Or is that all on the football board mainly? I suppose all of us are deeply concerned. This is an existential situation, I believe, especially with our crushing debt. I am hopeful that a workable solution will be found.

Basketball is here for the ride. No real say, no discussion.

parentswerebears said:

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Basketball is here for the ride. No real say, no discussion.

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In terms of conferences, joining the ACC would probably be best for basketball from a recruiting standpoint.

Big 10 is probably better in terms of travel.

I hate to think about the other options but at least in basketball you only have to be one of the best 70 teams or so to get into the dance. It is not closed off to mid-majors like the football playoffs are.

Although Cal might get invited to the FOX/ESPN conferences in a few years, the next few will likely be in the MWC or some form of independence. Honestly, Cal has a better chance making the tourney in the MWC than elsewhere.

BeachedBear said:

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Although Cal might get invited to the FOX/ESPN conferences in a few years, the next few will likely be in the MWC or some form of independence. Honestly, Cal has a better chance making the tourney in the MWC than elsewhere.

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The WCC would be a better choice - if we can find a conference for football.

StrawberryCanyon said:

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BeachedBear said:

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Although Cal might get invited to the FOX/ESPN conferences in a few years, the next few will likely be in the MWC or some form of independence. Honestly, Cal has a better chance making the tourney in the MWC than elsewhere.

---

The WCC would be a better choice - if we can find a conference for football.

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I want the B1G or ACC for football. With the B1G we'd have 6 team pod in the west so we probably put all our teams in the B1G, or the minimum.

The ACC is just not practical for the non-revenue sports so we need to join a local conference for those sports, and as much as ACC basketball is great, I think we have to have basketball in that conference too. The MWC is a bit spread out with lengthy travel. I think the choices are the WCC or the Big West. WCC is small private schools (Stanford would like) the Big West is all big California public schools plus Hawaii. WCC has Gonzaga.

So if we do end up in the ACC for football, my preference is the other sports to the Big West for the greatest budget savings, but with plenty of OOC matchups with the ACC.

StrawberryCanyon said:

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BeachedBear said:

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Although Cal might get invited to the FOX/ESPN conferences in a few years, the next few will likely be in the MWC or some form of independence. Honestly, Cal has a better chance making the tourney in the MWC than elsewhere.

---

The WCC would be a better choice - if we can find a conference for football.

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With Gonzaga and St. Mary's in the WCC, we'd be hoping for a 3rd WCC bid to the Dance in many, if not most, years. That's going to be tough.

we would replace BYU as a power team in the WCC

I thought you had to also be a religious school for the WCC.

Does Berkeleyism count as a religion? Berkelium counts as an element.

harebear said:

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I thought you had to also be a religious school for the WCC.

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They are all small, private Catholic or Methodist schools. I don't know why people think they are a good fit other than having some good basketball teams.

Best would be B1G west coast pod, next is ACC for football, Big West for all others sports (with regular OOC series with the ACC). Third is Pac-4 with a scheduling alliance for 2024.

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

socaltownie said:

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Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

calumnus said:

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socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

socaltownie said:

---

calumnus said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

---

Sure, why not? I'm sure the Pepsi and pork rind set will love this. And viewers like me will do exactly what we do with pro sports; watch maybe a quarter of a playoff game here or there, and DVR the first half of the championship so I can skip the commercials and maybe see the last 15 minutes live.

HearstMining said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

calumnus said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

---

Sure, why not? I'm sure the Pepsi and pork rind set will love this. And viewers like me will do exactly what we do with pro sports; watch maybe a quarter of a playoff game here or there, and DVR the first half of the championship so I can skip the commercials and maybe see the last 15 minutes live.

---

See another thread. You are irrevlevent. A good econometric studied showed pretty good evidence (from their study design) that fully 40% of viewers of college football are there for the gambling action.

socaltownie said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

calumnus said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

---

Sure, why not? I'm sure the Pepsi and pork rind set will love this. And viewers like me will do exactly what we do with pro sports; watch maybe a quarter of a playoff game here or there, and DVR the first half of the championship so I can skip the commercials and maybe see the last 15 minutes live.

---

See another thread. You are irrevlevent. A good econometric studied showed pretty good evidence (from their study design) that fully 40% of viewers of college football are there for the gambling action.

