Revenue list rankings for the LB8

Posted on: August 8, 2021 at 12:51:31 CT

22. TCU
33. Oklahoma State
34. Iowa State
35. Texas Tech
40. Kansas State
42. Baylor
56. Kansas
67. West Virginia

Notice how almost all of them in are in the top 50.

These are quality programs by any reasonable measure.

Now let's take the ACC, removing Clemson & FSU.

29. Miami
30. Virginia Tech
37. Louisville
41. NC State
45. Syracuse
48. Georgia Tech
51. Duke
52. North Carolina
53. Pitt
59. Virginia
60. Boston College
64. Wake Forest

Just as good, maybe better, depending on your preferences.

The big difference is that the ACC is not in a bargaining frame of mind and would demand full payouts for schools of similar caliber to the LB8.

And that's what I mean by 'pennies on the dollar'. Right now the lowest payouts can be negotiated due to TX & OU destroying the Big 12.

Further both TX & OU and the LB8 desperately want a solution right now, with impact for the 2022 season.

MOTIVATED SELLERS.

Personally I prefer the ACC, but they are not for sale right now, not at reasonable prices.

And there is no path to a super conference without decreasing payouts to lesser programs.

And I believe Sankey believes that a super conference, with a massive number of games available for sale in the next TV deal, gets the most revenue for the top tier teams.

On the other hand, if the LB8 is allowed to collapse, or if it simply adds SMU & Houston and proceeds as a sort of slightly better Mountain West, then value is lost. ESPN will pay much less for those games, as they should and the SEC will remain at 16 teams.

There is no crisis. This isn't a problem. Other than I think maximum revenue is generated from a 24 team SEC vs a 16 team SEC.

And finally, I think the B1G and the PAC-12 are now forced to seriously consider a merger. That will make them a 26-team conference with tiered payouts.

Maybe Sankey would prefer that deal be consummated before he proposes tiered payouts to the ACC...

Edited by TrumpToRushmore at 13:06:20 on 08/08/21