If your conference leans to one side and you have to turn the focus away from Austin to maintain viability, that is a good indication that your conference is in need of realignment. Perhaps it is the result of hitting a deep cable pothole or scoring a direct hit on your ability to make it to the playoffs.
Before you head off to a Arizona to have your conference realigned, a job that typically costs at least a $4M to $5M share for each school, it would be a good idea to remain calm under pressure. Unhappy schools can also cause a conference to pull to one side, so eliminate that possibility first.
You might also want to inspect the schools to see if there is uneven bias, such as a 20 year contract with ESPN, another sign of a realignment issue. However, it can be hard to separate normal from excessive bias, so unless you’re well trained in “economics” you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
Bad vibes in conferences are different from realignment problems. Bad vibes are probably caused by schools being out of balance or running crooked, undisciplined and blatantly offensive programs (Bears can do that). Getting your conference realigned won’t solve those problems.
Some conferences require only that the “important” schools be coddled, but many Power Five-based models require all-out realignment. Realignment specifications differ by conference, and it isn’t as simple as just making sure all schools are treated equally.
Depending on the conference, proper realignment involves adding a school (preferably outside of the current recruiting pool), siding with otherwise mortal enemies (making sure you’ll be taken care of it all goes to pot) and a you-might-get-left-out mentality (looking down at schools with less athletic prowess). The adjustments cost millions of dollars and require highly specialized travel schedules.
Conference realignment isn’t usually listed by Power Five schools on the recommended maintenance schedule, so how often it should be done is open-ended. If your conference tracks as straight as an arrow to the CFB Playoff, you’re properly aligned. Even so, the Big 12 believes it’s a good idea to have your realignment checked annually, such as when you have your offseason. You certainly should have it done when you buy new recruits so they don’t immediately start to leave unhappy. The Big 12 guarantees realignment work for up to one year, so bring your conference back before the guarantee ends to have it checked again (assuming that service is free, which it never is).
Lubbock Events
Thursday, May 5th
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Check out a list of events and specials from Lubbock in the Loop
CapRock Winery
Junior Vasquez hosts
Junior’s Listening Room
with Mark Paden & Jerry Brownlow’s
Merle Haggard Tribute
Food Trucks – 6pm, Music – 6:30pm
McPherson Cellars
Patio Night with Landon Scoggins- 7-10pm
The Blue Light
Rob Baird
Jake’s
Strutter & Thunderstruck
Friday, May 6th
Track & Field
Masked Rider Outdoor Open
LHUCA & Depot District
First Friday Art Trail – 6-9pm
The Blue Light
Paul Cauthen
The Office
Broken Bar V
Charley B’s
Rich O’Toole
Saturday, May 7th
Track & Field
Masked Rider Outdoor Open
Museum of Texas Tech
Dino Day – 1-4pm
Lonestar Amphitheater
Josh Abbott Spring Fest with
Cody Johnson
Zane Williams &
Hunter Huchinson
Click here for tickets
The Blue Light
Brandon Adams & The Sad Bastards
The Office
Hi Rollers
Sunday, May 8th
Happy Mother’s Day!
Tuesday, May 10th
The Blue Light
Dalton Domino
Upcoming Events
McPherson Patio Nights
May 19th – Jill Cohn
May 26th – Mike Pritchard
May 13th & 14th
Fifth Annual Lubbock Wines & Vines Festival
Buddy Holly Center Summer Showcase
May 26th – Element
June 2nd – Mike Pritchard
June 9th – Wendy Colonna
June 16th – Jenni Dale Lord
June 23rd – Patricia Vonne
June 30th – John Sprott
July 7th – Sugarwitch
July 14th – Outlier
July 21st – Brandy Zdan
July 28th – Mariachi Amistad
August 4th – Gypsy Jayne
August 11th – Wade Parks
August 18th – hONEyhoUSe
August 25th – Josh Grider & Drew Kennedy
June 4th
WWE 2016
(tickets)
June 8th
The Toadies