Big XII study suggests title game + 2 new teams

[East Coast Mustang]

Just remember that when the Big east was still the Big East, we were one of the first teams invited...before Tulane, Tulsa, ECU et al. We have value with our TV market, academic prestige and SWC pedigree. With our recent BB success and even just a pulse on the football field, we are a sleeping giant. ECU may average 55k for home games, but they still had to wait for the Big East to fall apart before they received an invite. Attendance and FB success only take you so far.

And let us not forget our fallen former comrades like Rice, UTEP, USM, Marshall who are left wandering the desert in the reconstituted CUSA making about $250k a piece on their crappy tv deal.

Yep, more proof that we are fixtures if the umbrella expands to 80 (the Big East was the 6th power conference), but out if it is limited to 64.

Here's the thing....ESPN needs content, now more than ever maybe, since they're bleeding cash and slashing staff. If you limit the field to 64, they're competing with FOX/CBS/NBC for TV rights. If you relegate MWC/MAC/AAC/CUSA/etc to FCS status, their fans/alums lose interest and tune out CFB. You could argue that we're glorified FCS status now, but I think the fact that an AAC team that wins their conference can potentially play in a NY6 bowl is exciting for fans. Hell, if Houston beats OU and runs the table next year they could make the playoff. If you shut G5 teams out altogether you're dismissing a lot of potential viewers

[footballdad]

Just remember that when the Big east was still the Big East, we were one of the first teams invited...before Tulane, Tulsa, ECU et al. We have value with our TV market, academic prestige and SWC pedigree. With our recent BB success and even just a pulse on the football field, we are a sleeping giant. ECU may average 55k for home games, but they still had to wait for the Big East to fall apart before they received an invite. Attendance and FB success only take you so far.

And let us not forget our fallen former comrades like Rice, UTEP, USM, Marshall who are left wandering the desert in the reconstituted CUSA making about $250k a piece on their crappy tv deal.

Yep, more proof that we are fixtures if the umbrella expands to 80 (the Big East was the 6th power conference), but out if it is limited to 64.

Here's the thing....ESPN needs content, now more than ever maybe, since they're bleeding cash and slashing staff. If you limit the field to 64, they're competing with FOX/CBS/NBC for TV rights. If you relegate MWC/MAC/AAC/CUSA/etc to FCS status, their fans/alums lose interest and tune out CFB. You could argue that we're glorified FCS status now, but I think the fact that an AAC team that wins their conference can potentially play in a NY6 bowl is exciting for fans. Hell, if Houston beats OU and runs the table next year they could make the playoff. If you shut G5 teams out altogether you're dismissing a lot of potential viewers

Terrible argument. College football fans are not going to stop watching college football just because their alma mater, or whatever team they have an affinity for, is not in the 64 club.

Who on this board would stop watching college football just because SMU got left out?

[East Coast Mustang]

Terrible argument. College football fans are not going to stop watching college football just because their alma mater, or whatever team they have an affinity for, is not in the 64 club.

Who on this board would stop watching college football just because SMU got left out?

ESPN needs content..they're bleeding subscriber fee revenue because millions of people are cutting the cord; which also will result (if it hasnt already) in lower ad revenue. This is why ESPN/Disney has cut loose big money personalities like Cowherd and Skip Bayless recently (and also why I'd argue FS1 is making a big mistake by subseuqently paying them big bucks). ESPN fills a lot of programming slots with AAC/CUSA/MAC/MWC content...if the "new FBS" only has 64 teams, you're capping the amount of content you can provide. How many FCS games does ESPN broadcast annually? I haven't seen many, outside of the FCS playoff. There's not a lot of demand for FCS programming because people don't want to watch the games since it's a lower subdivision of play. If the umbrella is limited to 64, how does ESPN backfill all of the open programming slots they have in the fall? I'm guessing they're in no mood to pony up hundreds of millions (if not billions) to get in on an NHL TV deal anytime soon.

[JasonB]

Terrible argument. College football fans are not going to stop watching college football just because their alma mater, or whatever team they have an affinity for, is not in the 64 club.

Who on this board would stop watching college football just because SMU got left out?

