Here's another rumor: Pac-12 and ACC mega-merger

[ttowncoug]

Pac-12 maybe increases by four teams. West Division of 14. East Division of 14. Pac adds Oklahoma State, Kansas, KSU and TCU.

Maybe branding is the Western Division, Eastern Division. Something like the National Collegiate Conference (NCC). Agree to scheduling and maybe post season groupings. Conference baskball tournament would be a huge ratings draw. Same with a Post Season football. New bowl tie-ins.

Wild, Wild East: Pac-12 mega-merger with ACC is part of crazy backroom rumors

An inside source told Jon Wilner of the Wilner Hotline that #Pac12 and #ACC school presidents ‘would love to be academically aligned with the other.’ Hmmmmm…

trojanswire.usatoday.com

 

[ttowncoug]

here is another take on this from Cazano.

Remember: this about TV sets and TV ratings. Shoring up the west coast market and the east coast markets, and keeping them out of Fox Sports, would be a savvy move by ESPN.

Canzano: Pac-12 eyeing "loose partnership" with another conference

Source: CEO Group is plotting.

www.johncanzano.com

 

[TrumpCoug]

Living in NC, I would love a "loose partnership" with the ACC.

 

[AlwaysSpokanesFault]

Ooh...my wife would love to see Coach Dreamy again.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Living in NC, I would love a "loose partnership" with the ACC.

Where in NC do you live?

 

[random soul]

Honestly this is probably a best-case scenario for WSU at this stage. Let's see what plays out

 

[Coug90]

Honestly this is probably a best-case scenario for WSU at this stage. Let's see what plays out

Would set up some cool trips. UNC, Miami, Clemson…some places the Cougs would otherwise probably never play.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Would set up some cool trips. UNC, Miami, Clemson…some places the Cougs would otherwise probably never play.

There is no other scenario any ACC team comes to Pullman unless this happens.

 

[95coug]

Sorry, I don’t see it. Sure, there are big markets involved. Problem is that he big east coast markets don’t care about the west coast teams, and the west doesn’t care much about the east.
Plus, the ACC has what, 4, maybe 5 teams that can reasonably claim more than regional interest? And an equal number that are perennial losers. And only maybe 3 with some legitimate national interest? And in both cases, they beat the pac-12.

Even if this was more than a thought tossed out in a back room brainstorming session, I don’t think it would command enough interest to get a competitive media deal, And there’s nothing to indicate it would be a full conference merger…it might leave WSU out just like the hypothetical Big 12 deal.

 

[mikalalas]

A insider Notre Dame Source according to Sports Illustrated says that Notre Dame doesn't want to go to Big 10 and wants to stay independent.

COMBINED with how a WA legislator named Drew Stokesbary, said that he and Michael Baumgartner, are pushing, expediting FAST, QUICK, ETC, LEGISLATION, that ties UW/WA state together, forbids UW from leaving WSU behind, that UW/WSU has to be a PACKAGED deal either in Pac 12, Big 10, Big 12, Merger between Pac 12/Big 12, Merger between Pac 12/ACC, MWC, etc.

Drew Stokesbary has TOLD UW/WSU presidents, Chancellor's, AD's, Board of Regents, Coaches, etc, and probably has threatened the President's/AD's/Board of Regents, that they had better comply, not try to do things, circumvent things, before the legislation passed, and that if they do that, they will lose all public tax dollars, funding, will be FIRED, etc.

That and what Big 10 has said that they not interested and only interested in Oregon/UW, IF IF ND joins Big 10, and since ND said they won't join Big 10, and since UW/Oregon said they are staying put, and since the Big 12 said they won't raid Pac 12, at least for now, and since the rest of the remaining Pac 12 teams said they staying put, and since the Pac 12 said they extremely aggressively will expand, an or merge, and said that a new media deal worth about 300 million, about 30 million a Pac 12 team per year, is being finalized.

Because of all that combined together.

