Listen to full episodes of The Hard Count on podcast! ⬇ Spotify🎧: open.spotify.com/show/5Muz6cWNF4Dunh3QOcint6 Apple🍏: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-count-with-j-d-pickell/id1634039449
FSU, Clemson HATED the deal Swofford made with ESPN. When SEC & B1G got their new deals, the writing first appeared on the wall. No unequal amount of $$ will keep FSU & Clemson in ACC. They want to be fully compensated. Everyone else is in an existential crisis.
If those seven schools are so “magnificent”, then why don’t they focus on making their conference the best in the land. Grass is always greener on other side.
couple of facts for you guys,cemson and the U started the process of making these changes and fsu ad just started talking the loudest.The other 2 AD's are really leading this case with many other schools coming right along.
ESPN has far too much control in this. Who’s really pulling the strings here? This is being driven by networks, football and money - other sports be damned.
Honestly this just messes up the conferences even more if we get movement from this. I’ve always been a proponent of geographical conference regardless of where the money is. You could still have a mega conference and follow geography.
The key to ACC dissolution is Notre Dame. The GOR was extended to 2036 based on the ACC network & ND non-football sports being there. If ND cant get the TV deal they need to compete from NBC or another network maybe ND decides that it's time to join the B1G or thr SEC. ND football is whats valuable, ND could tell the ACC to keep the rights to their non-football sports, pay their 3 year reduced share exit fee, appro 50-60 million and leave. Without ND, the others have an argument about voiding the extended GOR, reverting it back to the original 2027 date.
For same management that that FSU/UNC/Clemson voted to represent them on said contract that they sign . They have no case only way is to get enough schools to blow up the ACC as a league. But VT/NCSU are not wanted by SEC/Big 10 they will not be invited to the big 2 so I don’t understand what and why they are involved?
Why wouldn't Pitt, BC, Wake Forest, and every other school in the ACC want to join the 7 and force the conference to renegotiate the deal? Why would any ACC school want an uneven playing field to compete on? smh
The initial ask of the original 4 (Clemson, FSU, Miami, UNC) was to have an uneven share of the revenue, based on their production, but remain in the ACC. That didn't seem to get attention. The formation of the Magnificent 7 is a plan to nullify parts of the grant of rights, and allow them to make up the huge gap in revenue.
@@wlthomas8 That is true... However, I believe that if there are 8 universities in accordance, the original grant of rights agreement is voided and a new negotiation would/could take place. The problem is the disparity in revenue between the agreements the Big 10 and the SEC have struck and what the ACC has in place. Ok, but ACC Universities like BC (Boston), Pitt (Pittsburgh), Syracuse, are in major metro markets that could/would benefit tremendously from a new restructured deal. I don't understand why they wouldn't be the ones yelling the loudest to achieve the parity their markets can afford them. I think the ACC Conference needs to learn how to better sell their product, and structuring a new deal is the fastest way to do that. IMO, the ACC Network deal with ESPN is the real problem. The production team is atrocious.
@@Finsup15_ I don't think it has to be or work out that way. Just because you have the power to do something doesn't mean you have to do it unless it's in your best interest. I think the ACC has just done a very poor job selling the product and the schools and the student-athletes have not benefited as much as they could have. Their growth potential is actually greater than the other conferences that are already maximizing their return on investment.
People talking about Lousiville and PITT coming along too, the reason were leaving is to get away from you guys. Maybe Louisville is attractive for SEC with Kentucky, but they definitely don care about PITT. Those 8 would join SEC for 24 teams, 12 E and W divisions. West: Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Miss St, Texas, TAMU, Arkansas, Mizzou East: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami South Carolina, Clemson, VT, UVA UNC, NC State, Florida, FSU
Something else to think about there's the magnificent if they can find one more dance partner that's eight schools they can dissolve the ACC and then the grant of rights is not an issue
@@pnut3844able if the conference dissolves there's no grant of Rights if the ACC dissolves there's no conference there for the grant of rights goes away
@@pnut3844able it does have Baring because the conference as a whole entered into the contract with ESPN if the conference doesn't exist there's no contract therefore there's no TV rights
Wish acc would band together to disband. Let fs and who else go. Then regroup with other good teams. Fs state been crying for year. Acc exsist bofore fs a will not die if 4 teams left. Quite a few of youself righteous sport commetator think fs is super. Ask troy st. They have not won since Bobby was there. If i was commissioner i would regroup let them all go, that want to leave. And wish them luck. Be done with this high hope wishing, begging and crying. Then get back to business adding teams to replace the departed and focus on winning.
