SIAP But Wow. Literally the end of college football as we've known it.

[BigBlueFanGA]

While SEC and Big Ten leaders mull major changes, a new Super League concept could radically alter college sports

As SEC and Big Ten leaders prepare to meet this week in Nashville for a historic summit of the industry’s two powers, there is an unreported undercurrent driving the discussion: Project Rudy.

sports.yahoo.com

Something like this is probably going to happen sooner rather than later.

 

[jeffky]

They were discussing this on ksr the other day and will be set up like soccer leagues 6 teams in each league the downfall will be recruiting all the big name teams will get all the great players

 

[gojvc]

You could merge the conferences, end games against G5 teams, and expand the playoff without having some wicked private equity firm coming in and skimming value off the top.

 

[Cotaay]

I don’t think the Big 10/SEC need this so it likely isn’t happening. The tier system would keep the elite teams elite, but after that the leveling of the playing field doesn’t really benefit a majority of the 2 conferences.

No need to split 100% if the pie 70 ways when you can split 80% of it 34 ways. We haven’t really seen the impact these new tv contracts are going to have yet, but why would the big 2 give up their power/advantage?

 

[vhcat70]

Assume UK would be Tier 2.

 

[The-Hack]

As stated in the piece, these ideas are “football only.”

Oddly, UK might welcome being outside the first proposed tier of distribution, as it is one of a handful of schools to have a clearly profitable basketball program, allowing it an undivided revenue stream unavailable to most. With the naming rights still available for an on campus arena, the $$ generated from selling those rights, plus the cokes and popcorn, tickets, and TV money would likely make more money for UK than would be shorted by being below the 16 team “First Tier.”

Yes, “this is being driven by football, alone,” as college basketball across the spectrum is essentially a break even proposition at best. But for select schools like Kentucky, Kansas, U of L, and maybe 10 or 12 others, the exclusion of basketball proceeds from a division of profits is a net-plus, worth millions per year.

 

[The-Hack]

We haven’t really seen the impact these new tv contracts are going to have yet, but why would the big 2 give up their power/advantage?

They would only do so if they decide to screw their less profitable current members. In other words, Bama, Georgia LSU and the other big boys conspire with Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, to leave Vandy, Mississippi State, IU and Illinois on a lower tier.

Again, oddly, for the handful of schools with profitable basketball programs, the complete exclusion of basketball from this idea might make it more palatable.

Perhaps the ultimate question is if the Top 16 most profitable football schools are willing to cast aside the long-held affinity for less profitable conference brethren.

And when money is involved, I suspect the Top Schools are likeliest to say “I am not my brother’s keeper.”

 

[bthaunert]

College football already went through something similar in 1978 with the creation of Division I-A and I-AA. 1982 was more significant because that's when the entirety of I-AA was established after a lot of schools couldn't meet the I-A perimeters. This will be more of that, with a lot more money involved.

 

[LowerLevelSeatA]

I think schools should be ranked by the amount of nil money available to each school. Then divide schools into groups based on what nil tier they fall into. then have Playoffs/championship for each of those tiers.

 

[know1]

I like it. I'll bet the SEC is the conference that nixes it, though.

 

[truebluewildcat]

That’s nothing earth shattering. It’s logical and been a long time coming.

Only issue I have is that 70 may be 15-20ish teams too many. Unless you want to do something like soccer overseas…tiers and relegation.

Obviously the P5 60ish teams or so pulled away from the other 300 “D1” programs long ago and it really hasn’t been close since.

However even within that potential supergroup of 60-70 there’s a separation that’s widening. This is one of the problems cfb was going to have to reconcile with regardless of NIL, portal, realignment. Even in a reality where none of that stuff was happening, cfb was going to have issues with unwatchable games. Not just puff OOC games but games between upper tier p5 programs and lower tier. Along with things becoming very regional. Basically two conferences having the platform, money, tv, etc.

Realignment brought in a few programs with some weight into the main conference along with fan bases, markets. So now you basically have a professional structure. two conferences that cover all the valuable demographics coast to coast. What was regional and stale with handful of programs dominating now has at least an infusion of variety and competition from the scattered few and far between best the rest.

We know what the biggest and best are doing and want to do. The more curious changes will be what everyone else does.

I suspect they will have to fall back to a more traditional collegiate athletic model. They’re just not going to have the interest, weight in tv deals, nor interest to pay players or compete on field with super group.

 

[bthaunert]

One thing that would happen is G5 schools will be crushed by this. As an example, Bowling Green played Penn State and TAMU this year. Penn State paid them $1.5 million and Texas A&M paid them $1.6 million. That's over 10% of their anticipated revenue for the year.

