The Alliance is Nigh.
Per Thamel and Auerbach, but I find both of them annoying, so here's a link to Dennis Dodd.
More details to come today.
Let's follow these two conferences to Candy Mountain, Charlieee
August 24th, 2021 at 6:53 AM ^
Gundy, Patterson, Aranda and Campbell will be coaching for their lives this season. It’s an audition to get off the sinking ship.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:26 AM ^
I really don't think Patterson cares too much. He's been with them outside of a power conference before.
August 24th, 2021 at 9:34 AM ^
Also closing in on retirement.
August 24th, 2021 at 7:21 AM ^
They needed to do this to have some sort of stop gap against the SEC. amazed they were able to do it in such a short time
August 24th, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
Does it have any financial impact on the pac 12 or more specifically the acc? Is it a binding measure that somehow actually forces them to vote as one bloc? Will the scheduling deal meaningfully change anyone’s schedule from one p5 non conference game per year?
it’s a meaningless gesture that has no real impact. Seemingly the only thing this alliance does is ensure the college football playoff will be bid for in 2026 and that expansion gets delayed. Cool.
August 24th, 2021 at 9:49 AM ^
No, I'm sure the Pac12 and ACC are interested because there is 0 financial benefit at all.
What kind of "real impact" would you expect? Getting the CFP away from ESPNs sole ownership is a huge impact. Determining the size & criteria for determining a national champion? Not allowing the SEC to basically organize a 12 team playoff and work 5/6 teams in every year while ESPN pays conferences based on the number of teams that get in?
I think Bowlsby was right enough in that ESPN is pulling the strings on this but the relationship between the SEC & ESPN is annoying at best and intolerable at worst. I don't think it would be bad for the sport for the Alliance to have an open bid for the contract and also to help each conference improve their negotiating stance.
In 2020, CFP pays $67m to each power 5 league plus $6m to each participant. (G5 split $92M) which is approximately $450m.
Experts say the new deal will be worth about $2B. There is no more P5, it's the P4, so each conference will get a much larger slice, simple math says each P4 conference will get $355M, the G5/6 will split $400M, and there will be 8.5m per school that participates. 5 autobids, 7 at large will guarantee a minimum of 4 SEC teams per year, possibly 6. That's $34-$51m more going to that conference.
And that's probably before a bidding war, Imagine splitting games like the NFL. CBS, Fox, and ESPN are going to want a piece, and NBC has expressed interest in getting involved with the Big Ten. If Fox gets all home Big Ten games, they will push to include playoff games in that package, similar to the NFL. Now, if you're the Big Ten/Fox, you definitely don't want a scenario where the SEC is getting 4-6 teams in every year.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:40 AM ^
Yeah, it's very much a defensive move but ESPN has been so focused on serving the SEC's whims that it makes sense that the other major conferences need to create something of a unified front.
What always gets me about the SEC is that it's really just been Alabama that has truly been a dominant team over that era. Absolutely you've had spurts with Florida and LSU/Auburn, but the SEC is perceived as this transcendent conference because of the Tide's run. I do sort of wonder if that continues when Saban leaves and if, with a power vacuum that emerges, a less predictable college football emerges. This alliance could serve that end.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^
Completely agree!
August 24th, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
Ok but this 'alliance' isn't actually binding, so how exactly is it all that different from before? The ACC/BIG/PAC have agreed they don't want to just let the SEC dominate. Ok cool. How is that different than previously? Was the expectation that without a non binding alliance that changes nothing fundamentally the members of those three conferences were going to get bullied by the sec into voting against their own interests because of reasons?
August 24th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^
Where are you reading that this is non-binding?
It's not about SEC domination...it's about the SEC(with ESPN) dictating to everyone else what the future of CFB and the subsequent money will be. It's increasingly evident that ESPN tried to make a play to change the CFP before the rights deal was up so they could benefit without others being able to bid. It's also evident this was done with Sankey, who was the leading voice in the room to come up with a new playoff solution. The other conferences and commissioners were blindsided by this collaboration and are trying to ensure that they will have a say in the room. The SEC "strongarm" is less effective against 3 conferences working together.