Litigation after next year by the 7 to get out. Big Ten interested in Florida market due to viewers, alumni base, money, and, at the top would be Miami and Florida State. So, you’re probably looking at 2 more schools out West, then Miami and Florida State. They’d love Notre Dame, but can’t count on them considering how long they’ve been playing hard to get.
Certain schools in the ACC (WF, Cuse, BC, Duke, & GT don't have a landing spot if the conference dissolve. The best thing is to let these bigger schools FSU, UNC, UVA, & Clemson leave but see if you can grab Stanford, Cal, & somehow Notre Dame but renegotiate a better deal that favors ND. Then convince WVU, UCF, and Cincy to come over to save on logistics.
@@JSVSXX GT will ride with those to the SEC and be real quiet while sitting in the backseat. The SEC does not want to fight about geography with GT possibly going to the Big.
The SEC and B1G will only expand to drive up revenue compared to the B12 and ACC which will collect teams merely to survive. GT is a good fit for the B1G but not necessarily profitable. This is why I only suggested adding 2 schools compared to 4.
@@k-hustlethesportspreacher5941 GT brings a party city visit for fans (Atl has got many offerings, and the SEC loves going to Nashville). It "feels" like we could be on an uptick. Lord knows we picked the wrong years (during realignment/pandemic/NIL) to suck, but maybe the $ is coming and the portal allows much of that GA talent to return if they did not fit in their original destination. GT has a lot to offer...it is can we get out of our own way in making the offer.
Here's the script... NC St. has out done themselves per tge script. All those 7 to the SEC. ANNUAL PLAYOFF FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY! Setting an ARBITRARY NUMBER of playoff slots before the season plays out is a FAILED MODEL. Conferences also need 2 weeks in early December (if necessary) to determine their champions. Take 2022 for example: The PAC needed a 4 team playoff (Washington, Oregon, Utah, and USC), but by some arbitrary algorithm, only Utah and USC were selected. And for the 2022 National Championship, everyone knew we only needed 1 game: Michigan vs. Georgia, but because of the arbitrary (and in 2022 undeserved) 3rd and 4th spots, it got all screwed up and we never got to see it! Here is the model we cobbled together from the Warren administration last year, with the 3 large conferences... Please note the flexibility and tradition preservation provided by the INDEPENDENT INVITATIONAL concept (1 or 2 games as any year may require). Also note this model has West Virginia misplaced (assuming some influence from Senator Manchin). We see WV as gaining Protected Independent status in football, giving that last SEC25 slot to Tulane. (Independent corps: ND loose affiliation and all other sports in the B1G; BYU likewise the Third25, and WV with the SEC. The Service Academies should also join the Independent corps, if they decide to compete at the top levels of college athletics.) THE FULL PICTURE IS IN! -August 11, 2022 ND TO STAY INDEPENDENT; MIAMI IS IN, JOINING THE SEC! (They're going to 25) THE NEW FULL MEMO ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL REALIGNMENT... Please remember, as Commissioner Warren said, these things are planned well in advance... To the B1G (FOX): Pitt, Stanford, Cal, Washington, Utah, Oregon, Kansas, Arizona and Colorado for 25 (all here mentioned are AAU schools). To the SEC (ESPN): NC(aau), Duke(aau), UVA(aau), Clemson, Florida St., West Virginia, Georgia Tech(aau), Miami and Virginia Tech for 25. Notre Dame (NBC) (and BYU?) will stay independent with playoff access. Look for an independent alliance to include ND, BYU and the service academies moving forward. NOTE: Divisions are only for the purpose of assuring regional play and reducing travel, and could be annually flexible by school requests. These divisions are likely to be more relevant in non football sports. The football teams with the top 4 (at least, could go to 8 [flexibility?], culminating with the Rose Bowl) conference records will go to the conference semifinals in early or mid December regardless of their divisions, and the conference championships are to be played on New Year's Day (B1G/Rose, SEC/Sugar, Third25/Cotton). B1G25 Southern Pacific division Cal USC UCLA Arizona Utah B1G25 Northern Pacific division Colorado Nebraska Stanford Oregon Washington B1G25 Great Plains division Minnesota Iowa Kansas Wisconsin Illinois B1G25 Great Lakes division Indiana Purdue Northwestern Michigan Michigan State B1G25 Union division Rutgers Maryland Penn State Pitt Ohio State Meet the SEC25: Knowing that Pitt is going B1G, and 8 more ACC schools are going to the SEC, that's more than enough schools than needed to break the ACC contract. Given the continuing regional continuity of the SEC, divisions