We may have to start winning

BoNeyard

BoNeyard

New member
College Football is changing rapidly and although today things may seem stable, I don't trust it. The networks are calling the shots and it is very concerning for the future of college football. This round of realignment and media deals completely wiped out a athletic conference that has been around for 100+ years. No one is safe and that includes Nebraska. We got lucky back when we join the Big Ten, our brand was very strong, we had history and not only were we playing competitive football, the Nebraska fans were an attractive market for the Big Ten. But the last 10 years we have been mediocre to down right bad. 

My concern is the next round of media rights and discussions may see non-competitive programs and teams being kicked out of conferences. I get when Rutgers and Maryland joined it was to gobble up the TV markets as that was seen as a big deal, but I think what ESPN and FOX are going to be wanting in the next round is simply competitive games every single Saturday. They want people glued to their TV's all day Saturday, similar to how the NFL runs Sunday's. I think these networks will realize that they'd rather have Michigan vs USC and Ohio State vs Penn State type of games then Ohio State vs Maryland or having to air Purdue vs Northwestern. 

I could see the Big Ten getting rid of teams like Maryland, Rutgers, maybe even Indiana and Purdue to make room for teams like Clemson, FSU and Miami. With geography, traditions and rivalries out the window, the Big Ten/FOX could be looking to make Saturday's as jam packed as possible with top winning programs knowing college football fans from all over are going to tune in and watch, instead of focusing on getting the New Jersey TV market for an awful Rutgers program. 

If Nebraska doesn't start winning and becoming competitive, I worry when that TV deal comes back up and that is the philosophy of the networks, that Nebraska may not qualify for a spot at the table. At this time we will be nearing 20 years of irrelevancy on the big stage and our small market sized state suddenly doesn't have all that much to offer. Do we travel well? Heck yes we do, Nebraska fans are the sole reason we likely got into the Big Ten originally and certainly has been the only reason this program continues to hold a big name brand, but with less and less emphasis on ticket sales, and the uncertainty of if the new generation of Nebraska fans will be as loyal as the previous generation, man I don't know if we become that attractive. 

It's worrisome times, I don't trust any of it, and the only way to make sure we remain worthy of qualifications to a big time conference is to win. I love college football, but these are some ugly times.

 
BoNeyard said:
College Football is changing rapidly and although today things may seem stable, I don't trust it. The networks are calling the shots and it is very concerning for the future of college football. This round of realignment and media deals completely wiped out a athletic conference that has been around for 100+ years. No one is safe and that includes Nebraska. We got lucky back when we join the Big Ten, our brand was very strong, we had history and not only were we playing competitive football, the Nebraska fans were an attractive market for the Big Ten. But the last 10 years we have been mediocre to down right bad. 

My concern is the next round of media rights and discussions may see non-competitive programs and teams being kicked out of conferences. I get when Rutgers and Maryland joined it was to gobble up the TV markets as that was seen as a big deal, but I think what ESPN and FOX are going to be wanting in the next round is simply competitive games every single Saturday. They want people glued to their TV's all day Saturday, similar to how the NFL runs Sunday's. I think these networks will realize that they'd rather have Michigan vs USC and Ohio State vs Penn State type of games then Ohio State vs Maryland or having to air Purdue vs Northwestern. 

I could see the Big Ten getting rid of teams like Maryland, Rutgers, maybe even Indiana and Purdue to make room for teams like Clemson, FSU and Miami. With geography, traditions and rivalries out the window, the Big Ten/FOX could be looking to make Saturday's as jam packed as possible with top winning programs knowing college football fans from all over are going to tune in and watch, instead of focusing on getting the New Jersey TV market for an awful Rutgers program. 

If Nebraska doesn't start winning and becoming competitive, I worry when that TV deal comes back up and that is the philosophy of the networks, that Nebraska may not qualify for a spot at the table. At this time we will be nearing 20 years of irrelevancy on the big stage and our small market sized state suddenly doesn't have all that much to offer. Do we travel well? Heck yes we do, Nebraska fans are the sole reason we likely got into the Big Ten originally and certainly has been the only reason this program continues to hold a big name brand, but with less and less emphasis on ticket sales, and the uncertainty of if the new generation of Nebraska fans will be as loyal as the previous generation, man I don't know if we become that attractive. 

