Interesting realignment article

[Pony Boss]

In other words, let's start by not losing to d1aa teams/ntsu or going 1-11. Give JMU the D.

Beat ntsu

[SoCal_Pony]

I've maintained for some time now that CFB will eventually adopt a much more NFL-type playoff system as there is simply too much $$$ to be had. In order to accomplish this, there has to be uniformity in terms of teams & divisions, which Chip's proposal accomplished.

Having said that, here is my $.02

I could see this being a football only alliance. If that were the case, I'm not certain every P-5 school is guaranteed a seat at the table. I'm looking at you, Wake Forest & Vanderbilt.

Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. I know the argument that UT & A&M control that market, but I still maintain the Coogs add more to the value of this new 'NFL-type' system than over a dozen existing P-5 schools. To a lesser extent, the same argument could be made for SMU, but we are located in DallasFORTWORTH.

Would love to the SMU in the ACC for 6 years before the next big shakedown. I'd like our chances against some of their dead weight.

[jpe747]

Just WIN. And rope off DFW recruiting. Then see what happens.

Ojaipony has the best advice. Winning games is our mission between now and realignment date. However, I see some problems with this above realignment plan. What if there are other teams, perhaps another conference that can hold its own in games against the 'bigs.' Say the AAC. It seems to me that there should be networks left after the fact that don't have a piece of the college football pie." What if SMU is holding its own, or (OMG) BEATING TCU, BAYLOR, Texas Tech, TEXAS and OU? The networks might love to have that kind of college football and ready to pay big bucks if SMU and say Tulane were powerhouses. This could workout in SMU and the AAC's favor. They might bring in BIG television revenue.

It could come down to AAC butting heads with the NCAA's political arm. I remember when the NFL did not allow a Dallas citizen to have an NFL team. Lamar Hunt (a SMU alum and player) helped develop the AFL. The AFL became so competitive (for fans, etc.) the NFL asked the AFL to merge.

The future is ours!

[ericdickerson4life]

I'm sure Arkansas and Nebraska would love going back to what is essentially the Big 12. And I bet Arizona and ASU would love not having any conference opponents in California, a state they recruit heavily.

I'm sure South Carolina would just love to share a conference with Clemson. Also, Auburn and Alabama lumped in with Kansas and K-State? Separating Tennessee from Florida and Georgia? Chip is usually on point, but I wouldn't put a lot of stock into this.

I think more schools will have to be let in to guard against an antitrust suit -- 4x18, 5x14, or 5x16 is more likely in my opinion.

I think this would negate Chip's argument. While there is most likely more money to be made setting up an NFL system with regional divisions the issue of recruiting stands in the way. In the NFL teams get to draft players and they have no choice where to go. In college it's about recruiting and we all know that the recruits are concentrated in particular states. Seems like several schools would have to forgo their current recruiting pipelines, recruiting grounds closer to home and uproot to another place altogether. Can't see that happening without a big fight happening and I don't care how much money is being thrown around.

[Dukie]

I'm sure Arkansas and Nebraska would love going back to what is essentially the Big 12. And I bet Arizona and ASU would love not having any conference opponents in California, a state they recruit heavily.

I'm sure South Carolina would just love to share a conference with Clemson. Also, Auburn and Alabama lumped in with Kansas and K-State? Separating Tennessee from Florida and Georgia? Chip is usually on point, but I wouldn't put a lot of stock into this.

I think more schools will have to be let in to guard against an antitrust suit -- 4x18, 5x14, or 5x16 is more likely in my opinion.

I think this would negate Chip's argument. While there is most likely more money to be made setting up an NFL system with regional divisions the issue of recruiting stands in the way. In the NFL teams get to draft players and they have no choice where to go. In college it's about recruiting and we all know that the recruits are concentrated in particular states. Seems like several schools would have to forgo their current recruiting pipelines, recruiting grounds closer to home and uproot to another place altogether. Can't see that happening without a big fight happening and I don't care how much money is being thrown around.

I totally agree about recruiting. Plus, at some point, rivalries matter. Florida and Georgia thrown in with 9 ACC schools, separated from Alabama, Auburn, and LSU? They would never, ever agree to that.

[Pony_Law]

The article's answer to the anti-trust argument is "money". That is not an answer. Every anti-trust violation would make more money for the entities involved. Further there is all ready a case on the books where a single entity negotiating all the TV rights was an anti-trust violation. This article basically advocates for the creation of a cartel, that locks out competitors (all other schools not in the 66), and then uses that status to drive the price of the TV rights into astronomical number. That is illegal period.

[GreenbeltPony]

The article's answer to the anti-trust argument is "money". That is not an answer. Every anti-trust violation would make more money for the entities involved. Further there is all ready a case on the books where a single entity negotiating all the TV rights was an anti-trust violation. This article basically advocates for the creation of a cartel, that locks out competitors (all other schools not in the 66), and then uses that status to drive the price of the TV rights into astronomical number. That is illegal period.

Fully agree with this.

[Stallion]

yep Supreme Court has already ruled that to be a per se Sherman anti-trust violation in OU/Georgia v NCAA. In fact, what the Supreme Court actually said is that each individual school owns their own TV negotiating rights-not each individual conference- so its not clear that a cartel of Conferences jointly negotiating TV rights is any less illegal.

[PonyKai]

Unless Congress, in its infinite wisdom, grants them an anti-trust exception...not sure that would happen because of all the state schools that would be locked out. Could gin up plenty of opposition.