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MEGA Conference Realignment and lawsuits Megathread: Stories, Tales, Lies, and Exaggerations

If college football is trying to expand into international TV markets, I would love for Miami to help lead the way. I don’t know how successful the handful of games in Ireland have been. Notre Dame obviously skews the market results there.

If there weren’t so many issues involved, I would love to see Miami play in Havana. Seriously. Of course, this seriously may never happen in our lifetime. If it wasn’t for so many issues, it would be perfect.

Miami is an international city, and a widely recognized brand.

Could Miami venture into any other Latin American markets?

How have the NFL games in Mexico and South America performed?
 
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caneingville said:
Who else is on a quarter system? I know UCLA is? Is it all the UC schools? USC? Also the whole South is on a similar schedule with the getting out in May thing. Many schools also had graduations over the past two weeks around here. I know NE schools tend to go until June, but I have no idea about Midwest.
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Think the entire west coast except USC is
 
TemplarCane said:
If college football is trying to expand into international TV markets, I would love for Miami to help lead the way. I don’t know how successful the handful of games in Ireland have been. Notre Dame obviously skews the market results there.

If there weren’t so many issues involved, I would love to see Miami play in Havana. Seriously. Of course, this seriously may never happen in our lifetime. If it wasn’t for so many issues, it would be perfect.

Miami is an international city, and a widely recognized brand.

Could Miami venture into any other Latin American markets?

How have the NFL games in Mexico and South America performed?
Click to expand...
I am being lazy and not looking at the numbers, but they must be great. The NFL keeps adding games each year in more places. They're playing a game in Australia this year, going to South America again in Rio, going to France for the first time, back to Germany, Spain, and UK again.

The college Ireland games seem to have been successful, even those without ND playing. I know it's a US territory, but PR could host a game with the Canes. The Marlins played a series there once.
 
TemplarCane said:
If college football is trying to expand into international TV markets, I would love for Miami to help lead the way. I don’t know how successful the handful of games in Ireland have been. Notre Dame obviously skews the market results there.

If there weren’t so many issues involved, I would love to see Miami play in Havana. Seriously. Of course, this seriously may never happen in our lifetime. If it wasn’t for so many issues, it would be perfect.

Miami is an international city, and a widely recognized brand.

Could Miami venture into any other Latin American markets?

How have the NFL games in Mexico and South America performed?
Click to expand...
We played a game in Havana against the University of Havana on Christmas Day, 1926. Our very first season!
 
Calinative said:
guess it makes sense since graduation date is May for us, and many schools especially public ones are in June since they’re on quarter system…

so the season tix/donations are all pulled forward. Kinda bs accounting cause you don’t have to account for costs/rev in future. So we are pulling forward rev from following football season, but there is never a real “cost” in this type of rev accounting since we always do it. Like we are assuredly never pulling forward the expected cost of tuition we are covering for the upcoming season lol.

2024 we had $182M in rev reported I believe Now this is saying $230M for 2025. $50M increase…

The ACCs Success Initiative which was uneven payout went into effect for this FY2025 pretty sure. So I’d assume we probably received a slightly more than avg at least for the 2024 season results at least due to tv views, even without cfp. So maybe $5-$10M more in FY25 than FY24? Obviously FY26 we are set to make substantially more for this success initiative.

Also in 25 vs 24 The House Settlement should be in effect so that’s the $20M In more costs from NIL directly paid from the school… which means we need a $20M rev to offset that. And we know we were putting some Uhealth money towards AD. So I can see this+ACC Distribution at least accounting for $25-30M of the $50M difference from 2024… so maybe we had actual real rev growth of $25M? Seems like that’d be a lot but idk. Surely season ticket sales were stronger entering 25 than entering 24, which was WAY stronger than 23…so maybe
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Uhhhh...yeah...you are acting as if the primary focal point for the fiscal period is to accelerate revenue. But that's not really it.

First, universities tend to be non-profits, so they don't feel the same need to manipulate timing. And, if anything, corporations tend to DELAY revenue and accelerate costs, wherever possible and defensible (unless you are having a bad year/quarter).

Second, I'm sure UM picked the fiscal year long before "football revenue" was a big consideration, and for logical calendar purposes. When NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation were separate companies, ISC had a fiscal year that ended in November, because that's when the last races were held. So you really pick a fiscal year based on larger considerations.

As for the rest of your hypothesis on getting extra money from the Success Initiative in FY2025...