Pac 12 will probably get Iowa St, TCU, Texas Tech, from Big 12, and BSU, UNLV, SDSU, Fresno State, Airforce, to go with Oregon, UW, Stanford, Utah, Cal, Arizona, ASU, Colorado, WSU, Ore St, to become the Pac 18, and then get Rosebowl to renew with Pac 18, and then finalize 300 Mill media deal, then later merge with either Big 12 or ACC.

 

[TrumpCoug]

Where in NC do you live?

Have a ranch just North of Durham. Moved out here from the Bay Area 8 years ago, couldn't be happier. Well I could be happier if Pac 10 merged with the ACC.

 

[ttowncoug]

I think what most fans are NOT understanding is Oregon and UW are not going to the Big-10. They aren't invited. Those schools see the Big-12 (even expanded) as a step down.

So...the Pac-12 is going to make a big play (or attempt) to shore up the league. ACC, if they want to stay in tact, is the most likely and best scenario.

 

[95coug]

I think what most fans are NOT understanding is Oregon and UW are not going to the Big-10. They aren't invited. Those schools see the Big-12 (even expanded) as a step down.

So...the Pac-12 is going to make a big play (or attempt) to shore up the league. ACC, if they want to stay in tact, is the most likely and best scenario.

I'm curious which ACC teams people think are going to rescue the Pac-12. Because I think most of them realize that they're dead men walking too.

The only teams there with a real national following are Clemson, FSU, and miami. Even those aren't as solid as a michigan or alabama. Pitt and Virginia tech have some interest beyond the region, but (like UO and UW) not enough to be that attractive on their own. Some of the other teams are proximal to major markets, but in a streaming model that's less critical than national brand.

As pairings with pac-12 teams, I don't see either side getting that excited. There might be some novelty at first, but not many people are going to subscribe based on the promise of games between WSU and Georgia Tech, or stanford/syracuse. In fact, I can't think of an ACC/PAC-12 matchup that would generate as much interest as a UCLA-Oklahoma, a USC-Michigan State, let alone a Michigan-Alabama.

Plus, seems to me there's a very strong likelihood that if the ACC opens up, the SEC and Big 10 will move quickly to grab Clemson, FSU, and Miami, along with most of the national appeal.

I just don't see it. Could happen, but if it does I think it's only for a couple years, until the ACC departure penalty becomes more manageable.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I'm curious which ACC teams people think are going to rescue the Pac-12. Because I think most of them realize that they're dead men walking too.

The only teams there with a real national following are Clemson, FSU, and miami. Even those aren't as solid as a michigan or alabama. Pitt and Virginia tech have some interest beyond the region, but (like UO and UW) not enough to be that attractive on their own. Some of the other teams are proximal to major markets, but in a streaming model that's less critical than national brand.

As pairings with pac-12 teams, I don't see either side getting that excited. There might be some novelty at first, but not many people are going to subscribe based on the promise of games between WSU and Georgia Tech, or stanford/syracuse. In fact, I can't think of an ACC/PAC-12 matchup that would generate as much interest as a UCLA-Oklahoma, a USC-Michigan State, let alone a Michigan-Alabama.

Plus, seems to me there's a very strong likelihood that if the ACC opens up, the SEC and Big 10 will move quickly to grab Clemson, FSU, and Miami, along with most of the national appeal.

I just don't see it. Could happen, but if it does I think it's only for a couple years, until the ACC departure penalty becomes more manageable.

North Carolina is in that mix too. Maybe Duke gets some interest because of basketball and the strength of its brand.

If the ACC and P10 were to merge, I dont see teams crisscrossing the nation. I see a 9 game division schedule and a championship game. How many cross games? Who knows.

It will be interesting to see how the tv deals change scheduling. Top dollar goes to top games. Bama vs Citadel isnt going to draw top dollar. Will conferences have to scrap their body bag games and actually play a schedule full of league games?

If the P10 and ACC merged and WSU had 3 cross over games… let’s be honest, is there another way any of those ACC teams ever came to Pullman?

 

[WASH ST A&M FAN]

ACC has a GOR agreement until 2035-36.

Now I’m sure Greg Stankey & his SEC friends are trying to find the weak spot to exploit it.

