A Coast to Coast Alliance
A while back, I suggested that the SEC and Big 12 look at combining their media rights. Working with the premise that leagues can combine media rights, what about a new twist on that idea?
Let's assume that Texas and Oklahoma are leaving the Big 12 in search of a more prosperous association. Let's also assume that totally breaking with their old conference mates is not their first choice. How about this for a way to blend the best of both worlds?
In the aftermath of an NCAA decision to allow conferences greater freedom in choosing championship game participants...
Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State move to the SEC. The stands at 18, but still looks for a way to increase its media empire.
They form a scheduling alliance along with a revenue sharing plan with a rebuilt Big 12.
The Big 12 wants good football and basketball, but they also need flagship schools to maintain a sense of academic prowess. May I present to you a Big 12 that decides to also alter the media landscape by covering a footprint not previously occupied. They will combine schools from the Central Time Zone and the Mountain Time Zone.
BYU, Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, and New Mexico join up with the remnants of the Big 12. Houston also joins to replace a departing West Virginia.
West: BYU, Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, New Mexico
East: TCU, Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State
The nature of the alliance is something along these lines:
The SEC and Big 12 agree to have 10 match-ups every year in football along with a basketball challenge.
The 2 leagues negotiate a combined media deal for all tiers. The purpose is to create additional inventory, flexible time slots, and extend the SEC Network into new markets. While the qualitative value of the Big 12 is significantly less, the two leagues will split the money for 1st and 2nd tier conference games 80/20. They split 50/50 the TV money for inter-conference games with the caveat that the vast majority of them will be in SEC stadiums. The SEC enjoys a pure windfall when it comes to extending their network.
The purpose here is to extend the SEC brand into emerging markets in the West, find a scheduling partner that doesn't interfere with creating major non-conference games with powers from across the country, form an alliance that doesn't provide material support to a potential target in the ACC, also doesn't provide material support to a rival in the Big Ten, allows for the survival of Big 12 remnants so there's little political backlash in any circle...all the while forcing networks to deal with a broader base of support.
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