 

[Hjack]

While SEC and Big Ten leaders mull major changes, a new Super League concept could radically alter college sports

As SEC and Big Ten leaders prepare to meet this week in Nashville for a historic summit of the industry’s two powers, there is an unreported undercurrent driving the discussion: Project Rudy.

sports.yahoo.com

Something like this is probably going to happen sooner rather than later.

I think NIL was the end of college sports as we have known them.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I have thought this was the ultimate end of all the realignment we have seen in college conferences. I saw an article where PSU had questions about the travel already.these conferences with teams on each coast is a ridiculous system, and hardly cost efficient. Not a big deal for football, but will eat up the budgets of the non revenue producing sports.

I didn't think it would be a financial group taking over,but I guess they see the money. They were talking about the possibility of 9 billion revenue. At a payout of 90m, that leaves 2.7B a year for administration and profit. But I suspect the payout to be much closer to 75m per school for football only, which about triples the ACC payout.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

I think NIL was the end of college sports as we have known them.

Yes but at least the traditional structure still existed. This would destroy that as well.

 

[99firerock]

Assume UK would be Tier 2.

Tier 3 likely...UK was ranked 42 at end of last season. Which, puts them in Tier 3 (if record is what determines ranking). Eliminate our cupcakes...and we have an uphill battle to make Tier 2.

 

[catben]

Why would the Big 10 and the SEC agree to this???!!!!!

I am more inclined to think those 2 conferences along with Notre Dame will separate from the rest of NCAA Div I and become the "NFL of College Football" all on their own. Why would the Big 10 and SEC give up ANY money to programs outside???? Even Clemson, Miami and FSU are NOT on the same level as those 2 conferences anymore, so to heck with them and the rest of the ACC and Big 12!!

JMHO

 

[The-Hack]

Tier 3 likely...UK was ranked 42 at end of last season. Which, puts them in Tier 3 (if record is what determines ranking). Eliminate our cupcakes...and we have an uphill battle to make Tier 2.

I’m pretty certain the ultimate ranking will be largely based on profitability, with some consideration for athletic ranking. But money is the issue, along with drawing eyes.

And we have ranked from 14th to 21st on every list I’ve seen the last 15 years, for total budget/gross profits.

We ranked 2nd only to Bama (among SEC schools) on the old Tier 4 rights, 4 or 5 times the profitability of Miss. State, Vandy and Old Miss, outranking even Georgia, UT, Florida, etc.

 

[Mark80]

First we have these tv contracts. Second their is not enough tier 1 schools in the SEC To overturn the rest of the league presidents and athletic directors. So this will not pass in either big 10 or SEC. Why would UK vote for this. You know the conference will want all sports revenues. The basketball team doesn’t make the difference between tier 1 and tier two.

 

[trueblujr2]

So they tier the revenue sharing, thus keeping the top 16 teams always at the top instead of creating a level and more competitive playing field across the board by sharing the revenue equally. I can understand some bonus payouts to champions and playoff teams, but that should be it.

G5 and FBS schools will suffer greatly. They rely on those 2-3 games per year against P4 teams for the payday. They lose that. They would essentially just need to become the new D2 and create their own playoff system and championship.

 

[99firerock]

I’m pretty certain the ultimate ranking will be largely based on profitability, with some consideration for athletic ranking. But money is the issue, along with drawing eyes.

And we have ranked from 14th to 21st on every list I’ve seen the last 15 years, for total budget/gross profits.

We ranked 2nd only to Bama (among SEC schools) on the old Tier 4 rights, 4 or 5 times the profitability of Miss. State, Vandy and Old Miss, outranking even Georgia, UT, Florida, etc.

From the article, "The model offers a variety of ways to determine how to tier schools: the previous season’s results, perhaps, or an aggregate of results over a stretch of seasons. The model also features a relegation and promotion system to pave a way for schools to move up and down the tiers."

I'm not sure that Kentucky can bring the revenue in for football, in and of itself, that would meet or exceed enough other schools. Currently, I believe we benefit greatly from being in the SEC and the success of the league dispersing money overall.

The underlying question is...how much does basketball generate for UK in gross revenue.

 

[TopCatCal]

While SEC and Big Ten leaders mull major changes, a new Super League concept could radically alter college sports

As SEC and Big Ten leaders prepare to meet this week in Nashville for a historic summit of the industry’s two powers, there is an unreported undercurrent driving the discussion: Project Rudy.

sports.yahoo.com

Something like this is probably going to happen sooner rather than later.

