[NU Sports] 64 out of 120

[Jonathan Hodges]

At this point I believe the conference realignment is mostly a TV money grab
and not a true split away from the NCAA.  I think we'll see the ACC & SEC
stop at 14 (mostly to expand their TV footprint) while the Big Ten will
likely stay on the sidelines at 12 (doesn't last year's move look good in
retrospect, and the process was much better than what's going on this
round).  Oh, and I don't see the BCS being substantially changed (maybe the
Mountain West, with whatever schools end up there, gets a bid in place of
one of the failed conferences if the Big East/XII "leftovers" merge - or,
then again, the BCS could always lift the 2 schools/conference limit and
just add another at large bid, which would give them more flexibility and
the ability to make more money).  Also, I think ND will keep its NBC
contract, BCS deal, and independence.

Although the media loves to play up the paying player story, the school
presidents are strongly against it and aren't close to budging (even if a
handful of coaches give it some lip service - ultimately that would be a bad
move for them, though, as they reap the biggest rewards with their huge
contracts nowadays).  Also, there's all of those other sports that have a
home with the NCAA, and IF a group of schools were to break away from the
NCAA in football, things would be rather uncomfortable and if basketball
doesn't stay under the NCAA umbrella (with the tourney financing the whole
organization) then it could collapse.  Those breakaway schools don't want to
create a whole new organization for all of the other sports.

Also, I don't see a push to a playoff right now.  Again, maybe somewhere
down the road, but right now the reorganization is not about creating some
kind of balanced mega conference bracket; it's about TV money and
establishing large footprints.

But then again I don't think anyone could have predicted any of this
happening before the Big Ten announced it was looking around just over a
year and a half ago, so what do I know.  At this point, just be glad that
Northwestern has been in the same conference since its founding in 1896 and
sit back and enjoy the ride given that the Big Ten is certainly one of the
top two most stable conferences in the nation and NU doesn't have to worry
about going anywhere.

--
Jonathan Hodges
Contributor, HailToPurple
Web: http://www.hailtopurple.com/jhodges/
Twitter: @hailtopurple
Email: j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu



On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 5:37 PM, Jim Leonard <jleonard518 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I would really like to be wrong. I think this realignment is all a huge
> mistake and takes us one giant step closer to ruining college athletics.
> However, once the four 16-team conferences are in place, about 98% of the
> revenue and brand recognition will be on one side of the fence.
> Historically, that balance of power will not sustain itself.
>
> Jim
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Alan Abrahamson <alan.abrahamson at gmail.com>
> To: Clark Zahn <clzahn at mindspring.com>
> Cc: Northwestern Wildcats <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 4:02 PM
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] 64 out of 120
>
> As Keith Jackson might have said, "Whoa, Nellie."
>
> Maybe Jim will, in time, be proven right. But let's cross that bridge when
> we get there ...
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 1:58 PM, Clark Zahn <clzahn at mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> > If that happens I don't think I want NU to be one of the 64, even if we
> > could compete.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > >From: Jim Leonard <jleonard518 at yahoo.com>
> > >Sent: Sep 20, 2011 1:34 PM
> > >To: Northwestern Wildcats <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
> > >Subject: [NU Sports] 64 out of 120
> > >
> > >My fear is that the 64 teams in the 4 conferences will eventually break
> > from the NCAA. That will eventually mean players get paid and it probably
> > means they can no longer play the other 56 schools. That would mean NU
> would
> > have a very hard time competing. This is all a mistake.
> > >
> > >My friend sent me a report that Missouri has an offer from the SEC. This
> > could all be decided before Persa is back.
> > >
> > >Jim
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nwu-sports site list
> > nwu-sports at tssi.com
> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/nwu-sports
> >
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>