Yeah, the B1G is totally going to drop to its knees and beg the SEC for some scraps as they're negotiating their own huge TV deal. And yeah, Ohio State totally wants in on that SEC meat grinder because they don't benefit at all from playing in a conference they dominate that is swimming in TV money.
There seems to be this dream world that writers live in that totally ignores the model that has sustained sports for the last forty years. "The SEC is going to break away and do what it wants," crowd conveniently ignores the reality that the networks are happily paying more and more for other products. The ACC TV revenue climbed again (and that deal is still two years away from maturing) and the B1G might just go ahead and blow past the SEC. Especially if Fox or someone else goes all in on their new deal. Anything coming out of ESPN while the B1G is negotiating its TV deal is a bit more than suspect. It is infinitely more likely that if TV is going to start consolidating its product, they might poach the best schools (TV wise) from PAC and Big12 and leave the rest out to dry. So yeah, it's a bluff.
You’re not thinking this through from the TOSU perspective. The time to cling onto history and tradition, which admittedly was a BIG feature of college football, is over.
I’m not doubting that the B1G schools will fetch a lot of $ but TOSU will fetch a lot of money wherever they are. It’s all about keeping up with the Joneses.
The current format does that perfectly for TOSU. If the SEC threatened to separate and form own playoff then B1G (which is TOSU and to lesser extent Michigan) will capitulate, period. There will be a 12 team playoff. If the B1G actually disregards TOSU wishes then TOSU will head to this new league.
The powers are the schools themselves NOT the conferences. These are the power players….Two TX schools, OU, LSU, Bama/Auburn, UGA, UF, TOSU and to lesser extent USC and Michigan/ND.
Those are the powers of this sport from an overall perspective (money, boosters, alumni willing to give, NIL, recruiting footprint, etc).
8 of them are in one conference AND totally dominate the recruiting footprint. They have absolutely zero reason to bluff. They are in the driver’s seat.
A part of me thinks that these other conferences don’t value what the SEC and TOSU value (football-wise) and there’s actually nothing wrong with that. It’s why I think multiple schools head to SEC. However, I do think this can be delayed if the B1G agreed to 12 team playoff.
Sankey didn’t invite UT and OU to SEC for things to stay as is. It behooves him to explore all options that are best for his league and that ESPN article spells it out. A 12 team playoff would surely help in the short term.
SEC isn’t bluffing….and I’ll remind you when either the B1G gives in to the 12 team playoff or the SEC forms it’s own playoff……I would literally bet $1k that one of these happens….or MAYBE an 8 team playoff with no cap on a conference’s participation. Why would the SEC agree to that? They have 8 of the 10-11 powers in the sport.