It's worrisome times, I don't trust any of it, and the only way to make sure we remain worthy of qualifications to a big time conference is to win. I love college football, but these are some ugly times.
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I get the sentiment, and agree TV money could start to dry up/be reduced, but no one is getting kicked out of conferences.  You'll have lawsuits galore, and that would be way too messy. 

I could see completely new leagues for football only some day after a full break from the NCAA, and schools not being included then, but I give it about a 2% chance a school gets kicked out of a conference as things are constructed now.

 
runningblind said:
I get the sentiment, and agree TV money could start to dry up/be reduced, but no one is getting kicked out of conferences.  You'll have lawsuits galore, and that would be way too messy. 

I could see completely new leagues for football only some day after a full break from the NCAA, and schools not being included then, but I give it about a 2% chance a school gets kicked out of a conference as things are constructed now.
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Maybe this is what it all morphs into and maybe that is 15 years down the road, but I can see FOX and ESPN creating a AFC/NFC type of league, SEC and some ACC teams for the AFC and the West coast teams and Big Ten/Big 12 teams to create a NFC. Only the best and strongest programs make the cut. You mentioned this could happen after a break from the NCAA, well the NCAA base has never been this unstable. With NIL, the transfer portal, the concerns of all these Olympic sports taking a back seat to football, it just seems like the future is very gloom within the NCAA. Honestly I think if it was really up to the NCAA they wouldn't have allowed a conference to just disappear. 

It may not be long before the money and the networks start to throw around the idea that football does break away and have their own entity.

 
BoNeyard said:
The networks are calling the shots and it is very concerning for the future of college football.
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I wouldn't argue that at all. What makes this round of realignment unique is it was not initiated by a conference attempting to become stronger. This round was initiated because the networks are mostly tapped out of funds and the PAC was therefore struggling to put together a competitive media deal. Ultimately that led to member institutions leaving for better situations.

The really worrying thing here is what the financial landscape looks going forward as media distribution networks change. Nobody is really sure at the moment what the future holds as cable declines and streaming attempts to fill the gap. Financially, everyone is getting tapped out as they all spend money they don't really have to secure anchors that they think will make theconsumer choose them over their competitors.

This is very different from any previous era. In the broadcast era, the consumer had access to any of the 3 broadcast networks they were capable of receiving. In the cable era, the consumer paid one cost to the cable company and didn't really care if the networks carried by that provider were competing with one another. In the streaming era, everything is ala carte and the consumer must choose which services they will subscribe.

 
brophog said:
I wouldn't argue that at all. What makes this round of realignment unique is it was not initiated by a conference attempting to become stronger. This round was initiated because the networks are mostly tapped out of funds and the PAC was therefore struggling to put together a competitive media deal. Ultimately that led to member institutions leaving for better situations.

The really worrying thing here is what the financial landscape looks going forward as media distribution networks change. Nobody is really sure at the moment what the future holds as cable declines and streaming attempts to fill the gap. Financially, everyone is getting tapped out as they all spend money they don't really have to secure anchors that they think will make theconsumer choose them over their competitors.

This is very different from any previous era. In the broadcast era, the consumer had access to any of the 3 broadcast networks they were capable of receiving. In the cable era, the consumer paid one cost to the cable company and didn't really care if the networks carried by that provider were competing with one another. In the streaming era, everything is ala carte and the consumer must choose which services they will subscribe.
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Good points. Right now members of the Big Ten are loaded with cash thanks to their media partnership, but that well could run dry by the next media rights deal. Who knows what things look like when that time comes around. I trust in Nebraska's leaders, but the future of this program and therefore the state, given the economic reliance on Nebraska football, are in their hands. I hope they manage the budget appropriately and set the university up for success or at least stability when that next round of media rights comes around.

 
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