August 24th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
You are 100% correct I believe and have been saying the same thing. And nobody knows what is binding or non-binding. It's the right thing to do if you want long-term relevancy for Michigan and the rest of these conferences. This is all about taking out ESPN as the dominant force in this situation. With FOX, CBS, and Amazon involved, ESPN (and thus SEC) will not be able to dictate the entirety of meaningful college football. It's a brilliant move by the 3 conferences.
August 24th, 2021 at 12:42 PM ^
What could possible be binding about it? We hereby agree to vote as a bloc, and if someone welches we will send them a strongly worded letter and our teams won't schedule them in the future, which we also can't even technically enforce as a conference?
August 24th, 2021 at 3:54 PM ^
You are spot on....this was all about the $$. What concerns me is this "alliance" strong enough to plug the holes in the damn when all of the back channel dealings occur when ESPN/SEC try to pluck off the so called top brands like FSU, Clemson, OSU and USC....otherwise known as teams with SEC like football mentality......
August 24th, 2021 at 7:30 AM ^
This has a sort of Civil War feel to it.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:59 AM ^
The North Remembers
August 24th, 2021 at 10:19 AM ^
The North will rise again!
August 24th, 2021 at 11:03 AM ^
Truly, this is the War of Southern Aggression .
August 24th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
I wish I was in Philly! Hooray! Hooray! Away, away, away up north in Philly!
August 24th, 2021 at 7:44 AM ^
Paul Finebaum, the Mouth of the South, has attacked The Alliance frequently. That means it must be a good thing.
August 24th, 2021 at 7:48 AM ^
I know a Pete Finebaum, who is this Paul you speak of???
August 24th, 2021 at 7:54 AM ^
Mouth of the South. Please tell me you came up with this lol.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:29 AM ^
Jimmy Hart went by that nickname for many years.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:30 AM ^
Mere pillow talk.
August 24th, 2021 at 11:37 AM ^
How many times does it have to be said???
No sexy bits!!!
August 24th, 2021 at 9:01 AM ^
Yeah, if that shill Pete hates it, it must be good.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:01 AM ^
"....and Bret Bielema ate Kevin Warren's comms director....and there was much rejoicing."
August 24th, 2021 at 7:54 AM ^
In a more sensible world the B1G would drop Nebraska, PSU, Maryland and Rutgers. Adding Notre Dame and maybe Kentucky and Louisville would also make sense.
Arkansas, Missouri and Nebraska go to the B12. The ACC should poach the SEC of Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. West Virginia goes/stays east. Those northern ACC schools along with Maryland, Rutgers, PSU and others form a new conference.
Tighten the noose around the SEC's neck.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:54 AM ^
Penn State is one of the top Big Ten teams, consistently, in football. They are good to have.
Trying to go back to the 1980s membership would weaken the Conference significantly.
There are two major sports that bring money, so dropping top 25 basketball programs like MD would be dumb. Rutgers also is on the upswing and will be the Northwestern of the East, as far as occasional very good years in both sports.
Drop the level of competition, drop the geographical imprint, and the league loses value to where, once again, OSU has no reason to stay if they lose their essential auto bid due to weak scheduling.
August 24th, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
Yea not a fan of dropping psu to add Kentucky. Rutgers on the other hand…
August 24th, 2021 at 9:38 AM ^
How in the world is it more sensible to drop Penn St. and Nebraska and pick up Kentucky and Louisville? You're actively petitioning for the B1G to lose money.
Also, Notre Dame isn't formally joining a conference, this alliance is as close as it'll get.
August 24th, 2021 at 9:45 AM ^
Not saying they would replicate the football earnings of PSU, but they are the top two valued basketball programs. This surprises me very much (UL anyway).
August 24th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
That’s their own revenue though. It doesn’t bring the conference money.
