What’s next for the Big Ten, SEC, Florida State, Notre

In perhaps the most historical day of conference adjustment, Oregon and Washington finalized a move to sign up with the Big Ten in 2024.

And they may not be the only ones on the relocation. On the heels of those huge decisions, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah remain in conversations to join the Huge 12, joining Colorado in a Pac-12 exodus. If those dominoes fall, it will leave a conference that was formed in 1915 with simply 4 teams and on the verge of extinction.Today’s relocations will

have causal sequences far beyond Cal, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State as the Pac-12’s 4 remaining schools. Will the Big Ten keep expanding? Is the SEC material to stand pat? What about Florida State and Notre Dame?ESPN spoke

to power brokers throughout the sport to assist identify how today’s seismic moves will affect schools in every major conference, plus the College Football Playoff and more.What does this mean for the staying Pac-12 teams?The 4 schools in the most precarious circumstances are Cal, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State, all of which are without a natural landing area that would guarantee their long-lasting stability.For the Bay Location schools– Cal and Stanford– the Big 10 has regularly been pointed out as a possible destination, but that was driven more by the concept that Huge 10 presidents would like an alignment more for academic factors. From a media rights value perspective, however, neither moves the needle in a way that incentivizes invitations in the present landscape. It leaves both very much in survival mode. They both have large athletic departments that rely heavily on television cash to operate, and it’s difficult to picture a situation where both do not end up cutting sports. Do they flirt with self-reliance in football and find a different home for the other sports? Could ACC or Big 12 lifelines materialize? The Mountain West would be thrilled to invite either school– it certainly makes sense geographically– but the discrepancy in media rights money from what they’re accustomed to would imply wholesale athletic department changes.Oregon State and Washington State have no take advantage of and really little prospects of getting bailed out by a power conference. More than Cal and Stanford, OSU and WSU would be cultural fits in the Mountain West.

The problem here is that both athletic departments have long operated with the expectation of$30 million or more in television money and in the Mountain West, they will not get anywhere near that. That shortfall would force both schools to essentially transform how their athletic departments operate. If they can weather that storm, life in a healthy Mountain West would not be so bad– both could regularly compete for conference titles in a manner that has never been possible in the Pac-12– however it would represent a drop from significant college football, and that’s a hard tablet to swallow.” We are disappointed with the recent choices by some of our Pac-12 peers,”WSU president Kirk Schulz and athletic director Pat Chun stated in a statement.”While we had actually hoped that our subscription would stay together, this result was always a possibility, and we have actually been working vigilantly to identify what is next for Washington State sports. We have actually prepared for many situations, including our existing scenario.”– Kyle Bonagura Where do things stand with additional Big 12 expansion?Arizona is in the lasts of being confessed to the Huge 12, according to sources, however a main move hasn’t been completed yet. Sources informed ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Utah and Arizona State got official membership in the Huge 12 on Friday following the news of

Washington and Oregon’s departure. If those three

programs sign up with Colorado, the Huge 12 will increase to 16 teams.The Big 12 was aggressive in its pursuit of Arizona as a 14th group, and although Arizona and Arizona State run under the very same board of regents, they might have made conference decisions individually. Sources suggested their preference was to remain together.A 16-team Big 12 would close the gap with the ACC– and potentially put the Big 12 in third place economically behind the Big 10 and SEC.– Heather Dinich Is the SEC truly content to stay at 16 teams?At SEC media days last month, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the league is”very attentive to what’s happening around us.””Do I think it’s done?”he said in July.”People will say, well, I get to choose

that. Right now it appears others are going to decide that before we have to make any choices.”Well, here we are– with others having actually made their decisions.Editor’s Picks 2 Related Sources within the SEC indicate there’s definitely been chatter just recently among the athletic directors about including more teams– merely as a response to recent occasions– however there’s likewise a reality to the finances part as they ask each other if they’re willing to share profits with more schools. There are certain incomes beyond the television cash that don’t vary much– like the championship game games, the baseball tournaments, etc.The bottom line

is, who would they include that’s available and drives value?Until shown otherwise, the ACC schools like North Carolina, Virginia, Florida State and Clemson are tangled in a legal web that includes a hefty exit fee and grant of rights that extends through 2036. The SEC will do its research, however most likely will not be forced into a knee-jerk reaction due to the fact that the Big 10 simply got bigger. Sankey has stated consistently that location matters as they think about these things. There is no sense of panic in the SEC.”My view is we understand who we are, “Sankey stated at media days.

