Bob Bowlsby Was Dead On When He Threatened ESPN | Conference Realignment | Conference Expansion

Craig Smoak and David Smoak discuss college football realignment, former Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby threatening ESPN, and more.
Join David Smoak, Paul Catalina and Craig Smoak on 365 Sports Radio weekdays from 3-6 for discussions and interviews about college sports!
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Please watch: "Top 5 Realignment Thoughts of the Day | Conference Realignment | TV Deals | ACC"
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[@johnw3922]

For a long time ESPN has been thr Super Villian of CFB. Now people are starting to see it.

[@retireorbust]

They absolutely need to be sued. Discovery needs to take place, emails read, conversations analyzed and dots connected. Agendas are easily known. Strategies will been seen and judged as to the manipulation of the airwaves to affect value. Congressional inquiries would be a very good place to start.

[@zeropride1133]

espn is the mob, goodluck with that.

[@DuckRon626]

Apparently, the B1G 10 wasn’t real keen on the “alliance” either.

[@YoWhatGoesHere]

Would it be a good idea for the Big 12 to not renew any deal with a Network on TV and declare themselves the first all-streaming conference? Leave the networks to fight over each other to get a share of the Big Ten or SEC pie. Talk to a streaming service and go exclusive. Wether it's Amazon, Apple, Direct TV, Sling, Hulu or even something like Netflix. They get everything Big 12 and they just have to keep the Big 12 in range of the Big Ten and SEC. Not equal to, just closer than any other conference that isn't those two.

[@retireorbust]

That's what I think. Stream prime time every night of the week. Kick a hole in their ratings while you boycott them.

[@georgethompson606]

That would be great, but those teams would be boycotted from scheduling with schools affiliated with ESPN. Don't get me wrong, it could work, but they'd need to pull every conference that isn't ESPN affiliated or isn't Big 10 with them and essentially form a new college league. Forming a new league and having a national champion of that league would water down college football a bit, but it may deter ESPN with their shenanigans.

[@thedebatehitman]

What’s with the Gators banner in the background? Did one of you lose a bet?

[@kwetsell7079]

🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍

[@benjaminhawkes6693]

This video should have started at the point Craig (or whoever brought the topic up) identifies what article he is talking about.

[@Tijuanabill]

Well, there are no underlying facts to present. This is just fans dreaming up conspiracy theories. If the Big 12 had any facts, they would file a lawsuit. This is pure speculation run amok.

[@joekhatib3798]

ACC is screwed until 2036 unless their is some intervention by the SEC and BIG to go forward with expansion to super conferences and need members from that league so they try to pull a deal with ESPN and FOX! Their Commissioner basically was the impetus to crush any playoff expansion and is now seen as a bit of a pariah by the other leagues! 🤔

[@GR-bn3xj]

Well on one hand they are screwed because they can't catch up financially but on the other hand they are still around because of it. If they do not have that deal the way it is, that conference would probably be poached and dissolved.

[@joekhatib3798]

@@GR-bn3xj They are living on borrowed time anyway because it will be their turn next to get picked off! Even with huge penalty to get out of the Agreement, if the SEC wanted two or three teams bad enough ESPN would probably help them out with the penalty! I think the days of seeing a contract like this are long over!!! 😏

[@zeropride1133]

Voting No is how you stay a prisoner.

[@The_Loathsome]

They need to innovate. Big 12, Pac 12 and ACC should all combine into a conference and implement Promotion/Relegation like they have in European Soccer. Make conference play more exciting and more meaningful than what you'll be seeing from the SEC and BIG 10.

[@royeffinger4554]

I’m all for CFB in general going to this, I also think player transfers should come with fees. Realistically there is only so many teams that can be at the top level. Take a Texas, let them go 5-7 and spend money to get players from smaller schools but be relegated to a $20mm/less per year tier.

[@erose964]

Relegation will never happen in the US in any sport, nor should it.

[@VorlonAngel]

Dont forget who owns ESPN...Yep, it's Disney. ALL money moves MUST go through Disney.

