Conference Realignment - OVC

[MadBird]

Here's a link to an interesting story from FCS friend Dan Verdun on his Prairie State Pigskin blog. He's writing about the Ohio Valley Conference, which is down to 7 football members. This year, everyone will play one conference school TWICE, home and away.

Western Illinois is specifically mentioned as a possibility for OVC membership, it seems due to the idea that they have MVFC football and Summit Conference everything else. So they'd want to join up in one conference for everything. InSU and SIU are mentioned as geographically compatible and but unlikely to leave the MVFC/MVC.

Now, I've always thought Murray St would be unlikely to leave the OVC for MVFC/MVC membership. But maybe if the conference isn't that solid, they'd be interested.

Ohio Valley Conference exploring possible additions for departed members

The OVC is searching for new membership. At Monday’s Ohio Valley Conference football virtual media day, commissioner Beth DeBauche spent much of her seven-minute and 30-second address highlighting positives about the league. Her topics ranged from successes during the global pandemic (“you only...

www.chicagonow.com

 

[redbirdfan04]

Wow that conference is weak now! I hope Western stays and Murray stays out!

 

[Redbird222]

Well this would trigger a chain of realignment if this happened

Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork speaks out against report that Texas, Oklahoma want to join SEC

AD to 'protect' A&M in SEC amid Texas, OU report

After a report that Texas and Oklahoma have reached out to the SEC about joining the conference, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said he will be "diligent in our approach to protect" his school.

www.espn.com

 

[FriscoBird90]

Apparently the Longhorns now think joining the SEC will improve their national standing and ability to recruit, the very things for which they mocked Texas A&M for stating when the Aggies left the Big XII to join the SEC a decade ago. Horns down and saw 'em off.

Another wave of realignments in FBS and FCS could be around the corner. The ability for players to make money could increase the separation between the Power 5 and the others and increase the separation between programs within all conferences, including those in the Power 5. If that does play out, we could see only two or three national "mega-power conferences" emerge, with the lesser programs from the Power 5 and the stronger programs of the other conferences having to decide if they would want to continue trying to hang with the mega powers or would rather realign themselves into new conferences. The effect of dwindling fan attendance on revenues for many schools could then cause the "non-mega-power" schools at the FBS level to take another look at realigning into more regionally based conferences again, closer to what the landscape looked like 40+ years ago. If such a thing came to pass, my guess is it would have some kind of ripple effect on the FCS schools and conferences as well.

 

[MadBird]

Apparently the Longhorns now think joining the SEC will improve their national standing and ability to recruit, the very things for which they mocked Texas A&M for stating when the Aggies left the Big XII to join the SEC a decade ago. Horns down and saw 'em off.

Another wave of realignments in FBS and FCS could be around the corner. The ability for players to make money could increase the separation between the Power 5 and the others and increase the separation between programs within all conferences, including those in the Power 5. If that does play out, we could see only two or three national "mega-power conferences" emerge, with the lesser programs from the Power 5 and the stronger programs of the other conferences having to decide if they would want to continue trying to hang with the mega powers or would rather realign themselves into new conferences. The effect of dwindling fan attendance on revenues for many schools could then cause the "non-mega-power" schools at the FBS level to take another look at realigning into more regionally based conferences again, closer to what the landscape looked like 40+ years ago. If such a thing came to pass, my guess is it would have some kind of ripple effect on the FCS schools and conferences as well.

Sign me up for this - let the "football factories" (and hoops factories) become minor leagues and then let the rest of us get back to sane, reasonably priced, reasonably "inexpensive" to the schools, athletic programs. I welcome it.

 

[ISUBU]

The stories I've read suggest about 30 schools pulling their FB from the NCAA and going pro in response to the recent court cases. So generally they're talking about the consistently ranked teams, leading to the end of conferences. OSU, Michigan, Penn State etc. depart the Big 10.

There is a huge gap awaiting new leaders with new ideas. This challenge will have to be handled by university presidents and boards, and state governments. I see it as well outside the scope of responsibilities of ADs.