will be even less significant than in the B1G. Maintaining certain rivalries and neighborly games will be more a matter of game "reservation" than divisional assignments. Again, the 4 (or 8, or a flexibility to assure fair access) best conference records of the SEC to play in semifinals in early December. Texas Oklahoma Texas A&M Arkansas Kentucky Missouri LSU Miss State Ole Miss Tennessee Vanderbilt Alabama Auburn Florida Florida St. Georgia Georgia Tech South Carolina Clemson North Carolina Duke UVA Virginia Tech West Virginia Miami The rest to comprise TheThird25 conference with access relegation to playoff eligible divisions (similar to Euro soccer leagues) with guaranteed football playoff slots for their top teams every year. (Realignment for non football sports in this third conference, as membership could include 40 or so schools, with likely only 25 members of which will start the football season with access to the national playoff, more permanent regional sub conferences will be needed, and allowing these regional divisions to develop organically is expected to be one of the final components, and possibly most time consuming, such that the networks/B1G/SEC intend to allow the third conference a couple years of organization before defining a final playoff structure.) This third conference is going to be full of badass non AAU schools from coast to coast, will have playoff access, and likely compete well for national titles moving forward. And now be introduced to TheThird25 Conference: TheThird25 (Apple/Amazon/Innovative Media Delivery, -and maybe CBS) (Assuming BYU stays independent) 1) Oklahoma St. 2) Washington St. 3) TCU 4) Arizona St. 5) Kansas St. 6) Baylor 7) Boise St. 8) San Diego St. 9) NC St. 10) Tulane (AAU school) 11) Rice (AAU school) 12) UCF(disney/espn) 13) Louisville 14) Cincinnati 15) Houston 16) Boston College To finish TheThird25: Utah State Syracuse Hawaii Oregon State Fresno State Iowa State Texas Tech SMU Memphis and/or Southern Miss or Wake Forrest or Colorado State or Tulsa or Wyoming or New Mexico or UConn or Nevada or UTEP or Army or Navy or Air Force... etc. Relegation clearly required. The Eligible76 (77 - BYU?) So that makes 76 teams with playoff access each year: B1G25, SEC25, TheThird25 (with relegation beyond 25), and independent Notre Dame (and BYU?). B1G/SEC to play 9 of 11 regular season games in conference (4 division, 1 each in the other 4 divisions, plus 1 reserved/rivalry game =9), and 2 non conference games (1 allowed to be an opponent beyond the eligible76). How can this happen? Quite simply. -and in the end likely a value booster for all schools through the 3 mega conferences... Except for the 32 currrent legacy members of the B1G/SEC, revenue sharing as we've known it is finished. The rest will be taken on and paid in accord with their relative fanbase/marketshare and other values brought to the table. And they're selling this beautifully.... This has to be the single best dudes' soap opera to run the sportswire in some time. This is intentional. It's a done deal, but milking the interest is just the first part of this brilliant college football marketing campaign. -or, blame capitalism. ✌🤠✌ Look for something called the "Independent Invitational" game to be played in early December alongside the conference semifinals, and to be managed by The Playoff Commission, playing Notre Dame (and/or BYU?) and possibly service academies against a team hoping to make a playoff or better bowl claim, or any other 2 teams the Commission may deem appropriate in a given year in order to help clarify and minimize their playoff selections upcoming after the bowls. (It has been proposed that any Division 1 school relegated beyond the eligible76 could achieve instant transcendence with an undefeated (11-0) season -w/10 D1 wins- and a likely invitation to the Independent Invitational prior to major bowl selection.) The bowls will play out during the holidays and could have playoff selection implications depending on the year. PLAYOFF FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY (setting an arbitrary number of playoff slots before the season plays out is a failed model): The concept of yearly playoff flexibility should be incorporated. Every year is different; setting an arbitrary number of playoff slots before the season plays out inevitably rubs against fairness for the next team left out. After the 3 Conference championships on New Year's Day (yielding 3 guaranteed advanced playoff births) the Playoff Commission should call no less than 4 teams, but up to 16, or any (even odd) number in between, such that no eligible undefeated team is left out (an "objective, measurable, clear and articulable delineation between the last team to qualify, and all remaining eligible teams..."), and playing such few games as necessary to answer but one question: Who is number 1?
