Seven Costanza said:

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I would love to see Mizzou swapped out for Florida State.

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I'll allow this.

greg.w.h said:

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rootube said:

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greg.w.h said:

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rootube said:

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Whaler said:

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OrygunAg said:

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The money, time and effort being thrown at the college game is ridiculous. I dont see how it'll be sustainable when people wake up realize they are prioritizing $$$M to a school sport in the hopes of some trophy.

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I tend to agree with you. It's crazy what is being spent for a college game. But, I think universities are chasing the visibility more than a trophy, and they must think it's worth it. The changes to the game are making it less enjoyable to a lot of people though, and I could see it all crashing down someday, but who knows.

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Ha! Trust me, we will know it's less enjoyable when media companies pay less for a TV deal not more. The recent B10 contract signals CFB is undervalued not overvalued. Who knows, maybe this changes but right now ESPN is getting a steal on the SEC and ACC deals.

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The failure of Bally's and AT&T regional sports networks suggest the market overall for live sports is over saturated, on the other hand…

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That would be significant to the conversation if they were involved in bidding for college football media rights.

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You have zero idea what you're talking about,

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If you are saying I don't know what Bally's sports is, you would be correct. If you are saying the demise of Bally's is the beginning of the downfall of college football media rights then you are probably incorrect.

Big 10 lock

rootube said:

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greg.w.h said:

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rootube said:

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greg.w.h said:

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rootube said:

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Whaler said:

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OrygunAg said:

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The money, time and effort being thrown at the college game is ridiculous. I dont see how it'll be sustainable when people wake up realize they are prioritizing $$$M to a school sport in the hopes of some trophy.

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I tend to agree with you. It's crazy what is being spent for a college game. But, I think universities are chasing the visibility more than a trophy, and they must think it's worth it. The changes to the game are making it less enjoyable to a lot of people though, and I could see it all crashing down someday, but who knows.

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Ha! Trust me, we will know it's less enjoyable when media companies pay less for a TV deal not more. The recent B10 contract signals CFB is undervalued not overvalued. Who knows, maybe this changes but right now ESPN is getting a steal on the SEC and ACC deals.

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The failure of Bally's and AT&T regional sports networks suggest the market overall for live sports is over saturated, on the other hand…

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That would be significant to the conversation if they were involved in bidding for college football media rights.

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You have zero idea what you're talking about,

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If you are saying I don't know what Bally's sports is, you would be correct. If you are saying the demise of Bally's is the beginning of the downfall of college football media rights then you are probably incorrect.

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The other way around: why precisely are Bally's (really Sinclair's Diamond Sports) and AT&T Sportsnet both failing? Cord cutting is impinging gross revenue and putting them in annual loss positions on contracts they/predecessors wrote that at the time were sufficient revenue. The doubling down on football is roughly two calendar quarters with some content. The RSNs for local professional league content funded rosters and covered the rest of the year.

Will ESPN immediately implode? No but the House of Mouse has discussed selling ESPN…because there is hampered growth prospects due to market saturation and made visible by cord cutting.

And don't believe for a second streaming fixes the cost structure. Over-the-top a la carte purging will be significantly higher than bundles.

Who goes first? I think we could see the bottom 64 FBS reorganize to have their own FCS-like playoff if the 12 games stabilizes the big "five". The SEC and Big Ten also have a growing interest in defending against anti-trust litigation. The NCAA has completely caved on most oversight (largely because of a particular 9-0 SCOTUS decisions.

It might not be a quick death. Or to borrow from a decently well known novelist…

"How did you go bankrupt?"
Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly."
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

Seven Costanza said:

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I would love to see Mizzou swapped out for Florida State.

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And Clemson for Vanderbilt.

The SEC is not "trading out" a founding member.

Missouri had been to the SEC championship game twice, the only way the get "traded out" is if the B1G finally lets them in.

Add 2 and have 10 game season 3/7 - Could we get FSU as third perma instead of clanga?

