OT: Conference Realignment

[Pablo]

Sources: WSU, OSU near affiliate deal with WCC

Oregon State and Washington State are nearing an agreement to join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members next year in multiple sports, most notably men's and women's basketball, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.

www.espn.com

"Oregon State and Washington State are nearing an agreement to join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members next year in multiple sports, most notably men's and women's basketball, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.

It is an agreement similar to the one the schools reached with the Mountain West to play six football games against MW teams next year but with a major difference. While the Beavers' and Cougars' games against MW schools in football will not count toward the conference standings, there is an expectation their games will count toward the standings for other sports in the WCC. They are also expected to be eligible to participate in conference tournaments and eligible to represent the WCC in NCAA championship events."

"OSU and WSU intend to rebuild the Pac-12 and will keep the conference's branding on their football fields next season despite operating as a two-team conference.

For a conference to exist, the NCAA requires 'at least seven active Division I members,' all of which must sponsor men's and women's basketball, and for the conference to sponsor at least 12 Division I sports, among other requirements. In the case of departures, the bylaws allow a conference a two-year grace period in which it can exist without the minimum number of schools.

The WCC agreement, like the one in football, is viewed as a short-term solution that will buy the schools time to rebuild the Pac-12. There had been similar discussions with the MW for an affiliate agreement beyond football, but those talks fell through, sources said."

 

[Patriot8]

Sources: WSU, OSU near affiliate deal with WCC

Oregon State and Washington State are nearing an agreement to join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members next year in multiple sports, most notably men's and women's basketball, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.

www.espn.com

"Oregon State and Washington State are nearing an agreement to join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members next year in multiple sports, most notably men's and women's basketball, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.

It is an agreement similar to the one the schools reached with the Mountain West to play six football games against MW teams next year but with a major difference. While the Beavers' and Cougars' games against MW schools in football will not count toward the conference standings, there is an expectation their games will count toward the standings for other sports in the WCC. They are also expected to be eligible to participate in conference tournaments and eligible to represent the WCC in NCAA championship events."

"OSU and WSU intend to rebuild the Pac-12 and will keep the conference's branding on their football fields next season despite operating as a two-team conference.

For a conference to exist, the NCAA requires 'at least seven active Division I members,' all of which must sponsor men's and women's basketball, and for the conference to sponsor at least 12 Division I sports, among other requirements. In the case of departures, the bylaws allow a conference a two-year grace period in which it can exist without the minimum number of schools.

The WCC agreement, like the one in football, is viewed as a short-term solution that will buy the schools time to rebuild the Pac-12. There had been similar discussions with the MW for an affiliate agreement beyond football, but those talks fell through, sources said."

There’s a really attractive conference that can be put together with the PAC 2, and some MWC, AAC, and WCC programs.

On the other hand, I see no way that this Stanford/Cal marriage in the ACC lasts without significant western expansion.

Who is going to get it done first?

 

[Patriot8]

And now Florida State has called a Board of Trustees meeting tomorrow. Buckle TF up.

 

[GMU79]

And now Florida State has called a Board of Trustees meeting tomorrow. Buckle TF up.

I also heard a bunch of players on the football team were boycotting the Orange Bowl. I guess they figured better that than getting their butts kicked by Georgia.

 

[Verdad]

And now Florida State has called a Board of Trustees meeting tomorrow. Buckle TF up.

I could see OSU and WSU raiding the WCC and MW, adding Stanford and Cal back, leaving WCC and MW with a big FU for their services.

 

[Patriot8]

I could see OSU and WSU raiding the WCC and MW, adding Stanford and Cal back, leaving WCC and MW with a big FU for their services.

OSU and WSU merges with the MW, and add back Stanford and Cal to form a 15 team football conference, and then add Gonzaga, St Mary’s, and Wichita State to form a 18 program basketball+olympic conference.

ACC adds Tulane and Memphis.

 

[bravesfan]

I joked before how the highest paid lawyers are on FSU's bankroll looking for ways to get them out of the ACC.

Should be interesting now that they're officially suing the ACC. Obviously the ACC knew it was coming and filed a lawsuit against FSU yesterday.

 

[bravesfan]

I also heard a bunch of players on the football team were boycotting the Orange Bowl. I guess they figured better that than getting their butts kicked by Georgia.

They aren't boycotting. They're first and second round draft picks that don't want to risk injury in a meaningless exhibition game.

 

[GMU79]

They aren't boycotting. They're first and second round draft picks that don't want to risk injury in a meaningless exhibition game.

That's not what I read.

 

[bravesfan]

That's not what I read.

I also believe everything I read on the Internet.