Listen to full episodes of The Hard Count on podcast! ⬇
Spotify🎧: open.spotify.com/show/5Muz6cWNF4Dunh3QOcint6
Apple🍏: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-count-with-j-d-pickell/id1634039449
And we just got the 8th!! Thank you Louisville, let’s get out of this collapsing conference
UL joined??
Yes Pitt probably also
I haven’t seen anything on UL joining?
Was On Live Warpath show.
FSU, Clemson HATED the deal Swofford made with ESPN. When SEC & B1G got their new deals, the writing first appeared on the wall. No unequal amount of $$ will keep FSU & Clemson in ACC. They want to be fully compensated. Everyone else is in an existential crisis.
If those seven schools are so “magnificent”, then why don’t they focus on making their conference the best in the land. Grass is always greener on other side.
SEC for 24 teams, 12 E and W divisions. West:
Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Miss St,
Texas, TAMU, Arkansas, Mizzou
East:
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami
South Carolina, Clemson, VT, UVA
UNC, NC State, Florida, FSU
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌💯💯
Yessir
Lol the U can’t win the acc what’s it going to do in a better conference? Probably should go to a group of 5 conference lmao 🤣
@@904nole YOUR PROBABLY A VIRGINIA FAN😂😂😂😂😂😎
Has “nole” in his username. Ill let u figure that out…
@@mattrancho 😂😂
couple of facts for you guys,cemson and the U started the process of making these changes and fsu ad just started talking the loudest.The other 2 AD's are really leading this case with many other schools coming right along.
Lawyers often know how to undo a thing lawyers built in the first place
ESPN has far too much control in this. Who’s really pulling the strings here? This is being driven by networks, football and money - other sports be damned.
Honestly this just messes up the conferences even more if we get movement from this. I’ve always been a proponent of geographical conference regardless of where the money is. You could still have a mega conference and follow geography.
The key to ACC dissolution is Notre Dame. The GOR was extended to 2036 based on the ACC network & ND non-football sports being there. If ND cant get the TV deal they need to compete from NBC or another network maybe ND decides that it's time to join the B1G or thr SEC. ND football is whats valuable, ND could tell the ACC to keep the rights to their non-football sports, pay their 3 year reduced share exit fee, appro 50-60 million and leave. Without ND, the others have an argument about voiding the extended GOR, reverting it back to the original 2027 date.
Why do not the offended schools just sue the ACC itself for gross mismanagement?
For same management that that FSU/UNC/Clemson voted to represent them on said contract that they sign . They have no case only way is to get enough schools to blow up the ACC as a league. But VT/NCSU are not wanted by SEC/Big 10 they will not be invited to the big 2 so I don’t understand what and why they are involved?
Been saying this for a while. That TV deal almost looks like sabotage at this point.
Why wouldn't Pitt, BC, Wake Forest, and every other school in the ACC want to join the 7 and force the conference to renegotiate the deal? Why would any ACC school want an uneven playing field to compete on? smh
Because the bigger schools are going to leave and those other schools are going to be left worse off
The initial ask of the original 4 (Clemson, FSU, Miami, UNC) was to have an uneven share of the revenue, based on their production, but remain in the ACC. That didn't seem to get attention. The formation of the Magnificent 7 is a plan to nullify parts of the grant of rights, and allow them to make up the huge gap in revenue.
their going to leave anyway. so why give them more to stay. your wife is leaving u and she just told u why.
@@wlthomas8 That is true... However, I believe that if there are 8 universities in accordance, the original grant of rights agreement is voided and a new negotiation would/could take place. The problem is the disparity in revenue between the agreements the Big 10 and the SEC have struck and what the ACC has in place. Ok, but ACC Universities like BC (Boston), Pitt (Pittsburgh), Syracuse, are in major metro markets that could/would benefit tremendously from a new restructured deal. I don't understand why they wouldn't be the ones yelling the loudest to achieve the parity their markets can afford them. I think the ACC Conference needs to learn how to better sell their product, and structuring a new deal is the fastest way to do that. IMO, the ACC Network deal with ESPN is the real problem. The production team is atrocious.
