Is ESPN Determining SMU Fate?

[Water Pony]

With ESPN no longer in the hunt to carry BiG10 Teams (FoxSports), will the media giant be putting their hand on the scale of further conference realignment moves and, as a result, our future?

https://www.si.com/college/stanford/foo ... the-pac-12

If the twitter-sphere adds to meaningful discussions, ESPN will be enriching the SEC and add their influence and preferences on the ACC and PAC12 options (and to a lesser extent, BigXII). Opinions are trending that the PAC12 benefits from ESPN dropping out of the BiG10 sweepstakes and ensures the addition of San Diego State and one other. Is that us?

And/or, will ESPN encourage the ACC to add Memphis and SMU, two quality additions in the Central Time zone for the ACC?

A consensus is emerging that ESPN needs successful and viable East and West Coast conferences, while the BigXII stands pat with their 4 new members.

The result is two big, rich conferences and keeps the current 3 second tier conferences, which will be comparable and competitive, in place and sustainable.

Thoughts?

[gostangs]

With ESPN no longer in the hunt to carry BiG10 Teams (FoxSports), will the media giant be putting their hand on the scale of further conference realignment moves and, as a result, our future?

https://www.si.com/college/stanford/foo ... the-pac-12

If the twitter-sphere adds to meaningful discussions, ESPN will be enriching the SEC and add their influence and preferences on the ACC and PAC12 options (and to a lesser extent, BigXII). Opinions are trending that the PAC12 benefits from ESPN dropping out of the BiG10 sweepstakes and ensures the addition of San Diego State and one other. Is that us?

And/or, will ESPN encourage the ACC to add Memphis and SMU, two quality additions in the Central Time zone for the ACC?

A consensus is emerging that ESPN needs successful and viable East and West Coast conferences, while the BigXII stands pat with their 4 new members.

The result is two big, rich conferences and keeps the current 3 second tier conferences, which will be comparable and competitive, in place and sustainable.

Thoughts?

Memphis in the ACC. ?? One of these things is not like the others...dont see that happening in any scenario.

[SoCal_Pony]

There appears to be more interest in SMU from the PAC than ACC. Assuming the PAC does offer us, it will be a poop or get off the toilet moment for the ACC and their interest in us.

This could be a very interesting 120 days for SMU.

I also agree with gostangs, I don’t see Memphis in the ACC.

Oh and one last note…national media mentions SMU being ranked #68 nationally as a positive. To me it’s an embarrassment.

[SMU_Alum11]

There appears to be more interest in SMU from the PAC than ACC. Assuming the PAC does offer us, it will be a poop or get off the toilet moment for the ACC and their interest in us.

This could be a very interesting 120 days for SMU.

I also agree with gostangs, I don’t see Memphis in the ACC.

Oh and one last note…national media mentions SMU being ranked #68 nationally as a positive. To me it’s an embarrassment.

Agree on all of your points. We should always be in the top 50. Also Memphis to the ACC is like SMU to the Big 12. There's too many local competition to matter. I hope it's the ACC but the PAC is still an upgrade over our current situation so long as the PAC hold onto the south or at least Oregon and Washington.

[Mustangs35SMU]

Has there been any credible source that has anything along the lines of SMU to ACC? I feel like the only legit rumors we've continued to hear are the PAC 12.

Regardless, ESPN pulling out of the Big 10 stuff just screams good things for the Pac 12 and ACC to me. Hoping we can get in.

[stlpony]

Has there been any credible source that has anything along the lines of SMU to ACC? I feel like the only legit rumors we've continued to hear are the PAC 12.

Regardless, ESPN pulling out of the Big 10 stuff just screams good things for the Pac 12 and ACC to me. Hoping we can get in.

Agree, everything I've read indicates ESPN will be motivated to secure the Pac 12 (and it's good for Big 12 too). The only benefit to the ACC is if ESPN can get creative to do some type of cross-over alignment with Pac 12. ESPN will put a valuation on SMU versus a second west coast team (Boise St., Fresno St., UNLV). I like our odds.

