Let’s Get Out Our Crystal Ball And Talk About…..

[Spence]

It is a huge pissing contest the way I look at it. The SEC sign Oklahoma and Texas and negotiate this big TV deal. Then the B1G brings on SC and UCLA, signs an even bigger tv deal and Warren broaches the subject of paying players. --Why would they do that? To start a spending war with the SEC that, at least on the surface, they can't win. Especially, now that the war chest is twice the size of the SEC's. So what conference is going to attract the top players? If money is allowed to be involved in this decision, then no body can compete with the B1G and the SEC's only draw that can compete with any market in the US is Texas. Face it, Oklahoma is just riding their coat tails. It wasn't the best move for Oklahoma. Being in the SEC with wreck them. Texas, win or lose, draws numbers. Florida is the only market left and the SEC will probably help themselves by bringing on Florida State and Miami. It still makes them relatively regional as far as TV is concerned.

I believe while both the SEC and B1G are out to win the dominance battle that this is more a battle between Fox, CBS, and NBC, vs ABC/ESPN. When the B1G starts paying players then Notre Dame will have no choice but to join a conference. Their endowment is huge, but not huge enough to pay players outright. At the end of the day I think this is leading to a AFC/NFC situation and if they don't lose fans they will be in direct competition with the NFL, which the NFL won't stand for, so they will take them over and CFB with be over.