Just to play with this a little bit. Isn’t Utah now one of the bigger fish in a smaller pond?
To piggy back on Clemson. I doubt that Clemson would have done as well. The ACC isn’t as good as the PAC, contrary to what the locals would say. I doubt that overall the ACC is as good as the AAC, at least the last 2 or 3 seasons of the AAC.
As for Oregon, yeah they’d like the money from the BIG, just like USC and UCLA (hell we’d like the money too), but the competition, at least the first year or 2 of the expanded playoff would be brutal for them, or us. As I type this I can envision the expanded playoff being mostly the play ground of the SEC and the BIG. I see this even with the rules that conference champions get it, but at what seed?
Youth football and soccer are both in full swing in early September, which would have caused me to miss these sorts of games for years, and I would not have been happy about it.
Early games definitely make for a challenging tailgate experience, but as @Ma-ake said, the early season games, which are typically unbearably hot in the late afternoon or early evening, are a prime candidate for an early spot. I would not object to one such game per year. and in fact, like the old Big Monday Hoops nights, it could turn into it’s own sort of fun out-of-the-ordinary event.
Perfect breakfast for such a game (although they are hard to walk around with):
That Overtime company is scratching the Gen Z itch for basketball. Basically Gen Z doesn’t watch games like we do. They prefer short clips etc. I do agree the crazy money won’t be there but above I gave the Big XII and P12 ratings. Only 2 games were over a 2 share:
TCU v Baylor 2.45 Rating 4.35 million viewers
Iowa State v TCU 2.1 rating 4.34 million viewers
Here are the Big 1G and SEC games over a 2 share (because the 1 above list is huge):
Penn State v Purdue 2.1 rating with 3.51 million viewers
Nebraska v Northwestern 2.5 rating with 4.42 million viewers
Clemson v Ga Tech N/A rating with 4.86 million viewers
(Not a conf game but) ND v Ohio 5.2 rating with 10.53 million viewers
Kentucky v Florida 2.2 rating with 4.33 million viewers
Alabama v Texas 5.7 raring with 10.6 million viewers
This was just the first three weeks. It keeps going. The time zone and the product have helped them reel in that cash. So, I think they will still get some pretty big dollars when through the whole year 10 games had over 7 million viewers (7 SEC games and 3 Big 1G games)
For Oregon & Washington, there would be a media money difference in the B1G, no question, but how consequential is it?
Is the UO-UW current chatter accurate, or was this reflective of the super-conference rush from last summer, when Uncle Phil was supposedly scrambling to get the Ducks in the B1G?
Money is always a consideration, but with a 12 team playoff is Oregon’s path to the CFP easier in the PAC or as an at-large team in the B1G? Conzano made a good point in describing how PAC schools can remain competitive in FB by directing more $$ from other sports into FB, if need be.
Seems like we have a lot of fog of war going on, in addition to the media landscape changes.
If it helps the Utes and the PAC, one, maybe two early starts early in the season, then I agree with afternoon games in November. I would take that combo.
Also, we should note CU plays Oregon in Week 0 to capitalize on the Prime hype, so the conference is really trying to draw eyeballs.
Here is a good example. Arizona and Arizona State tipped at 2pm EST. That’s a perfect national TV time. It’s followed by UK vs Auburn. You could easily flip those. Just need to keep moving into those EST prime viewing times.
Yep, and it will take a few seasons to build a following in the east, but if people around the country can take an interest in whatever B12 team is playing at Iowa State, no reason to think the PAC can’t build similar interest.
One way to look at it. The Athletic is cutting back on some writers. One that stuck out to me was their VaTech beat writer. He was cut, primarily because VaTech hasn’t been a “name” pretty much since Frank Beamer retired. So, only the diehards follow VT west of the Appalachians.
My hunch is there are a couple of factors at play:
whatever “national following” VaTech built under Beamer has faded (obviously)
may be part of an overall decline in interest or at least the revenue generating aspect, part of how Disney streaming services (ESPN+) have been hit.
Our ESPN-U broadcast of the USC game on Saturday was another remote broadcast. The cost squeeze is on.
It’s unclear if moving PAC games to earlier in the day will simply dilute the overall viewing inventory and we don’t end up with as much of an increase we hope, or if it’s a game of fighting for eyeballs wherever we can.
I know stuff like this makes Southern Cal fans giddy, but like a PAC12 title in football this past season, it is not to be. Sources: ION TV not a part of Pac-12 talks).
A team that hasn’t won a conference title since Trump’s first year in office is giddy about joining a conference they have no shot in winning. Same dudes celebrating a coach that’s 1-4 in bowls and 0-3 in CFP.
If someone could take the current BS being floated around regarding the TV rights and converted it real fertilizer, then gave it to the households remaining in the PAC, no one in the PAC footprint would ever have to pay to fertilize their yards ever again.