I'll never understand why the Big10 is held in such high regard. It should never be mentioned in the same breath with the SEC. When it comes to the 4 sports that we can all relate to football, baseball. men's basketball & women's basketball. The SEC is so far superior to the Big10 that it isn't even funny...... Since 1990 the national championships that these 2 conferences have won in each of the 4 sports are

Football - SEC 17................. Big10 4
Baseball - SEC 16................. Big10 0
Men's basketball -SEC 6...... Big10 1
Women's basketball - SEC 9...... Big10 1

In these 4 sports championships won total

SEC - 48
Big10 - 6

 

[vhcat70]

Why would the Big 10 and the SEC agree to this???!!!!!

I am more inclined to think those 2 conferences along with Notre Dame will separate from the rest of NCAA Div I and become the "NFL of College Football" all on their own. Why would the Big 10 and SEC give up ANY money to programs outside???? Even Clemson, Miami and FSU are NOT on the same level as those 2 conferences anymore, so to heck with them and the rest of the ACC and Big 12!!

JMHO

B1G & SEC should tell ND & their schtick to shove it.

 

[The-Hack]

I'll never understand why the Big10 is held in such high regard.

Because of eyes, and televisions, and gross population statistics. There are simply more people in Big country than in SEC country, hence the importance of Texas to the SEC, which balanced the scales somewhat.

Then there is the very large area covered by the Big 12 . . . even more diffuse in population than the Southeast combined with Texas and Oklahoma.

 

[The-Hack]

The underlying question is...how much does basketball generate for UK in gross revenue.

Kentucky has a unique argument: prior to the establishment of the SEC Network, each school marketed a small portion of its media rights separate from the ESPN and CBS deals.

As I recall, each program was left one football game and two basketball games, and sold media rights to these games. Hence “the market” measured the relative value of each “property.”

These were then called either “Tier 3” or “Tier 4” rights. Of the (then) 12 programs, Bama was valued at just over 10 million, Kentucky at just over 9 million, and the rest at a lower level, trailing down to below 2 million apiece for Miss State, Ole Miss and Vandy.

The reasons Kentucky was so strong were simply because it had more TV affiliates airing its games. The UK Network, at various times, has had stations in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, etc., and was frequently able to boast of being the largest University TV “Network” in the nation.

Why so big?

(1) The huge Kentucky-born population removed to the mid-west; and

(2) Two popular sports, each of which drew eyes.

This spread of interest into the mid-west was especially important to the SEC Network. Kentucky, according to “market forces” was worth far more than the average SEC program for eyes/TV’s, and easily had more eyes in the Heart of Big Ten country than any other SEC program, simply given proximity, and also “displaced” Kentucky families in all Midwestern states.

Simply put: if a Florida, Georgia or Tennessee family moves one-state North, they are still in SEC Network country. If a Kentucky family is in Indiana or Ohio, they have become a net gain to the SEC Network. Hence, simply being on the periphery of the SEC is a valuable commodity for marketing purposes.

And don’t underestimate our appeal. A friend attended a funeral of a relative in Indiana: the Hoosier cousins gathered around the cemetery burial, joined hands and sang “My Old Kentucky Home.”

And they sang it from memory!!

 

[99firerock]

Kentucky has a unique argument: prior to the establishment of the SEC Network, each school marketed a small portion of its media rights separate from the ESPN and CBS deals.

As I recall, each program was left one football game and two basketball games, and sold media rights to these games. Hence “the market” measured the relative value of each “property.”

These were then called either “Tier 3” or “Tier 4” rights. Of the (then) 12 programs, Bama was valued at just over 10 million, Kentucky at just over 9 million, and the rest at a lower level, trailing down to below 2 million apiece for Miss State, Ole Miss and Vandy.

The reasons Kentucky was so strong were simply because it had more TV affiliates airing its games. The UK Network, at various times, has had stations in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, West Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana, etc., and was frequently able to boast of being the largest University TV “Network” in the nation.

Why so big?

(1) The huge Kentucky-born population removed to the mid-west; and

(2) Two popular sports, each of which drew eyes.

This spread of interest into the mid-west was especially important to the SEC Network. Kentucky, according to “market forces” was worth far more than the average SEC program for eyes/TV’s, and easily had more eyes in the Heart of Big Ten country than any other SEC program, simply given proximity, and also “displaced” Kentucky families in all Midwestern states.

Simply put: if a Florida, Georgia or Tennessee family moves one-state North, they are still in SEC Network country. If a Kentucky family is in Indiana or Ohio, they have become a net gain to the SEC Network. Hence, simply being on the periphery of the SEC is a valuable commodity for marketing purposes.

And don’t underestimate our appeal. A friend attended a funeral of a relative in Indiana: the Hoosier cousins gathered around the cemetery burial, joined hands and sang “My Old Kentucky Home.”

And they sang it from memory!!

Great information, thank you for sharing that. I had read about the "market value" of the teams at some point in the past.I had not thought of the market reach of BBN.

Great detailed post, again thank you so much educating me and sharing that information.