---"Schools earn extra revenue for reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff (approx. $4 million) and additional money for advancing."---We did not reach the 12-team CFP in 2024-25, nor did we advance. So, no extra money.

---"Teams that finish in the AP Top 25 or reach specific bowl games receive bonuses (approx. $1.8 million for 2024 bowl appearances)."---We finished in the Top 25, and while I don't know about specific bowl games and we were the highest-finishing ACC team that did NOT go to the CFP, so let's just say we got an extra $1.8 million.

---"Payouts are tied to "units" earned for wins in the NCAA basketball tournament."---We did not make any post-season tournament in 2024-25.

---"A new revenue stream that distributes roughly 60% of TV revenue based on a rolling five-year TV rating average, rewarding larger schools."---While Miami has always been a pretty decent TV draw, this was based on the PRIOR 5 years of ratings, which were not exactly compelling years (2019-2023 seasons).

2023 - finished 7-6, big games against aTm and F$U
2022 - finished 5-7, big games against aTm, F$U, and Clemson
2021 - finished 7-5, big games against Alabama, Michigan State, and F$U
2020 - finished 8-3 (COVID year), big games against F$U and Clemson
2019 - finished 6-7, big games against Florida and F$U

Not exactly a recipe for great TV ratings. Five games over .500 for five years.

So...I don't know...it looks like we made an extra, what, maybe $2M from the Success Initiative in FY2025.
 
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CaneinBroward said:
I am being lazy and not looking at the numbers, but they must be great. The NFL keeps adding games each year in more places. They're playing a game in Australia this year, going to South America again in Rio, going to France for the first time, back to Germany, Spain, and UK again.

The college Ireland games seem to have been successful, even those without ND playing. I know it's a US territory, but PR could host a game with the Canes. The Marlins played a series there once.
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The wife and I hit a Bad Bunny concert last summer at El Coliseo and the stadium and surrounding area is awesome. Only problem with getting a college football game in PR is I don't think there is a single stadium on the island that can support over 20k fans. Not ideal for a college football game.
 
RealRussellPumps said:
The wife and I hit a Bad Bunny concert last summer at El Coliseo and the stadium and surrounding area is awesome. Only problem with getting a college football game in PR is I don't think there is a single stadium on the island that can support over 20k fans. Not ideal for a college football game.
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Good point.

A college football game held internationally would want a capacity of at least 50 to 60,000, if not more. At least that’s my guess. The NFL focuses on mega stadiums like those in Mexico City or Rio de Janeiro.

There aren’t many stadiums of that size that could accommodate an American football field configuration. There was a stadium in Havana that could accommodate 55,000 but a game Cuba would have its own ‘outside issues’. Will just leave it at that.

Might be better off with games in Europe.
 
CaneinBroward said:
I am being lazy and not looking at the numbers, but they must be great. The NFL keeps adding games each year in more places. They're playing a game in Australia this year, going to South America again in Rio, going to France for the first time, back to Germany, Spain, and UK again.

The college Ireland games seem to have been successful, even those without ND playing. I know it's a US territory, but PR could host a game with the Canes. The Marlins played a series there once.
Click to expand...
This doesn’t affect Miami, of course, but I thought this was interesting:

The Puerto Rico Bowl is making history as the first-ever NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game to be held on the island. Officially announced just this week (May 8, 2026), it is a major addition to the 2026–27 bowl season.

Key Event Details

• Inaugural Game: December 2026 (Exact date and kickoff time to be announced in June).
• Venue: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón.
• Capacity: Approximately 24,000.
• Broadcaster: The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

The Matchup

The bowl is part of a partnership between ESPN Events, Complete Sports Management, and Discover Puerto Rico.

• Conference Tie-ins: The game will feature a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) against another FBS opponent (to be determined).
• Replacement Status: Effectively, this game replaces the Bahamas Bowl and the Detroit Bowl (GameAbove Sports Bowl), both of which were removed from the sanctioned list for the 2026 season.

Historical Significance

While Puerto Rico has attempted to host smaller college games in the past—such as a 2025 Division II game that was ultimately moved due to field conditions—this is the first time a fully sanctioned FBS bowl game will take place there.

For fans, the big draw is the passport-free travel for U.S. citizens, making it a highly accessible "destination bowl" similar to the former Bahamas Bowl but within a U.S. territory. The stadium in Bayamón is primarily a soccer venue (home to Bayamón FC), but it is being optimized to meet the specific safety and sideline requirements for American football.
 
