With the news yesterday that the ACC, Pac 12, and Big 10 could be looking at an alliance, the questions start about what could that alliance look like?
TV Revenue
Let’s be honest the Big 10 has a healthy revenue lead on the ACC, and the Pac 12. I don’t expect this to make up any gaps for the ACC. I don’t see the existing deals touched. What I do see is equal revenue distribution based on a new scheduling agreement, and negotiated between the three.
If it works the way I think it could the home team retains their TV rights, and if it adds $X Million for these games, that would be split between the three conferences equally. It’s the addition that would be split evenly. It would be similar to Bowl agreements.
Schedules
The ACC plays 4 Non-Conference Games, the Pac 12, and and Big 10 have 3. The ACC/SEC rivalry games won’t be touched. So at most 2 OOC games would be the agreement, but I suspect it will only be one on a rotational basis. 14 ACC vs Big 10 games in year 1, 12 ACC vs Pac 12 games in year 2, 12 Big 10 vs Pac 12 games in year 3, and then it’s start over in year 4. You could base matchups on previous year results like current the basketball intra conference challenges.
Curious how this would would affect Notre Dame. Frankly I would exclude them from these discussions if they are not a full member. They can figure out their own schedule after they play their requisite 5 ACC games.
Playoffs
If the playoffs expand, this bloc can steer the direction the way they want as they will have more voting power than the SEC alone. That means they can nix the whole thing, push for automatic bids for conference champions, or limit the number of teams from a particular conference. The later could ensure that the playoff revenue becomes more evenly split, if the playoff teams are capped at three. Certainly the SEC is looking at scenarios where 5 or 6 SEC teams are in the playoff.
NIL
I’m not sure where this one is headed, but if we know the the SEC, they want NIL to be a total free for all. The other 3 can vote for certain caps and limitations here too – effectively becoming the new governing body of the college athletics.
Some SEC fans thinks if the bloc limits the SEC, the SEC can just go independent. Good luck with that as the SEC becomes a regionalized league with nobody outside the SEC footprint watching.
What was the lowest rated College Football National Championship game of the last decade? Alabama vs LSU in 2012, while the highest was Ohio State vs Oregon in 2015. As recently as last year the ACC Championship between Clemson and Notre Dame was the highest rated conference championship in college football, while the SEC Championship had their lowest ratings in 14 years.
The SEC made a bold move with the Oklahoma, Texas additions, but the ACC, Big 10, and Pac 12 alliance makes perfect sense.
We haven’t heard the last of this.
