B1G/Pac Scheduling Agreement

[e0y2e3]

Crazy stuff going down here. Starting in 2017 (hardy har, the year after the B1G ESPN deal expires) B1G and Pac teams will be playing an OoC game annually, almost like the ACC/B1G challenge.

Some crazy rumors around this including a growing belief that scUM is going to drop ND from their schedule. Delaney can certainly use this as leverage to force a move from the ND and Texas' of the world. If the B1G stays with the 9 game conference schedule and adds this game on top of it that leaves 2 OoC games a year for schools to schedule on their own.

Going to be really interesting to see how this effects scheduling re: that 9th B1G game and expansion, especially for ND. A quick look and it seems like Delaney is trying to force ND out of being able to schedule B1G teams without joining the B1G.

[Kingpin74]

Some crazy rumors around this including a growing belief that scUM is going to drop ND from their schedule.

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I think everyone is getting sick of ND's dog and pony show of staying independent, especially as they get less and less relevant nationally. Plus Michigan's schedule is currently on an OSU/Nebraska/ND road kick every two years that I'm sure our AD would love to get rid of. Michigan and ND are on some ridiculous 50 year contract but I think the buyout is fairly typical.

And I'm very happy with any real non-conference matchups in college football. I think one of the most damning arguments against the BCS is how much it's pussified the scheduling.

[e0y2e3]

Also, as of right now OSU has Oklahoma and UNC scheduled for 2017. That's gotta be changing.

[e0y2e3]

And Thamel, NYT reporter that broke this, is claiming there will no longer be a 9th B1G game, that this will essentially "replace" it. Which makes sense, as Furls already posted here, you are taking a good chunk of moneya way from OSU with one more forced road game rotation, let alone two.

[Triple-S]

I'm assuming PAC and BIG are about to give ESPN the finger when it comes to negotiating broadcasting packages and get a deal with fox now?

[e0y2e3]

I wouldn't be shocked to see the B1G adapt the Fox/ESPN spit the Pac is currently using to maximize revenue.

[e0y2e3]

Also, NBC sports could be a sleeping giant by 2016 when this all comes about. I don't have a ton of faith in their new network, but at least they are trying.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I shit on ESPN.

[furls]

I do think this is a measured attack against ESPN and the B1G's next contract. This is huge and hopefully it is well managed. If I was the guy pulling the trigger on this from the B1G offices I would set it up this way:

The games are set up as home and homes where the B1G's best from '15 plays the PAC's best from '15, the B1G's #2 plays the PAC's #2 from the end of the '15 season and so on until you get to the Indiana's and WSU's (although with Leach that will be changing). Then at the end of the 2017 season you reset the matchups. The game should ALWAYs be played on the 3rd or 4th week of the season, with the games evenly split between the 2 weeks to maximize exposure and minimize scheduling conflicts with other non con games.

Doing it this way allows the B1G/PAC to make sure that their match ups are always (as much as you can predict) relevant. These games were scheduled so far in advance that you don't know what kind of team you will be getting by the time you play them.

In the end, as long as tOSU doesn't end up playing Utah or Colorado and USC doesn't end up playing IU this is an absolute homerun.

Watch for the SEC to follow suit in the very near future with a similar arrangement with the ACC. This is just too damn good of an idea for them to not join in. Although it does mean that one of their teams will have to venture north of the mason-dixon line!

[e0y2e3]

OSU will play Utah and Colorado some years. It has been made clear teams (OSU) will only have one major OoC game a year. That means during the Oklahoma years (17 and 18) expect to play lower level PAC teams.

[JCoz]

OSU will play Utah and Colorado some years. It has been made clear teams (OSU) will only have one major OoC game a year. That means during the Oklahoma years (17 and 18) expect to play lower level PAC teams.

If they keep those commitments.

[e0y2e3]

Smith said they are, so there is that.

[JCoz]

That's still 5 years off, long after Smith is gone, I hope.

[e0y2e3]

I highly, highly, highly doubt they break a contract with Oklahoma.

[JCoz]

I hear you E0, but there are many moving parts here, hell there isn't a guarantee that Oklahoma is in the same conference in 5 years, it might be them who breaks the commitment.

I'm just saying that its not given that series happens.

[StewieG]

This is now off. PAC-12 pulled out.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... artnership

[e0y2e3]

4 Pac teams ruined the Biggie and Pac dream.