SB Nation Conference Re-draft: Hoopin' it up for Round Six

by Vasherized on Jun 30, 2011 8:19 AM CDT

The sixth round picks are in and we could not be more pleased with the results.

-- The 12 Pack: Duke
-- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Kansas
-- Team Speed Kills: California
-- Conference TMZ: Maryland
-- The House of a Thousand Sanctions: Kentucky
-- The Cult Of Les Miles: Iowa

Here's the updated Big Board:

	12 Pack	SOTP	TSK	TMZ	HoTS	COLM
1	1. Texas	2. Florida	3. Bama	4. Ohio State	5. USC	6. LSU
2	12. Georgia	11. PSU	10. OU	9. FSU	8. ND	7. Michigan
3	13. U.C.L.A.	14. VT	15. Nebraska	16. Louisville	17. Oregon	18. UNC
4	24. Wiscy	23. Miami	22. A&M	21. Sparty	20. Vols	19. Stanford
5	25. U Dub	26. Auburn	27. Arizona	28. WVU	29. Syracuse	30. Arky
6	36. Duke	35. Kansas	34. Cal	33. Maryland	32. Kentucky	31. Iowa

Our fearless leader summarized the sixth round selections perfectly over at BC Interruption. This last round saw a major run on hoops schools, with Kansas, Duke, and Kentucky all going off the board. And Maryland. Sorry, Iowa.

The 12 Pack selected Duke to pair with our second round pick, the UCLA Bruins. An expansion to the trophy room at 12 Pack HQ is already underway.

But it wasn't just a hardware play, the financials made sense too.

Round six was all about hoops, hawkeyes and hippies. Basketball-first schools dominated the round with the House of A Thousand Sanctions (House of Sparky) selecting Kentucky at 32, Conference TMZ (Big East Coast Bias) selecting Maryland at 33 and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Panties (Black Heart Gold Pants) selecting Kansas at 35.

But the other five commissioners let a few terrible decades of football scare them off from the real hoops prize, Duke basketball.

Duke basketball generated over $26M in revenue in 2009-10, which by itself was more revenue generated by both the revenue sports at Florida State ($24.7M) and Maryland ($22.2M). Combined with the over $16M generated from football, Duke ranks 25th nationally in revenues last year.

The Blue Devils also kill it in the non-revenue sports and are currently ranked 3rd in the Director's Cup standings (if that's your thing), behind only Stanford and Ohio State.

Plus along with U.C.L.A., Texas and Wisconsin, the addition of Duke arguably gives The Twelve Pack four of the top 10 college hoops programs in the country. Washington is no slouch either and Georgia, well, they are improving?

Duke adds a private school with deep pockets -- an endowment pushing $5 billion, yes with a B -- and a commitment to winning athletic programs (that are not football). It also gives the Twelve Pack a foothold in a growing part of the country which continues to see double-digit population growth. Plus, it's another solid road trip destination to go along with Austin, Athens, Westwood, Seattle and Madison.

The pick was either Duke or Kansas and when the Jayhawks went right before us, our decision was made. Besides, Coach K checks Duke Basketball Report before each game to see what his lineup should be. Like football in Texas, Duke basketball is a year round sport and DBR's google analytics are the envy of every ~~idiot~~ entrepreneur that ever tried to start his own blog.

Shit gets real in round 7, as each commissioner now has to placate the dozen or so bloggers he's picked up along the way from hallowed basements across the nation. It's a thankless job, having to satisfy fragile egos limited by regional bias, bitter distaste for lesser rivals, and general lack of awareness for what makes a conference successful: recruiting talent, dollars, academics, and TV sets. And in this re-draft: hot tang. (If that regrettable collection of blogger traits seemed directed at Big East Coast Bias or Sisterhood of the Traveling Panties, it was mere coincidence.)

With 6 of the top 15 media markets now locked up, in the next few rounds the 12 Pack plans on seeking out a directional college in eastern Missouri, perhaps an overseas Mormon NCAA affiliate, and maybe a lower tier Ivy League school with a semi-competitive Lacrosse program just to give the other conferences a chance to catch up.

