Several years ago super conferences were discussed

[Ranchdawg]

The Big 5 conferences are currently in a state of flux. Have you ever wondered if a group of TV executives and media folks meet in private to plot the long term strategy and influence decision makers?

 

[Maroon Eagle]

The Big 5 conferences are currently in a state of flux. Have you ever wondered if a group of TV executives and media folks meet in private to plot the long term strategy and influence decision makers?

Well, Fox was the media group that needed to be convinced so Texas & Oklahoma could go to the SEC in ‘24 instead of ‘25.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

No. There are no black helicopter conspiracies. If there were, the planning would go differently, and may even be better in many instances.

That's why things are so discombobulated. Things are piecemeal.

 

[ckDOG]

The Big 5 conferences are currently in a state of flux. Have you ever wondered if a group of TV executives and media folks meet in private to plot the long term strategy and influence decision makers?

Yes. Absolutely this happens. I can't explain Missouri in the SEC otherwise. STL tv sets solely drove that decision.

 

[Dawgg]

No. There are no black helicopter conspiracies. If there were, the planning would go differently, and may even be better in many instances.

That's why things are so discombobulated. Things are piecemeal.

Yep. If there really was a media cabal, then 12 years ago, the Pac-20 would have become the most powerful conference in the country, the remnants of the Big 12 would be swallowed up by the former Big East, and the SEC and Big Ten would be fighting to survive by dividing up and consuming the ACC.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Yes. Absolutely this happens. I can't explain Missouri in the SEC otherwise. STL tv sets solely drove that decision.

That was the decision of the SEC, looking for a quick TV grab. Nothing more. And turns out it was a bad decision.

 

[Dawgg]

Yes. Absolutely this happens. I can't explain Missouri in the SEC otherwise. STL tv sets solely drove that decision.

I'm not sure ESPN was really clamoring for Missouri to be added. The SEC was looking to add more AAU schools and there just weren't a lot of options available to be picked up at that time. None of the Big Ten teams were going to jump ship to the SEC, so the SEC was really only going to expand from the Big 12, the ACC, and maybe the Big East so that leaves the following pool:
Georgia Tech - Likely would be a problem with Georgia
Texas - The Longhorn Network was going to be a problem, plus I don't think anybody trusted Texas back then.
Texas A&M - Joined SEC
Maryland - Joined Big Ten
Rutgers - Joined Big Ten, geographically unfit
Pittsburgh - Joined ACC, geographically unfit

So that left the following AAU schools that "made sense":
UNC
Virginia
Duke
Kansas
Mizzou

At that point, the ACC was technically expanding (Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame), even with Maryland going to the Big Ten, so that likely made a jump by UNC, Duke, and Virginia a harder 'get'. The Big 12 was on life support, so that left the only real options to counter balance A&M as Kansas and Missouri. At the time, Missouri was considered the better get. Of course, like 2 years later, there were a lot of problems in their administration and their admissions numbers cratered, but at the time, they were the 'best available'.

 

[Ranchdawg]

No. There are no black helicopter conspiracies. If there were, the planning would go differently, and may even be better in many instances.

That's why things are so discombobulated. Things are piecemeal.

Don't believe it? Read this, in particular 1990 Raycom involvement. If you don't believe ESPN has a heavy hand in what the SEC does then you aren't paying attention. They don't supply all that money to sit and watch our games. You are right that some things are discombobulated but there is a lot of planning that goes on with these chess pieces moving around the board.

Superconference

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Don't believe it? Read this, in particular 1990 Raycom involvement. If you don't believe ESPN has a heavy hand in what the SEC does then you aren't paying attention. They don't supply all that money to sit and watch our games. You are right that some things are discombobulated but there is a lot of planning that goes on with these chess pieces moving around the board.

Superconference

They try, but they don't hold all the power. That one reason Metro never happened.

Black helicopters only really exist if an entity making decisions also wields the power. There are multiple power brokers in the room with these deals.

Over time, they may monopolize, then eventually break. But they aren't there yet. Good planning by a power-wielding entity with GOOD INTENTIONS could probably keep it from happen, while ensuring the viability of the game. We certainly don't have that either.