RE: The only losers in realignment are
I would start by looking at who added the most major pieces to the conference as the winners.
1) B1G (adds Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers) The B1G pulls in upper tier schools from 3 different BCS conferences (B12, ACC, BE) to shed its rust belt image. The new additions add a more elite dynamic.
2) ACC (adds Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt) The ACC brought in a bunch of well respected schools and once again has become the top college basketball conference in the country. The Maryland loss hurt but but adding 4 top tier athletic schools is more than an adequate replacement.
3) SEC (adds TAMU and Missouri) While TAMU was a great pickup Missouri was kind of ho-hum a school that would make more sense in the B1G. The upper half of SEC football is now TAMU, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida which no conference can touch.
4) PAC (adds Utah and Colorado) The PAC was able to pick up a couple more markets for itself but neither addition moves the needle that much in football and basketball. It was a big failure not to be able to attract Texas.
5) MWC (adds Boise, Fresno, Nevada, SJSU, Hawaii, Utah St). If you look at what the MWC was able to do overall which was crush the WAC, sign a 1.8 per school deal with ESPN after BYU, TCU, Utah left and successfully push for a G5 automatic bid one has to say they made out well. They survived a hostile takeovers by the WAC and Big East.
6) MAC (adds UMass). In membership the MAC flipped Temple for UMass. Where the MAC gained was by collapse of the WAC and the SBC/CUSA filling its ranks with less established programs a situation where the MAC can no longer be ignored on the TV and bowl front. Every team except UMass has played at the FBS level for at least 15 seasons. The new CUSA has 6 schools with under 10 years in FBS and the SBC has 5.
And now for the losers......
1) AAC (adds Temple ECU, UCF, SMU, Tulsa, Navy, Memphis, Houston, Tulane). When you go from a projected TV deal of 13.8 million to 1.8 million you know you are a big loser. When you go from AQ status to G5 you are a big loser. When you lose your conference name and replace it with American Athletic you are a big loser.
2) B12 (adds TCU, WVU) TCU & WVU no matter how you look at it doesn't make up for losing TAMU, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado. The B12 has dropped from a peer of B1G and SEC to the 5th best AQ conference.
3) CUSA (adds UTSA, UNT, La Tech, WKU, MTSU, FIU, FAU, ODU, Char) In most respects CUSA 3.0 isn't too much weaker than its predecessor in football, basketball and baseball. Academically this league has taken a fatal blow with the loss of SMU, Tulsa and Tulane replaced by low endowment schools.
4) SBC (adds Idaho, NMSU, Texas St, USA, GSU, GS, ASU) Losing WKU and MTSU hurts the SBC quite a bit in basketball. In football the SBC has gained new depth with the growth to 11 FB programs (maybe 12). Forced into taking Idaho and NMSU in for survival reasons leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
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