ESPN needs content..they're bleeding subscriber fee revenue because millions of people are cutting the cord; which also will result (if it hasnt already) in lower ad revenue. This is why ESPN/Disney has cut loose big money personalities like Cowherd and Skip Bayless recently (and also why I'd argue FS1 is making a big mistake by subseuqently paying them big bucks). ESPN fills a lot of programming slots with AAC/CUSA/MAC/MWC content...if the "new FBS" only has 64 teams, you're capping the amount of content you can provide. How many FCS games does ESPN broadcast annually? I haven't seen many, outside of the FCS playoff. There's not a lot of demand for FCS programming because people don't want to watch the games since it's a lower subdivision of play. If the umbrella is limited to 64, how does ESPN backfill all of the open programming slots they have in the fall? I'm guessing they're in no mood to pony up hundreds of millions (if not billions) to get in on an NHL TV deal anytime soon.

I think there is a reason why the NFL is more popular than College Football, as popular as college football is. When colleges are dropped from competing at the highest level, there is a percentage that are die hard and still follow their school, another percentage that will follow the higher level of college football, and then there is another percentage that will just go watch the NFL and bail on college football. Soccer is a good example - Aston Villa is relegated. Some of their fans are going to stay with the club, others are just going to watch the EPL, and some others are going to flip to rugby.

To the point above, ESPN isn't in a position to lose viewers. Especially in the cash cow that is football, and especially with CTE and participation dropping. This could be the reason for the switch in arguments from 4x16 to something bigger that involves 80 teams or so.

[NTXCoog]

Terrible argument. College football fans are not going to stop watching college football just because their alma mater, or whatever team they have an affinity for, is not in the 64 club.

Who on this board would stop watching college football just because SMU got left out?

I don't know if I agree. Houston's support wasn't great at the end of the SWC, but the bottom fell out when we got left out of the Big 12. It took years to get any of that support back.

[smusportspage]

"Terrible argument. College football fans are not going to stop watching college football just because their alma mater, or whatever team they have an affinity for, is not in the 64 club.

Who on this board would stop watching college football just because SMU got left out?"

I think East Coast Mustang makes a great point. I might not watch. Personally, it certainly would make it easier to not watch. I might watch if had nothing else to do and frankly, in a city like Dallas, that very rarely happens.

[Pony Boss]

This. The G5 would tune out. No matter what the p5 says, they have 0 power...all up to ESPN and Fox.

[smusic 00]

I agree with ECM. That's a very interesting point. Very few in England watch Championship division games. Not that they would expand the Premier league to 30 teams, but they certainly wouldn't vote to shrink it to 16.

[East Coast Mustang]

I think back anecdotally just to last year...I watched so many non-SMU AAC games on ESPN because I was interested in our conference rivals...and I know I'm not alone. If you remove 60+ teams from the top subdivision of college football, you're writing off a lot of eyeballs

[Pony Boss]

There's a positive to the AACs arms race to build facilities, hire the best available coaches and increase their national visibility. Schools are doing it with the hopes of getting picked up by a P5 conference...but as a side effect, you are increasing the quality of games in the American, which does make the conference more attractive to casual fans therefore attracting more eyeballs and attention. And if this arms race does indeed result in lets say 9 of 12 or even all of the AAC schools committing massive resources into football and basketball state of the art facilities and top coaches, that makes you a conference that is not G5 but more like a P6 or at worst mid way. The American's value is increased therefore it gains leverage when negotiating a tv deal.

[ponyinNC]

I might occasionally watch the big games or playoffs, but if SMU was left out and the pool really did shrink to 60 teams, I would have no interest in following CFB like I do today.

At that point I'd likely switch my viewing 100% to NFL - and I am betting many others would too.

T-shirt fans of state schools will always loyally watch their product, and maybe that is enough...?

[SMU89]

ignore is a wonderful tool

Unfortunately when you guys quote him I still see the [deleted] on tap. He hasn't earned the right to complain about anything at SMU.

I never quote OTP

[Arkpony]

I also have him on "ignore" but that is defeated when someone quotes his ramblings.

[Pony Boss]

How do you ignore on Tapatalk?

[One Trick Pony]

I never quote OTP

Certainly not worth quoting