Realignment Carousel Spins Up again (USC and UCLA to Big 10)

[C0|dB|00ded]

Yup. See today's news on UNLV QB who quit playing due to NIL issues.

If I'm a UNLV fan, I grab a gaggle of boosters, show up at his front door and run his worthless ass out of town.

[Shockm]

If this NIL thing is the way it's going to be, it needs to be under the umbrella of the athletic department. IMHO, it honestly also needs to be done fully contractually just like a pro sports team, since that is really what it is now. Maybe there should also be clauses in such contracts with penalties if the player wants to bail early, and also if the athletic department wants to "buy out' the contract. Might as well run it like pro contracts operate. Let's be honest, in football and men's basketball definitely, the education aspect isn't that important to most players.

You speak wisdom, and that's the way it will be heading (contracts, etc.). However, the University executives (both athletic and academic) are not willing to lift the curtain on the charade yet. Large Universities, and to a lesser extent, medium sized universities, are effectively minor league professional businesses. Some wealthy high schools/prep teams aren't far behind with various means of professional funding that follow the top athletes of all sports. It's laughable to call them amateur athletes.

I prefer pro sports that don't hide behind a false curtain, and contractually pay their employees to work/play the game.

[ShockBand]

Yup. See today's news on UNLV QB who quit playing due to NIL issues.

If this NIL thing is the way it's going to be, it needs to be under the umbrella of the athletic department. IMHO, it honestly also needs to be done fully contractually just like a pro sports team, since that is really what it is now. Maybe there should also be clauses in such contracts with penalties if the player wants to bail early, and also if the athletic department wants to "buy out' the contract. Might as well run it like pro contracts operate. Let's be honest, in football and men's basketball definitely, the education aspect isn't that important to most players.

[BostonWu]

These "commitments" mean absolutely nothing. Everything is fluid.

Yup. See today's news on UNLV QB who quit playing due to NIL issues.

[molly jabali]

These "commitments" mean absolutely nothing. Everything is fluid.

Isn't THAT the truth.....

[SubGod22]

It's about money bro; the P12 conference has a lot of it. Have you been paying attention? You sound jealous.

The conference brand means something. Why do you think all the podunk catholic schools shelled out 9 figures to keep the Big East name? I mean yeah... it was silly and slightly embarrassing for a non-power basketball conference to adorn themselves with a brand whose substance is nothing like what the name formally represented... but... it was better than creating a new name all things considered.

The brand does mean a little something, despite it being built on the backs of schools no longer involved.

With that said, the projections I've been seeing for their media deal is $12M per school. I'm not sure if that's guaranteed no matter how many schools or based on eight. They also have money from the ten that left to pay the MWC exit fees for the schools joining, so it makes sense for the MWC schools who will make more money and travel will be similar to what they were already doing.

I found it funny that they weren't willing to pay much of anything for the AAC schools. Those schools would get maybe a couple million more per year, but would have to shell out over $25M to do so and up their travel budget. So their brand and leadership is still limited.

The American will no longer be challenged by the MWC in the conference pecking orders and will instead be challenged by the new PAC. Everyone loves to **** on the AAC, but it and the PAC will be on a similar level in the major sports rather you like it or not. We'll see where things continue to go, but the PAC will be a solid conference, but far from a power conference.

[SubGod22]

I'm not sure the PAC has a leg to stand on here. They knew what their plan was. The MWC knew what their plan was. Legal on both sides knew what the plan was. I'm pretty sure my dogs knew what the plan was.

This wasn't some hidden clause in the contract that was overlooked or misunderstood. Sounds like the PAC knew they'd challenge it as soon as they started poaching, which is pretty shitty of them.

[WuShock Reaper]

[pinstripers]

Utah State and UNLV to the PAC with AFA and New Mexico to the AAC and call it good...........................for now

[ShockerFever]

It's about money bro; the P12 conference has a lot of it. Have you been paying attention? You sound jealous.

The conference brand means something. Why do you think all the podunk catholic schools shelled out 9 figures to keep the Big East name? I mean yeah... it was silly and slightly embarrassing for a non-power basketball conference to adorn themselves with a brand whose substance is nothing like what the name formally represented... but... it was better than creating a new name all things considered.

A brand?? With Fresno State and Washington State representing? There’s is NO way that league is gonna get anything close to decent TV money. It’s MWC 2.0 with a meaningless PAC12 logo. This isn’t even close to a new Big East comparison.

Apparently they didn’t have enough $$ to help bring Memphis, Tulane, and USF into that hodgepodge of P4 rejects.

Jealous? lol, of 10:00 basketball games against Fresno State on FS2?

I’ll pass.

[C0|dB|00ded]

This is all absolutely dumb. Basically all of this back-and-forth between what will be the same conference members plus the addition of Washington State and Oregon State. Big freaking deal.

It's about money bro; the P12 conference has a lot of it. Have you been paying attention? You sound jealous.

The conference brand means something. Why do you think all the podunk catholic schools shelled out 9 figures to keep the Big East name? I mean yeah... it was silly and slightly embarrassing for a non-power basketball conference to adorn themselves with a brand whose substance is nothing like what the name formally represented... but... it was better than creating a new name all things considered.

[Topshock]

Utah State and UNLV to the PAC with AFA and New Mexico to the AAC and call it good.

Then the MWC can rebuild with FCS schools like CUSA had to do. The west could use more of those anyway. First targets would be the two Dakota States. Pretty sure those two could afford the jump if they really wanted to. The Montana schools might be looked at, but it seems like a while back one of them was struggling a bit.

Cal State-Sacramento? Eastern Washington has had some good football. Would Idaho come back to FBS? Northern Arizona? Portland State? Stephen F. Austin? Cal-Davis? Northern Colorado? Weber State? Abilene Christian? Tarleton State? Texas Southern?

That's really about all of the options. I'm sure there are a few others but I also didn't want to go beyond Texas and the Dakota's. A MWC without the schools they've lost and the ones they might lose isn't going to pull much. I suppose they could definitely get New Mexico State and possibly UTEP, which would make great travel partners for the non-revenue schools.

Nevada
San Jose State
Wyoming
*Hawaii

New Mexico State
UTEP

NDSU
SDSU

That wouldn't be an atrocious lineup. Not sexy either, but the Dakota schools do bring some prestige with them, especially NDSU. That at least gets you safe for football. If they wanted travel partners for other sports, Wyoming would be the one most isolated and there aren't a lot of options outside of Northern Colorado.

But this also assumes we take New Mexico and I have no idea if that's even on the mind of the AAC leadership. I'd just love for The Pit to be involved in the AAC.

Seems like Texas State and UTEP would be good options for the MWC under this scenario.

[BostonWu]

St. Mary's, from what I understand, is basically HC Randy Bennett. They play in an arena that makes FAU and UTSA look good.

Grand Canyon makes more sense for a league with growth aspirations.

Probably depends on who the Zags want to tag along. They most likely can dictate terms. Amazing when you think that not too long ago we were on similar footing with them.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

As an AFA football fan I follow MWC fan boards and I have yet to see WSU on anyone's radar. The obvious basketball only school paired with Gonzaga is St Mary's.

St. Mary's, from what I understand, is basically HC Randy Bennett. They play in an arena that makes FAU and UTSA look good.

Grand Canyon makes more sense for a league with growth aspirations.

[ShockerFever]

This is all absolutely dumb. Basically all of this back-and-forth between what will be the same conference members plus the addition of Washington State and Oregon State. Big freaking deal.