I think keeping the numbers divisible by 4 is the best way to go for the purpose of flexibility. Whether that's 16, 20, or 24...we've got a number that allows us to adapt to different formats.

I think 18 is a solid number if we're looking at 3 divisions or a division-less setup, but when it comes to odd numbers like 15 or 21 then the water gets murky.

One of the main reasons I don't mind expanding into the Midwest despite the geography is because, culturally speaking, they approach college sports the same way we do.

The PAC has a starkly different culture as well as schools in the Northeast. Even some of the Southern schools on the East Coast are a different in their approach. Much of the territory belonging to the Big Ten is more infatuated with their pro sports and so the number of top programs isn't as proportional to their population. That and the Big Ten is strong so cracking that nut would be very hard to do. You go into some of these Plains states, however, and it's not that different and they're available.

In my earlier post I alluded to the idea that Big 12 schools just need better audiences. I think that's the crux of it. The quality of content is pretty good and the fan bases are strong, but the markets just aren't as big as you find in some other leagues. Make some of the fans in the South and East watch a few more games and their value should increase.

Add to that, it's too Texas-centric. I don't necessarily mean UT...it's just that everyone in that league has to go to TX to get players. They have to rely on audiences in TX to watch their games. It's a strain on the product even if it's above average in quality.

To be honest, I think that's part of the reason we partnered with them on the Sugar Bowl instead of the ACC. We have the basketball challenge as well and that's mostly for TV, but it's a good way to market both leagues to a wider audience.

I think the biggest problem with only looking at Texas and Oklahoma, even though it would obviously be the most efficient move profit-wise, is that part of the value of those schools is tied up in their annual competitors. Part of Oklahoma's identity is in the Big 8 and part of Texas' identity is in the SWC. The 2nd problem to me is if we get to a point where we're culling too many Power schools then we're going to reduce TV ratings because we will have reduced the number of interested parties. Dropping a few programs from the Big East or SWC wasn't that big of a deal because most of those programs didn't have decent fan bases. Their fan support was much more in-line with their current conference mates.

College sports is not built on the same premise as pro sports. It's not just about the market size and the convenience of attending events. It's about the teams that represent communities and those communities are not centered in large metro areas for the most part. They are centered in everyday towns and cities that are dominated by fans loyal to their favorite college. There's certainly some overlap between the two types of fans, but they are not 100% the same.