---

Interesting. I would think gamblers are concerned with outcomes and not process.

Maybe another take is that a lot of college football fans gamble rather than gamblers like to watch college football?

dimitrig said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

calumnus said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

---

Sure, why not? I'm sure the Pepsi and pork rind set will love this. And viewers like me will do exactly what we do with pro sports; watch maybe a quarter of a playoff game here or there, and DVR the first half of the championship so I can skip the commercials and maybe see the last 15 minutes live.

---

See another thread. You are irrevlevent. A good econometric studied showed pretty good evidence (from their study design) that fully 40% of viewers of college football are there for the gambling action.

---

Interesting. I would think gamblers are concerned with outcomes and not process.

Maybe another take is that a lot of college football fans gamble rather than gamblers like to watch college football?

---

Hey, I may be irrelevant, but calling me "irrevlevent" is a shot below the belt. Racetracks are the best example I can point at that gamblers are concerned about process, but Golden Gate fields is shutting down, so I guess that's changing.

HearstMining said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

calumnus said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

---

Sure, why not? I'm sure the Pepsi and pork rind set will love this. And viewers like me will do exactly what we do with pro sports; watch maybe a quarter of a playoff game here or there, and DVR the first half of the championship so I can skip the commercials and maybe see the last 15 minutes live.

---

See another thread. You are irrevlevent. A good econometric studied showed pretty good evidence (from their study design) that fully 40% of viewers of college football are there for the gambling action.

---

Interesting. I would think gamblers are concerned with outcomes and not process.

Maybe another take is that a lot of college football fans gamble rather than gamblers like to watch college football?

---

Hey, I may be irrelevant, but calling me "irrevlevent" is a shot below the belt. Racetracks are the best example I can point at that gamblers are concerned about process, but Golden Gate fields is shutting down, so I guess that's changing.

---

Horse racing is pretty different, though. It helps to see the horses and how they are reacting and how they perform and progress.

Not so sure that betting a spread needs that same level of information where you need to know what the teams ate the day before.

HearstMining said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

HearstMining said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

calumnus said:

---

socaltownie said:

---

Bears and Furd in the MWC (which apparently is off the table) would actually create a very competitive multi-bid conference.

---

It is interesting. Playoff expansion in football is actually is a counter to the super conference trend. Being a big power in a small conference is the best path to the playoffs and then advancing. It is Fox and ESPN and the huge discrepancy in media contracts they offer that is driving consolidation.

---

that I think doesn't account for the next round of CFP.
PURE cystal balling but......

Field of 16. (4 weeks but I still think they do this cause who cares about the kids)
top 6 from SEC and B1G.
Notre Dame gets 1 if they finish above X and Y.
3 to EVERYONE else based on rankings/selection committee

I don't see B1G and SEC being enthused about any less than 8 teams in that scenario and framkly I think they push for 12 (3 from each of their "divisions"

---

Sure, why not? I'm sure the Pepsi and pork rind set will love this. And viewers like me will do exactly what we do with pro sports; watch maybe a quarter of a playoff game here or there, and DVR the first half of the championship so I can skip the commercials and maybe see the last 15 minutes live.

---

See another thread. You are irrevlevent. A good econometric studied showed pretty good evidence (from their study design) that fully 40% of viewers of college football are there for the gambling action.

---

Interesting. I would think gamblers are concerned with outcomes and not process.

Maybe another take is that a lot of college football fans gamble rather than gamblers like to watch college football?

---

Hey, I may be irrelevant, but calling me "irrevlevent" is a shot below the belt. Racetracks are the best example I can point at that gamblers are concerned about process, but Golden Gate fields is shutting down, so I guess that's changing.

---

Irrevelent from the TV folks.

They are picking up casusals who will watch anything during the holidays and again football gabmblers.

IIRC - using econometric models to isolate other factors they found that as games got closer to the spread (and again, could be 3 points, could be 30 viewership increased quarter over quarter).

Alot of the arguments about college football just are pinning for the olden days. With the rise of legalized book making and the pervasive nature of sports betting (and fantasy which in many cases is just fancy prop betting) that has fundamentally changed what TV execs. are looking for.