23 replies to this topic

[houstonmeangreen]

I'm thinking that after the money is collected for the departing schools and the BCS, AQ, conference shifts pan out in the next couple of years, that CUSA and MWC will merge and for a 24 team super conference, with divisions and playoffs...but who knows...any thoughts on this in say 2013-2015?

[UNTFan23]

I'm thinking that after the money is collected for the departing schools and the BCS, AQ, conference shifts pan out in the next couple of years, that CUSA and MWC will merge and for a 24 team super conference, with divisions and playoffs...but who knows...any thoughts on this in say 2013-2015?

What about auto-bids for sports like basketball? If the new combined conference can keep the existing bids there I see no problem with the merge. If not, I don't see the merger ever happening.

[shaft]

The problem with a 24-team megaconference is who would move West?
With a merger between the new CUSA & MWC you could get get to 4 four 6-team pods.
But who besides UTEP would move from CUSA-West (Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, Rice, LA Tech, Tulane) to MWC-East?
Why would the CUSA teams want to give up these close games?

[UNTflyer]

The merger was an interesting idea, but one of its biggest advantages was the possibility of AQ status. That is now off the table.

Why don't we see where this whole college football thing goes and how it all works out?

Edited by UNTflyer, 05 May 2012 - 11:16 AM.

[Mark Gommesen]

Some sort of merger is inevitable because of the changing media market. The issue of automatic tournament bids is not insurmountable for a 24 or more member super conference in the NCAA with major media contracts. The new conference will represent nearly 10% of the Division 1 schools and a huge share of the media market from Hawaii to the East Coast. We're not playing little boy ball anymore. I believe the first phase was expansion, second media alliance, third merger.

[Mark Gommesen]

If the MWC/CUSA are to compete for media contracts with the Big 12, Big 10, SEC, and PAC 12 they must merge. Like it or not, it is a money game, all other concerns are almost irrelevant. This is the unfortunate truth of modern college sports.

[Mark Gommesen]

There are approximately 120 teams BCS schools, a super conference of 24 or more of these teams would have a major impact on any future BCS selection process. Size does matter. You can ignore a regional conference of 10 or 14 teams. You cannot ignore a national conference of 24 teams. Especially if the super conference has major media contracts. We can figure out who plays in the east or west later.

Edited by Mark Gommesen, 05 May 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[shaft]

There's more than 120 FBS teams

121 - USA
122 - UTSA
123 - TXST
124 - UMASS
125 - UNCC
126 - ODU (maybe)

[JulesFIU07]

There's more than 120 FBS teams

121 - USA
122 - UTSA
123 - TXST
124 - UMASS
125 - UNCC
126 - ODU (maybe)

To be fair, ODU was better last year than all the other programs listed.

[houstonmeangreen]

The merger concept is dead until the NCAA allows for some rule changes. Unless the NCAA relents and allows for the addition of a conference semifinal in both the old CUSA and old MWC divisions it is a net loss in the revenue generation department.

Combine that with the loss of the one autobid in basketball if they combine and this is a total nonstarter.

TV revenue for a 24 team conference may change that picture

[UNTflyer]

TV revenue for a 24 team conference may change that picture

I doubt that. It may be a bigger pie than the two leagues can get separately, but in the end I think everyone would just get a smaller piece.

[Mark Gommesen]

The merger concept is dead until the NCAA allows for some rule changes. Unless the NCAA relents and allows for the addition of a conference semifinal in both the old CUSA and old MWC divisions it is a net loss in the revenue generation department.

Combine that with the loss of the one autobid in basketball if they combine and this is a total nonstarter.

Do not think this is an insurmountable problem. The NCAA cannot ignore a super conference with 24 or more schools. with a huge media contract. Such an entity could have the potential bargaining power as a Big 10 or the SEC. First expansion, second media alliance, third merger...fourth the world. Additionally, if a merger was to occur , because of the sheer size of conference one can reasonably assume that one or two at large slots would go to a member of this conference. A super conference would result in more funding and media exposure increasing the likelihood of securing at large slots. If a 24 team conference cannot capture at least one at large slot, it probably has greater issues.

[Mark Gommesen]

I doubt that. It may be a bigger pie than the two leagues can get separately, but in the end I think everyone would just get a smaller piece.

A 24 team national conference in multiple large media markets can certainity demand greater revenues than a regional conference of 10 or 14 teams. Most sports and television networks are national. This is particularly true if some groups schools in conference are dominate in certain sports but not in the same region. For example, New Mexico and Old Dominion are excellent basketball schools. Let's say C-USA is dominates football, but the MWC dominates basketball. Broadcasters are virtually guaranteed a quality product throguht the year.

Edited by Mark Gommesen, 05 May 2012 - 02:36 PM.

[Mark Gommesen]

There's more than 120 FBS teams

121 - USA
122 - UTSA
123 - TXST
124 - UMASS
125 - UNCC
126 - ODU (maybe)

There's more than 120 FBS teams

121 - USA
122 - UTSA
123 - TXST
124 - UMASS
125 - UNCC
126 - ODU (maybe)

You're right the landscape of college football is constantly changing. However, my premise that 24 team or larger conference would be a dominate force in the BCS stills stands.

[Mark Gommesen]

I completely disagree. They can and will ignore the merger. The NCAA can do nothing about conference size. They can only dictate structure of a conference title game and would have to allow for the creation of the semifinals. 12 teams or 40, they are powerless to regulate on max size. The problem is that without the semifinal games there is no reason to give a merger a larger TV deal. The inventory of games have not changed and the national slate can only go so far. What prints money are playoff implications and marque matchups. To go a step further the BCS is not an NCAA entitiy, so as teh merger grows it is not even assured that the BCS would attempt to recognize the fact.

You can't get the huge media deal without the revenue drivers of the semifinal games. You might be able to come in the ballpark of a total value media deal that equals the ACC's total payout (which would be awesome but would still be WAY below the SEC, Pac12, Big12 and Big10), but you are still only talking about significantly less than 8M per school, or BE money, at the absolute top end. That would be awesome to get, but in the grand scheme of things it still puts the merger a distant 5 in total payout and in 6 or 7th in payout per school.

You are right when it comes to the NCAA tournament revenues. my point was if a national super conference was created and generated national media exposure. Most likely it would be in the best interest of the NCAA.to assure more than one team from that conference was included in the tournament. I also believe that the number of automatic qualifiers per conference will soon be come an issue. As some conferences expand to 14 or more while others remain at 10 or even less. Only by a merger and developing a national media presence can the MWC/CUSA play big boy ball with the SEC, BIG 10, etc.
Without the merger MWC/CUSA will lack influence in the NCAA or BCS and will be treated as the minor leagues. Please note, I am not advocating this should happen immediately . First expansion. Second, media alliance to expand national media presence and than and only than merger. The automatic qualifier is not an insurmountable issue.