I don't see the obsession with FSU. There is a reason Jimbo left, and everyone hears "Florida" when then the see FSU, but they forget Florida State is in Tallahassee. When the 'Noles went conference shopping, they were scared of the SEC teams budgets The other other thing about FSU is that you would need another team, which everyone assumes is Miami. The only reason they have started to become competitive is that the University is using their highly profitable hospital to subsidize the money losing Athletic Department.

The SEC has Florida, the school that matters in the SEC. I remember several years ago when CBS has regional coverage for the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Canes and Gators were playing at the same time. CBS showed the Gators on the local CBS station and related the hometown team to a CW station.

I want to know who was the lawyer that wrote the ACC GOR agreement. There is always talk of ACC school trying to leave but are never able to escape. Clemson would have left years ago, and Sanky want UNC and Virginia for years.

Whaler said:

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I think universities are chasing the visibility more than a trophy, and they must think it's worth it.

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Yes, they can't buy that much publicity. They know it's worth it. Gates knew it also.

Look at the out of state kids that schools that Oklahoma and Alabama get. It really improves their general public appeal.

jja79 said:

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How much does having Duke and UNC basketball contribute? A lot.

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Not since coach K and Williams left.

Neither team was ranked yet ESPN College GameDay was there yesterday and it was the prime ESPN game of the day.

Florida State is not playing around. Emergency board of trustees meeting called for tomorrow.

Considering the ACC pre-backfilled by adding Cal, Stanford and SMU to make sure it remained at 14 full members, the process of getting to the inevitable seems to be speeding up. pic.twitter.com/wIV5SNQKEd

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) December 21, 2023

They're gonna try and jump for the SEC

Florida State announces a Board of Trustees meeting for Friday. As detailed here, they are expected to explore a legal challenge to the ACC’s Grant of Rights. Sources told ESPN FSU officials/lawyers have gone to ACC headquarters at least a half-dozen times to examine the GOR. https://t.co/219J0EJ3DL

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 21, 2023

It's kind of funny they have to go to the ACC Headquarters to study the GOR, like they're plotting to steal the Declaration of Independence (although I guess in this scenario it's more akin to a Declaration of Dependence).

wangus12 said:

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They're gonna try and jump for the SEC

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I think that would be the school's preference, but posters on an FSU site seem to think the SEC isn't inviting over Florida/Georgia/Alabama objections and the Big Ten would love a chance to get into Florida.

I mean we all thought we were safe until last year with our state too.

W said:

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why in the world did Florida State and Clemson agree to a TV deal that runs until 2036?

that was incredibly short-sighted.

generally speaking all long-term contracts in sports are dumb, because things change so quickly

edit

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Difficult to see the future is…

If FSU and Clemson cannot come because of in state objections, that tells how well thought of we aren't.

Yellerjacket said:

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JimbloFisher said:

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The SEC wouldn't do that to Florida

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They did it to us. I think they'll do it to anybody if the money is right.

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And yet, after floating all these huge money increases to get buy in, the money didn't change.

**** Snakey!

I'm just hoping FSU pays $100M plus to not be in the ACC so that folks stop talking about how we are paying Jimbo $75M not to coach.

The Chicken Ranch said:

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If FSU and Clemson cannot come because of in state objections, that tells how well thought of we aren't.

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guess whats not going to happen

So what I hear, is we need a wacky adventure movie possibly starting Nick Cage, documenting the journey of FSU lawyers to ACC Headquarters.

Faustus said:

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wangus12 said:

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They're gonna try and jump for the SEC

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I think that would be their preference, but posters on an FSU site seem to think the SEC isn't inviting over Florida/Georgia/Alabama objections and the Big Ten would love a chance to get into Florida.

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Florida/Georgia/Alabama opinions > Texas A&M opinions.

Faustus said:

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wangus12 said:

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They're gonna try and jump for the SEC

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I think that would be the school's preference, but posters on an FSU site seem to think the SEC isn't inviting over Florida/Georgia/Alabama objections and the Big Ten would love a chance to get into Florida.