RealRussellPumps said:
The wife and I hit a Bad Bunny concert last summer at El Coliseo and the stadium and surrounding area is awesome. Only problem with getting a college football game in PR is I don't think there is a single stadium on the island that can support over 20k fans. Not ideal for a college football game.
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Oof, I didn't know that. Yes, definitely would eliminate them.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
Uhhhh...yeah...you are acting as if the primary focal point for the fiscal period is to accelerate revenue. But that's not really it.

First, universities tend to be non-profits, so they don't feel the same need to manipulate timing. And, if anything, corporations tend to DELAY revenue and accelerate costs, wherever possible and defensible (unless you are having a bad year/quarter).

Second, I'm sure UM picked the fiscal year long before "football revenue" was a big consideration, and for logical calendar purposes. When NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation were separate companies, ISC had a fiscal year that ended in November, because that's when the last races were held. So you really pick a fiscal year based on larger considerations.

As for the rest of your hypothesis on getting extra money from the Success Initiative in FY2025...

---"Schools earn extra revenue for reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff (approx. $4 million) and additional money for advancing."---We did not reach the 12-team CFP in 2024-25, nor did we advance. So, no extra money.

---"Teams that finish in the AP Top 25 or reach specific bowl games receive bonuses (approx. $1.8 million for 2024 bowl appearances)."---We finished in the Top 25, and while I don't know about specific bowl games and we were the highest-finishing ACC team that did NOT go to the CFP, so let's just say we got an extra $1.8 million.

---"Payouts are tied to "units" earned for wins in the NCAA basketball tournament."---We did not make any post-season tournament in 2024-25.

---"A new revenue stream that distributes roughly 60% of TV revenue based on a rolling five-year TV rating average, rewarding larger schools."---While Miami has always been a pretty decent TV draw, this was based on the PRIOR 5 years of ratings, which were not exactly compelling years (2019-2023 seasons).

2023 - finished 7-6, big games against aTm and F$U
2022 - finished 5-7, big games against aTm, F$U, and Clemson
2021 - finished 7-5, big games against Alabama, Michigan State, and F$U
2020 - finished 8-3 (COVID year), big games against F$U and Clemson
2019 - finished 6-7, big games against Florida and F$U

Not exactly a recipe for great TV ratings. Five games over .500 for five years.

So...I don't know...it looks like we made an extra, what, maybe $2M from the Success Initiative in FY2025.
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Nah I'd think the 25 distribution includes the 24 season media results. The distribution occurs after the football season concludes, so it would be included in the "prior" 5yr avg imo.

So yeah we didn't have all that much success on an avg 5yr basis, but I think we'd have still top 1/3rd ratings at worst espeyif including 24 and leaving off 19. Agree on the performance part being ~$2M for t25/bowls/etc. But everyone gets the 40% base distribution and then 60% is paid out by 5yr media avg like you said. So fy25 vs fy24 for acc payout goes from not having the success initiative to including the 24 seasons media results imo. No way that isn't positive in our favor imo.aybe only slightly, but that's why I said $5-10M.. it's probably only the closer end to $5M for the reasons you said.

Either way if we take the $5M from ACC distribution increase, the $20M due to RevShare accounting.... There's another $25M coming from something. Surely szntix/booster increased by may31 25 vs previous year, but not to that magnitude imo.

I guess inflation alone would perhaps account for $5M increase tbh...
 
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Calinative said:
Nah I'd think the 25 distribution includes the 24 season media results. The distribution occurs after the football season concludes, so it would be included in the "prior" 5yr avg imo.
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If you ever want to know the basis on which I get sick and tired of your nitpicking, this is a great example for you to reference.

Your response to my perfectly accurate assesesment of the 2019 to 2023 football seasons being the basis for Miami's 5-year rolling average...is for you to THINK that the "25 distribution includes the 24 season media results".

So you're trying to nitpick over ONE season.

AND YET YOU'RE STILL WRONG.

The ACC fiscal year ends June 30th. The ACC makes an annual distribution based upon its own fiscal year. The University of Miami reflects income based on its own fiscal year, which ends on May 31st.

Thus, any revenue paid to Miami for the period beginning June 1, 2024 and ending May 31, 2025 (FY2025) would have only included ACC distributions made during this time. Thus, the distribution that Miami included in ITS FY2025 would have been THE ACC'S FY2024. You know...the ACC fiscal period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024.

Seriously. Why would you assume that the ACC would, mid-year, decide how much money to pay schools? And ONLY based on the football season? Why do you just "think" whatever crazy thoughts that will comport with your point of view, and make your already debunked post sound 20% better?

