So here we are – Colorado is headed to the Big 12, and the Pac 12 is on life support in a development that sent shockwaves through the college football world. There are lessons to be learned especially for a conference like the ACC tied together for now by the GOR, but fighting an uphill financial battle against the Big 10 and SEC.
What should the ACC take from what happened?
1) There’s always hope
After the Big 12 lost Oklahoma and Texas to drop to 8 teams it was in perilous shape – far worse than the ACC is in now. Through creativity, vision, and a go-for-broke attitude Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has pulled that conference out of the ashes with timely additions and a reasonable media deal. Jim Phillips doesn’t have to add members. He has one job – just increase revenue.
2) Schools will get impatient with seeming inaction
Colorado bailed on the Pac12 because George Kliavkoff had a year to produce a media rights deal and it still hasn’t come. Jim Phillips keeps alluding to conversations being in the works with ESPN. I do believe there have been legitimate conversations maybe even good ones, but you have to put something out there concrete at some point.
3) Control the Narrative
George Kliavkoff didn’t and Brett Yormark did… period. It almost doesn’t even matter what’s going on in the background perception is the reality these days. Kliavkoff went radio silent for weeks and months at a time. You know who didn’t – Brett Yormak. Yormak kept the Big 12 front and center every 2 or 3 weeks with some sort of announcement. Phillips wasn’t bad at the recent media days, but he can’t suddenly go silent.
4) Don’t assume you’re the next expansion target
This isn’t for Phillips, it’s for the ACC members. The power brands of the ACC can’t assume they control the direction of ACC realignment and would be picked first. Since 2010 here are some of your schools that moved – Missouri, Rutgers, Maryland, and now Colorado. I’ll even throw Texas A&M and UCLA as decent, but not home-run brands. Could anyone have imagined Oregon and Washington would be scrambling while Colorado moved on? In realignment expect the unexpected.