But here’s what the ACC Grant Of Rights Agreement signed in 2016 means to the schools:

‘Schools not only would lose the money they receive for media rights from the ACC, but they'd forfeit any media rights money from their new conference. The agreement applied to the league's current members and accepted members at the time. It also applies to future members, who would have to accept the agreement as part of a condition for joining the league.’

 

[TrumpCoug]

North Carolina is in that mix too. Maybe Duke gets some interest because of basketball and the strength of its brand.

If the ACC and P10 were to merge, I dont see teams crisscrossing the nation. I see a 9 game division schedule and a championship game. How many cross games? Who knows.

It will be interesting to see how the tv deals change scheduling. Top dollar goes to top games. Bama vs Citadel isnt going to draw top dollar. Will conferences have to scrap their body bag games and actually play a schedule full of league games?

If the P10 and ACC merged and WSU had 3 cross over games… let’s be honest, is there another way any of those ACC teams ever came to Pullman?

Good post. I agree, if they were to merge, the cross over games would add a lot of spice to both conferences. Having an ACC team roll into Pullman for any sport would draw a lot of fan interest. I also believe Coug fans would really enjoy a cross country visit to some great cities/universities located in the ACC that they may never visit otherwise. The days of "geography" defining a P5 conference is long gone. A move to a the MWC or bringing in SDSU, Nevada, Boise St, UNLV etc to the PAC would NOT be the right move (IMO).

I don't see a "merger" with the Big 12. If anything I see the Big 12 poaching AZ, ASU, CO, UT, WA, OR and us and the Beavs are left holding the bag (of shit). Not sure what would happen to Stanford and Cal.

Just spitballing here...it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

I'm curious which ACC teams people think are going to rescue the Pac-12. Because I think most of them realize that they're dead men walking too.

The only teams there with a real national following are Clemson, FSU, and miami. Even those aren't as solid as a michigan or alabama. Pitt and Virginia tech have some interest beyond the region, but (like UO and UW) not enough to be that attractive on their own. Some of the other teams are proximal to major markets, but in a streaming model that's less critical than national brand.

As pairings with pac-12 teams, I don't see either side getting that excited. There might be some novelty at first, but not many people are going to subscribe based on the promise of games between WSU and Georgia Tech, or stanford/syracuse. In fact, I can't think of an ACC/PAC-12 matchup that would generate as much interest as a UCLA-Oklahoma, a USC-Michigan State, let alone a Michigan-Alabama.

Plus, seems to me there's a very strong likelihood that if the ACC opens up, the SEC and Big 10 will move quickly to grab Clemson, FSU, and Miami, along with most of the national appeal.

I just don't see it. Could happen, but if it does I think it's only for a couple years, until the ACC departure penalty becomes more manageable.

Clemson isn't as solid as Michigan? I don't agree with that. Clemson has become a major power and Michigan has mostly faded.

 

[CougInSpain]

Clemson isn't as solid as Michigan? I don't agree with that. Clemson has become a major power and Michigan has mostly faded.

One would argue the actual opposite has happened. Long gone are the days of losing to the likes of Appalachian St etc for Michigan. Minus the Kaepernick clown show he hosted not long ago, Harbaugh has actually brought relevancy and powerhouse stature back to the program.

 

[95coug]

Clemson isn't as solid as Michigan? I don't agree with that. Clemson has become a major power and Michigan has mostly faded.

Right now, Clemson is a power. They don't have the long-standing tradition or the broad national base that Michigan does. If Dabo leaves and Clemson starts going 9-3 or 8-4, their following evaporates.

The point was, there's very little in the ACC and nothing in the remnants of the Pac-12 that will provide that major national drawing power. And, the couple teams from the ACC that have it are also going to be targeted by the Big 10 and SEC, and we've got zero chance of outbidding them. Within a decade, what we'd probably be talking about is the Pac-12 (with SDSU and ? in place of USC/UCLA) merging with the ACC (minus CLemson, FSU, and Miami). That group of teams isn't going to get $50M/season for each team, and I question whether the ACC teams would even be willing to entertain the idea of equal revenue sharing, since their population/market base would significantly exceed ours.