It's truly bizarre that you would feel compelled to make such a specious argument, let alone attempt such an argument with me, WHEN I'VE ANALYZED ISSUES LIKE THIS FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

Try harder. Be better.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
If you ever want to know the basis on which I get sick and tired of your nitpicking, this is a great example for you to reference.

Your response to my perfectly accurate assesesment of the 2019 to 2023 football seasons being the basis for Miami's 5-year rolling average...is for you to THINK that the "25 distribution includes the 24 season media results".

So you're trying to nitpick over ONE season.

AND YET YOU'RE STILL WRONG.

The ACC fiscal year ends June 30th. The ACC makes an annual distribution based upon its own fiscal year. The University of Miami reflects income based on its own fiscal year, which ends on May 31st.

Thus, any revenue paid to Miami for the period beginning June 1, 2024 and ending May 31, 2025 (FY2025) would have only included ACC distributions made during this time. Thus, the distribution that Miami included in ITS FY2025 would have been THE ACC'S FY2024. You know...the ACC fiscal period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024.

Seriously. Why would you assume that the ACC would, mid-year, decide how much money to pay schools? And ONLY based on the football season? Why do you just "think" whatever crazy thoughts that will comport with your point of view, and make your already debunked post sound 20% better?

It's truly bizarre that you would feel compelled to make such a specious argument, let alone attempt such an argument with me, WHEN I'VE ANALYZED ISSUES LIKE THIS FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

Try harder. Be better.
Click to expand...
Lmao Its so funny you act like I'm nitpicking when I'm almost certaintly correct lmao. I'm like 95% sure I'm right and you are wrong.

www.wral.com

New revenue equation for ACC schools: More wins + more viewers = more money

After decades of equal revenue distribution, the ACC will give schools that have more success and drive more television viewership a greater share of the league’s money.
www.wral.com www.wral.com

The ACC fiscal term ends in June, but the actual DISTRIBUTION is made in mid may. ... Let's think about this logically, why would they actually release the distributions AFTER their fiscal year ends lmao. That makes no sense because then it'd be accounting the distribution in the FOLLOWING YEAR. The payments are sent to the schools sometime in May. EVERYTHING I have seen indicates that. The distributions for the ACC FY 2025 are going to be in Miamis FY2025 reporting. And that distribution is going to use the 2024 football season. Period. That's why NEXT YRS fiscal yr 2026 reporting will include the 2025 seasons results. This is just pure logic.

Furthermore, the current season (2024 in this case for Fy25) is weighted much larger than the previous 4 yrs results. Its 35% for the nearest season, then 65% for the other 4 seasons rather than 20% each. So the fact that we had a successful 2024 Season in the first of the success initiative changes to distribution model absolutely does work in our favor to increase our weighted ratings payout. We were 3rd in media ratings in the conference in 2024 season. And we also had the $2 (and actually looks like $3M tbh for the performance boost). And apparently we get the $1.6M boost for Cal/Stanford/SMU getting less as well....


I'm actually MORE confident now that we are likely closer to $10M increase than just $5M in distribution from ACC for 25 than 24....
www.wtae.com

ACC schools eye scheduling, TV viewership as way to bump up bottom line in new revenue model

The ACC got off to a quality start under the new model. ESPN and ABC announced their best Week 1 on record, and the top six games featured ACC teams.
www.wtae.com www.wtae.com
 
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TemplarCane said:
This doesn’t affect Miami, of course, but I thought this was interesting:

The Puerto Rico Bowl is making history as the first-ever NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game to be held on the island. Officially announced just this week (May 8, 2026), it is a major addition to the 2026–27 bowl season.

Key Event Details

• Inaugural Game: December 2026 (Exact date and kickoff time to be announced in June).
• Venue: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón.
• Capacity: Approximately 24,000.
• Broadcaster: The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

The Matchup

The bowl is part of a partnership between ESPN Events, Complete Sports Management, and Discover Puerto Rico.

• Conference Tie-ins: The game will feature a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) against another FBS opponent (to be determined).
• Replacement Status: Effectively, this game replaces the Bahamas Bowl and the Detroit Bowl (GameAbove Sports Bowl), both of which were removed from the sanctioned list for the 2026 season.

Historical Significance

While Puerto Rico has attempted to host smaller college games in the past—such as a 2025 Division II game that was ultimately moved due to field conditions—this is the first time a fully sanctioned FBS bowl game will take place there.