@@Finsup15_ I don't think it has to be or work out that way. Just because you have the power to do something doesn't mean you have to do it unless it's in your best interest. I think the ACC has just done a very poor job selling the product and the schools and the student-athletes have not benefited as much as they could have. Their growth potential is actually greater than the other conferences that are already maximizing their return on investment.
Na you're spot on about that standing remark. Both Clemson and FSU will leave everyone high and dry once the SEC calls
@derklavierspieler7491 fsu fans feel like they belong in the SEC 😆😆 Now Clemson yes...
@@v.l.c3979 your a cane fan your team belongs in the trash 😂😂😂😂
Found the gator. 😎
@@v.l.c3979 Both of them would be 8-4 in the SEC, right now!
@@derklavierspieler7491 Expect a long memory regarding FSU passing on it so very long ago...but $$ makes many friends
How can ESPN, invested in the ACC, let the ACC become irrelevant due to their paying the ACC substantially less than the SEC?
People talking about Lousiville and PITT coming along too, the reason were leaving is to get away from you guys. Maybe Louisville is attractive for SEC with Kentucky, but they definitely don care about PITT. Those 8 would join SEC for 24 teams, 12 E and W divisions. West:
Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Miss St,
Texas, TAMU, Arkansas, Mizzou
East:
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami
South Carolina, Clemson, VT, UVA
UNC, NC State, Florida, FSU
Big 12 needs to pick up Miami, Pitt, Louisville and North Carolina
Litigation after next year is only way out cause have to show financial detriment to staying in.
Go Noles 🍢
Let’s go Miami to the big 10 or sec
If the ACC goes to hell i see Clemson FSU and Mia coming to the SEC maybe UNC but i see them more in the BIG10
Clemson and Florida state to the SEC makes sense geographicly don't know about contracts.
geographically so does NC and NC State, that makes over half of those 7 teams would be going to the SEC
Greed is what is going on. 30 years from now this sport will be a shadow of it's former self.
People have been saying this about 30 years in the future of a long time. It was especially a vocal sentiment around 1971.
Those 7 plus Oklahoma state to SEC
Something else to think about there's the magnificent if they can find one more dance partner that's eight schools they can dissolve the ACC and then the grant of rights is not an issue
Yes it is, bc ESPN still owns the TV rights even if the conference dissolves.
@@pnut3844able if the conference dissolves there's no grant of Rights if the ACC dissolves there's no conference there for the grant of rights goes away
@@charliewood8964 ESPN owns the TV rights. The conference dissolving has no bearing on that fact.
@@pnut3844able it does have Baring because the conference as a whole entered into the contract with ESPN if the conference doesn't exist there's no contract therefore there's no TV rights
@@charliewood8964 that's not how it works lmao
You get out of it by paying the money you signed the contract for .
It’s not happening for a long time.
rather than just destroy the ACC why not reformulate the conference rules?
good video
Explains Dabo Swinney's contract. Thank you, On3
Not to sound negative, but why is it the videos on here contain the information I heard in other videos at least yesterday?
How’s all that money working for Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Missouri and multiple other teams in the Big10 and SEC
If and when this happens, it clears the way for ND to join the BIG 10 !!!
Or Notre Dame could join the ACC and save it .... don't take that as a prediction.
Wish acc would band together to disband. Let fs and who else go. Then regroup with other good teams. Fs state been crying for year. Acc exsist bofore fs a will not die if 4 teams left. Quite a few of youself righteous sport commetator think fs is super. Ask troy st. They have not won since Bobby was there. If i was commissioner i would regroup let them all go, that want to leave. And wish them luck. Be done with this high hope wishing, begging and crying. Then get back to business adding teams to replace the departed and focus on winning.
Litigation after next year by the 7 to get out. Big Ten interested in Florida market due to viewers, alumni base, money, and, at the top would be Miami and Florida State. So, you’re probably looking at 2 more schools out West, then Miami and Florida State. They’d love Notre Dame, but can’t count on them considering how long they’ve been playing hard to get.
