ACC-B1G-PAC Allliance "Expected Soon"

[House P]

And yet, as all of these conference shufflings, rearrangements, defections have proven - basketball is nothing in these decisions. It's all football

Case in point -- Based on the KenPom ratings uh_no posted above, the top college basketball conference over the past 5 seasons has been ...

... The Big 12!

[Acymetric]

Maybe the Big 12 should start poaching basketball schools from the SEC.

But with what money?

[Spanarkel]

Georgia’s home game schedule this year is hampered by playing two great games at neutral sites (Clemson, and Florida is always in Jacksonville). They chose to bring in cupcakes for the open home non-conference slots, like most teams at that level do.

UGA has a relatively easy conference schedule this year, avoiding Alabama.

There've been only 13 regular season meetings between the schools in the last 44 years.

[OldPhiKap]

There've been only 13 regular season meetings between the schools in the last 44 years.

Exactly. Auburn is their permanent partner from the West.

Poor Tennessee….

[TKG]

And yet, as all of these conference shufflings, rearrangements, defections have proven - basketball is nothing in these decisions. It's all football

Which plays to our strength.

[Stray Gator]

Georgia’s home game schedule this year is hampered by playing two great games at neutral sites (Clemson, and Florida is always in Jacksonville). They chose to bring in cupcakes for the open home non-conference slots, like most teams at that level do.

UGA has a relatively easy conference schedule this year, avoiding Alabama.

Relatively easy?

[luvdahops]

Yeah, and to what end?

The SEC playing just interconference has more compelling games than the rest of the country. Oooh, Oregon-Wake! Louisville-Iowa! Illinois-BC!

And why are we punishing the SEC? For poaching teams before the other leagues could do it (although they would if they could)?

And all of this is some non-binding handshake crap?

The other leagues need the SEC more than the SEC needs the other leagues. Last year the SEC played all interconference IIRC because of COVID. It was great television.

This is a plan going nowhere productive it seems to me.

(And not to mention potential antitrust problems, but that’s a whole different topic).

To an extent. Bama, UGA, Florida and LSU all have national appeal. Maybe Auburn and A&M, though to a lesser extent. Tennessee was in that 2nd tier for a long time, but not anymore. The falloff from there is pretty steep. I'd put Oklahoma in the first group, and Texas (as of now at least) in the second. But the proposals I have seen for scheduling (8-team divisions, 4-team pods) have the potential to actually reduce the number of matchups between the more nationally prominent programs.

[OldPhiKap]

Relatively easy?

Yeah, y’all drew the short straw for sure with ‘Bama and then going to LSU.

[jv001]

Yeah, and to what end?

The SEC playing just interconference has more compelling games than the rest of the country. Oooh, Oregon-Wake! Louisville-Iowa! Illinois-BC!

And why are we punishing the SEC? For poaching teams before the other leagues could do it (although they would if they could)?

And all of this is some non-binding handshake crap?

The other leagues need the SEC more than the SEC needs the other leagues. Last year the SEC played all interconference IIRC because of COVID. It was great television.

This is a plan going nowhere productive it seems to me.

(And not to mention potential antitrust problems, but that’s a whole different topic).

Must spread sporkzz. I've thought for years, people/fans have shown jealousy toward SEC Football like they have toward Duke Basketball. I grew up respecting SEC Football, Texas and Oklahoma Football. I guess it was that way regarding the New York Yankees.

[AustinDevil]

Yeah, and to what end?

The SEC playing just interconference has more compelling games than the rest of the country. Oooh, Oregon-Wake! Louisville-Iowa! Illinois-BC!

The SEC has more teams with national appeal than any other conference, followed perhaps somewhat closely by the B1G and then a huge dropoff to the PAC 12 and the ACC. But you can do the same thing you did here with SEC teams, of course. Ooh, Vandy-Wazzou! Mississippi State-Rutgers! Kentucky-NC State!

And why are we punishing the SEC? For poaching teams before the other leagues could do it (although they would if they could)?

You can choose to believe this is punishment. I don't think it is, at all. I think it is a defensive effort at relevance and maintaining as much parity with the SEC as possible. (And I'm not saying it will succeed or have a big impact, just commenting on your assumption as to intent.)

And all of this is some non-binding handshake crap?

***

(And not to mention potential antitrust problems, but that’s a whole different topic).

