Wait, Whose Move Is It?

A few weeks ago, Texas A&M made a decision that was the equivalent of the first move of a nationwide chess match between five separate players. It is as confusing as it sounds. But, amid all of the he said she said 24-hour coverage, the one thing that is very prevalent to me is that there can be a lot of positive factors that can come from this. Greater parity, more intriguing alignments and even the possibility to the end of the current format, are all very distinct and real possibilities. The winners of this giant chess match grossly outweigh the losers in a greatly positive way. 

The biggest winner is the fans. Fans drive the market, whether it is buying jerseys, television packages, or tickets to the games. The fans are going to get the most out of their product from realignment. The possibilities of better match-ups, ratings, and competition are through the roof. Gone are the days of the cupcake non-conference schedule; there are simply too many opportunities to make the on-field product better. There is a way that the shuffling that is occurring can make the regular season somewhat of a playoff (oh my God did he just say the “P” word?)…but more on that later. The fans have a possibility of a USC-Texas and an Oklahoma-Oregon match-up every year in football, and on the opposite coast a Pitt-Duke and UNC-Syracuse basketball game every year. Whether you are a fan of these teams or a fan of the sport, or have a vague idea of what the Final Four is and what the BCS stands for then these games are exciting, not just for the sport, but for the schools and the kids that want to go there.

The next biggest winners are the schools themselves. Yes, I said the schools. Not just some, but all the major universities. The obvious winners are Syracuse, Pitt, Texas A&M, (and possibly UConn and Rutgers), but there are so many more opportunities for others to compete. For instance, let’s look at the now-dilapidated Big East. Teams like West Virginia, South Florida and Louisville now have to opportunity to be looked at by the SEC, and the rest of the schools have an opportunity in the Big 10. We don’t know how many the magic number is going to be. It could stop at 16 or go to as many as 20. That opens the door of possibility for all of these schools to be looked at by other, more impressive conference than their previous one. Looks at the other conference that is taking a hit, the Big 12, you see the same thing going on. Teams like Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State could become attractive to the Big 10; or ever bunch with the left over Texas schools, Boise and others to create another power conference. So yes, even top “non-AQ” schools can win in this system. Basketball also has the opportunity prosper in this system. The ACC has added to its already stellar basketball brand and could have more to come, and there are many great basketball programs up for grabs that can make the conference that much more attractive. The parity within college athletics can reach a level that it has never been. There is no longer such a large disconnect between the “haves” and have “nots” because the playing field is more equal now. The top quarterback in the state of West Virginia now has a better reason to stay home and play against SEC competition instead of heading south to another school. It gives formally lower-tier teams more of a competitive advantage than they previously had. The schools will receive greater recognition through athletics and we all know what that can accomplish.

The last winners are the lower level FBS schools. Many people feel they are being left behind, and in a sense they are, but they pretty much have already been left behind long before now. This separation that will occur will do more good than harm for those schools who have never quite made it. Gone will be the days of Florida Atlantic playing Florida one week and Michigan State the next. Even though the larger schools are paying the smaller schools for these trips, there is still a great deal of money being lost, and with these games out of the way, there is a greater opportunity for these schools to operate in the green instead of the red. Travel costs can be so much greater than the stipends paid that these trips to larger universities make no sense. They are bad for both schools, television, and the fans. These weeks will be greater served for schools to have home games and make money off of those contests. 

The only losers in this chess match are the NCAA and the BCS. These entities has the opportunity to be rendered obsolete. The NCAA will no longer have its stranglehold over the landscape as the conferences and its commissioners demonstrate that they indeed hold all the power. The conferences can essentially govern themselves both in football and basketball. The need for an entity like the NCAA is virtually non-existent, and with the NCAA gone the BCS is short to follow. With conferences changing there is no more basis for “automatic qualifiers” and the bowl system is blown up because older affiliations are no longer relevant. This opens the way for a (get ready)…PLAYOFF SYSTEM (dun dun dunnnnn). The conferences and their divisions act as preliminary rounds or pools where the best ones advance on to a national playoff. This is something that the fans have wanted for years and the schools can use to their advantage, and there is finally a way to get there.

We are all currently spectators to the most turbulent time in college athletics. Dominoes are falling from New Jersey to the west coast. I am not saying that every single school and fan is going to be happy when the dust settles, but there is definitely a possibility and an outcome that can be beneficial for everyone. Schools and conference are making moves, and all we can do is sit back and watch it unfold.