Certain schools in the ACC (WF, Cuse, BC, Duke, & GT don't have a landing spot if the conference dissolve. The best thing is to let these bigger schools FSU, UNC, UVA, & Clemson leave but see if you can grab Stanford, Cal, & somehow Notre Dame but renegotiate a better deal that favors ND. Then convince WVU, UCF, and Cincy to come over to save on logistics.
GT does have a spot somewhere…. Great academics and they have the Atlanta market
@@JSVSXX GT will ride with those to the SEC and be real quiet while sitting in the backseat. The SEC does not want to fight about geography with GT possibly going to the Big.
The SEC and B1G will only expand to drive up revenue compared to the B12 and ACC which will collect teams merely to survive. GT is a good fit for the B1G but not necessarily profitable. This is why I only suggested adding 2 schools compared to 4.
@@k-hustlethesportspreacher5941 GT brings a party city visit for fans (Atl has got many offerings, and the SEC loves going to Nashville). It "feels" like we could be on an uptick. Lord knows we picked the wrong years (during realignment/pandemic/NIL) to suck, but maybe the $ is coming and the portal allows much of that GA talent to return if they did not fit in their original destination. GT has a lot to offer...it is can we get out of our own way in making the offer.
@@bradphilpot6963 Atlanta used to be a nice city, but it is now a very dangerous city with nasty traffic.
Here's the script... NC St. has out done themselves per tge script. All those 7 to the SEC. ANNUAL PLAYOFF FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY! Setting an ARBITRARY NUMBER of playoff slots before the season plays out is a FAILED MODEL.
Conferences also need 2 weeks in early December (if necessary) to determine their champions.
Take 2022 for example: The PAC needed a 4 team playoff (Washington, Oregon, Utah, and USC), but by some arbitrary algorithm, only Utah and USC were selected.
And for the 2022 National Championship, everyone knew we only needed 1 game: Michigan vs. Georgia, but because of the arbitrary (and in 2022 undeserved) 3rd and 4th spots, it got all screwed up and we never got to see it!
Here is the model we cobbled together from the Warren administration last year, with the 3 large conferences... Please note the flexibility and tradition preservation provided by the INDEPENDENT INVITATIONAL concept (1 or 2 games as any year may require).
Also note this model has West Virginia misplaced (assuming some influence from Senator Manchin). We see WV as gaining Protected Independent status in football, giving that last SEC25 slot to Tulane. (Independent corps: ND loose affiliation and all other sports in the B1G; BYU likewise the Third25, and WV with the SEC. The Service Academies should also join the Independent corps, if they decide to compete at the top levels of college athletics.)
THE FULL PICTURE IS IN! -August 11, 2022
ND TO STAY INDEPENDENT;
MIAMI IS IN, JOINING THE SEC!
(They're going to 25)
THE NEW FULL MEMO ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL REALIGNMENT...
Please remember, as Commissioner Warren said, these things are planned well in advance...
To the B1G (FOX): Pitt, Stanford, Cal, Washington, Utah, Oregon, Kansas, Arizona and Colorado for 25 (all here mentioned are AAU schools).
To the SEC (ESPN): NC(aau), Duke(aau), UVA(aau), Clemson, Florida St., West Virginia, Georgia Tech(aau), Miami and Virginia Tech for 25.
Notre Dame (NBC) (and BYU?) will stay independent with playoff access. Look for an independent alliance to include ND, BYU and the service academies moving forward.
NOTE: Divisions are only for the purpose of assuring regional play and reducing travel, and could be annually flexible by school requests. These divisions are likely to be more relevant in non football sports. The football teams with the top 4 (at least, could go to 8 [flexibility?], culminating with the Rose Bowl) conference records will go to the conference semifinals in early or mid December regardless of their divisions, and the conference championships are to be played on New Year's Day (B1G/Rose, SEC/Sugar, Third25/Cotton).
B1G25 Southern Pacific division
Cal
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Utah
B1G25 Northern Pacific division
Colorado
Nebraska
Stanford
Oregon
Washington
B1G25 Great Plains division
Minnesota
Iowa
Kansas
Wisconsin
Illinois
B1G25 Great Lakes division
Indiana
Purdue
Northwestern
Michigan
Michigan State
B1G25 Union division
Rutgers
Maryland
Penn State
Pitt
Ohio State
Meet the SEC25:
Knowing that Pitt is going B1G, and 8 more ACC schools are going to the SEC, that's more than enough schools than needed to break the ACC contract.