“We’re comfortable as a league. We’re focused on our growth to 16. We’ve

brought back rivalries. We’re geographically adjoining with the ideal sort of philosophical positioning, and we can remain at that level of very conference. When you go larger, there are a whole other set of aspects that need to be thought about, and I’m unsure I have actually seen those teased out besides in my mind late in the evening.”– Dinich Does this change anything for Florida State and its timeline? Florida State will deal with an uphill battle if it wishes to leave the ACC, however the university is currently checking out all of its alternatives. Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire Yes. Florida State has been monitoring the occasions in the Big 12 and Pac-12 carefully and understands the truths and characteristics of realignment.Perhaps now it sees the possibility of the Big Ten broadening to 20 schools, with space for 2 more. Florida State has been checking out all its choices for over a year, but there are essential concerns. If the Big Ten

is interested: 1)How does Florida State determine paying a$

120 million exit cost and 2)come up with a method to leave the grant of rights, which is indicated to connect all ACC schools together until completion of their television contract with ESPN in 2036? Florida State has had both an in-house legal group and an outdoors legal team study the specific agreement language over the

course of the in 2015. This is a document that has actually never ever been challenged in court, however one that in all likelihood will be at some moment. Why? Because the grant of rights not only gives the ACC control over every school’s media rights money, it provides the conference control over its real media rights– indicating the right to broadcast all house games in all sports.Florida State might be willing to take the league to court to challenge the grant of rights, however legal battles take some time and

money– and this is one the ACC will fight, considering that it wishes to keep FSU and believes in the strength of the GOR file. And how attractive will FSU be to other conferences with those legal questions hovering over them?As for the money, Florida State has worked with JPMorgan Chase to look at all its financials, projecting all the method out to 2043, and has actually likewise partnered with a private equity company to aid with cash flow.If there is no landing spot, Florida State wishes to get more movement toward an uneven income circulation in the ACC that

would give them a larger share of the television profits pie based on what the school thinks is its worth to the general contract. As president Richard McCullough told ESPN previously today,”My No. 1 objective is to stay in the ACC, but at some point, it becomes challenging for me to do what I’m expected to do for sports at Florida State.” Presidents have actually already approved

a success initiative design, which would reward on-field success in football and basketball. But moving profits circulation based on ratings and media metrics has not acquired the traction Florida State thinks it warrants.

It stays uncertain whether any ACC president is willing to change their mind on that specific issue, especially offered how singing the Seminoles have had to do with it– both openly and behind closed doors.– Andrea Adelson Does this mean anything for Notre Dame?No, not at this time.Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick has long duplicated the exact same 3 elements that might add to the university’s position as an independent becoming”unsustainable.”Those include: the loss of a committed broadcast partner; the loss of a fair path into the

postseason; or such an adverse monetary repercussion that would force it to reconsider.In spite of all of the drama swirling around Notre Dame, absolutely nothing has actually affected those particular elements. Notre Dame still has a strong collaboration with NBC as its broadcast partner that goes through the 2025 season. It recently announced a renewed commitment to Under Armour. It also remains a partial member of the ACC in football and has an agreement with the league mentioning that if the Irish were to relinquish their independence, it would be for the ACC.ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said recently at the league’s media days that he knows how much the

Irish value their self-reliance. Notre Dame still remains the most important home remaining on the Monopoly board– and it’s still not for sale.– Dinich What does this mean

for the Big 10 schedule in 2024? The”Flex Protect Plus” football schedule design, which the Big 10 had actually fastidiously put together in anticipation of a 16-team league in 2024, will require to be modified however not blown up. The league will not be going back to square one here.Many of the very same principles will apply for the 18-team model, including the objectives of securing essential games and rotating the others. The Big Ten has stayed dedicated to nine-game league schedules, and both Oregon and Washington originate from a league that plays nine. Still, the mathematics gets a bit trickier with two more members. Divisions are not expected to be added in the 18-team model. The basic viewpoint behind the schedule model isn’t anticipated

to change much.”It comes down to asking the concern:’What makes us a conference? What makes us feel like we’re actually tied together in a significant method?'” Huge Ten chief running officer Kerry Kenny informed ESPN in June when the 2024 and 2025 schedules were revealed .”Playing each other more and not less has some effect.” Get your preferred live sports, stories and originals with ESPN +, Disney +and Hulu. Update to a Disney Package strategy and begin streaming something for everyone today! The preliminary 2024 and 2025 schedules included 11 protected matchups. A 12th is now essentially guaranteed with Washington and Oregon, bitter competitors who have played many unforgettable games. However the Big 10″topped”the number at 11, Kenny stated, because, “The more protected matchups you have actually consisted of in the model, the less flexibility you needed to create an actually balanced design for everybody.” Oregon and Washington will be all-sports additions to the Big Ten next year, however football is the focus now because schedules are carried out in advance to allow for planning and logistics.– Adam Rittenberg What is the USC/UCLA reaction to including two Pacific Time zone schools?Some combination of relief and begrudging approval. As Chip Kelly mentioned at UCLA practice Friday, as other teams scramble to figure out where they’ll play in the coming years, it’s good to understand where