Handshakes and announcements tend to come before contracts, yes.

The other leagues need the SEC more than the SEC needs the other leagues. Last year the SEC played all interconference IIRC because of COVID. It was great television.

This is true. It's also why the other three leagues are doing it.

(And not to mention potential antitrust problems, but that’s a whole different topic).

How is there an antitrust issue with conferences agreeing that their schools will play two games per year against one another? That leaves at least 1, possibly 2, other games against anyone else, including the SEC. No one is affirmatively boycotting the SEC. And as many have noted, the ACC-SEC in-state games are very unlikely to end.

[uh_no]

Handshakes and announcements tend to come before contracts, yes.

I don't think that is necessarily generally true. If a conference were adding a team, say, you wouldn't be announcing the new scheduling format until there was ink on the dotted line for that new team to join, which is what makes it slightly odd here that the alliance is announcing this scheduling without any, seeming, obligation for any of the conferences or teams to actually participate. What happens when, say, clemsons says "I'd rather play this other game than the one you want to schedule for me"

I suspect, ultimately, the reason that there is no contract is exactly that conferences are having difficulty arriving at terms that enough member schools will agree to...whether that be guarantees about the quality of the opponent, or number of years, or escape clauses, or whatever....so while most of these schools generally "want something" forcing everyone to agree to specifics is the hard part.

[hallcity]

I don't think that is necessarily generally true. If a conference were adding a team, say, you wouldn't be announcing the new scheduling format until there was ink on the dotted line for that new team to join, which is what makes it slightly odd here that the alliance is announcing this scheduling without any, seeming, obligation for any of the conferences or teams to actually participate. What happens when, say, clemsons says "I'd rather play this other game than the one you want to schedule for me"

I suspect, ultimately, the reason that there is no contract is exactly that conferences are having difficulty arriving at terms that enough member schools will agree to...whether that be guarantees about the quality of the opponent, or number of years, or escape clauses, or whatever...so while most of these schools generally "want something" forcing everyone to agree to specifics is the hard part.

There is a strain of thought that this Alliance is meaningless because, as far as we know, no contracts have been signed. It's true that in negotiation that generally nothing is decided until everything is decided but I don't think this leaves the Alliance without meaning. Contracts over things are complicated as future schedules for dozens of teams take months to work out, especially when there may be games with non-Alliance members that will need rescheduling. What were the conference commissioners to do, announce nothing for months into the future while rumors swirl? They had no alternative to announcing an agreement in principal while they do the hard work of negotiating contracts.

What is striking to me is how quickly agreement in principal was reached and how unanimous the agreement seems to be. We have heard not a word suggesting that any of the schools in the Alliance conferences has private reservations about the Alliance. This suggests to me that the conferences and schools involved have a remarkable unity of opinion about the Alliance and that this is very likely to result in contracts signed and schedules adjusted.

[sagegrouse]

Gotta disagree there. The ACC has had 3 national champions (by 3 different teams, no less) since the SEC's last one shining moment.

"Arguably," as in the 2021 NBA Draft 1st round had 7 from SEC and 4 from ACC.

[dudog84]

"Arguably," as in the 2021 NBA Draft 1st round had 7 from SEC and 4 from ACC.

Seriously? The NBA is not the NCAA. By that criteria, Indiana State, Davidson, Wake Forest, San Francisco, and at least half a dozen other schools have better programs than Duke.

[Daddylawman]

Seriously? The NBA is not the NCAA. By that criteria, Indiana State, Davidson, Wake Forest, San Francisco, and at least half a dozen other schools have better programs than Duke.

I agree that players and teams are not the same, but which of those schools have more 1st round picks than Duke?

[sagegrouse]

Seriously? The NBA is not the NCAA. By that criteria, Indiana State, Davidson, Wake Forest, San Francisco, and at least half a dozen other schools have better programs than Duke.

Do you deny the number and position of players drafted is a useful indicator of the quality of players in a conference? You have taken my conference comparison to a school comparison -- no! Not enough data. Moreover, the point was conference, not schools. One year's data for conference is nothing but an indication but there are at least 14+ teams in each conference.

[dudog84]

Sorry, but I just really, really, really hate (I mean really) any discussion of how NBA success or potential reflects on the college basketball experience. But don't worry, I'm out, I can't allocate any more living space to this.