 

[GMUgemini]

They aren't boycotting. They're first and second round draft picks that don't want to risk injury in a meaningless exhibition game.

Same thing.

 

[bravesfan]

Same thing.

You're kidding, right?

 

[GMUgemini]

You're kidding, right?

No. It’s even worse than basketball players skipping the Olympics for the same reason.

And the Orange Bowl isn’t a meaningless game, there’s a trophy on the line even if it’s not a “national championship.”

 

[bravesfan]

No. It’s even worse than basketball players skipping the Olympics for the same reason.

And the Orange Bowl isn’t a meaningless game, there’s a trophy on the line even if it’s not a “national championship.”

First rounder risks tearing an ACL in the Orange Bowl. Or opting out, not having that risk, testing well, getting drafted in the first round, guaranteed millions.

Nobody called it "boycotting" when Christian McCaffery and the many other players did it before.

It's a simple narrative because of recency bias, but this isn't an anomaly. It's par for the course and happens all the time now.

 

[GMU79]

I also believe everything I read on the Internet.

Who said anything about the internet?
Don't assume.

 

[GMU79]

First rounder risks tearing an ACL in the Orange Bowl. Or opting out, not having that risk, testing well, getting drafted in the first round, guaranteed millions.

Nobody called it "boycotting" when Christian McCaffery and the many other players did it before.

It's a simple narrative because of recency bias, but this isn't an anomaly. It's par for the course and happens all the time now.

Recency bias. I go back way before any of this was even a thing.
Quit assuming.

 

[bravesfan]

Who said anything about the internet?
Don't assume.

So you read it in the Sunday paper?

 

[GMU79]

So you read it in the Sunday paper?

I read it everyday. Have for 40 years.

 

[bravesfan]

Well anyways; it's a shame that Caleb Williams decided to boycott the DirectTV Holiday Bowl.

He must be a DISH guy or something.

 

[Pablo]

Should be interesting now that they're officially suing the ACC. Obviously the ACC knew it was coming and filed a lawsuit against FSU yesterday.

'Left no choice': FSU suing ACC over exit fee

Florida State is suing the ACC over the league's grant of rights and $130 million withdrawal fee, becoming the first school to challenge a grant of rights in court.

www.espn.com

"The Florida State board of trustees voted unanimously Friday to sue the ACC to challenge the legality of the league's grant of rights and its $130 million withdrawal fee, a necessary first step to plot the school's future and potential exit from the conference.

The 38-page lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court in Tallahassee, Florida, seeks a declaratory judgment against the ACC to void the grant of rights and withdrawal fee as 'unreasonable restraints of trade in the state of Florida and not enforceable in their entirety against Florida State.'

The university alleges 'chronic fiduciary mismanagement and bad faith' in the way the ACC has handled its multimedia rights agreements and undermined its members' revenue opportunities. Florida State is also accusing the ACC of breach of contract and failure to perform."

"The ACC also made a preemptive legal maneuver Thursday by filing a complaint for declaratory judgment against the Florida State board of trustees in state court in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina."

All told, the university estimates the total exit fee, including the forfeiture of television revenue, would be $572 million.

David Ashburn, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig in Tallahassee, the outside law firm handling the case, walked trustees through the lawsuit during Friday's meeting, detailing what the university believes is fiduciary mismanagement in the way the ACC has handled its media rights agreements with ESPN and withdrawal penalties going back to 2010.

The university alleges that when the ACC reached an extension of its media rights with ESPN in 2016, the agreement granted the network a unilateral option to extend the deal an additional nine years beyond its expiration on June 30, 2027, or until 2036. Florida State also alleges the ACC told its members that ESPN had issued an ultimatum: Unless the members extended the grant of rights from 2027 to 2036, ESPN would not enter into further media agreements with the conference. FSU said it agreed to the grant of rights extension based on this representation.

In addition, the university alleges the 2016 extension locked in league members to the same rates negotiated in the previous 2012 multimedia rights contract with ESPN. That left league members with the same revenue package for 24 years -- all while other conferences had the ability to renegotiate their contracts and increase their revenue.

If a judge grants declaratory judgment in favor of Florida State, the school would be able to leave the ACC without penalty. The departure would have to be effective Aug. 14, 2023, backdated to ensure Florida State could leave the conference in the event of new bylaws being put into place. If the judge declines to issue a judgment in favor of either side, Florida State and the ACC could be sent to mediation to negotiate a resolution.

On Thursday, the ACC asked a judge to declare that the grant of rights signed by Florida State in 2013 and 2016 'is valid and enforceable' and will remain so through June 30, 2036."