Also, that’s JUST basketball. It doesn’t reflect their whole athletics department.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:43 AM ^
Drop Nebraska, sure. I guess I could see getting rid of Rutgers but they're academically a good match for the conference and do exist in a talent-rich state. But PSU and Maryland are good geographical matches, PSU is one of the "blue bloods" of football and Maryland is a very good basketball school, and they make sense academically. I have no idea what the appeal of Kentucky and Louisville would be beyond "schools that are academically inferior to basically everyone else and are good at cheating at basketball". Oh also, they'd give you access to that sweet, sweet Kentucky recruiting hotbed.
August 24th, 2021 at 7:55 AM ^
Only tangible, direct impact I see here is the B10 going back to 8 conf games.
August 24th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
So UM will have cross divisions rivalries with Iowa, Northwestern and Wisconsin and OSU will have them with Nebraska, Illinois, and Purdue?
August 24th, 2021 at 7:58 AM ^
Big rock candy mountain is a great song.
I'll see you all this coming fall
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
August 24th, 2021 at 8:24 AM ^
Yummy...horse gummies
August 24th, 2021 at 8:31 AM ^
Meh. Alliances with the schedule is interesting, but not sure it is enough to change structure with playoffs or combat SEC moves with OK and TX.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:45 AM ^
See the ACTUAL ARTICLE for some very good analysis of this very subject. :)
August 24th, 2021 at 8:54 AM ^
It makes it easy to outvote the SEC. I think that's the main point and is very relevant for the future of the playoffs. It means they can coordinate scheduling big non-conf games and frequently beat the SEC in viewership. That's the other main point. Maybe the SEC should worry about getting frozen out of the non-conf games that draw big ratings.
SEC will have the strongest football conference, but they won't be able to impose their will on the other major conferences.
August 24th, 2021 at 8:58 AM ^
Another tidbit is getting the SEC's non-conference games out of the South. Eliminate "neutral site" tilts vs SEC schools in Atlanta, Texas, or Florida. More Georgia playing in South Bend or LSU at Lambeau. Instead of Bama/USC in Atlanta, why not in LA? An alliance won't forbid games vs SEC opponents, but if it's a home/home the hosting school/conference adds that to their TV deal.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
That would be a good thing. One possibility I see is that the 3 conferences in the alliance agree to football versions of the Big Ten - ACC challenge in basketball, with the upper tier teams facing each other. That looks like the surest way to boost their next TV contracts. With two challenges for each league, that's a lot of high value games.
Their teams won't be barred from playing the SEC, but who will want to? For any good team that would be a brutal schedule.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:19 AM ^
This is one area where I will give LSU credit. They have done the home/home games with Wisconsin (at Lambeau) and are traveling to LA to play UCLA this year. I wish Warde would make a push for a home and home against LSU. I still can't believe they've never played.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^
I see it this way too. The Alliance is being formed as a blocking mechanism to the SEC and the fact that Finebaum hates it tells me they fear it will work.
Fuck those grits-eating, toothless, uneducated, unvaccinated, cousin-humping, banjo-playing redneck inbreds. The alliance should put this guy on their logo as a reminder of what happened the last time they decided to go on their own.
August 24th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
He was actually the first president of LSU from 1859-1861. For some reason no buildings on campus carry his name...
August 24th, 2021 at 10:28 AM ^
Relative of mine. Good guy. Didn't burn Atlanta, but burned essential provision and supply under very sound--long-held--military principles. If his dictum to give former slaves 40 acres and a mule had been followed this country would now be a different place.
I once made the mistake of mentioning that my grandma's mom's side were Shermans at a party in Tuscaloosa. Brought my night to a screeching halt.
August 24th, 2021 at 11:02 AM ^
He can keep his dictum to himself, thank you very much!
August 24th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
Friend from high school lives in Atlanta, and she was telling me that native Georgians there would insist that they don't have a complex about the city/state getting its shit pushed in by Sherman... and do so quite insistently for about twenty minutes-plus