I'm also wondering how Title IX equivalencies will be resolved as schools are encouraged to give more money to male athletes than female athletes.

 

[gobirds85]

I have been saying for some time now that the power conferences are going to get fed up with having to share their millions with the ncaa and pull away to create their own division/entity. They can easily negotiate the tv deals directly and have no worries about screwing up the bowl system so that everyone of their teams play someone in an inconsequential bowl game.

 

[Redbird222]

I have been saying for some time now that the power conferences are going to get fed up with having to share their millions with the ncaa and pull away to create their own division/entity. They can easily negotiate the tv deals directly and have no worries about screwing up the bowl system so that everyone of their teams play someone in an inconsequential bowl game.

I thought the FBS is not NCAA sponsored and therefore the biggest pool is already gone. Am I wrong? Besides mens basketball I think the rest of the revenue is small for other NCAA sanctioned events.

 

[StLRedbird]

Apparently the Longhorns now think joining the SEC will improve their national standing and ability to recruit, the very things for which they mocked Texas A&M for stating when the Aggies left the Big XII to join the SEC a decade ago. Horns down and saw 'em off.

Another wave of realignments in FBS and FCS could be around the corner. The ability for players to make money could increase the separation between the Power 5 and the others and increase the separation between programs within all conferences, including those in the Power 5. If that does play out, we could see only two or three national "mega-power conferences" emerge, with the lesser programs from the Power 5 and the stronger programs of the other conferences having to decide if they would want to continue trying to hang with the mega powers or would rather realign themselves into new conferences. The effect of dwindling fan attendance on revenues for many schools could then cause the "non-mega-power" schools at the FBS level to take another look at realigning into more regionally based conferences again, closer to what the landscape looked like 40+ years ago. If such a thing came to pass, my guess is it would have some kind of ripple effect on the FCS schools and conferences as well.

About the time Texas A&M was working the process with the SEC, Mizzou was flirting with the B10, which had just taken Nebraska. The Mizzurah state legislature voiced it's opinion, as well as the Governor, etc, and the conversation ended. Mizzou later got a fast-tracked admission to the SEC which resulted in them getting added to the east division, which is where they remain today.

There is a pretty interesting story behind that. Mizzou's conversations with the SEC were kept very quiet by both parties after the failure-to-launch with the B10. I always presumed that the powers that be at the school quietly provided any political arse-kissing that was needed, but that's a guess. I know Mizzou would strongly prefer to be in the west division with some more natural rivals, but the story back in the day was that the football schedules were set and there was a limit to modifications that could be made in the short term. The insertion of Texas and OU into the SEC should trigger a divisional re-alignment that I would think Mizzou would welcome.

 

[FriscoBird90]

About the time Texas A&M was working the process with the SEC, Mizzou was flirting with the B10, which had just taken Nebraska. The Mizzurah state legislature voiced it's opinion, as well as the Governor, etc, and the conversation ended. Mizzou later got a fast-tracked admission to the SEC which resulted in them getting added to the east division, which is where they remain today.

There is a pretty interesting story behind that. Mizzou's conversations with the SEC were kept very quiet by both parties after the failure-to-launch with the B10. I always presumed that the powers that be at the school quietly provided any political arse-kissing that was needed, but that's a guess. I know Mizzou would strongly prefer to be in the west division with some more natural rivals, but the story back in the day was that the football schedules were set and there was a limit to modifications that could be made in the short term. The insertion of Texas and OU into the SEC should trigger a divisional re-alignment that I would think Mizzou would welcome.

General consensus is Alabama and Auburn would move from the west division to the east division to make room for Texas and Oklahoma in the west, then Mizzou would move from the east division to the west division, evening the divisions at 8 teams each. That would be the simplest, cleanest way to do it and would keep many existing SEC rivalries intact while reigniting old SWC/Big XII rivalries.