[@Stanford_Cardinal]

I think disney also owns Fox sports as well

[@truthdrone7066]

Disney stock crashing due to WOKE...This will collapse

[@reverend_wintondupree]

@@Stanford_Cardinal They do not own Fox Sports assets. The RSNs that were acquired were forced via antitrust to be sold to Sinclair/Bally's. Foxsports, including FS1/2 and BTN, are still held by Fox.

[@VorlonAngel]

@@truthdrone7066 LMAO! Dude, do you have a stocks app on your phone? If not, get one. Everybody's stocks are sinking. LOL! FYI, stocks will do that from time to time.

[@Stanford_Cardinal]

@@reverend_wintondupree OK I heard somewhere that they did, guess not. Thank God for that tho.

[@rlhaff3560]

What good is it for ESPN to hold hostage the ACC and slowly kill it? That certainly won’t help their TV ratings of the games right?

[@mikeking3509]

With the dust settles I'm afraid West Virginia will be left behind

[@mikemc4549]

Same here with Kansas State and we both know our teams would pound the mid to lower teams in the B10 SEC

[@samp7019]

But I like WVU I think they have a chance of survival. Love that country roads song can't live without that.

[@eastknox865]

Who?

[@joewoods5775]

You got it half right Bob Bolsby was dead. How long did you figure TX and Okla were going to get behind 12 to 15 million a year to teams like Vanderbilt a Kentucky

[@Tigerblade11238]

This. People want/need a boogie man, but nobody wants to admit what the real boogie man is: greed. ESPN is so much easier to blame, but ESPN doesn't exist without the mindless consumer sucking away at mother's milk.

[@johnengel9162]

Does anybody know that it is rumored that ESPN does not want to bid on the Big XII network? They claim they are all done.

[@CatsClaw44]

Good. The Big 12 is with Fox.

[@shaggydaboy2]

@@CatsClaw44 hopefully amazon picks up the Big12 when the media gets renegotiated in 2025. Hoping to see a bidding war between the online streaming platforms such as Amazon and Apple TV, paramount, etc because they all want live college football. Could really put the Big12 in a nice position of power for a big pay day.

[@CobraCommander11]

AAC all the way. SEC, Big10, AAC

[@fadedlobo]

@@CobraCommander11 you've been smoking with Hunter.

[@joewoods5775]

Would you Bob Bolsby told them they were low life scum threatened to sue all party's envolved. Not very conducive to negotiations to cuss the man with the checkbook

[@shelter9236]

We all now the real villains in this and who they work with to accomplish what they want. And we all know ESPN hates the Big 12 so they are prolly upset we're not done for but maybe they can wait until ut/ou leave. They are the ones pitting each conference against each other along with the power teams in those elite conference. Don't think once things get settled that there still won't be movement of moving more elite to those conferences. And again, where is the money coming from for all of this, pay attention to what's going on with TV sets in this country.

[@VersinKettorix]

Prolly? Is that a word?

[@shelter9236]

@@VersinKettorix One of mine, LOL, just like y'all.

[@Tijuanabill]

The real villain is schools like Kansas who cash Oklahoma size paychecks and spend the money on....well....certainly not football. Obviously.

[@shelter9236]

@@Tijuanabill I can agree with that. ;-) EMAW

[@maxxchapman182]

I agree wholeheartedly with you, one thing I like to add is cancel your subscription with ESPN programming or do not watch ESPN. Look what ESPN did with the big 12 put them on a program big 12+ made people who wanted to watch their home team in the big 12 pay ESPN to watch them after already having ESPN subscription.

[@truthdrone7066]

ESPN Money is Dirty Money

[@docmorrell]

And every conference wants it.

[@haroldflashman4687]

And Big 12 would slobber all over ESPN's Knob to get access to some of this "dirty" money.

[@bhillboy37]

I knew ESPN was the villan when they destroyed Big East Football so they could low ball them in negotiations.

[@paulnokes8008]

IF ALL THE SCHOOLS CHOOSE A CONFRENENCE AND THE NOTRE DAME DOES NOT THEY WOULD NEVER PLAY FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN

[@Swerve-Online]

If you can make 3B in the SEC during the same period of time, why wouldn't you pay 500mm to get out of the ACC?

