It’s magic…
Even if Michigan becomes an “independent” they will still have partner with a conference for at least half of their games similar to Notre Dame. Only reason being is because all P4 conferences have too many teams now to be able to schedule one offs with Michigan for an entire season, year after year.
- The SEC will NEVER allow a school to be a meer scheduling partner for football.
- The ACC already has their partnership with Notre Dame, and adding another Independent just makes them look desperate
- That leave the Big 12 with the only remaining option.
Now I’ve given the opinion before that it makes logistical sense for Michigan to join the SEC as a full member, and I still don’t take it out of consideration.
To go back to my first point, if Michigan goes independent WITHOUT partnering with a conference, then I can’t see them scheduling maybe more than 2 marquee matchups per season. But that will piss off schools who are in competitive conferences if Michigan still has a path to the CFP. Why should ND continue their ACC partnership at this point?
Football Independence and the CFP is a major issue in CFB right now.
I struggle to understand why Michigan would do anything besides walk straight over to the ACC and partner with the same conference as their second-biggest rival in this scenario.
I think its more of the optics from the ACC’s perspective
Their conference is a giant mess
- 2 west coast schools
- 1 Texas school forfeiting media revenue (not that SMU needs it, but just the optics of it)
- Notre Dame independence
- Michigan Independence
- 2 schools that are making more money / have easier exit restrictions (FSU/Clemson)
How would Michigan make enough money as an independent? Notre Dame does it by not over paying coaches and not paying big buyouts along with their NBC contract. They get some ACC money also.
Michigan would lose in the sec and the AAC is a mess. They would need a single tv deal all on their own and partner with a conference.
ND has a national fanbase to support its tv deal where as Michigan doesn’t.
It’s gonna be tough.
Michigan can probably make a TV deal work. They have one of the largest fan bases in the sport. And independents that qualify for the playoff get a conference-sized payout all to themselves.
Even ND doesn’t make B1G money from TV.
Last I checked, they make more than Big 12 school, but less than a SEC or B1G school.
UM could probably get a comparable deal or perhaps a little less as an independent.
Likely less money than in the B1G, but still good money.
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Maybe they can then
Article mentions the big10 has grown too big which I agree. The sec also has grown too big bc their issue is if big dogs don’t make the playoffs, they fire them and pay big buyouts.
Michigan President Secretary: we have Brett Yormark on line one.
Imsgine if we landed Michigan + Florida State + Clemson + one other!
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We could do without Clemson.
They’re only valuable (nationally) when they’re good.
Michigan and FSU on the other hand, are far valuable even during down seasons.
How about this dream add scenario
Michigan
Florida State
North Carolina
And one other from the ACC or another B1G defector
Michigan should prob consider the big12 bc they could make the conf payout more with tv and make the playoffs. If they go to the sec, they will not make the playoffs hardly.
What about USC if they also leave?
This is why I don’t understand why B12 schools consistently pine away for an invite to the Sec or the B1G. The pitch to recruits is, come to the most fun, competitive conference where your chance to regularly play for a national title is far better than anywhere else. The conference should enact inducements for keeping its top performing, nationally competitive schools in the fold. Pay the conference champions and playoff teams the same disbursement received by the Sec and the B1G. Doing so, might incentivize schools to compete more vigorously.
Michigan is very angry but they wont leave. Thev have been a league member forever. They arent walking away from their rivalries with Ohio State, Michigan State and Minnesota. USC? Thats a different deal since they are brand new members of the BIG…
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Sounds great, but I doubt that our own conference’s war chest is big enough to pay the same types of incentives that the B1G or SEC could.
Perhaps Yormark can get us our own private equity deal so that we have the resources to incentivize as you say.
Sure we could. We’re only talking about a couple of schools per year. All of the others would get the normal (same) amount determined by the conference.
I could be wrong, but I doubt our conference’s coffers have that much spare change for such a move.
Someone who knows more about conference finances pleas chime in.
Do we really want USC though?
They seem like a poison type add to me