True enough, I just don't think this one is going to erode nearly as quickly as a lot of folks assumed it would.
Their fundamental problem is that ESPN has their rights either way, so has no incentive to help spring them. Only the B1G's TV partners would have any incentive, and it's apparent that for the time being, the juice just isn't worth the squeeze.
I think ESPN may have some incentive. Assuming FSU and maybe one or two others turn on TVs at a higher rate--and I'm guessing they do--then those teams add exponential value to the SEC, and ESPN could have that value for less than the sum of its parts. Meanwhile, they could drop the ACC entirely, because why would they care about an FSU-less, Clemson-less, Va. Techless (or whoever) ACC?
Similar to Texas and OU joining the SEC. UT/OU carry their own set of eyeballs with them, but moving to the SEC (or Big Ten) is not like moving anywhere else. If those teams moved to the PAC 2 (or, just to be fair about this, let's say the PAC didn't implode and it was still the PAC 12), that's still mostly the extent of it....they carry that many eyeballs. But the SEC/B1G have giant bases already built in, and now that many eyeballs are added on top of what UT and OU already bring. Because they're conference teams, so now we all are interested in what's happening. Why do I watch Tennessee play South Carolina? Solely because as an LSU fan, it interests me to watch what's going on in the conference. I hardly watch OU games, but I will be going forward. Same would apply for Texas if I weren't married to a fan. Same as right now I rarely watch FSU....but I would if they were an SEC team.
So ESPN could not only keep their current SEC viewership, they could turn that entire viewership onto a few new teams, exploding those markets, and quit paying for ACC deadweight nobody is currently watching.
I could be wrong, obviously, without having the benefit of the real numbers in front of me. But that's my theory.
Now, can ESPN sling enough $ to change anything? Maybe not. But like I say......water. It may take eons, but it will win. The ACC will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
