. They won by having a good quarterback, and 3 star players buying into the system, and over achieving. How many 5 star millionaire players sat at home, and watched Indiana and Miami duke it out? All of them????? Last I checked, Miami is not in the P2, and they weren't out of the championship game until very late - in other words, they could have won the thing. The BIG and SEC may expand, but they will NEVER dilute. That leaves "maybe" 3 to 4 schools including ND. That is assuming that no team from the B12 is invited, and I do not think any of them will be. The longer this goes on, the more I see that a "third" conference of the best of the rest may not be the answer. Just how I see it. I'm comming to the conclusion that the ACC with their top teams gone, and the B12 need to have a full on merger, add Uconn, and go with 30 teams. With the baskeball brands, and the parity in the athletic programs budgets, I see that as a very fun "conference". I also have no doubt that such a collection of schools have a ton of value and content that the media companies will be willing to pay for. Schedule in pods of 5 to stay relatively regional. Instead of trying to be a Texas or Oklahoma, the K-States of the world shoud try and be just that, the K-States of the world, and put competitive football on the feild. Find a good quarterback, a good nucleus, use the portal to fill in the gaps, and mark my words, they will be able to take the feild and compete against the Texas's of the world. To hell with the P2 - currently, the B12 puts a really good product on the feild, and it's a LOT of fun for the fans. Sometimes, you just need to know when to cut bait, and be who you are.

With our new revenue-sharing policies, the top 2-3 teams in the ACC can make as much as a P2 team.

Can the other 15.5-14.5 members afford to assume those 2-3 teams will be ACC members when it comes time for the current contract with ESPN to renew? If not, then mentally they may have the mentally of "do or die" when it comes to having a seat at the P2 table. Especially if we assume the "die" really means being relegated to second class citizen status within FBS in terms money, opportunities, and media exposure.

Remember Indiana started its "investment" on the football program about 15 years ago with its various major projects. Without the Big Ten money to help, could those projects still have come to fruition? If these major projects never existed, then would Indiana have been in the position (aka a potential attractive destination) to hire Cignetti away from JMU? I have started to come to the conclusion that these type of discussion may really be a chicken and egg type discussion because it is likely you can't have one without the other. At least college athletics hasn't evolved like the NFL or likely the other major pro leagues who have a tendency to not make huge investments in their (practice) facilities. So when you say "Indiana gave every single school the roadmap," I'm not sure you can be as dismissive about the P2 money as you seem to be in the post. Otherwise, we should start to see Indiana-like schools from non-P2 conferences make somewhat regular deep runs in the FBS Playoffs going forward. I think even you would agree that is unlikely to happen because FBS Playoffs will likely be dominated by the P2s going forward. If a non-P2 school makes a deep run, then it will likely be a blue blood (i.e. Miami, FSU, etc.) or a perceived blue blood (i.e. Clemson) with an established pedigree.

Is a Miami supporter. Miami is here to stay. I believe UM has 2 billionaire supporters.

stadium in 2016/2017. The article doesn't mention the funding source for that capital project. However, if Cuban was involved with that project, then I would think his name would have appeared in the article. Similar to how he donated $5M in 2015 for the sports media center (Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology at IU) and NIL donations (2024 and 2025) after he had a conversation with Cignetti.

the decisions Indiana made about 15 years ago to quietly invest in the football program. Those decisions were long before Cignetti was on anyone's radar and I believe Cuban was willing to publicly make a large investment in Indiana athletics. At least I can't find anything to suggest Cuban contributed to the renovations in 2009 and 2010, so I think the bulk of that money came from whatever Indiana received from the Big Ten since the launch of the BTN. "Stadium renovations Memorial Stadium is a 138,000-square-foot, multi-purpose facility with a seating capacity that expanded to 52,929 in 2010. The stadium received a major upgrade in 2009, when a project enclosing the north end of the stadium was completed. It turned the stadium into a horseshoe layout, which connected the stands on the east and west sides. The upgrade allowed for a new weight room, a more expansive academic center for student-athletes, position meeting rooms and an auditorium for the football team, offices for football staff and administration."

