Chicago Sun-Times: Big10 Will Add 15 & 16

[The Viking]

yes, didn't someone put up the picture of him in the stands?

 

[Dooley]

Just curious, was Delaney at the Michigan State-UConn game at MSG?

Yes he was there.

 

[specialisthusky]

Just curious, was Delaney at the Michigan State-UConn game at MSG?

I saw him in the concession line behind me. He told me "You're next." Could have meant for a hot dog, but I took it as for B1G.

 

[Seaa Blue]

yes, didn't someone put up the picture of him in the stands?

 

[ASweet3781]

My friend was at that game and said the U-C-O-N-N cheers late were chill inducing.

Let's hope Jimmy D got chills too.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Just to clarify and to be honest, why there is a lot of UConn blue in NYC and its suburbs, myself included, the rest of NYC turns the color of the team that WINS. No one within say 500 miles (UNC and Duke are about 500 miles away by car) of Times Square has more NCAA men’s title than UConn. Thus, the Huskies get a lot of love in the Big Apple. That is what the B1G saw.

Well we do have the distance advantage, same as if it the game were held in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or even DC. Boston is an hour and a half from UConn's campus. If you talk about the most southwestern tip of Connecticut, it's all of a dozen miles or so as the crow flies from Greenwich to the NYC limit where the Bronx meets Westchester. Philly is a few hours from Connecticut, and Baltimore is about 4 or 5 and DC 5 or 6, depending on where you leave from. If the B1G needs contiguity of states, well Connecticut doesn't technically touch New Jersey, but it's a very short distance, maybe 30 miles. UConn not only wins titles, but it's smack dab in the middle of the Bos-Wash megalopolis and all of its media wonderment. And the World Leader of Sports is in our backyard which has never hurt. UConn has so many advantages just because of its location that a conference would be silly to not seriously consider adding them. Not to mention if the B1G is serious about the academic stature of their members, they'll drop the AAU requirement because let's be real, UConn is a better academic institution than half of what's already in the B1G and probably one of the best schools that's not in a P5 conference already. Plus UConn's athletic department is one of the best when you look at it in totality. Oh yeah the B1G just finally put together a real hockey conference, so UConn would be able to contribute to that sport where less than half of the B1G's members participate (only Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan, and Michigan State participate in B1G hockey - not sure if Maryland or Rutgers will add to that). UConn's a no-brainer. Luckily the P5 conferences are running out of viable candidates especially in the east, so we're bound to get picked up by someone, even if it is the ACC begrudgingly they value money over any past history.

 

[Rocktheworld]

even if it is the ACC begrudgingly they value money over any past history.

BC and Cuse say hi. We're better than Pitt in every fathomable way and we were wanted, yet Pitt was taken.

 

[HoopsFan21]

BC and Cuse say hi. We're better than Pitt in every fathomable way and we were wanted, yet Pitt was taken.

That's what I was referring to when I said begrudgingly while mentioning past history. Eventually those teams will have to swallow their pride or enjoy welcoming South Central Louisiana State University or Fleener State as their next team. There just aren't many, or any, viable candidates left east of the Mississippi. No one's leaving the B1G or SEC for the ACC. Like I said, the B1G is the best choice because then they effectively control the most densely populated wealthiest part of the country and the media markets that go with it. It helps a conference TV network get ad money when you lock down media markets with millions of TVs that aren't being watched by people in trailers using rabbit ears.

 

[CL82]

So, are we doomed, or not doomed?

Oh we're still doomed. The cat's crazy!

(...or is she?)

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why do we torture ourselves this way? The invite will come or not come. I don't think we will be on the sidelines when this game of musical chairs ends. But where we get a seat? I don't know or even care anymore.

 

[freescooter]

So, are we doomed, or not doomed?

Yes

 

[Tenspro2002]

As the crow files, New Jersey and Connecticut are, at their closest point, 11 miles apart. That's about as close as you can get without being contiguous.

 

[Seaa Blue]

As the crow files, New Jersey and Connecticut are, at their closest point, 11 miles apart. That's about as close as you can get without being contiguous.

The NYC office bridges that gap.

 

[SAMCRO]

The NYC office bridges that gap.

That does in fact make CT contiguous with B1G property.

 

[Kolumbo]

That does in fact make CT contiguous with B1G property.

And of all requisites, that "contiguous" aspect has no real relevance, especially in the Northeast where states are smaller. And AAU? That's more form over function. UCONN does fine academically on its merit.

 

[Pudge]

For Whaler specifically ... and others tangentially ...

What I have noticed (primarily for the ACC), is that the EXPANSION of more Universities directly opens up these Contracts with the TV coverage. While you may think that this means that 16 is splitting the same pie instead of 14, the reality is that the applicable Network pushes the Revenue to a new high. In the era of increasingly valued Live Sports product, I think Delany (and Swofford) know that this is a way to keep Gross Revenues growing.

It may say covering Increased Labor Costs ... but the addition of 2 Universities and 2 Markets lead to a REFINANCING/RECAPITALIZATION event for the Conference. Without a "change in circumstance", the contract doesn't open.

 

[Waquoit]

That does in fact make CT contiguous with B1G property.