Given the continuing regional continuity of the SEC, divisions will be even less significant than in the B1G. Maintaining certain rivalries and neighborly games will be more a matter of game "reservation" than divisional assignments. Again, the 4 (or 8, or a flexibility to assure fair access) best conference records of the SEC to play in semifinals in early December.
Texas
Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Arkansas
Kentucky
Missouri
LSU
Miss State
Ole Miss
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Florida St.
Georgia
Georgia Tech
South Carolina
Clemson
North Carolina
Duke
UVA
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Miami
The rest to comprise TheThird25 conference with access relegation to playoff eligible divisions (similar to Euro soccer leagues) with guaranteed football playoff slots for their top teams every year. (Realignment for non football sports in this third conference, as membership could include 40 or so schools, with likely only 25 members of which will start the football season with access to the national playoff, more permanent regional sub conferences will be needed, and allowing these regional divisions to develop organically is expected to be one of the final components, and possibly most time consuming, such that the networks/B1G/SEC intend to allow the third conference a couple years of organization before defining a final playoff structure.)
This third conference is going to be full of badass non AAU schools from coast to coast, will have playoff access, and likely compete well for national titles moving forward.
And now be introduced to TheThird25 Conference:
TheThird25 (Apple/Amazon/Innovative Media Delivery, -and maybe CBS)
(Assuming BYU stays independent)
1) Oklahoma St.
2) Washington St.
3) TCU
4) Arizona St.
5) Kansas St.
6) Baylor
7) Boise St.
8) San Diego St.
9) NC St.
10) Tulane (AAU school)
11) Rice (AAU school)
12) UCF(disney/espn)
13) Louisville
14) Cincinnati
15) Houston
16) Boston College
To finish TheThird25:
Utah State
Syracuse
Hawaii
Oregon State
Fresno State
Iowa State
Texas Tech
SMU
Memphis and/or Southern Miss or Wake Forrest or Colorado State or Tulsa or Wyoming or New Mexico or UConn or Nevada or UTEP or Army or Navy or Air Force... etc. Relegation clearly required.
The Eligible76 (77 - BYU?)
So that makes 76 teams with playoff access each year: B1G25, SEC25, TheThird25 (with relegation beyond 25), and independent Notre Dame (and BYU?).
B1G/SEC to play 9 of 11 regular season games in conference (4 division, 1 each in the other 4 divisions, plus 1 reserved/rivalry game =9), and 2 non conference games (1 allowed to be an opponent beyond the eligible76).
How can this happen?
Quite simply. -and in the end likely a value booster for all schools through the 3 mega conferences...
Except for the 32 currrent legacy members of the B1G/SEC, revenue sharing as we've known it is finished. The rest will be taken on and paid in accord with their relative fanbase/marketshare and other values brought to the table.
And they're selling this beautifully.... This has to be the single best dudes' soap opera to run the sportswire in some time. This is intentional.
It's a done deal, but milking the interest is just the first part of this brilliant college football marketing campaign. -or, blame capitalism. ✌🤠✌
Look for something called the "Independent Invitational" game to be played in early December alongside the conference semifinals, and to be managed by The Playoff Commission, playing Notre Dame (and/or BYU?) and possibly service academies against a team hoping to make a playoff or better bowl claim, or any other 2 teams the Commission may deem appropriate in a given year in order to help clarify and minimize their playoff selections upcoming after the bowls. (It has been proposed that any Division 1 school relegated beyond the eligible76 could achieve instant transcendence with an undefeated (11-0) season -w/10 D1 wins- and a likely invitation to the Independent Invitational prior to major bowl selection.)
The bowls will play out during the holidays and could have playoff selection implications depending on the year.
PLAYOFF FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY
(setting an arbitrary number of playoff slots before the season plays out is a failed model):
The concept of yearly playoff flexibility should be incorporated. Every year is different; setting an arbitrary number of playoff slots before the season plays out inevitably rubs against fairness for the next team left out.
After the 3 Conference championships on New Year's Day (yielding 3 guaranteed advanced playoff births) the Playoff Commission should call no less than 4 teams, but up to 16, or any (even odd) number in between, such that no eligible undefeated team is left out (an "objective, measurable, clear and articulable delineation between the last team to qualify, and all remaining eligible teams..."), and playing such few games as necessary to answer but one question:
Who is number 1?