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And HERE in the Florida Panhandle, 50-60% of the support is for Bama, FSU maybe 25%, Auburn just gets mentioned, and I don't recall seeing any Gator stuff at Sam's or Academy.

Point being, I don't see a Real Big FSU following which doesn't seem to translate into a big TV audience.

Quote:

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Point being, I don't see a Real Big FSU following which doesn't seem to translate into a big TV audience.

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#9 in neilsen rating this year

74AnimalA said:

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Faustus said:

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wangus12 said:

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They're gonna try and jump for the SEC

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I think that would be the school's preference, but posters on an FSU site seem to think the SEC isn't inviting over Florida/Georgia/Alabama objections and the Big Ten would love a chance to get into Florida.

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And HERE in the Florida Panhandle, 50-60% of the support is for Bama, FSU maybe 25%, Auburn just gets mentioned, and I don't recall seeing any Gator stuff at Sam's or Academy.

Point being, I don't see a Real Big FSU following which doesn't seem to translate into a big TV audience.

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You didnt look very hard.

Flashdiaz said:

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Faustus said:

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wangus12 said:

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They're gonna try and jump for the SEC

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I think that would be their preference, but posters on an FSU site seem to think the SEC isn't inviting over Florida/Georgia/Alabama objections and the Big Ten would love a chance to get into Florida.

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Florida/Georgia/Alabama opinions > Texas A&M opinions.

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The opinions of the Mouse is the only opinion that really matters here. ABC/ESPN and the rest are going to create a super league of minor league pro teams and we will call it "college football"

Florida/Georgia/Bama can all be mollified with the right payout(s).

This will ultimately be a business decision. Posters on this board or FSU boards, or any boards don't factor into any of it obviously. As long as we keep watching and buying tickets.

Oh, and now we need to start to all bet on the games too.

But bet responsibly! (Or not. We are legally required to say that.)

jja79 said:

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How much does having Duke and UNC basketball contribute? A lot.

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Having never watched a Duke or UNC basketball game on TV, I can't imagine it'd be that much.

WGAS?

It's funny how Sankey is catching stray bullets on this. He has stated all along that he is open to opportunities in the changing landscape of CFB. I'm sure the B10 and the SEC would love to have FSU. The reason neither have asked them to join is the GOR to the ACC. This is the first step in the process. If they can legally get out I expect the B10 and the SEC to pick up the best teams in short order.

Sbisa Chef said:

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jja79 said:

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How much does having Duke and UNC basketball contribute? A lot.

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Having never watched a Duke or UNC basketball game on TV, I can't imagine it'd be that much.

WGAS?

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It contributes almost nothing which is why Kansas is lucky the B12 stabilized or they would have fallen pretty far.

Florida is part of the REAL SEC so the Snake has their back.

Mutual_Friend said:

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I'm just hoping FSU pays $100M plus to not be in the ACC so that folks stop talking about how we are paying Jimbo $75M not to coach.

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That we didn't have to pay…

The ESPN article from the Thamel tweet explores some of the nuts and bolts of what's next:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/insider/story/_/id/39155805/florida-state-acc-realignment-grant-rights

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. . .
There has been no known legal challenge to a grant of rights. (A grant of rights agreement gives the conference full control over a school's media rights. The ACC currently owns all FSU home game content through 2036.)

The first step would be Florida State officially deciding on a declaratory action to legally challenge the ACC grant of rights. This would trigger the exploration of formally unwinding from the ACC without actually leaving the conference.

It would do so to get a sense of what leaving could look like financially and legally.
. . .
According to sources, Florida State officials and lawyers have gone to the ACC's office at least a half-dozen times to dissect and analyze the legal language in the league's grant of rights. They are one of many ACC programs that have done so, as copies are not permitted outside league offices.