The Power of Television (and Texas)

Young adults my age can think of many times that they have listened to their parents reminisce about "back in the day" when "there was one college football game on television each week," and who knows, maybe it was even "in black and white!" But those days are in the distant past with the new age of television contracts that are the new "in thing" of college athletics. The Big Ten paved the way in 2007 with their Big Ten Network affiliating itself with FOX to create programming both in the form of events as well as programming affiliated with the conference members. Most recently the Pac-12 has had interest in joining the party that has become all the rage. Schools have even gone so far as to make individual agreements with networks to exclusively televise games. These networks are fantastic revenue builders and can bring an end to athletic programs ending the year in the red. 

The most recent addition to the party is the University of Texas. The new Longhorn Network is the first of its kind, melding extensive coverage of athletic events and original programming debuting in August. Notre Dame started it with its agreement with NBC to televise games, and at the state’s motto says UT “did it bigger.” The Longhorns’ athletics department is consistently the most lucrative athletics department in the nation so naturally they wanted to make that profit bigger, and this network is a huge idea with huge benefits. Not only does it get every single UT sport out there, but it brings awareness to the entire school. They took the mold of the Big Ten Network coupling games with original programming. This is a great thing not only for the athletics department, but also the entire school as well. It is a great way to allow for prospective students all around the world to have to potential to see this network. Recruits can learn about the school and become familiar with the idea of playing in Austin, and let’s be honest who would not love playing every game on television?

While UT is taking the individual route, conferences are making the move to have television deals with networks to exclusively televise games throughout the season. This is a fantastic revenue builder for all of the teams in a conference, but it also is great for the strength of the conference to share the revenue of the contract with all of the teams to create a great level of parity. We see this with the NFL, and it creates perhaps the most even league of the “big four.” While the conference networks are a great idea for conferences, the individual network, if feasible, is the way to go. 

As I said earlier, Texas is the top revenue-generating athletic department in the country, which is why they can sustain their own television network. But what Texas can do, a lot of other big universities could do as well. You can add the Floridas, the Michigans, the Ohio States and the USCs to the list of teams that could benefit greatly from their own television networks. Another way to approach it is from a growth stand point. Take a good football school like Iowa for instance. They have a solid athletics program, but nothing like Texas or Florida, but they could profit greatly with a network that can create a wide footprint with loyal fans. It can create a following of some sort that can bring recognition to the university. Another example would be someone like a TCU or a Boise State, a team that is trying to break through and make a name for itself. If they were to create a network to rival the Longhorn Network then that could be the big step they need to break through. 

Overall, in the age of the new television network craze, it is a good and profitable idea to jump of board. Keep in mind though there are many avenues to take and many reasons to get involved. Schools should get involved for the right reasons, and get involved to substantiate themselves and big time players both on and off the field.

The Market of Alternate Uniforms and Brands

The first thing many fans notice about a team when they watch a game is the uniform. Whether it is youth sports or professional sports uniforms are arguably the most noticeable part of the sporting event. From those uniforms colleges and professional sport teams make millions of dollars a year from the revenue of those uniforms. Teams make all this money from their standard uniforms or possibly maybe one alternate style uniform that they sell a very large amount of. But what if there were more uniforms to sell? More new, flashy and unique uniforms, logos and even brands that can make an organization stand out to a consumer is a concept that can create even more apparel revenue for them.


So many apparel companies carry hats, shirt and other clothing that can contain alternate logos or color schemes. These articles are very popular among today's youth and create a niche market that is growing in size and impact. I notice the opportunity for sport franchises and colleges to capitalize on this trend through alternate uniforms. In the age of Oregon Football where there are an insane amount of uniform combinations, many consumers just tune in to see what they are wearing. There needs to be a draw to this effect through all of sport. Take the Cleveland Cavaliers for instance. I Google image searched  "Cleveland Cavaliers Logo" and found a lot of logos...none of which I can post because of copywrite laws.



These are only the recent logos, there are many throwback logos as well that can create a plethora of new and exciting uniform options for teams. The NBA is the most progressive with this idea, creating many uniforms for each of the teams including throwbacks and alternates. I feel that all the NCAA and professional teams should be on board. I go to the University of Florida, who participates in many of Nike's uniform "experiments" and I know that I would buy more of that alternate apparel if it were used more often.

These teams need to wear these options enough to show that they are prominent, but not enough to take away from the original brand. This is a very fine line but can be done. Some sports make it easier than others but it is possible for all. Also, there is some cannibalism to be expected with the addition of new logos and uniforms, but remember this is a niche market. There is always going to be the tride and true consumers that buy the original, but now there is a greater emphasis on a target market that can be drawn out and used to create more of a profit for everyone involved.