An ex assistant coach at USL posts on the Cajuns forum regularly about this very thing. He claims that about 40 of the top G5 programs will merge with the outcast P5 programs to form new conferences and scheduling alliances. He thinks ULL and Tulane will be included in it and that Tech and ULM will not be. He's probably full of shit about the whole thing, but he acts like he talks to people in the know.
Let me help you out. THE ANSWER IS ZERO
And he's listening to the same people within their administration who said Tech would go bankrupt in the WAC, that Tech would never get into CUSA before they would, and that the Cajun administration had a secret plan to get into the Big 12.
Most of it is non-sense aimed at a fanbase that's looking for light at the end of the tunnel.
You're correct in everything you've said here. But there is one thing worth mentioning. There is a point of diminishing returns with all that money in the P5. We've seen that in many respects in the past few years.
Outside of the top 15 to 18 programs the P5 schools are playing on the same level as the top 20 or so G5 schools. G5 budgets have grown over the past 15 years, as well. Facilities across the G5 have dramatically improved. "Have Not" on the field is different than "Have Not" in the bank account.
My post was a fun dig back at the USM guy posting. It possibly was in poor taste on my part. However, my 38 year old after one year at TECH, graduated from Baylor and obviously my money$$ went there in large volumes. So I really like the school at least for it's academics. He, fellow Baylor grad his buddies, their parents and Baylor grad lawyers here in E. Texas think the same as I and are so glad he's gone. Texas and the NCAA has their own political games much like Louisiana and LSU. The opinion in many places over here in Texas is exactly what I posted.
That said, I wish him well and much success in his new endeavor.
Most schools will have a tough time cash flowing the skyrocketing debt that university administrators have allowed to go unchecked by “foundations” during this athletic arms race.
The downturn will come in a form of bond downgrades, escalating letter of credit fees, continued decline in ticket sales and alumni support...the hit with a TV deal renegotiation.
The next TV deal will be a mega deal that is school specific - not conference and the execs will wait until the perfect downturn to submit their proposal. You’ll have a handful of teams collect the money and conferences as we know them today will become extinct.
It will force rapid consolidation of the leftover P5 teams and a select group of G5 teams.
If you are not in a metro area or have poor TV ratings, your school is screwed. Amazon will likely be the company that changes the platform of college football and they will pay unreal sums of money to the top tier programs.
Additionally, you will see the private schools create their own alliance and own TV deal that will schedule in conjunction with the new power elite schools.
So what you're saying is Holtz is trying to help every Tech fan prepare for this by making us dislike college football so much we won't be emotionally or financially impacted by this since we already turned away. Thanks Holtz!