Conference Realignment - where will we be in 5 yrs?

[DoubleJayAlum]

Greed will cause the big conferences to have their own basketball tournament. CBS or another station will always pay for the rights because it will still bring large ratings because of the size of teh schools and their fanbases. This doesn't even consider the fact that once the big conferences break away it will be impossible for schools not in those super conferences to ever steal a recruit away from a superconference school.

Rest assured, if superconferences happen, a separate basketball tourney will happen. It will only be a matter of time.

I do agree that the superconferences don't care about the other sports though - mainly because they don't make any money. Basketball makes a lot of money.

[MoValley John]

I son't see it working in basketball. Basketball makes money, but only at some schools and because of some conferences. All schools in the B1G make money on basketball, but that has a lot to do with the BTN. Nebraska doesn't make money on basketball, Iowa State may, or may not, but if they do, it's not a lot. Miami, even with their cheating, doesn't make money on basketball. And I don't see how the networks would package it.

Casual fans only watch the NCAA to see a Butler or Western Kentucky knock off a Duke. This is the storyline every year, this is teh hook. Fans of teams will watch until their team is eliminated, the Cindarella is what glues everyone else to the tourney. A 64 team tourney of Dukes and NC's has appeal, but not mass appeal.

[DoubleJayAlum]

A 64 team tourney of Dukes and NC's has appeal, but not mass appeal.

The appeal is large enough to garner a nice TV contract though. Add in that the TV money won't have to be shared with the NCAA and the nonsuper conference schools and I'd bet that the superconferences wind up with more money out of their own tourney than they get from the existing format.

[RoyalShock]

They would still have some umbrella organization that will have to do all the administration, logistics and oversight, just like the NCAA. And that org will get its cut. As MVJ stated, what makes the NCAA tournament so appealing and successful, ie. "March Madness", is the Cinderella story. The loss of this I think is getting under-estimated. Whatever format they were to come up with, it would cease to be "March Madness" and lose a lot of marketing power. All the bracket contests would become ho-hum, especially for the casual fan. I bet they would lose at least a third of their viewership. Would the schools see a net-gain in revenue? Maybe, but I doubt it. And if they do, it won't be much. But as we've already learned, it's all about football. No wonder the only football I pay attention to is the local high school team.

Should all this come to fruition, it will make it difficult for me to maintain my current level of interest, as it will just make the rest of us the new Divison II and bump everyone else down a rung. The super-institutions win, everyone else, including all college sports fans lose.

[MVCfans]

Sounds like the Oklahoma and Texas to PAC 12 rumors are heating up again.

The concept of the Pac-16 is again being actively discussed by Pac-12 officials as well as officials at Oklahoma and Texas, a source close to the situation told ESPN's Joe Schad.

The source said those schools know the opportunity to join the Pac-12 is their decision. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech would also join the proposed Pac-16, according to the source.

The Longhorn Network is a potentially complicating factor but Pac-12 officials believe the parties could work through that.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... ource-says

[DoubleJayAlum]

The MVC should invite KSU, KU, Mizzou and Iowa St to the conference right now.

[MVCfans]

The MVC should invite KSU, KU, Mizzou and Iowa St to the conference right now.

It would be funny if the MVC sent out a press release doing that. It could be on the ESPN scroll all day long.

[Khan4Cats]

The MVC should invite KSU, KU, Mizzou and Iowa St to the conference right now.

It would be funny if the MVC sent out a press release doing that. It could be on the ESPN scroll all day long.

While it would be fun, there is NO way they would ever come. And the reasons are Missouri State, Wichita State, and Northern Iowa. Each of those Big 12--2(-3) teams look at the smaller in-state schools as inferiors and would never join them in a conference and make them 'equals'.

[MVCfans]

The MVC should invite KSU, KU, Mizzou and Iowa St to the conference right now.

It would be funny if the MVC sent out a press release doing that. It could be on the ESPN scroll all day long.

While it would be fun, there is NO way they would ever come. And the reasons are Missouri State, Wichita State, and Northern Iowa. Each of those Big 12--2(-3) teams look at the smaller in-state schools as inferiors and would never join them in a conference and make them 'equals'.

I think that's why it would be funny. The insinuation that they are "equals" by offering them a spot in the MVC would be like ripping their heart out. Those schools know where they stand in relation to the realignment possibilities and I'm sure they fear nothing more than being tossed aside and into a non-BCS league.

[MoValley John]

The MVC should invite KSU, KU, Mizzou and Iowa St to the conference right now.

It would be funny if the MVC sent out a press release doing that. It could be on the ESPN scroll all day long.

While it would be fun, there is NO way they would ever come. And the reasons are Missouri State, Wichita State, and Northern Iowa. Each of those Big 12--2(-3) teams look at the smaller in-state schools as inferiors and would never join them in a conference and make them 'equals'.

But in reality, if you strip the conference affiliation away from Iowa State and Kansas State, they are just that, equals. If you look at their athletic budgets, take away the Big XII infusion of cash, add Missouri Valley cash, they are on the same footing. In fact, because of wrestling national championships, only Iowa State could try to claim any superiority at all. Without the Big XII cash, Kansas State's athletic budget would be on par with Wichita State and Missouri State. And while Wichita State has a national championship in baseball and several bowling crowns, Missouri State has some handball titles, Kansas State has zero national championships, NCAA, NAIA, equestrian or any other obscure national titles. Zero. Kansas State is more Missouri Valley than they will ever admit. Kansas State is a low budget school, with no national following, no winning tradition and is only a drain to the Big XII. And that is exactly why no BSC conference wants them, period.