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Football OFFICIAL: UCLA, USC to join the Big Ten starting in 2024

In a separate note, are USC and UCLA going to send all their non-revenue athletes to the other side of the country? I hope someone wises up on that at least and says, let's just make this football and maybe basketball and make the non-revenue sports be regional
I hope the remaining P12 teams tell USC/UCLA to go f--- themselves and enjoy sending your soccer team to new brunswick, nj or lafayette, in.
 
FOX is dictating everything!

In 5 years, if not sooner, there will be two conferences of 30 teams. The B1G and the SEC. Remember the B1G only accepts AAU schools. Look at that list and do the math. That’s the exact number of the B1G if it absorbs the remaining AAU members from the Big 12 and PAC 12 plus the ACC members. There would be three leagues within the conference... east, west, and the original B1G members.

There are other factors to consider especially with other sports but for football, each team plays their 9 league foes and then 3-4 crossover games. Each team would get two bye weeks. The conference playoff includes 6 teams and essentially, coupled with the SEC’s 6 teams, the playoffs start in December using Bowl sites.

CoVid proved that you can study from anywhere so athletes can go to school on the road. Travel is not an issue anymore.
 
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No need for OOC games in the new era of CFB.
The OOC has been blown up. Guessing the WVU games will go. I can't imagine WVU playing at Penn State without a return visit. There goes BG and Kent State.
 
The next shoe to drop will be Clemson and Florida State to SEC. Then there will be steady state for a long time. All top recruits will only consider the Big or SEC. Thus the Big and SEC will separate themselves from the lesser conferences more and more every year. The PAC, ACC, etc. will become MAC level. They won't get much TV or bowl money so they will regress even more. The Big and SEC will be like the American and National leagues in baseball. The other conferences will be like the minor leagues. If any decent players emerge from the lesser conference they will immediately portal to the Big or SEC. That is the future of college football.
 
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None of these 4 measures up academically. Won't happen.
Miami? It's a private school. It does measure up. I also stated I'd like.

Miami would follow FL St. Agree they'll go to SEC with Florida already there.
 
Good (and funny) take on all this craziness linked below from Eleven Warriors:

>>As a general fan of watching quality college football games in the fall, I think this is a win for me. I personally cannot wait to watch Rutgers vs. USC at 11:30 p.m. That's always been a dream of mine and I didn't even know it.<<

Personally, I'm happy as hell with this shocking development. I've always hated the Big-10 and dreamed of somehow leaving. This is the next best thing: the conference has left us. "Left" in the sense that it will no longer be recognizable...especially if yet another couple teams are added as now seems likely.

But seriously, the college football world is now divided between the "ins" and "outs." If you're a member of the SEC or B1G, you're "in"...and also rich.

 
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I'm not sure the contraction down to 40-50 teams ends up making more money. The college football that was popular before and the college football that will exist with a 40-50 top tier and everyone else also rans are two different things. Who says the latter will be as popular as the former?

Also, that big chunk of teams that will have been cut out over the few decades of the transition have fans too, albeit not as many as the big name schools, and why would any of those fans care at all about the teams in the SEC and Big 10? Would you if you were in their position? When their fans had a small chance of playing with the big boys at the end of the year it made sense to care. But if those teams have no chance at all then why care? There are lots of other entertainment options these days.

In a separate note, are USC and UCLA going to send all their non-revenue athletes to the other side of the country? I hope someone wises up on that at least and says, let's just make this football and maybe basketball and make the non-revenue sports be regional
It’s not about making more money overall in college football, it’s about making more money for the schools. This is just a “land grab” so when we eventually have a 35-50 team super conference, the Big 10 has as much negotiation power as the SEC.
 
Dook wouldn't bring in $100 million.

In fact, UNC may not be able to do that, but whatever the case, can't see the B1G adding more than 1 NC school.

Stanford has actually won some recent conference championships in FB and the B1G's interest would be tepid at best, even with the Bay area being a huge media market.

To be fair, Oregon and UDub may not be able to bring in an additional $100 million either, but there's always the possibility of Phil Knight buying Oregon's way in with a monster conference endorsement deal (9-10 figures) to the chagrin of UA.




Can't see the B1G adding more than 1 VA school and the B1G would rather take the state flagship school.

you’re changing criteria per school. Dukes basketball program is more valuable to the conference than uva or vt. Especially with another blue blood coming in from UCLA. Hell I think someone could argue adding Duke, Unc and Kansas next and making the basketball side of the conference littered with blue bloods coast to coast is more valuable than two middle of the pack football schools for footballs sake. Maryland might be against it.

if football is driving the bus then VT is a stronger addition than UVA.
 
None of these 4 measures up academically. Won't happen.
Respectfully, Pitt is an AAU institution and was ranked by US News as the 20th best public university in the country, higher than seven current Big Ten members.

We will likely be excluded for several reasons- mainly we don’t add anything the Big Ten doesn’t already have- but it will not be because of our academics.
 
