Good read:
excerpt:
wvsportsnow.com
Referencing Stewart Mandel of The Athletic and David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, two guys, DeCourcy said, who have excellent contacts and understanding of collegiate sports, DeCourcy reiterated their viewpoints that the Oklahoma and Texas moves may not trigger an avalanche. “The reality of the remaining Big 12 teams is that none move the needle enough for you to go ahead and move,” DeCourcy said.
While DeCourcy said there is some logic in that rationale, logic doesn’t always play into these sorts of decisions. If the ACC wants to poach from the Big 12, he said WVU is the only logical choice — and that it’d be a good landing spot for the Mountaineers.
However, a reconfigured Big 12 conference, which would maintain its autonomy five conference status in this case (probably the most important situation for WVU to retain, for more information on autonomy), would offer a new route for WVU. Albeit, a route with less revenue than the previous Big 12 iteration.
“In the NCAA bylaws right now, the Big 12 stands as an autonomy five conference,” DeCourcy said. “It’s written into whatever documents they have, whatever sacred stones they have, they’re one of them.” The AAC is not.
If the Big 12 were to add some combination or all of Memphis, UCF, Houston and/or Cincinnati, the conference would likely survive. With the rapidly changing landscape of streaming, cable and digital media, a new TV deal in 2025 could look vastly different. So, DeCourcy said, while a new Big 12 wouldn’t make SEC or Big 10 money, the conference was never going to in the first place.
“[A new TV deal] would definitely be worth less,” DeCourcy said. “In the cable world, it would be worth less. But the cable world isn’t the only world now. So, that’s what the Big 12 would have to future out. Is there a revenue stream out there that could make us whole or improve our luck?”
Streaming is still relatively new, and the number of streamers, on a per team basis and nationally, and the actual streaming services will be vastly different by then. Hulu offers live sports, and Amazon is jumping into streaming the NFL. Which company is next?
From a football perspective, WVU would have better chances in a revamped Big 12 than one with Oklahoma still around.
“The best thing for West Virginia is they don’t tumble off the map necessarily because of Texas or Oklahoma,” DeCourcy said. “The coming expansion of the football playoff, the way it was presented initially, the top conferences get an auto-bid. You know what that says for West Virginia? If we’re in and Oklahoma and Texas are gone, we might actually get that bid.”
excerpt:
An Expanded Big 12 Could Provide A Way Forward For West Virginia
An Expanded Big 12 Could Provide A Way Forward For West Virginia
When discussing what’s going to happen to West Virginia in the wake of Oklahoma and Texas heading off to the SEC, with the SEC expected to approve their invitations to the conference as early as Friday, WVU is often a non-issue. If you read any article on ESPN, The Athletic, Yahoo or wherever...
wvsportsnow.com
Referencing Stewart Mandel of The Athletic and David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News, two guys, DeCourcy said, who have excellent contacts and understanding of collegiate sports, DeCourcy reiterated their viewpoints that the Oklahoma and Texas moves may not trigger an avalanche. “The reality of the remaining Big 12 teams is that none move the needle enough for you to go ahead and move,” DeCourcy said.
While DeCourcy said there is some logic in that rationale, logic doesn’t always play into these sorts of decisions. If the ACC wants to poach from the Big 12, he said WVU is the only logical choice — and that it’d be a good landing spot for the Mountaineers.
However, a reconfigured Big 12 conference, which would maintain its autonomy five conference status in this case (probably the most important situation for WVU to retain, for more information on autonomy), would offer a new route for WVU. Albeit, a route with less revenue than the previous Big 12 iteration.
“In the NCAA bylaws right now, the Big 12 stands as an autonomy five conference,” DeCourcy said. “It’s written into whatever documents they have, whatever sacred stones they have, they’re one of them.” The AAC is not.
If the Big 12 were to add some combination or all of Memphis, UCF, Houston and/or Cincinnati, the conference would likely survive. With the rapidly changing landscape of streaming, cable and digital media, a new TV deal in 2025 could look vastly different. So, DeCourcy said, while a new Big 12 wouldn’t make SEC or Big 10 money, the conference was never going to in the first place.
“[A new TV deal] would definitely be worth less,” DeCourcy said. “In the cable world, it would be worth less. But the cable world isn’t the only world now. So, that’s what the Big 12 would have to future out. Is there a revenue stream out there that could make us whole or improve our luck?”
Streaming is still relatively new, and the number of streamers, on a per team basis and nationally, and the actual streaming services will be vastly different by then. Hulu offers live sports, and Amazon is jumping into streaming the NFL. Which company is next?
From a football perspective, WVU would have better chances in a revamped Big 12 than one with Oklahoma still around.
“The best thing for West Virginia is they don’t tumble off the map necessarily because of Texas or Oklahoma,” DeCourcy said. “The coming expansion of the football playoff, the way it was presented initially, the top conferences get an auto-bid. You know what that says for West Virginia? If we’re in and Oklahoma and Texas are gone, we might actually get that bid.”