 

[95coug]

North Carolina is in that mix too. Maybe Duke gets some interest because of basketball and the strength of its brand.

If the ACC and P10 were to merge, I dont see teams crisscrossing the nation. I see a 9 game division schedule and a championship game. How many cross games? Who knows.

It will be interesting to see how the tv deals change scheduling. Top dollar goes to top games. Bama vs Citadel isnt going to draw top dollar. Will conferences have to scrap their body bag games and actually play a schedule full of league games?

If the P10 and ACC merged and WSU had 3 cross over games… let’s be honest, is there another way any of those ACC teams ever came to Pullman?

North Carolina is probably close, but I think that's more attributable to basketball than football. And the decisions right now are being made based mostly on football. Although...in the Tobacco Road neighborhood, that may not be the case. Duke and UNC might hold out for a package deal (maybe even UVA?) so that they can stay together for basketball.

I really think the ACC/P10 merger is a pipe dream, and I doubt it has any serious momentum. But if it did happen, I agree it would be divisions. Probably not more than 2 cross-division games per team - 1 home, 1 away.

My wild guess is that at least initially the network powers will let the bodybag games continue. Bama will play the Citadel, but on the same week as Texas/Oklahoma or Florida/Georgia. They'll try to set it up so that there's a big draw game every week, and put those in the prime slots. Eventually, I expect they'll push hard to set up Big 10/SEC crossovers, so they can have powerhouse matchups throughout the season.

And, no. Based on history and the fact that none of them ever have come to Pullman, unless it's a conference game none of the ACC teams are coming.

 

[TrumpCoug]

North Carolina is probably close, but I think that's more attributable to basketball than football. And the decisions right now are being made based mostly on football. Although...in the Tobacco Road neighborhood, that may not be the case. Duke and UNC might hold out for a package deal (maybe even UVA?) so that they can stay together for basketball.

I really think the ACC/P10 merger is a pipe dream, and I doubt it has any serious momentum. But if it did happen, I agree it would be divisions. Probably not more than 2 cross-division games per team - 1 home, 1 away.

My wild guess is that at least initially the network powers will let the bodybag games continue. Bama will play the Citadel, but on the same week as Texas/Oklahoma or Florida/Georgia. They'll try to set it up so that there's a big draw game every week, and put those in the prime slots. Eventually, I expect they'll push hard to set up Big 10/SEC crossovers, so they can have powerhouse matchups throughout the season.

And, no. Based on history and the fact that none of them ever have come to Pullman, unless it's a conference game none of the ACC teams are coming.

I love me a good pipe dream.

 

[dgibbons]

Pac-12 maybe increases by four teams. West Division of 14. East Division of 14. Pac adds Oklahoma State, Kansas, KSU and TCU.

Maybe branding is the Western Division, Eastern Division. Something like the National Collegiate Conference (NCC). Agree to scheduling and maybe post season groupings. Conference baskball tournament would be a huge ratings draw. Same with a Post Season football. New bowl tie-ins.

Wild, Wild East: Pac-12 mega-merger with ACC is part of crazy backroom rumors

An inside source told Jon Wilner of the Wilner Hotline that #Pac12 and #ACC school presidents ‘would love to be academically aligned with the other.’ Hmmmmm…

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Houston, TTU, OK State, and Baylor if you're looking for four.

 

[95coug]

Houston, TTU, OK State, and Baylor if you're looking for four.

If we’re taking 4, and we’re waiving the R1 requirement, I’d take SDSU over TTU, just to maintain a SoCal presence.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

One would argue the actual opposite has happened. Long gone are the days of losing to the likes of Appalachian St etc for Michigan. Minus the Kaepernick clown show he hosted not long ago, Harbaugh has actually brought relevancy and powerhouse stature back to the program.

Agree that Harbaugh has done well very recently. They aren't going to play in a national championship game though. Clemson will. I don't see Clemson as a lesser program than Michigan.