Who would you like to see with the 7th round pick? We are on the clock. Cast your vote by the end of the day and we'll try to sell it to our commissioner. Brian could have Dan Beebe's job tomorrow if he wanted it and while your help isn't really needed, he's willing to look at all available data before making a perfectly calculated decision.

No, nordberg, we're not taking Baylor.

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Comments

Purdue or Missouri.

by Toadvine on Jun 30, 2011 8:42 AM CDT reply actions

Tempe 12 for the talent?

BC in the continued quest for major market share?

by jc25 on Jun 30, 2011 8:49 AM CDT reply actions

All in the discussion except for Purdue. The greater Lafayette media market is not as compelling as Toadvine thinks it is. But the Swiss do love his Gene Keady combover.

by Vasherized on Jun 30, 2011 8:56 AM CDT reply actions

No middle america please.

How about San Diego St?

by dick on Jun 30, 2011 8:59 AM CDT reply actions

Colorado is also available, should you for some reason pass on Baylor.

by nordberg on Jun 30, 2011 9:12 AM CDT reply actions

All of your legitimate big markets are gone. Purdue is 2 1/2 hours from Chicago, has Big 10 loyalty, has good basketball and decent football. There ain’t a hell of a lot of prizewinners left!

I guess South Carolina needs to be in the conversation.

by Toadvine on Jun 30, 2011 9:20 AM CDT reply actions

Well, if you want an Ivy League school that has a strong lacrosse program, I would suggest Princeton, with Cornell being a second option. Never hurts to have an academic school in the conference to keep the overall conference GPA up (I swear this is the only reason the SEC keeps Vanderbilt around).

Apropos of the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, I would like to toss out the Naval Academy as a possible selection. Good football program (and I think the triple option offense would add a nice little spin), a decent lacrosse program, good academics, and, if any other conferences start giving you crap, then you can send a team of Navy SEALS to deal with the problem. Or the Marines; whichever is more appropriate and/or would cause the most destruction.

by Just Another Reader on Jun 30, 2011 9:23 AM CDT reply actions

Illinois. Mega school academically and a big chunk of the Chicago market (sharing with Notre Dame).

Mizzou wouldn’t break my heart.

by edsp on Jun 30, 2011 10:44 AM CDT reply actions

Or continue the basketball run with Indiana?

by nordberg on Jun 30, 2011 10:57 AM CDT reply actions

Easy: Arizona State. jc25 has it right.

Wild card choice would be BYU.

by jonestopten on Jun 30, 2011 10:58 AM CDT reply actions

UConn still available?

by HornsInLA on Jun 30, 2011 10:58 AM CDT reply actions

BYU, Utah, Illinois, Mizzou, UVA, and BC all come to mind. GT and Pitt are strong candidates. CU is an outside possibility, but mostly based on potential.

by burntorangehorn on Jun 30, 2011 11:00 AM CDT reply actions

Duke is a great pick up- Good school with some integrity, great basketball program. As to football well at least you never hear about Duke cheating like that other blue tobacco road school.

Although I must say, given your earlier strategy of big state schools in big markets with hot errr scenery Duke is somewhat of a departure (I will add though that my sister-in-law and Duke MBA is pretty hot). So maybe you are onto something there. I’m not sure if she’s the exception to the rule though

I think either Illinois or Colorado would be a good move. Colorado has a beautiful campus, in a great road trip location and some decent coeds in a major media market, but they have all the fucked up liberals making the decisions for the athletic department. I suppose every conference needs a whipping boy. There are worse places to go to put the beat down on some hippies than Boulder.

Illinois is down now, but they have potential. Huge state school, pretty good tradition in basketball and an occasional good team in football.

by roach on Jun 30, 2011 11:01 AM CDT reply actions

Wait ASU is available? I agree with jc and jones.