Great point and agree. The SEC and Big 10 become the power conferences, period. Especially when remaining heavy weights like Clemson and FSU get scooped up ( along with a few other like maybe OK State and Oregon). Both conferences will have every school that can realistically win a natty, save for whatever the hell Notre Dame will do. The Oregon State, Wake Forest and Iowa State’s of the world will exist in mid major status along with current fringe P5 members like UCF and Cincy. At that point the exact construct of the ACC, PAC 12 and Big 12 is largely irrelevant as they are simply tier 2.

What becomes of Rutgers, Purdue, Vandy even Miss State? Do they fit in these stacked star school leagues? Do they eventually get the boot?
Methinks these will eventually request to leave once they see the huge expense of travel costs for all sports teams like swimming, baseball, and golf. For the big boys the football and basketball teams foot bill for the other sports. These smaller teams don’t get that kind of revenue from football that can support big time programs that travel coast to coast.

They will probably request withdrawal or start cutting some sports teams. And to be a member you probably have to maintain a certain number of sports. Unless some alumni with very deep pockets step up.....the clock is ticking for these universities.
 
Methinks these will eventually request to leave once they see the huge expense of travel costs for all sports teams like swimming, baseball, and golf. For the big boys the football and basketball teams foot bill for the other sports. These smaller teams don’t get that kind of revenue from football that can support big time programs that travel coast to coast.

They will probably request withdrawal or start cutting some sports teams. And to be a member you probably have to maintain a certain number of sports. Unless some alumni with very deep pockets step up.....the clock is ticking for these universities.
Good points. But they could also just create divisions for non-revenue-producing sports and then have a playoff that requires more travel. But for football and basketball, allow for the travel. PSU vs USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washing game would be HUGE money makers.
 
I think the point is being slightly skewed by some. This is no longer the 2010 media market calculus about bringing in schools solely in new states/areas. Cable is dead. The primary concern is not getting the Big 10 or SEC network forced upon cable subs in new areas. It is still about TV/streaming contracts, but under the guise of projected ratings and money. In this circumstance, marketability and attractive content matters. Live sports is the most valuable commodity for advertisers, and they want ratings and attractive matchups.

Future additions to the Big and SEC must be able to add more value than they subtract from the contract share. A school adds value, eyeballs etc has a chance. This is going to be all about creating conferences and schedules to maximize attractive games amongst popular teams. It will equal ratings, and massive contracts to air or stream live sports.

The Big will care less about adding say Virginia to their geographic footprint vs. determine if a school will bring enough ratings to warrant inclusion. The conferences want to monopolize the “big” college football teams and games so they have all the power.
 
Methinks these will eventually request to leave once they see the huge expense of travel costs for all sports teams like swimming, baseball, and golf. For the big boys the football and basketball teams foot bill for the other sports. These smaller teams don’t get that kind of revenue from football that can support big time programs that travel coast to coast.

They will probably request withdrawal or start cutting some sports teams. And to be a member you probably have to maintain a certain number of sports. Unless some alumni with very deep pockets step up.....the clock is ticking for these universities.
Does it make sense for a school to give up 50-60 million per year in revenue? Going from 100 + mil per year (projected) in big/sec to half that or less in another conference? 50 million is a lot of plane rides. Hell, with that $$ just buy/lease a 737, slap a school logo on it and put a pilot on payroll. No one is leaving the BIG/SEC at this point unless they are thrown out.
 
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Methinks these will eventually request to leave once they see the huge expense of travel costs for all sports teams like swimming, baseball, and golf. For the big boys the football and basketball teams foot bill for the other sports. These smaller teams don’t get that kind of revenue from football that can support big time programs that travel coast to coast.

They will probably request withdrawal or start cutting some sports teams. And to be a member you probably have to maintain a certain number of sports. Unless some alumni with very deep pockets step up.....the clock is ticking for these universities.
I think the travel issue can be solved, at least short term, by giving the LA school say a 2/3 home game split in non-revenue sports. I mean is the PSU baseball team going to be upset that they have to travel to LA in early April? It’s not like USC women’s soccer will be expected to play in Minnesota one Saturday and NJ the next. It may take some creative scheduling but it can be managed smartly.

When the LA school come out East they can take an extended tour or two. Otherwise mostly ship folks out to LA. USC and UCLA athletes are already traveling by air to PAC—12 away games.
 
Does it make sense for a school to give up 50-60 million per year in revenue? Going from 100 + mil per year (projected) in big/sec to half that or less in another conference? 50 million is a lot of plane rides. Hell, with that $$ just buy/lease a 737, slap a school logo on it and put a pilot on payroll. No one is leaving the BIG/SEC at this point unless they are thrown out.
Exceptin they will need about five jets for all the sports teams that overlap.
 
It will be a problem for the California schools to travel across the country to play countless non revenue sports with the B1G. Im curious how the plan to work that out because its alot of travel.
 
