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That was unexpected. I don't know whether to like it or dislike it. It certainly doesn't help the non-revenue sports, thinking about travel costs.
This should finish off the Big Twelve as a major. If the Pac 12 responds, its candidates are limited and probably include Kansas, maybe Iowa State to pair with the Jayhawks. Rice would be a possibility as well, but their leadership has been steadfast in its opposition to growing the athletic programs. The Mountain West doesn't have strong candidates - New Mexico may be the best fit, but not ideal.
Things are changing so quickly. What does the ACC do aside from hope that Notre Dame can't handle the parachute fees and has no interest in the Pac 12?
In answer to Jon's wondering about why academics matter? They don't, in the sense that a few spots in the international ratings don't mean anything. But they do, in terms of building a brand. The AAU universities have research standards. That, in turn, draws the people who build companies, have more disposable income, build endowments, etc. Just like 32 extraordinarily wealthy groups run the NFL, a small set of big players generate university endowments and build international brands.
None of this matters to most of us, and we've seen that one person can turn Oklahoma State into a viable sports brand. But in the new world, if it's all to be sustained, this is where it comes from. For now, in the Wild West period, a well-organized NIL machine could make anyone a power at any level. Even Deion Sanders himself might do it. But longer term, drawing in the advertising dollars, the academic research world and the brands that follow probably have the staying power.
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