Georgia Tech to the Big 10
- Thread starter QuaoarsKing
- Start date
It's all about the TV - and the game day draw. ATL has a ton of B1G Alums and they will all buy Tech season tickets to watch their favorite team (since GT NEVER sells out).
The SEC is so perfect. Its still a regional conference where fans can actually attend road games.
I wouldn't think that would be a terrific pickup for the Big 10. GT doesn't have a very big fanbase. They rarely fill their smallish stadium. And their travel to bowl games is even worse.
Atlanta's a big TV market alright, but most in Georgia are UGA fans. I don't thing GT would help the Big 10's market share there. GT doesn't even get much coverage in the Atlanta newspaper.
Atlanta's a big TV market alright, but most in Georgia are UGA fans. I don't thing GT would help the Big 10's market share there. GT doesn't even get much coverage in the Atlanta newspaper.
Rumor has it that Ga Tech and UVA to B1G could be announced any day now... UNC and Va Tech to SEC... Miami and FSU to Big12. Clemson and NC State hold out for initial SEC offer, but likely end up in Big12 as well...
Just the rumors I'm seeing elsewhere...
Just the rumors I'm seeing elsewhere...
Right. It doesn't matter what market share a conference's teams get, as long as it's enough to make cable companies add the network.
But if they already have the BiG Network (we have it here too but there's no fan base to speak of that I know of), and probably Atlanta has a fairly decent bunch of alumni, what would adding GaTech do that would be significantly positive over the way it currently is? Not very much.
The ACC certainly isn't. They encompass the entire east coast, and until Louisville is added every team is in a state that at least touches the Atlantic, hence the namesake. Their North and South divisions take care of a lot of the geography though.
The other conferences used to be regional but no more, except the Big 10 and Big 12, and they now have outliers in Maryland and West Virginia. That makes for expensive travel for the teams, and probably will cut down drastically on visiting team's fans.
The other conferences used to be regional but no more, except the Big 10 and Big 12, and they now have outliers in Maryland and West Virginia. That makes for expensive travel for the teams, and probably will cut down drastically on visiting team's fans.
That makes sense if those two teams join the conference
We'd get a big academic boost with North Carolina, but that would be negated by adding West Virginia ....
We'd get a big academic boost with North Carolina, but that would be negated by adding West Virginia ....
That's correct. But West Virginia is in West Virginia ...
I guess I was thinking about W. Va. being in the Big 12 now. Va Tech would add reasonable academics to the SEC, but probably not to the extent of NC.
I guess I was thinking about W. Va. being in the Big 12 now. Va Tech would add reasonable academics to the SEC, but probably not to the extent of NC.
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UNC and Duke are not going to split up. For that matter, why would any conference want just one of those teams....two Duke-Carolina basketball games every year turns any basketball TV package into a gold mine.
It's included in most standard packages(is in my Uverse in MS), but it only costs $0.05/sub/mo outside of the B1G market states, while it costs $0.90.sub/mo inside the markets.
It's a difference of about $0.85/subscriber, so the state of Georgia is worth approx $5mil/mo additional money to the B1G, or about $60mil/yr... About $4mil/team. This is approx what Mizzou is worth to the SEC strictly in tier 3 rights. The bigger thing for the B1G is to get their foot in the door with recruiting in the southeast, because they've been largely shut out, and their brand is diminished because of it...
If that's a requirement it would definitely be a big boost to the conference regardless of whether Ga Tech added anything else. I didn't know that is required. Conversely, the cable companies could drop whatever ACC network they might be required to have now and it might not cost the customers anything.
I'm actually on Dish, not cable, and I have the Big 10 package. I don't know if it's in Dish's basic package or not. I even get the BYU network.
I'm actually on Dish, not cable, and I have the Big 10 package. I don't know if it's in Dish's basic package or not. I even get the BYU network.
Why?
Less academics. Less tradition. Less fan support nationally. UNC is a national brand in 2 of the 3 sports and are a sleeping giant in football, IMO...not much different than A&M. Tons of football talent in North Carolina...
The only reason most people have clamored for the Wolfpack is because they didn't see the TarHeels as a possibility...
You do not know what you are talking about. They are split in this round of expansion, and there isn't a damn thing the Blue Devils can do about it. Duke doesn't get an invite to EITHER the B1G or the SEC with UNC because they don't bring anything additional to the table. Only way they stay together is if UNC decides to stick around and sink on the ship with them(which will NEVER happen). Should have taken football and baseball seriously for the past 20 years and maybe they wouldn't be SOL now...
No one is saying that the basketball series can't continue. I expect it to once all the hurt feelings are over. Just like the Border War, Nebraska/OU, and A&M/UT will continue as rivalries eventually after a break and the hurt feelings are handled. Nebraska/OU is already back on the schedule. Hell, like Clemson/USCe, GaTech/UGA, UK/Louisville, and Florida/FSU. UK/Louisville is the best example since it's such a heated OOC basketball rivalry. Kentucky would replace Duke in UNC fans' minds, and it would happen almost immediately.