It will be a problem for the California schools to travel across the country to play countless non revenue sports with the B1G. Im curious how the plan to work that out because its alot of travel.
Look at it this way.

Golf does whatever they want and then play in the Big 10 tourney. Same with cross country, tennis and maybe a few others. Not like these teams are going to Colorado or Washington on a Wednesday now for a game.
 
If this deal is bad for Notre Dame, I am ALL IN.
Notre Dame is in the catbird seat. They will get to pick between the Big and the SEC. They will bring tons of money and prestige to whichever conference they pick.
 
So, still need five jets, fuel, ten pilots, ten copilots, facilities, ground crew. But what the hell....it’s all for sports so who cares?
Not accurate. Go to the USC athletics website and look at the current schedules of minor USC sports. They are already going all over the country/ or playing more local schools not even in the PAC 12.

No, minor sports aren’t going to be trekking to the Midwest 8 -10 times a year. They can have a rather limited conference schedule. They can have more home games in conference as a concession. They can take one or two longer road-trips. They can have solid and fulfilling seasons are participate in the Big tournament to crown the conference champ. There are dozens of ways to make this work.
 
It's going to be pods not divisions.

Penn State
Rutgers
Maryland
Michigan State

Ohio State
Michigan
Indiana
Purdue

Illinois
Northwestern
Iowa
Wisconsin

USC
UCLA
Nebraska
Minnesota

For now--there will be more added
But the question remains, would UCLA/USC make the B1G west better?
 
Does it make sense for a school to give up 50-60 million per year in revenue? Going from 100 + mil per year (projected) in big/sec to half that or less in another conference? 50 million is a lot of plane rides. Hell, with that $$ just buy/lease a 737, slap a school logo on it and put a pilot on payroll. No one is leaving the BIG/SEC at this point unless they are thrown out.

The Big 10 originally thought they would double the revenue per team for the next contract, which would take us to $100 mil per year -- or $1.4 billion. With the addition of the California market, I will be surprised if it isn't $2.00 billion, or $125 million per team.
 
It will be a problem for the California schools to travel across the country to play countless non revenue sports with the B1G. Im curious how the plan to work that out because its alot of travel.

You know that USC and UCLA teams fly to most away conference games already, right? It's not like Eugene or Seattle (or even Salt Lake City) are bus trips from Los Angeles.
 
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The Big 10 originally thought they would double the revenue per team for the next contract, which would take us to $100 mil per year -- or $1.4 billion. With the addition of the California market, I will be surprised if it isn't $2.00 billion, or $125 million per team.

That's probably overshooting as these school (UCLA in particular) aren't that valuable. I think the number will be closer to $110M per school as things now stand.

That said, there is in interesting dynamic at play here in regards to TV contracts... The Big Ten is literally negotiating right now for their next deal to begin in 2023. The Pac-12's next TV deal will begin in 2024 (the current deal with Fox and ESPN ends after the 2023-24 season, hence why USC and UCLA are joining the Big Ten in summer 2024). One of the dynamics is that whatever networks miss out on the Big Ten had the Pac-12 as a "fallback" for content. But getting USC/UCLA not only enhances the Big Ten TV package - it also greatly worsens the Pac-12 offering. So, it might inspire the TV networks to be extra aggressive in bidding for the Big Ten because the consolation prize of Pac-12 games is looking far less inspiring so getting the B10 is that much more of a priority. Perhaps that may push the revenue for the Bit Ten to the higher levels you are suggesting.
 
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If this deal is bad for Notre Dame, I am ALL IN.

It's kinda bad for Notre Dame is that it pushes them that much closer to having to give up football independence. But Notre Dame will have no problem naming its conference once it inevitably decides to join for football. And it is tough to see them joining the ACC if the Big Ten and SEC continue to completely outpace that conference in revenues.

While it's possible that some small tinkering can occur (e.g. Oregon/Washington to Big Ten), I actually expect the next move will be Notre Dame or Clemson jumping to get out of the ACC into a higher revenue conference. If it is Notre Dame, that's likely to be them moving to the Big Ten (probably along with Stanford). If it is Clemson, that would be them joining the SEC, probably along with FSU.

The penalties for leaving the ACC would be steep in the shorter term, but the increase in revenues for any team by joining the SEC or Big Ten could make it a wash in the short term and secure a place at the table in the long term. Notre Dame's penalty for leaving the ACC would be less than anyone else because they don't have their football TV rights tied to the conference.
 
The biggest question I have is whether this will make the B1G West better?
No doubt - they can't get any worse. They might actually win a B1G championship game and conference title in the next 5 years - finally

Actually, to be fair, I think the B1G West - from top to bottom - is about equal to the East who is top heavy with PSU, UM, OSU and MSU. But the East is also weaker at the bottom with Rutgers, Indiana, and Maryland which evens it all out - or fairly close to it.
 
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