your home will be. Kelly joked that perhaps the Huge Ten could put the previous Pac-12 teams in a pod and the Big 10 teams in a pod and have the winners play each other at the end of the year, maybe in the Rose Bowl. If it depended on him, however, he ‘d ditch the entire thing and begin once again.” I ‘d be for, we’re all in the very same division. Put 60 people in the same division,”Kelly stated.” Do it like the NFL where there’s NFC West, NFC North, NFC South. I believe we need to all remain in, there need to be one conference in all college football and after that just break it up like they do the professional game. Based upon location. That makes the most sense. There’s your travel question. There’s all those other questions, however nobody asks me.”Provided the type of chess move the jump to the Huge 10 was for both L.A. schools and how it overthrew

the sport, there was some expectation that USC and UCLA were going to benefit considerably, not simply the increase of money as part of the conference’s new television offer, however likewise from a resources and hiring viewpoint too.Oregon has actually maybe been the best risk to the Trojans over the last few years in terms of adding skill, either through the transfer portal or high school ranks. A jump to one of the premier conferences in the sport, with an opportunity to play in prominent games, was going to be a significant recruiting tool in USC’s and UCLA’s favor. Now, Oregon and Washington will be able to offer the very same

thing to employees and transfers too.From a logistical perspective, I make certain there are those who will be grateful both L.A. schools will have more than one West Coast conference game to play in every year. UCLA and USC do not have some storied history playing against Oregon or Washington, however as the Pac-12 crumbles, carrying over some semblance of continuity isn’t the worst scenario either.– Paolo Uggetti What occurs to the Rose Bowl?Conference adjustment didn’t alter the Rose Bowl’s storied partnership with the Big Ten and Pac-12– the College Football Playoff did. In 2015’s game in between Penn State and Utah was the last, true historical matchup between those leagues. Moving on, the Rose Bowl has actually totally incorporated with the CFP and will host a semifinal this season, followed by quarterfinals in each of

the very first 2 seasons of the 12-team playoff.The teams in those games will be slotted based upon the selection committee’s rankings. While it’s possible there could be a Big 10 group included by possibility, the guaranteed matchup between the 2 leagues ended when the Nittany Lions beat the Utes.– Dinich Is the Huge 10 done expanding?Since June 2010, the Big Ten has broadened four times: Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland, UCLA and UCLA and now Oregon and Washington. The superconference/consolidation era is clearly here, and it would be unexpected if the Big Ten remained at 18 members for very long. The Big 10 could once again look to the West Coast for Stanford and Cal, however neither has actually been extremely interesting the league or its media partners in these last two growth rounds. What would change going forward?The likelier situation has commissioner Tony Petitti looking to the East and the ACC, if the league starts to splinter in the wake of Florida State’s exit method comments this week. North Carolina and Virginia would be main targets, sources told ESPN. Both are premier public schools and would thrill a group of Huge 10 presidents and chancellors that still puts a premium on”cultural fit. “Florida State would be more of a stretch, and league sources cautioned versus an instant push. But FSU would provide the Big Ten an existence in the Southeast, which previous Huge 10 commissioner Jim Delany mentioned would be important way back in 2010. The Big 10’s supreme expansion prize remains Notre Dame, and efforts will continue to draw the school into the league. Could longtime ND competitor Stanford be dangled as a temptation? Perhaps. The Big 10

will need some perseverance as Notre Dame does

n’t want to relinquish its independence in football. Possibly things change when Notre Dame has more administrative changes. Athletic director Jack Swarbrick will step down in 2024, and university president the Rev. John Jenkins turns 70 in December.– Rittenberg What does this mean for the College Football Playoff?In the 12-team format, the six highest-ranked conference champions will receive a bid, along with the next 6 highest-ranked teams.If there’s no Pac-12 champ due to the fact that there’s no Pac-12, that’s something that will need to

be revisited. What’s uncomfortable about it is Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff is among the 10 FBS commissioners who makes those choices, together with Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.It was too early following the news for any concrete responses regarding if and how the model might change, and how it could impact conference champs. “I certainly comprehend why people require to ask the question,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock informed ESPN.” The fact is that it’s prematurely to say. The CFP management committee and board of supervisors will go over the future if and when it becomes appropriate. Obviously, none of this will impact the four-team playoff this year.

“– Dinich