Take the Sundevils.

by roach on Jun 30, 2011 11:05 AM CDT reply actions

In order of athletics revenue…

Oklahoma State
South Carolina
Virginia
Purdue
Boston College
Clemson
Illiniois
UConn
Arizona State
Colorado
Mizzou
GTech
Pitt

I think South Carolina is probably the best available..? Not sure how the tang ranks, but it can’t be too shabby.

by texasengr on Jun 30, 2011 11:08 AM CDT reply actions

Still some solid two-sport candidates out there. South Carolina, Arizona State, Missouri. Hard to go wrong with any of them. Purdue over Indiana — IU football is an anchor you pick up later for a doormat.

UConn — basketball already maximized. Football still building, but football in the East always is overrated as a money and eyeball generator. I can see them going this round but I’d wait until the next one.

by Bob in Houston on Jun 30, 2011 11:11 AM CDT reply actions

Doesn’t ASU go against the criterion of not adding jucos?

by burntorangehorn on Jun 30, 2011 11:17 AM CDT reply actions

Burnt:

Maybe, but I figure all the southern California coeds who are too stupid err unable to get into UCLA go to ASU. So that’s something right?

And they have a great baseball program.

by roach on Jun 30, 2011 11:23 AM CDT reply actions

Clearly, you guys advocating for UConn have never been to Storrs. Even Hartford is pretty much a shit hole.

by roach on Jun 30, 2011 11:25 AM CDT reply actions

Yeah, I too was factoring in baseball with both ASU and USC-E, but in the scheme of things, it’s a poor third, and at most northern schools a true afterthought.

by Bob in Houston on Jun 30, 2011 11:26 AM CDT reply actions

The “hot tang” prereq probably pushes ASU to the top, considering the other schools in the mix (sans South Carolina).

by nordberg on Jun 30, 2011 11:39 AM CDT reply actions

UT, UCLA and Duke. Your fondness for running around blowing hipsters on the weekend is evident.

by dedfischer on Jun 30, 2011 11:44 AM CDT reply actions

Only a Tech graduate could mistake either of Duke or UCLA as hipster hang outs. Duke is full of the best looking chick from the g/t class and UCLA is for future Valley plastic furniture scene cheered (Daddy issues, IMO) but neither comes close to hip. You’re thinking of Reed.

by Toadvine on Jun 30, 2011 12:27 PM CDT reply actions

Should’ve said scene chewers. Damn auto-correct.

by Toadvine on Jun 30, 2011 12:29 PM CDT reply actions

BYU

by Wulaw Horn on Jun 30, 2011 12:43 PM CDT reply actions

ASU- hot tang, #12 TV market, nice travel destination…..

by DCTexasEx on Jun 30, 2011 12:55 PM CDT reply actions

Echoing roach’s sentiments — you clearly haven’t been to Storrs and UConn plays football in East Hartford at a place nicknamed the Rent, because would want to buy in East Hartford.

by Brian @ BCI on Jun 30, 2011 1:13 PM CDT reply actions

ASU for hot chicks

by UT2010 on Jun 30, 2011 1:16 PM CDT reply actions

Man, the 12-pack is killin’ it.

and it’s good to see Team Speed Kills found someone to carry their academic water for them…

by The Bobs on Jun 30, 2011 1:54 PM CDT reply actions

Pitt

Without question. The FB program is more than respectable and the BB program is necessary to keep TMZ from becoming the dominant BB conference. You get a toehold into Western PA / Eastern Ohio for FB recruiting. And it gives you an excuse to write stories that use the word “you’ns”

by Guvnah on Jun 30, 2011 2:44 PM CDT reply actions

Ditka is crying

by Tony, Dan, Hugh and Larry on Jun 30, 2011 7:05 PM CDT reply actions

My rank order: UVA, CU, ASU, OkSU, BYU, Northwestern.

Don’t laugh at NW. Great school, great destination, top 3 media market (albeit not too focused on NW, but can NYC claim any different?), and they just announced long-term contracts to the football coach and AD, along with a commitment to major facilities overhaul across the board.

by wethorn on Jun 30, 2011 9:38 PM CDT reply actions