Phil Knight Cold Calling The SEC and B1G

[Wild Turkey]

Conference realignment: Phil Knight resorts to cold calling for Oregon as Pac-12, Big 12, ACC seek lifelines

Resolution may come sooner than later with some well-known programs unfortunately being left out in the cold

www.cbssports.com

The true impact of this latest round of conference realignment is the image of one of the world's most powerful sports figures "working the phones." That's how one source this week described Phil Knight's level of desperation.

A marketing genius, benefactor, philanthropist and multi-billionaire, the Shoe Dog himself is apparently using all his resources to find a home for Oregon, a program Knight has made one of the most recognizable college sports brands as a de facto offshoot of his Nike empire.

Knight has been reduced to cold-calling telemarketer. And that's a sad situation.


Here a few other Interesting points in the article:

1. One industry source said it might take $500 million for a school to exit the ACC given the league's ironclad grant of rights that keeps schools in the conference until 2036.

2. A source at one high-resource football program says the donors are tapped out.

3. Oregon and Washington are the two best football programs "in play" considering the Pac-12 is down to 10 teams; however, there is a reason they haven't been considered prominently in realignment. Industry sources say neither brings requisite value to the Big Ten ($80 million-$100 million per year). The Pac-12 schools most prominently mentioned for the Big 12 are the so-called "Four Corners" schools: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah.

 

[HammerDown]

Damn, we need

 

[gobigred]

Poor Phil turning into a beggar

 

[Red_Alert]

 

[gobigred]

B1G when Phil calls

 

[Hu War Yu]

Pooregon...

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

I believe we are done with expansion at the big boy level. ND seems to want to stand pat. And none of the other teams can move the needle to the $60-$100 million range. The SEC and B1G aren't going to expand just to expand. They are making too much now.

 

[ralphiewvu]

I believe we are done with expansion at the big boy level. ND seems to want to stand pat. And none of the other teams can move the needle to the $60-$100 million range. The SEC and B1G aren't going to expand just to expand. They are making too much now.

What about UNC? Think if they would be willing to jump now you’d take them ?

 

[Volbound1700]

What about UNC? Think if they would be willing to jump now you’d take them ?

ACC GOR won't make a move attractive. I agree that the B1G and SEC expansions are likely over. All eyes on Pac12 although not sure if it falls apart this year.

 

[ralphiewvu]

ACC GOR won't make a move attractive. I agree that the B1G and SEC expansions are likely over. All eyes on Pac12 although not sure if it falls apart this year.

Very true

God I hope the PAC doesn’t take 6 B12 members

 

[Knight&Day]

God I hope the PAC doesn’t take 6 B12 members

That sinking ship of a conference? Lol @ you worrying over nothing.

 

[Wizardhawk]

Pooregon...

I reserve the right to borrow that. I think I like that more than whoregon, although both seem to work for this thread.

 

[ralphiewvu]

That sinking ship of a conference? Lol @ you worrying over nothing.

Dude, if the B12 can’t get the Az schools and Utah/Colorado to join and kill the PAC, that conference could snatch a few from the B12 and be a viable conference for sometime.

 

[Knight&Day]

Dude, if the B12 can’t get the Az schools and Utah/Colorado to join and kill the PAC, that conference could snatch a few from the B12 and be a viable conference for sometime.

Not likely. Two just jumped ship. Pretty sure another 6 or so also want out (see “in negotiations”).

One conf. is obvs much more stable than the other conf..

The Pac would have better luck adding someone from the MWC or the FCS.

 

[Red_Alert]

Not likely. Two just jumped ship. Pretty sure another 6 or so also want out (see “in negotiations”).

One conf. is obvs much more stable than the other conf..

The Pac would have better luck adding someone from the MWC or the FCS.

Eastern Washington

 

[ralphiewvu]

Eastern Washington

We played eastern Washington in 2006 (I know an eternity ago) but they gave us a decent game for a half. More so then half our big East opponents.

 

[ralphiewvu]

Not likely. Two just jumped ship. Pretty sure another 6 or so also want out (see “in negotiations”).

One conf. is obvs much more stable than the other conf..

The Pac would have better luck adding someone from the MWC or the FCS.

I hope so

 

[Wild Turkey]

Dude, if the B12 can’t get the Az schools and Utah/Colorado to join and kill the PAC, that conference could snatch a few from the B12 and be a viable conference for sometime.

You’ll know in two weeks if PAC teams are defecting. I’d be surprised if any big 12 teams do.

 

[HammerDown]

B1G when Phil calls

Mamba calling Phil Knight

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

Dude, if the B12 can’t get the Az schools and Utah/Colorado to join and kill the PAC, that conference could snatch a few from the B12 and be a viable conference for sometime.

It won't matter truly what either conference does, IMO. You've removed the flag ship programs with the largest television markets from each conference. It includes 3 blue blood programs and 4 programs with national brands.

The television deal was already weak when they had those programs -- now you take them out of the equation and it will be next to impossible to compete when you have 40 programs bringing in 100 million a year. I actually feel bad for the fans of teams outside the two superconferences. They will end up on the outside looking in, which is why you see guys like Phil Knight calling to ask conferences to consider Oregon, as he knows the writing is on the wall.