^Quick question — How do the SEC football ratings compare to the ACC football ratings?
Because it’s my understanding that advertising rates are tied to ratings so if the SEC ratings are higher, perhaps that is why ESPN offered more to the SEC than the ACC. (Plus the fact they had to outbid CBS).
Something I saw which I hope comes to fruition is what UCLA head football coach, Chip Kelly, is advocating for: football to become a separate entity so other sports don’t become affected by football decisions. His less than 2 minute answer is in the link below. I’m wondering if what Kelly is proposing is what NCAA President Baker has in mind with his proposal for a new subdivision in D1 with an ability to make its own set of rules.
^Quick question — How do the SEC football ratings compare to the ACC football ratings?
Because it’s my understanding that advertising rates are tied to ratings so if the SEC ratings are higher, perhaps that is why ESPN offered more to the SEC than the ACC.
No doubt. The SEC is a better conference top to bottom, with large, invested fan bases and better stadiums and facilities. The ACC, which essentially was a preeminent basketball conference for many years, has a number of schools who don't invest in football, or only recently have done so, and have small, mostly apathetic fan bases. FSU is one of the most watched programs in all of college football, and Clemson is not that far behind. Too many other ACC schools are content to reap the rewards that the football schools (and football pays the bills) bring in, do relatively little to invest in the sport, and refuse to consider proportionate distributions based on ratings and success. The ACC laughably responded to conference expansions by bringing in Cal, Stanford and SMU. Only the latter might bring in interest and ratings.
Although there are hanger-ons in both conferences (e.g. Miss St, Vandy, Rutgers, Indiana et al) the SEC and BIG10 ar big market ratings drivers and generate advertising dollars. Hence, FSU, a big ratings driver, along with a couple of other ACC schools, wants in. Fox Sports has gone all in on the Big10, ESPN on the SEC.
It can be argued that some of the perceived strength of the SEC is based on preseason rankings, which are always overpopulated with SEC schools. Therefore, SEC schools seem to be always beating other ranked SEC schools. Only in the SEC do losses become "good losses". In past seasons the perceived dominance of the SEC was probably valid. The last couple of seasons not so much. The SEC was 7-9 in non-conference P5 games this past regular season (4-6 against the ACC). But when you have one network (ESPN) in control of all CFP content, and linked with the CFP Committee in releasing the standings, you can see the conflict of interest.
Anyway, your premise is correct, and the reason why FSU wants to be in one of the what are essentially the P2 conferences.
^Quick question — How do the SEC football ratings compare to the ACC football ratings?
Because it’s my understanding that advertising rates are tied to ratings so if the SEC ratings are higher, perhaps that is why ESPN offered more to the SEC than the ACC. (Plus the fact they had to outbid CBS).
Something I saw which I hope comes to fruition is what UCLA head football coach, Chip Kelly, is advocating for: football to become a separate entity so other sports don’t become affected by football decisions. His less than 2 minute answer is in the link below. I’m wondering if what Kelly is proposing is what NCAA President Baker has in mind with his proposal for a new subdivision in D1 with an ability to make its own set of rules.
In terms of scheduling, it looks like what Kelly is proposing is the NFL model. Play the teams in your region (West) play the other regions on a rotating basis each year. (Southeast, East, etc.) I would hope it would eliminate those step down games so say Georgia is not beating up Ball State and they only play the power schools.(Same thing should be done in D1 basketball, no DII - DIII games that are not called exhibitions).
Quite honestly, I say let them isolate their "professional" football league. If the scheduling is only against your peers it will take away the "buy game" revenue from the lower schools. I am not a college football fan so let your greed run amuck.
MY FEAR: Just don't mess with the Big Dance in basketball. But that fear will unfortunately soon be reality.
Last Edit: Dec 23, 2023 10:55:23 GMT -5 by paulie74
Chip Kelly, and others are also advocating for guardrails around NIL. We are not naive; we get that football (and basketball) players were being paid in some fashion under the table in the past. NIL has brought all of it out in the open (and expanded the amount of compensation). Not the worst development, but it has become the Wild West, with the NCAA simply refusing to get involved and legislate parameters. Essentially you have free agency in the major college sports, not funded by the schools but by fan bases through collectives. And it is laughable that the NCAA insists that NIL not be used as an inducement for recruiting when it is exactly that.
Worse you have kids with no financial understanding or acumen, being represented by family and friends or other "agents", getting terrible advice as to what is available, and making poor transfer portal decisions, often ending up with no landing place at all, or playing in a lower division for less. Major college football and basketball desperately need structure. I have no idea what form that will take.
Wild West? for sure and getting wilder. Not sure if any structure instituted by the NCAA would last longer then one court law suit! Look at what has happened to the former transfer rules put in place to protect athletes and give them a chance to assimilate into their new college community. With all the money involved college sports have become a a business and the athletes no more then semi- professional employees of that business. The NCAA should drop the “C”and become the NAA. Let’s stop calling it an academic endeavor and call it what it is BIG BUSINESS. FSU included.
Things are definitely getting crazy. And it could get much wilder if Chris Murphy's bill to let players unionize passes in Congress. Players will be able to engage in collective bargaining, earn a percentage of each team's revenue, and even vote to strike! Imagine that, a college football or basketball strike. I would think most college sports fans would balk if it comes to that.
