Here are some things some fans may not understand about realignment discussion
1. Iowa State has little say on where we end up. We can't simply call the Big 10 or Pac and magically get in. We are a small market team, and have to open things open up for us. The surest place for Iowa State is to keep the Big 12 alive and rebuild it for the future. Other options are at the whim of other conferences and TV money.
2. Conferences don't have money laying around to add teams. TV contracts are set for the next few years. Unless a media partner offers up money to pay teams to move (like OU and Texas to the SEC) there simply is no money to add teams. The only way to do it would be to subtract money from existing members, and that won't happen.
3. Conference changes will most likely happen with new TV deals, if they do happen. There could be a lot of movement, or very little or none. Traditional networks, including ESPN are not flush with extra cash, so who knows what will happen. It is critical for the Big 12 to find potential new partners if it can, and that's not easy.
4. It seems very likely both Texas and OU are counting on a 12 team playoff. If it stays at four, their path to the playoff is very narrow. Keeping the current setup could stop the SEC from going after other blue bloods, and in fact could make OU do a double take.
5. The BEST THING IOWA STATE CAN DO to improve its position is to win in football. That is the only thing that can potentially make us attractive to another conference. And that takes a good coach and money. And we have a great coach, no doubt about it.
6. Our AD would love to waive his magic wand and transport us to the Big 10, but its the Big 10 and a new TV contact that can make that happen, and we are some time from that if at all.
1. Iowa State has little say on where we end up. We can't simply call the Big 10 or Pac and magically get in. We are a small market team, and have to open things open up for us. The surest place for Iowa State is to keep the Big 12 alive and rebuild it for the future. Other options are at the whim of other conferences and TV money.
2. Conferences don't have money laying around to add teams. TV contracts are set for the next few years. Unless a media partner offers up money to pay teams to move (like OU and Texas to the SEC) there simply is no money to add teams. The only way to do it would be to subtract money from existing members, and that won't happen.
3. Conference changes will most likely happen with new TV deals, if they do happen. There could be a lot of movement, or very little or none. Traditional networks, including ESPN are not flush with extra cash, so who knows what will happen. It is critical for the Big 12 to find potential new partners if it can, and that's not easy.
4. It seems very likely both Texas and OU are counting on a 12 team playoff. If it stays at four, their path to the playoff is very narrow. Keeping the current setup could stop the SEC from going after other blue bloods, and in fact could make OU do a double take.
5. The BEST THING IOWA STATE CAN DO to improve its position is to win in football. That is the only thing that can potentially make us attractive to another conference. And that takes a good coach and money. And we have a great coach, no doubt about it.
6. Our AD would love to waive his magic wand and transport us to the Big 10, but its the Big 10 and a new TV contact that can make that happen, and we are some time from that if at all.
