The ACC has settled their lawsuits with Florida State and Clemson on Tuesday.
What now for the ACC?
Does FSU and Clemson leave the conference? Nobody really knows for sure. But what if they do leave? Where would that leave the ACC? Can the conference survive beyond 2030?
In reality, it’s not likely the Noles and Tigers leave before the end of the 2030. However, after 2030 the exit fees drop substantially. If Clemson and FSU do leave in 2031, what will be the options for the conference and its member schools?
Planned Disbandment?
The ACC is locked into a media rights agreement with ESPN through 2036. That means their pool of revenue is not going to get any bigger until 2037. Therefore, the pie’s slices need to get bigger.
What if you take a bold step by disbanding the conference and forming a smaller 12-school conference? If ten or more of the member schools vote to disband the conference, the ACC will cease to exit.
A new 12-school conference, if populated properly, could be financially and competitively more attractive. The pie divided by twelve schools is far better than 18 schools dividing the pie. However, it will be critical to select schools that are not only geographically based but also“eyeball” attractive to ESPN. Money talks.
Tell me more.
“Alpha Conference”
Let’s call our new conference the “Alpha Conference” with 12 member schools.
How would you go about creating this conference?
STEP ONE: Invite top football brands… Miami and Notre Dame.
Yes, the Irish will give up their independence and join a conference if the money is right and a clear path to the playoffs is established. The college landscape is radically changing and Notre Dame doesn’t want to be caught on the outside looking in.
STEP TWO: Invite top best basketball brands… Duke, North Carolina and Connecticut (UConn)
STEP THREE: Invite Penn State. The Nittany Lions may be frustrated with their role as third fiddle to Ohio State and Michigan.
STEP FOUR: Invite Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech, NC State, Pittsburgh and Louisville. Remember, we need 10 votes to disband the ACC.
STEP FIVE: Establish Tiered Revenue & Performance Bonus
Why would Penn State and Notre Dame give up the big money they are getting now? Because Alpha Conference will give them more money!
Follow the money trail!
The goal should be for the most successful schools to receive revenue comparable to the SEC and B1G.
Tiered Revenue:
“Alpha” would use a regular season tiered revenue distribution model called Tier 444. The top four schools, by rolling TV ratings, would get the highest percentage of the regular season revenue. The next four schools get less, and the bottom four schools would get the smallest percentage.
Performance Bonus:
Add a performance bonus if a school advances to the CFP or Sweet Sixteen.
STEP SIX: Media rights with ESPN
ESPN is not going to give up their current ACC media rights deal that runs through 2036. So, offer them the same deal through 2038. It gives them two more years of a “sweetheart deal” and prevents them from causing legal issues. If that is not acceptable to ESPN, then open it up to competitive bids (ABC/ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC/Peacock).
BOTTOM LINE:
The Alpha Conference: Miami, Penn State, Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, Connecticut (UConn), Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Louisville.
...a strong presence in nine states including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana and Connecticut.
... strong footprint in major markets (New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Raleigh-Durham
...financially competitive with SEC & Big Ten
...regionally based (east of the Mississippi)
...competitive for national championships
Less is better, but the less needs to be much better.
GO CANES!
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