is a resounding yes. They got those players through the portal and many were brought over from a G5 with the coach. That national championship is not the result of 15 years of building a program with Big 10 money - not even close in my opinion.

him and his staff? Would Cignetti still find the job as attractive as he did if Indiana didn't have the Big Ten money to pay him and his staff AND Indiana had not already completed those major capital projects (including upgrades to the football stadium)? If so, then what is the proof to support that opinion? Until a non-P2 non-blue blood wins the FBS national championship or at least makes it to the championship, then I don't believe there is any proof that the road not take (aka Indiana being to hire Cignetti without having Big Ten money and still winning a FBS national championship under him) would still lead to the same destination. Which is essentially what you are suggestion will happen if a non-P2 school non-blue blood follows the map Indiana created this past season. Even if non-P2 non-blue blood is able to duplicate what Indiana did this past season, it still may not resolve the debate. I say that because then the discussion can easily shift to was it once in a blue moon type of event vs. a more common event.

money. Isn't Bill down there at UNC being paid more than $10M a year? UNC doesn't make P2 money. How much does the Miami coach make? Besides Indiana, when was the last time a non blue blood won the national championship? May as well drop the program, and become a basketball school if you think you can not compete. tOSU had just under a $300M atletic budget before a P2 was even a thing. So did Texas - long before the SEC came calling. it's ALWAYS been that way. ** Edited by Big12 guy at 2/4/2026, 8:53:50 PM

to put themselves in the best position to secure a spot in a P2 conference if the opportunity presents itself at some point in the future. Some people and even history may view Indiana's national championship as a "Cinderella" story simply because the program is considered a non-blue blood in football. However, it may not be that much of a "Cinderella story" because Indiana benefitted from having access to P2 money. Hence why I am saying the debate is a chicken-egg one because access to the P2 money is a factor at some level and can't be ignored. Likewise (and tying back to the OP), it does suggest this may be a trial run for VT to see if it can truly exist in the P2 world and all the "requirements" in that world. FWIW TSL has a video where it interviewed one of the big donors who is also on the BoV right after VT hired Franklin. The current BoV believes FBS "big time" college football is eventually heading to a P2 World and they want VT to be apart of that world (if possible). If the BoV wants that dream to come to fruition, then they believe VT will have to make certain decisions to realign multiple things within the Athletic Department and even the fan base. The hyperlink is where you can watch the interview for free on YouTube. ** Edited by VTHokie2000 at 2/4/2026, 11:18:09 PM ** Edited by VTHokie2000 at 2/4/2026, 11:23:14 PM

I wouldn't mind VT being with X other top ACC schools along with X top Big 12 schools as long as not many big brands go to the P2. I put that in about the P2 since it seemed like a sticking point to the BOV when searching for coaches. I think it is interesting that VT plus other schools are either getting help from certain donors or pledges to help the athletics department. My real question is - how long does this money come in to a school and donors don't see the results and those donors dry up on the money being given - where does that tipping point end a school's run at one of the top brands - or do those donors continue to give hoping for the best? ** Edited by The_VT_Rock at 2/4/2026, 5:11:25 PM

will never be the "big brand" that gets invited to the P2. If those schools try, it would take decades, and the infrastucture for doners that the blue bloods enjoy is just not there, and will never be there. It's a fools errand, and it's like saying that a BYU will be a ND some day in the future. It won't matter if they win 3 national championship in a row, and out spenf the Irish for the next 25 years, they will never be in the class of ND. That, however, does not mean thay can't compete for national championships, fill their stadiums, and have a ton of people watch their games. will they get the eyeballs of the Ohio States and ND's during the regular season? Not a chance in hell. Could they beat tOSU and ND on the field? without a doubt in my mind. Find the revenue to pay the players, use the transfer portal to your advantage - with yout new coach and some on field success there is no reason VT couldn't be the next Indiana. They, however, will still not be a blue blood like ND.