For fans, the big draw is the passport-free travel for U.S. citizens, making it a highly accessible "destination bowl" similar to the former Bahamas Bowl but within a U.S. territory. The stadium in Bayamón is primarily a soccer venue (home to Bayamón FC), but it is being optimized to meet the specific safety and sideline requirements for American football.
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A MAC also-ran vs another G6 also-ran.

Both playing with JV rosters due to portal opt-outs.

Ain't gonna be a lot of folks leaving the mainland to attend that one
 
Calinative said:
Lmao Its so funny you act like I'm nitpicking when I'm almost certaintly correct lmao. I'm like 95% sure I'm right and you are wrong.

www.wral.com

New revenue equation for ACC schools: More wins + more viewers = more money

After decades of equal revenue distribution, the ACC will give schools that have more success and drive more television viewership a greater share of the league’s money.
www.wral.com www.wral.com

The ACC fiscal term ends in June, but the actual DISTRIBUTION is made in mid may. ... Let's think about this logically, why would they actually release the distributions AFTER their fiscal year ends lmao. That makes no sense because then it'd be accounting the distribution in the FOLLOWING YEAR. The payments are sent to the schools sometime in May. EVERYTHING I have seen indicates that. The distributions for the ACC FY 2025 are going to be in Miamis FY2025 reporting. And that distribution is going to use the 2024 football season. Period. That's why NEXT YRS fiscal yr 2026 reporting will include the 2025 seasons results. This is just pure logic.

Furthermore, the current season (2024 in this case for Fy25) is weighted much larger than the previous 4 yrs results. Its 35% for the nearest season, then 65% for the other 4 seasons rather than 20% each. So the fact that we had a successful 2024 Season in the first of the success initiative changes to distribution model absolutely does work in our favor to increase our weighted ratings payout. We were 3rd in media ratings in the conference in 2024 season. And we also had the $2 (and actually looks like $3M tbh for the performance boost). And apparently we get the $1.6M boost for Cal/Stanford/SMU getting less as well....


I'm actually MORE confident now that we are likely closer to $10M increase than just $5M in distribution from ACC for 25 than 24....
www.wtae.com

ACC schools eye scheduling, TV viewership as way to bump up bottom line in new revenue model

The ACC got off to a quality start under the new model. ESPN and ABC announced their best Week 1 on record, and the top six games featured ACC teams.
www.wtae.com www.wtae.com
Click to expand...


You are fast propelling yourself towards being the dumbest porster on the board. You are really giving TouchMonkey and cookies and JADouche a run for their money.

First, I'm not even going to get into the stupidity that comes from you claiming that the distribution happens before the fiscal year.

I'm simply going to post an article FROM MAY 2025, that details the earnings and distributions FOR THE 2023-2024 FISCAL YEAR. Once again, the money that Miami reports for ITS FY2025 is from the ACC's FY2024.

Please read the article, and then apologize.

Again, the announcement of the distributions in May 2025 was based on FY2024, or as the article states "its final year as a 15-team league".

Also, there was this quote: "But with the addition of the three western schools and the settlement, the ACC’s revenue distribution will be drastically different in years to come. Cal, Stanford and SMU will get a lower percentage and the conference will reward teams for both on-field success and television viewership moving forward."

Soooo, let's recap. This May 2025 announcment of FY2024 numbers...goes AGAINST what you hypothesized at a "95% certainty" rate. There is always, I repeat ALWAYS, a lag on the calculation of numbers. That's why you file NON-PROFIT income tax returns, with the extended due date, 10.5 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF THE YEAR.

Wait, wait, let me do the math...that means, if the fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30...then the EXTENDED DUE DATE OF THE ACC'S NON-PROFIT TAX RETURN IS IN...DRUM ROLL...MID-MAY. Oh my god, it's amazing!!! I'm right, once again. And you're wrong, once again.

So, let's conclude here. You failed to take notice of what this "mid-May" not-actual "distribution" actually was, which was actually an announcement, 10.5 months after the conclusion of the PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, of what the PRIOR YEAR distribution was.

You really are not very smart. You thought you could razzle-dazzle me with a couple of articles, which do not actually say what you think they said.

And better yet, tell me ONE large non-profit IN THIS COUNTRY which makes profit distributions BEFORE the close of its fiscal year.

I'll wait for your genius explanation. And your apology.



www.wral.com

ACC sets record for money earned and distributed, but league knows it needs more

The Atlantic Coast Conference earned more than $711 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to its latest tax documents.
www.wral.com www.wral.com
 
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