Nebraska President Predicts More Conference Realignment in Next Year
If it feels like the calm before the storm for conference realignment, well, you’re not alone.
Nebraska President Ted Carter told Omaha World-Herald‘s Tom Shatel “a lot of big things” are coming over the next year.
Carter added, “I think we have another year or two of the status quo, with a few minor changes. But I think over the next year there’s going to be a lot of big changes that are going to happen.”
“Two teams that move from one of the power five conferences that cause things to unravel,” Carter said. “There’s a domino effect. One team leaves (ACC) it has a domino effect. Same with the Pac-12.”
“But they (Pac-12) are talking about adding somebody so it may not have the same effect.”
At this point, we know that the Big 12 is in a holding pattern as the league waits to see what happens with the Pac-12 TV contract. If the Pac-12 cannot land the TV deal many in the league believe will be sufficient to keep up with the Power 5, expect Big 12 targets like Colorado and Arizona to take a serious look, if not jump ASAP, to the Big 12, where commissioner Brett Yormark is waiting with open arms. Yormark has also reportedly been exploring the possibility of adding UConn following the program’s National Championship in basketball last month.
Then, there’s the ACC news from the past week, where seven of the football-first schools have reportedly been exploring ways out of their Grant of Rights. The ACC is stuck in what is widely regarded as the worst television deal in college athletics, a 20-year agreement that runs through 2036 and pays each school about $17 million per year.
Another thing to watch in this game of chess is Notre Dame. Their deal with NBC ends in 2024 and the Irish currently make $22 million annually from NBC and reportedly are seeking $75 million. Will NBC want to pay that? The network is now involved with the Big Ten, which has long been considered a natural fit for the Irish anyway. However, ND plays the rest of its sports in the ACC.
Regardless, the next several weeks will likely help clear up some of what’s to come on the conference realignment front regarding the Big 12 and Pac-12, and then from there, it’s anybody’s guess.
