In realignment, there are myriad factors at play for conferences to consider between academic accreditation, athletic budget, alumni base and support. But boil it all down and one factor in particular tracks as the most important: success on the football field and selling said success.
It’s about how good you are and how many folks will watch to see how good you are. Why do you think ever-mediocre Texas got the call-up to the SEC?
I was reading this week a story by Zach Miller, who broke down the TV numbers by setting out to answer one simple question: Which college football programs bring in the most TV viewers?