The two most common reasons to walk away from a proposed business deal are that a) you no longer want to be in that business/deal or b) when negotiations inevitably resume, you believe you can get more favorable terms.
Last week, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 – or “The Alliance” as they call themselves – bailed on a proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff from four teams to 12. Seven conferences – most notably the SEC – and Notre Dame were in favor of the proposal.
Since expansion currently requires unanimity, the 8-3 vote assures that the four-team playoff will remain intact for the next four seasons – thru fall of 2025. Had the expansion been agreed to, the new plan might have begun in 2023.
With the original 12-year contract coming to an end, there is nothing in place after 2025. Conferences are thus free to do as they wish. A unanimous vote is no longer needed to set something up. The 2026 season and beyond is very much unknown.
The Alliance certainly wants…