And while the move won't come with any other schools immediately joining, others are plotting a similar sequence -- explore the legal opportunities of unwinding from the grant of rights, which would likely take months, and then eventually leave the league if that's both financially tenable and there's a safe landing spot.
. . .
Whether it's in days or weeks, FSU's board of trustees is expected to begin a formal vetting and discussion of what they've found in the exploration of the grant of rights.
. . .
An actual declaration of Florida State -- or any other ACC team -- leaving the league wouldn't have to come until Aug. 15. That's the deadline for any school to withdraw to leave the league for the 2025-26 season. So the ACC as we know it will be intact for 2024-25.

In many ways, any immediate action by FSU or others to explore legally unwinding from the ACC grant of rights gives them a six-month legal runway before they'd actually have to make the decision to exit.
. . .
FSU, obviously, isn't the only program that has explored leaving. But they are expected to be first to declare they're legally challenging the grant of rights, per sources.

As FSU board chair Peter Collins told Warchant.com over the summer: The grant of rights "will not be the document that keeps us from taking action."

How long would they be alone? Clemson has been the other school most vocal about the ACC's financial shortcomings, as athletic director Graham Neff has publicly acknowledged the "magnitude" of the ACC's finances compared to other leagues.
. . .
From there, Clemson and North Carolina are viewed as schools that could potentially follow. Neff said as recently as November that Clemson is "very active" in monitoring the realignment landscape.
. . .
As of now, there are really only two potential destinations. And an invitation to the SEC or Big Ten is not certain or imminent. The only certainty -- now or down the road -- is that neither league would want a hint of legal exposure. Also, the schools in those leagues aren't going to take less money for new members to join. That means there'd have to be some type of clear discount rate for any school before the leagues get formally involved.

One issue FSU will have to overcome is the self-inflicted wounds from its own public behavior toward the ACC in recent months, especially McCullough's remarks this summer. They have made commissioners and presidents cringe, as they envision that's what FSU would be like as a league member.
. . .
That said, it's nave to think in this era of conference contraction that neither of the Power 2 leagues would want to absorb a brand like FSU in the next decade. But it remains tricky financially, as the Big Ten just jumped to 18 schools with the additions of Oregon and Washington at cut rates. (That move is instructive in that they did not receive a pro rata share from the Big Ten, which is something any potentially departing ACC schools would face.)

Any move to the SEC would receive pushback from in-state rival Florida, and it's unlikely neighboring schools like Georgia and Auburn would want to give away the financial income edge they have in the SEC to a recruiting competitor.
. . .
Eventually leaving the ACC will be a costly proposition. And FSU has already logged plenty of billable hours exploring the move.
. . .
The exit fee would cost FSU in the neighborhood of $120 million, but the important aspect is that amount doesn't factor in the cost of unwinding from the grant of rights. (Hence the expected exploration here soon.) By signing the grant of rights, the ACC owns all of FSU's home game content through 2036, the length of the league's television contract with ESPN. (As it does for all schools in the league.)

Legal predictions on a ruling are difficult. Part of FSU's legal challenge will be the fact it willingly agreed to the terms of this deal eight years ago.

Even with an FSU legal victory, there'd be some type of cost to get all that content back. Or, more likely, some type of settlement to avoid a protracted legal battle. (If there's one thing we've learned over the last generation, college presidents and athletic administrators aggressively avoid depositions and court appearances.)
. . .
Florida State is well down the road in securing private equity, if needed, for any financial implications from a move. Sources told ESPN that Sixth Street Partners would be a likely partner for the Seminoles in private equity.
. . .
The ACC has made strides toward creating extra revenue for its programs. The additions of Stanford, Cal and SMU at discount rates provided each incumbent program in the neighborhood of an extra $2 million annually per school.
. . .

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A few amusing things:

• The GOR can't be removed from or copied at the ACC headquarters;
• Private Equity may have a piece of FSU when this is done; and
• Stanford, Cal, and SMU in the aggregate were worth $2 million more to each incumbent ACC team after taking discounted and/or no payouts.

So, let's say they were in the SEC and 1 of 2 things would have happened.

1 - They would have Probably gotten Beat by GA

And

2 -Would have gotten BEAT by Bama in the SEC champ game.

In either case, they wouldn't have made the Final Four Anyway!!!