What is interesting to hear of late is how involved ESPN might have been in creating this situation. Rumor has it ESPN had been talking with the SEC, Texas, and Oklahoma possibly as early as December of 2020. If true, the idea that a cable network and its ownership (Disney Corp) was deeply involved in this and is possibly altering the college sports landscape largely for the benefit of their ratings/bottom line/return on investment is an indicator of the future direction of college athletics. We've seen this influence developing over the past 40 years, and with this and other recent developments, it is now out in the open.

 

[redbirds2000]

Looks like th

General consensus is Alabama and Auburn would move from the west division to the east division to make room for Texas and Oklahoma in the west, then Mizzou would move from the east division to the west division, evening the divisions at 8 teams each. That would be the simplest, cleanest way to do it and would keep many existing SEC rivalries intact while reigniting old SWC/Big XII rivalries.

What is interesting to hear of late is how involved ESPN might have been in creating this situation. Rumor has it ESPN had been talking with the SEC, Texas, and Oklahoma possibly as early as December of 2020. If true, the idea that a cable network and its ownership (Disney Corp) was deeply involved in this and is possibly altering the college sports landscape largely for the benefit of their ratings/bottom line/return on investment is an indicator of the future direction of college athletics. We've seen this influence developing over the past 40 years, and with this and other recent developments, it is now out in the open.

Looks like the SEC may be tapping on Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson, and FSU too.

 

[Total Red]

Looks like the SEC may be tapping on Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson, and FSU too.

I could see Clemson and FSU, I don't see them getting Michigan, Ohio St.

 

[fourthandshort]

Sign me up for this - let the "football factories" (and hoops factories) become minor leagues and then let the rest of us get back to sane, reasonably priced, reasonably "inexpensive" to the schools, athletic programs. I welcome it.

This or something like it x 1000.

And as ive pontificated before ... take the entire top teams and coaches off the college campus, and put them elsewhere to thrive on their own ... it would fail.

Enough with all this distraction from intercollegiate sports ... it is so out of control and rooted in greed for money and power.

 

[ISUBird]

I have always been on the fence about moving to FBS, but now more than ever I'm glad we are in the FCS.

 

[redbirdfan04]

I have always been on the fence about moving to FBS, but now more than ever I'm glad we are in the FCS.

Our program would get buried with these new rules. No way central Illinois or ISU donors could afford to play with the big boys! This is no longer going to be come to our school because of....... It will become we can pay you this much.

 

[topiarydan]

Ok time for us to bolt to the Big 12.

 

[ISUBird]

Our program would get buried with these new rules. No way central Illinois or ISU donors could afford to play with the big boys! This is no longer going to be come to our school because of....... It will become we can pay you this much.

Exactly. Maybe it's time to shore up our basketball members with all this happening just in case.

 

[MadBird]

Ok time for us to bolt to the Big 12.

Yeah, 'cept there likely won't be a Big 12 to bolt to - Texas and OU leave, Kansas and maybe ISU to the Big 10+, W.Virginia to the ACC, the rest either bolt to the PAC "12" or bring in Houston and SMU and some of the other AAC schools, or ????

I have no confidence in my ability to predict which way this craziness will go. Totally nuts.

 

[StLRedbird]

Yeah, 'cept there likely won't be a Big 12 to bolt to - Texas and OU leave, Kansas and maybe ISU to the Big 10+, W.Virginia to the ACC, the rest either bolt to the PAC "12" or bring in Houston and SMU and some of the other AAC schools, or ????

I have no confidence in my ability to predict which way this craziness will go. Totally nuts.

One thing for sure is that we're in the have-nots group. I don't take any particular pleasure in saying that, but it doesn't mean that we can't put really good teams on the field or the court. I've really enjoyed watching Redbird football, mainly during the Berry and Spack years. Red boots' teams had some flashes.

Sounds like judgement day is here for the remaining majors in the B12. Find a home with the haves or get ready to live with the have-nots.

 

[Total Red]

Our program would get buried with these new rules. No way central Illinois or ISU donors could afford to play with the big boys! This is no longer going to be come to our school because of....... It will become we can pay you this much.

I would change "could afford" to "would afford" and then agree with the statement.