Realignment

[highlandute7]

This is getting crazy…

Per @BruceFeldmanCFB, "Reaching out to the Pac-12 about a potential 20-school merger was discussed during Thursday’s Big 12 leadership call."

God bless realignment.https://t.co/Dw0E4nQf17

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) July 23, 2021

[Trailgoat]

P12 is in a tough spot. The lower tier schools in the P12 including Utah should be gettting nervous. Although regionally complicated, I could see UO, USC, UW, Stanford, UCLA and maybe Cal getting swooped away by some sort of power conference structure. The big money would make travel a non-factor. Teams could all fly first class in their own private jets. I am guessing NIL has some part to do with the pending shake up. I have a feeling this is not going to end well for Utah. Hopefully I am waaay off the mark on this, point is, anything can happen once the first domino falls and it’s a big one with UT and OU heading to the SEC.

[chinngiskhaan]

I’m confused how you are getting this from what the OP posted. 20 school merger involving big12 and pac12 would include all pac12 teams. The big12 will be left with 8 schools. 8+12=20. Utah is fine in this scenario.

Either way, I think you are wrong. The 8 schools left in the big12 will be TT, TCU, Bay, Kan, Kst, Okst, Iowst, WVU… Which of those schools has both a bigger market AND an equal or better football team? OKst is the only one of those schools that is better than Utah in football, and maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think they have a bigger fan base than Utah. Utah would beat the rest of those teams at least 6 out of every 10 tries.

I think Utah has gained enough national respect to not have to worry too much about their position in some power conference.

[UteThunder]

The schools that have the most to worry about are WSU, OSU, UA, and to a lesser extent, Cal & Stanford. TV market will still be a driving factor in realignment. Any conference wanting to expand by poaching Pac 12 teams is only going to need/want one school from a TV market. Multiple schools from the same market aren’t beneficial in terms of TV contracts. UW, UO, ASU, USC/UCLA, are all the more desirable options from their respective TV markets and would all get invites before their less desirable in-state rivals. Utah and Colorado are obviously the only Pac 12 schools in their markets and have very little to worry about if the Pac-12 is raided. 

[Stone]

Media markets are important, but not as important as brand loyalty. In the last round of realignments, media markets was key (which is why Rutgers won the lottery). But with the shake-up of tv rights (i.e., more streaming options) – the key factor is which teams have the name brand and can attract viewers versus just being in a large market. I am not sure how that plays out for Utah – but I think we are in decent shape compared to many teams (obviously, Utah is not in the top echelon, but also not in the lower echelon). 

I think the best case scenario for Utah at this point is some sort of pact with the Big1X. Whether that is to divvy up the remains of the Big12 or do some sort of de facto merger. Ultimately, things are going the way of a 64 (or some similar number) of teams in a super conference.

[homer]

20 team conferences won’t work. No way will legacy PAC8 teams be a part of it. They will insist on playing each other like the Ca schools insisted when the PAC10 became 12.

Add the remaining eight from the Big12 and very quickly you will see the new conference dissolve, much like the old 16 team WAC.

Talk about an incentive for U$C, OU, UCLA to leave. . .

[GameForAnyFuss]

If the money is there, absolutely the legacy teams will want to be a part of it. Universities are under extreme financial pressure – their costs are rising astronomically, they’re dealing with budget cuts from their states/sponsor organizations, and you can’t just infinitely raise tuition to cover it. Sports, donations, and patent licensing are the only other ways to make money.

I suspect that whatever ends up happening will make no sense from a competitive, geographic, or academic perspective. There’s really no point in speculating based on any of those factors It will all hinge on how to make the most money.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Newest rumor: SEC also courting Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida St. Going for the 20-team superconference.

Would this force the PAC12’s hand? Would this cement a merger of the PAC12 and the remnants of the Big 12?

[PhiladelphiaUte]

A 20-team merger would be a nightmore for Utah.  In this scenario, the league will likely split into an East-West format, where the original Pac-10 teams will be in the West, and Utah and Colorado get stuck in the East with Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Oklahoma St, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, and…

…West Virginia!  

Who wants to be in the same division as WVU?  They’re nearly 2,000-mi away!

[MDUte]

Here’s an idea. What if Utah/Colorado approached the B1G about joining? I love the PAC and hate even the thought of leaving the conference. But there is concern about the PAC now becoming the next Big 12. The B1G is the 2nd best conference in football and both Utah/Colorado are AAU schools that would fit nicely from an academic, athletic, and enlarging the B1G footprint further west. And maybe it would lead to more of the best brands in the PAC joining the B1G. At the very least, I’d rather see Utah get proactive and secure our future before something devastating happening like USC, Oregon, Washington, and Stanford leaving the conference for the B1G and we are part of the PAC leftovers without a home. Thoughts??
Current B1G footprint