[@k-hustlethesportspreacher5941]

How about this plan that dissolves the PAC 12 but when the next TV deals take place how about the SEC/Sunbelt, the B1G/MAC, Big12/Mt.West, the ACC/AAC, an unfortunately Conf USA will left out but creates some type of kickback for the G5 teams in which these are the teams you play because you don't want to play all P4 schools. Now you have a good working relationship with the other conferences and it protects the integrity of college football as well as setting up a playoff format that might be more favorable to have P4 schools involved instead of G5 legally saying that it's bias. Fox, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Amazon, Apple, Google let's get it done.

[@bobnewsdog]

Big 12 and Pac 12 should have done a merger last year. Add some more teams on top of that. Strength in numbers. Makes sense travel wise.

[@johncoy5912]

PAC 12 Didn't want it.

[@melroze]

Pac 12 was too snobbish, they looked down on the remaining members. How the tables have turned.

[@bobnewsdog]

@@johncoy5912 and it cost them.

[@kwetsell7079]

But no one is ELITE enough for the west coasters. Remember? We aren't up to their standards.

[@timmeyer9191]

Can't say that many Big 12 schools would be interested in a league that the LA schools/market is not a part of and one that still could potentially lose Oregon Washington and possibly Stanford. Big 12 can afford the cherry pick the best brands and/or markets. ACC is not adding schools or merging because that would just be extra mouths (schools) to feed--leaving smaller slices of the pie with their horrible deal already. I think by September, we will see some new additions to the Big 12 from the Pac announced. Whether that's 2,4, 6, or even 8 remains to be seen.

[@doughensley6202]

Can't stand the people who bad mouthed bowlsby. He has been vindicated and those who predicted the big12 demise were wrong and now big12 is even better than pac12.

[@hackatak]

Bowlsby was a puppet for Texas, the Big12 had good teams that wanted to join when A&M, MIZZ, COLO and NEB left, but texas told Bowlsby NO and that was the end of that! So he is culpable in the demise of the Big 12, but in reality, Texas destroyed yet another conference....thats the bottom line!

[@kwetsell7079]

We didn't like him for multiple reasons that are still valid. He did 1 good thing. Oh boy! But he was not a good commissioner 98% of the time. He really screwed some of the schools not named OU/UT over.

[@jakephiffer6747]

Big 12 has always been better than the Pac 12.

[@doughensley6202]

@@kwetsell7079 actually he didn't screw the schools not ut or ou. He was a great commissioner. And he made all of the realignment prognosticators wrong about big12 demise and strengthened the big12 for years to come with the 4 new teams to offset narcissistic ou and UT. It was ou and UT who were dumb to leave big12.

[@kwetsell7079]

@@doughensley6202 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@deadeye4520]

The ACC is pitiful, with practically zero chance to increase revenue.

[@jeffccr3620]

His lack of standing up to Fox was his downfall and cost him his job

[@Tijuanabill]

Yes, not doing his job, cost him his job. He treated this gig like a no-show white privilege job, that some CEO's kid gets. Worst commissioner in history, and it's not even close.

[@nazmoking3171]

College football Is imploding rapidly due to lack of oversight. Conferences are now doing whatever they feel like.

[@jimmymanser2222]

Leaning towards the PAC-10 holding together, adding other teams that may solidify a competitive media deal. In the end, having a West (PAC-10), North (Big Ten), and South (SEC) super conferences creates a triangle for more realistic travel/scheduling, regional rivalries, and makes ESPN, Fox, NBC, CBS, & ABC more likely to continue bidding for college football media rights. Competition is always how you sharpen the saw.

[@jeffccr3620]

Sadly they're no teams that will get them a media deal to stay competitive with anyone other than the G5 everyone they can add in that time zone is already part of their media market and BYU was the death nail since they are off the board It's just time before Wash and Oregon bolt

[@jakephiffer6747]

Merging with the Big 12 is the best option for everyone in the PAC 12 and Big 12.

[@billjanetcsu]

Where is the IRS? Why are they asleep?

