South Platte said:
Given the NIL, stadium/resource size, there are many schools in that list that can no longer compete with the larger programs. It's completely the court ruling, NIL, NCAA, and ESPN's fault. They were hanging in there for decades, but now it's over for them.
Eliminate conference-based TV contracts and implement revenue sharing, then there might be a discussion for regionally based realignment.
I hate that this is true, but it is true. I am a Tech grad, and I am watching what Tech is doing with my mouth hanging open, because Tech is kicking its way into the old boy network that is college football. It's happening mostly because of Cody Campbell, and to a lesser but important degree, Patrick Mahomes (and lesser still, but important, a bunch of rabid Tech fans). Were it not for Campbell and Mahomes, however, Tech would be one of those teams that couldn't keep up. And it remains to be seen how long we can maintain our current trajectory. I hope it's a long time. Spending the same amount of money as Texas, A&M, Georgia, tOSU, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, etc. isn't enough - Tech has to outspend them. And for this year at least, it's working.
But in the Big 12, as in much of the country, there are lots of schools that can't and will never be able to do what Tech is doing. They will become less and less relevant.
And the SEC especially hates what Tech is doing. HATE it. They led the charge to remove the conference champions from getting byes this year, and they are already pushing for another change to remove automatic qualifiers for the CFP.
The SEC was also pushing for a cap on NIL spending, in part as a response to what Tech did in the spring, but that isn't moving forward (yet). But they are also leading the movement to change athlete payment through revenue sharing, which will benefit teams with big stadiums and big media contracts more than smaller schools/conferences.
To their credit, the SEC is both smart and powerful. But it is also hurting the sport overall.
I think eventually there will be separate leagues similar to FBS vs FCS now, only with the top division being much smaller than the FBS currently is, and will likely be anchored by the SEC, B1G, and whatever schools they choose to cherry pick to bring with them.
Maybe that's the better thing anyway. That model would let smaller schools who don't have huge alumni bases with billionaire boosters to compete on a level playing field. It remains to be seen whether Tech would be invited to play by our "superiors".