ACC basketball isn't NEARLY the gold mine that people act like it is. Here are the numbers PRIOR to the current round of expansion(2011)
Then you are an idiot. Seriously? You'd rather have NC State than UNC? What possible reason could you have for that? UNC brings national contenders in virtually all sports other than football, the biggest fanbase, a lot more resources and money, and much better academics than NCSU. And their football team brings at least as much, if not more. UNC is most likely the SEC's #1 target for any future expansion and would be in the SEC today instead of Missouri if they'd exressed any interest. NCSU will never ever under any circumstances even be considered.
The SEC has to be drooling over UNC. What a homerun that is and VTech is no slouch themselves atleast in football. I think NCSU is the next team considered if UNC says no although I'd think the SEC will save the 16th spot for UNC as long as possible before picking NCState. Sounds like VTech is in whenever the SEC wants. I find this topic fascinating for some reason. NCState is most definitely being considered. They are a major University in the state the SEC wants most. Duke isn't being considered so that only leaves UNC or NCState. One of the two will come. I hope it's UNC.
Conference numbers are nice, but I'm talking about the Duke-UNC game specifically. Last year's game was the highest rated game on ESPN in over 4 years. Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, and Charlotte are in ESPN's Top 10 markets EVERY year. Those two games are extremely valuable to any conference looking to shore up its cable presence for basketball. This is not a matter of "hurt feelings" and breaking up a rivalry game. It is just good business sense to keep those games going....but you do have a point that Kentucky would be a great rivarly for UNC. Just imagine the ratings for a UNC-UK-Duke show down every year, plus the SEC tournament presence.
UNC and Duke will play no matter which conference either is in. If you look at the viewership stats engie posted, you'd realize that, even in the ACC basketball viewership is less than half football viewership even though basketball plays over twice as many games. There's no way that UNC-Duke-KY could bring in enough viewers for basketball to cause any noticible impact to the overall numbers.
That is a better stated argument than I approached it as, so my apologies...
The thing is, obviously, college basketball is a drop in the bucket compared to football. It is barely a blip on the radar in the terms of the expansion... BUT it also contributes to what makes UNC the most coveted team of the bunch.
The best possible example of how an OOC series between Duke and UNC would work is to look at the Louisville/UK rivalry... The similarities there are endless, and Louisville fits right in the group as a powerhouse basketball program. Most profitable basketball program in the country...
UNC and Duke can continue playing 2 basketball games every year even if they aren't in the same conference.
Also, the ACC will be OK unless there's a mass defection of teams to the Big 12. The ACC can lose GT and UVA to the Big 10, Viriginia Tech and UNC to the SEC, and still add UConn and Cincinnati and get back to 12 teams. Then Notre Dame is joining already for basketball, and the ACC could also add Gtown, Villianova, and Marquette/St. John's/Xavier, and be one of the best basketball conferences.
Now if the Big 12 goes to 16 by adding Florida State, Miami, Clemson, NC State, Pittsburgh, and Louisville, the ACC is in trouble.
Also, the ACC will be OK unless there's a mass defection of teams to the Big 12. The ACC can lose GT and UVA to the Big 10, Viriginia Tech and UNC to the SEC, and still add UConn and Cincinnati and get back to 12 teams. Then Notre Dame is joining already for basketball, and the ACC could also add Gtown, Villianova, and Marquette/St. John's/Xavier, and be one of the best basketball conferences.
Now if the Big 12 goes to 16 by adding Florida State, Miami, Clemson, NC State, Pittsburgh, and Louisville, the ACC is in trouble.
Perhaps, but there's two problems with that: First, you would be splitting the TV revenue between two conferences. Second, Duke might need to leverage that matchup into either travelling with UNC, or attempting to make themselves more attractive to another conference. Obviously it makes more sense for Duke to continue the rivalry, but if they want to make themselves relevant they will have to at least threaten to stop playing.
Again, exactly like the UK/Louisville game, it goes on the tv contract of whichever conference is the home team.
Duke is in a very delicate situation. They will not be in position to make demands from UNC because the threat essentially leaves them with nothing.
It's widely believed that NcState and Clemson will wait on an SEC invite before likely going to the Big12 along with FSU and Miami or Louisville. If this happens, the B1G is still possibly going to want the NC market(although this makes them go beyond 16 teams). This leaves Duke or Wake as their options. In that scenario, I could actually see Duke in the B1G, because they are a good cultural fit there all around. It's just NO WAY that the SEC or B1G is going to take 2 teams from NC, and the B1G fancies themselves "too good" for the academics of Nc State...