[@al.n.darodda6183]

Texas should go back to being it’s own country. Make Waco the nation’s capital and Baylor can be Nat’l Champs every year.

[@Tijuanabill]

Pass.

[@EvanSaltare]

This guy gets it.

[@JoshMcSwain]

Why would it move from Austin? Also, I bet most of Texas would be happy with that.

[@craigbailey56]

Waco sucks - truck stop of i35

[@jspiderflash5167]

Go to turner sports

[@Tijuanabill]

I continue to blame the remaining Big 12 members, and their fans, for causing this. Your apathy, your lack of financial support, and your disinterest in being competitive in sports, while cashing huge paychecks, is why OU and UT had to leave. You took the money and ran, instead of using it to build a program. Show me the stadium renovations that took place, in the interim from the others leaving, until now. Baylor built an entire new one, and look what it did for them. Where are the others? Where is the KU spending? Where is the Best Virginia spending? I don't see it. Even OU expanded their stadium in the interim, despite cutting charity checks to the conference members.

[@readyinkc]

you don't see the books or know what any athletic department budget. You don't know previous expenses that had to be paid to get into the Black. You accuse without valuable information normal people basis their hypothesis on. kick rocks you undercover ou or tu fan....there's no merit to your story

[@badsultan1086]

KState, Iowa State , Iowa State, Baylor, and OSU all have made major improvements in their facilities. Jesus, look up a picture of KState's facilities 20 years compared to now. Shows how much you travel to away games. Educate yourself before spouting off.

[@Tijuanabill]

@@badsultan1086 Just because you spent 3 cents, doesn't mean you are keeping up. I also said Baylor was an exception, so maybe read my whole comment, before you get overtaken by your old man rage.

[@badsultan1086]

@@Tijuanabill kState has spent over 200 million on it's football facilities in the last 10 years. You are ignorant about what you speak of. Get educated before running your mouth. You said "show me" in your first post. I'm showing you. Or, there is a thing called "Google" where you could educate yourself before making yourself look so stupid. It has zero to do with facilities. Let's not fool ourselves, It's the greed and we don't have the TV sets to compete with your greed.

[@IlluminovaNibiru]

Thulsa doom lived a 1000 years until Conan finally grew up, yeah.

[@kwetsell7079]

???????????

[@kaltech04]

Thugra Khotan was 3000 years old before crossing paths with the Cimmerian.

[@roberts1440]

Crom!

[@IlluminovaNibiru]

@@kaltech04 Ye, verily Conan the Conqueror dispatched his entire hoard with the might behind sharpened battle axes.

[@yellowmartian]

What is best in life?

[@BallisticBevo]

He had no proof of what he said and opened the conference up to legal repercussions. Fortunately for the conference. He had enough people around him to tell him to shut the f/up after receiving the cease and desist.

[@joekhatib3798]

Ever heard of discovery? You go initiating a legal action the other side gets their shot to turn over every rock!, ESPN would never even think about any type of legal action!!!🙄

[@BallisticBevo]

@@joekhatib3798 I don’t have to create alternate reality scenarios. When he received the cease and desist. He shut the f/up!

[@bryanjones8778]

I'm glad he said it. It needed to be said.

[@fordfastback8112]

Mr. Bolsby said he has the proof. I wouldn’t put it past somebody to file a lawsuit. Lawsuits have been filed for way less and for a lot less in damages. 3 years of $50M in payout differences and the schools outside looking in, are buried.

[@haroldflashman4687]

@@fordfastback8112 what’s the basis of the lawsuit? If UT/OU adhere to GoR and pay Big 12 contractual exit fees, what’s the legal case against ESPN?

[@brutussmithers6341]

Yep. You can blame ESPN for all this. And the SEC somewhat.

[@ajg8722]

Nah blame Texas and ESPN.

[@haroldflashman4687]

@@ajg8722 One reason why I am so happy Texas is leaving the Big 12 is to get away from the Big 12 fanbase that has no problems with their schools leeching money off Texas, but love to to hate Texas with an irrational passion, and cant even begin to accept that the Big 12's problems were much larger and Texas alone was not responsible for them.

[@BubbahotepEagle]

Pffffff