And couple that with the fact that part of Ohio used to be part of Connecticut and it's case closed.

 

[whaler11]

For Whaler specifically ... and others tangentially ...

What I have noticed (primarily for the ACC), is that the EXPANSION of more Universities directly opens up these Contracts with the TV coverage. While you may think that this means that 16 is splitting the same pie instead of 14, the reality is that the applicable Network pushes the Revenue to a new high. In the era of increasingly valued Live Sports product, I think Delany (and Swofford) know that this is a way to keep Gross Revenues growing.

It may say covering Increased Labor Costs ... but the addition of 2 Universities and 2 Markets lead to a REFINANCING/RECAPITALIZATION event for the Conference. Without a "change in circumstance", the contract doesn't open.

Huh? I've never commented to the idea that it would be the same pie divided by more schools.

What I don't get about this article is why unionization would be a motivating factor.

The Big 10 wants more revenue because they want more revenue - they don't need a specific expense to balance it to desire to create it.

The ACC contact seemed to reopen due to the changing membership. I don't remember the Big 10 contacts being renegotiated due to the addition of Rutgers and Maryland. I don't know the exact dates but they are close to term I thought?

 

[tzznandrew]

Huh? I've never commented to the idea that it would be the same pie divided by more schools.

Well, unless I've misunderstood you, you have in other threads when you suggest a new school to the B1G would have to bring an additional 30-40 million in revenue.

 

[mavblues]

I expected a nice visual to follow of a B1G cheerleader with nice, uh, lungs. Yeah, nice lungs.

OK, but you asked for it:

 

[Waquoit]

Oh My!

 

[whaler11]

Well, unless I've misunderstood you, you have in other threads when you suggest a new school to the B1G would have to bring an additional 30-40 million in revenue.

Oh I absolutely believe that. Thats less than 3 million a school - if the Nebraskas, Iowas and Minnesotas aren't going to get paid why would they support Connecticut joining?

So they can have more expensive travel and lose better football games off their schedule?

Saying the same revenue is divided by more schools would mean their rake goes down.

The last two they added was a clear cash grab, why would their motivation change?

 

[FAIRTIDES]

To be fair, there are a lot of UConn alumni in NYC and its suburbs, myself included; but the rest of NYC only turns blue when that team WINS. No one within roughly 500 miles (UNC and Duke are about 500 miles away by car) of Times Square has more NCAA men’s titles than UConn. Thus, the Huskies get a lot of love in the Big Apple. That is what the B1G saw.

Exactly. If we're honest, we have to admit that a circumstance that saw CUSE or,even, Rutgers at the MSG Regional Final would have generated a fan reaction similar/equal to ours. The important point is that UCONN continues to advance to regional finals and continues to generate fan interest. This time it happened to be the close-in NYC/MSG. Next time it might be another location. To draw crowds to big events, a program has to qualify for those events. Given recent history, name a better bet than UCONN.

 

[tzznandrew]

Oh I absolutely believe that. Thats less than 3 million a school - if the Nebraskas, Iowas and Minnesotas aren't going to get paid why would they support Connecticut joining?

So they can have more expensive travel and lose better football games off their schedule?

Saying the same revenue is divided by more schools would mean their rake goes down.

The last two they added was a clear cash grab, why would their motivation change?

So then I don't really get why you really protested Pudge's characterization of your position. Pudge's point is that the same pie won't necessarily be divided because it allows them to re-open and re-negotiate. That means it has little to do with the amount of individual money a school brings it, it all has to do with the ability to renegotiate...since the rights for live entertainment themselves have been increasing steadily increasing in worth.

A school doesn't have to bring that much money because the conference is appreciating in value every year, and so any individual school is really an excuse to allow the conference to up the value of the contract as a whole and get more money up-front.

 

[bobbyinaz]

So then I don't really get why you really protested Pudge's characterization of your position. Pudge's point is that the same pie won't necessarily be divided because it allows them to re-open and re-negotiate. That means it has little to do with the amount of individual money a school brings it, it all has to do with the ability to renegotiate...since the rights for live entertainment themselves have been increasing steadily increasing in worth.

A school doesn't have to bring that much money because the conference is appreciating in value every year, and so any individual school is really an excuse to allow the conference to up the value of the contract as a whole and get more money up-front.

The B1G did not get a renegotiated contract when the announced the RU & UMD additions. In fact they will play the 2014, 2015 & 2016 seasons under their existing Tier 1 agreements. The existing 12 schools will not make any less over the next 3 years. The increase in BTN revenue is what they are banking on to pay RU & UMD over that period of time.

It's been reported that RU will make 50% in year 1 & ramp up over 5-7 years before receiving a full share. I haven't seen what UMD will make but my guess is their payout will be similar since Nebraska had a similar deal. UMD did get a 1 time $20MM upfront "travel expense" reimbursement which is code for money to be used to pay exit fees. If the B1G is currently paying out $25MM per school, RU & UMD's 50% shares equal a $25MM increase in BTN revenues between the 2 of them.

Using that math, 2 new additions to the conference will need to generate $30-40MM in BTN revenues to keep the existing schools at their current payouts

They will start accepting bids/renegotiating a new agreement in 2016 for the 2017-2018 season