The thing that makes me think we’re leaving the MAAC is the MAAC adding Sacred Heart. Why would the MAAC want two members in Fairfield? That seems to me to be a replacement move by the MAAC. They believe we’re leaving so adding Sacred Heart gives them one school in Fairfield County.
But then Nemec goes and chairs the long range athletic planning committee of the MAAC. Why would he do that if we’ve made up our mind to go to another conference?
Sometime in the next few months, we’ll know if we’re staying in the MAAC or going to a new conference.
You may need to register on the MAAC Board to open. No subscription.
With the way a select few talk about Marist on that board, you would think the Red Foxes -> B1G was imminent. I only check in here daily to see what wild take Yankee will be crucified for next.
Post by brokenboat on Feb 14, 2024 10:19:35 GMT -5
If our basketball teams can find a way to win in March and advance to the NCAA's then I would think Fairfield may have suitors. Basketball performance has been holding us back.
But then Nemec goes and chairs the long range athletic planning committee of the MAAC. Why would he do that if we’ve made up our mind to go to another conference?
"Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer." -- Sun Tzu
Last Edit: Feb 14, 2024 11:25:29 GMT -5 by jenningsbeach
But then Nemec goes and chairs the long range athletic planning committee of the MAAC. Why would he do that if we’ve made up our mind to go to another conference?
"Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer." -- Sun Tzu
Exactly. Very smart. Stay involved. Be educated. As I have said before, I am not in as much of a rush anymore. Don’t know about Patriot League…. Competitive schools, but seems where school spirit, sport interest goes to die. That is not Fairfield’s history. We used to be home to the Stagsmaniacs! I think I would rather CAA on a path to the A-10. Or an automatic leap to A-10. Don’t sell Ffld short. We are rising fast!!!
Not sure I want Patriot but anything is better then the MAAC at this point. Only 1 team has left Patriot to "move up" and that is Fordham who was in the Patriot from 1990 to 1995 who left for A10. I cannot be in the MAAC with SHU, I just cant. I would be very shocked with we end up with 13 schools for the next two seasons. I think they were hedging the conference on movement down (like Hartford did) or movement out (most likely us or QU).
I agree with stagz, the path of CAA to A10 seems more likely given our basketball lack of success. We would really need a NCAAT appearance and some 20+ win seasons to boost our resume for a jump from MAAC straight to A10 IMO. I think more likely suiters are CofC (already rumored to be official as soon as their season is over) or Hofstra.
Unfortunately CAA is really only option in my mind right now because America East is all large Public schools (beyond Bryant) and Patriot I think would be great academic move but how much have you heard about Loyola or BU since 2013 in terms of athletics...no thanks.
You play 6 home and homes, 12 games. Then you play 3 home and 3 road to get to vs "CAA South" which right now (excluding CofC) you have 4 NC schools (could be 5 if High Point joins) and 2 VA schools, to get to 18 conference games total. So a NC weekend trip for 2 of the 3 road games then a standalone Va Trip or visa versa.
It is really not that bad when you look at it that way because all of the "CAA North" is a drive from Fairfield (better then Buffalo or Mount trips). Then, on a plane twice a conference season. I think whats great about the 7 in the North is the commitment to athletics (three new arenas in last 15 years) beyond academics which you cannot say for 80% of the MAAC. People will mention downside of 14 teams but MAAC has 13 next year so not sure I care anymore.
CAA will have to fill two spots with Delaware leaving and probably CofC. A lot of rumors swirl about CAA South looking to join other southern conferences too. So there is some risk in that they could not be a conference like we see it now in a few years but in that case I think the northern schools would stick together. Lastly, Albany is most likely second northern suited as they are already in CAA for football. Rumors are QU turned down calls from America East in past but would definitely follow Fairfield to CAA if invited.
Last Edit: Feb 14, 2024 12:43:45 GMT -5 by gostags13
Post by alsostagparty on Feb 14, 2024 12:55:03 GMT -5
I never understood Fairfield in the same conference as St. Peter’s, Canisius and Niagara, never mind Merrimack, LeMoyne and Sacred Heart. Hopefully there is a longer term fix that is being pursued. Perception is reality and it doesn’t help our overall profile. No offense to those schools. In fact, I admire their resolve to move up…something we simply talk about. When Quinny joined I predicted they would leap over us…that is getting closer to reality than ever.
Last Edit: Feb 14, 2024 12:58:08 GMT -5 by alsostagparty
Post by reindeerfan on Feb 14, 2024 13:26:30 GMT -5
I had hoped that the departure of some of the CAA south schools would create a situation where it can become primarily a northern conference, with a few MAAC schools filling the voids created by others leaving. There are reasonable schools in the AE, CAA and MAAC that I would love to see Fairfield aligned with. I do think Fairfield is in a decent position to get an invite to an upper conference, primarily because they help create a legitimate lacrosse conference. Strong performances in mens and women's basketball this season don't hurt our chances, and the increased attendance this year (2nd in the maac to Siena) and improved facilities also help Fairfield.
The idea of us being in a conference with schools I still think of as D2 like SHU, Quinnipiac, Marist and Merrimack is very undesirable. We've got to go. I still dream of A10, but I would take a CAA invite under the right arrangement and at this point I might even settle for the right deal to go patriot. We are no longer in a league of schools we want the Fairfield brand to be associated with. If I were Fairfield I would have voted against the addition of Quinnipiac and SHU. We are downgrading our brand.
Last Edit: Feb 14, 2024 15:25:56 GMT -5 by reindeerfan