Other than a single SI article that merely stated SMU was talking to the ACC, I have not seen any rumors about the ACC looking into expansion. I would recommend looking into a West Virginia board for rumors as that school has always had a deep interest in the ACC. I imagine Cincinnati would be rumored as well. ACC's media rights paid $36.1M last year (I think). The ACC could expand, gradually grant the new schools a full share of the distribution (e.g. keep some of it), have the ability to sell more content once the existing contract expires, and be slightly more stable if/when Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, etc. defect a decade from now. And, the new schools would have to make a commitment to heavily invest in their programs to be valuable for the next media contract. There is a rationale for expansion but all of the current talk on boards is about how to break the existing GOR, which isn't happening.

[EastStang]

The ACC doesn't want West Virginia. Pitt, UVA and VT would definitely blackball them. They all have had negative experiences with WV fans. Its a small state and doesn't move the ESPN needle. When the ACC added Big East Schools, it specifically excluded WV. Of course WV would give it all to get into the ACC, but that is doubtful. Memphis would have a better chance than WV, bigger market and opens up Tennessee.

[Dukie]

The ACC doesn't want West Virginia. Pitt, UVA and VT would definitely blackball them. They all have had negative experiences with WV fans. Its a small state and doesn't move the ESPN needle. When the ACC added Big East Schools, it specifically excluded WV. Of course WV would give it all to get into the ACC, but that is doubtful. Memphis would have a better chance than WV, bigger market and opens up Tennessee.

I think neither has a chance. The ACC held its nose in admitting Louisville and basically regrets it. Never mind that Memphis basketball is imploding and football has regressed significantly, and Memphis delivers no part of Tennesssee except Memphis itself, sort of, and that's a tiny market.

The ACC can't expand without greatly increasing the risk of cracking apart the GOR and it's also clear that the Commissioner feels no urgency and also feels a lot of trepidation (and is frankly more interested in moving the conference HQ out of Greensboro than about doing anything innovative on membership). And in fairness to him, the ACC doesn't have the sort of immediate and existential crisis that the PAC and Big XII have recently been through. It takes losing a big dog or two for that urgency to kick in.

[stlpony]

If ESPN highly values Pac-12 After Dark, does that make being located in the central time zone a negative? Our home games would be one less option available to ESPN as they would always go with an ACC or SEC matchup during the day. Typically, CST is viewed positively.

[BUS]

Get Thaddeus on the phone and he will lobby for SMU.

30 for 30 man.

[Charleston Pony]

If ESPN highly values Pac-12 After Dark, does that make being located in the central time zone a negative? Our home games would be one less option available to ESPN as they would always go with an ACC or SEC matchup during the day. Typically, CST is viewed positively.

ESPN has several time slots to fill on college football Saturdays and tends to stagger start times so having 3 different time zone options is a plus for them. The challenge is to field a product people are actually interested in watching. All this talk means nothing until SMU fields a team that can consistently END the season among the Top 25 and compete for conference championships. Having players recognized as "stars" on a national level doesn't hurt

[tristatecoog]

Seems like SMU to Pac10 is much more possible. Athletic investments, DFW audience, and academics.

#68 National Ranking is tied with A&M. Not great but holding steady. Aggies get a lot of Top 10% Texans due to auto-admission and low tuition costs. A&M has ranked #66-74 over the last nine years (69 average) while SMU has ranked #56-68 (62 average).

Villanova (#49 avg since 2017), Syracuse (#58 average) and Miami (#51 avg) are the closest comps to shoot for. I'm counting on Research 1 (within reach) to add to national reputation score and the Commons built in 2014 and two year residence requirement to keep adding to graduation rates. Now, SMU Pell Grant applicants who are worthy of a university scholarship will get full tuition paid. That's a major step but will take time to show up in the rankings.

In the 2014/15 classes, Miami had 14% Pell Grant, Villanova at 13%, Syracuse at 20% and SMU at 12% (2021). Those three respectively had 84%, 91% and 82% six year graduation rates. SMU is in the 80s.

SMU is Research 2 by Carnegie but just hired the Dean that got Memphis to R1 (no small feat!) and built a building and college to accomplish R1. Villanova, Fordham, Lehigh and Wake are all R2.