How UL won the battle to the ACC

[kobe]

If you're from a school with a quality athletic department, you care. It doesn't look like Cincinnati cares very much based on their performance. That's a big concern.

The funny thing is that ESPN has gone out and created a faux Director's Cup called the Capital One Cup that picks and chooses some sports above the others in importance, and it separates Men's and Women's. All this is designed to do is make Conferences that only sponsor 19 sports (i.e. SEC, Big XII) feel artificially important in overall athletics. They can't keep up in the straight up comparison. They aren't involved in enough varsity sports to do so.

Cincinnati just reinstated full scholarship funding to all Olympic Sports this spring. I am hoping within 3-4 years the other sports will be successful to complement a good football/basketball program.

Oh and these "other" sports are important especially since there are talks that the ACC is interested in creating it's own network. A lot of the inventory will be made up women's sports, baseball, lacrosse, etc.

 

[whaler11]

If you're from a school with a quality athletic department, you care. It doesn't look like Cincinnati cares very much based on their performance. That's a big concern.

The funny thing is that ESPN has gone out and created a faux Director's Cup called the Capital One Cup that picks and chooses some sports above the others in importance, and it separates Men's and Women's. All this is designed to do is make Conferences that only sponsor 19 sports (i.e. SEC, Big XII) feel artificially important in overall athletics. They can't keep up in the straight up comparison. They aren't involved in enough varsity sports to do so.

Yes because schools that sponsor 25 sports are so much more 'important' than those that sponsor 19. Water Polo, Men's Volleyball, Women's Lacrosse - that is what separates the 'important' programs from the lowly dregs.

Maybe you believe this nonsense or maybe it's because you are a Virginia fan so you have to crank up your unwarrented faux elitism...

I know that this Alabama Oklahoma game isn't important because the SEC just doesn't value field hockey.

 

[whaler11]

Oh and these "other" sports are important especially since there are talks that the ACC is interested in creating it's own network. A lot of the inventory will be made up women's sports, baseball, lacrosse, etc.

You've lost the forest for the trees.

A: There is no way the ACC can start a network
B: Nobody watches anything on the Big 10 or Pac 12 network past football and basketball. I wasn't planning on watching college softball today, but this Northwestern/Iowa game is just too good to turn off - said by no one ever.

 

[HawkHusky]

You've lost the forest for the trees.

A: There is no way the ACC can start a network
B: Nobody watches anything on the Big 10 or Pac 12 network past football and basketball. I wasn't planning on watching college softball today, but this Northwestern/Iowa game is just too good to turn off - said by no one ever.

I think regional areas would watch other sports where they are popular:

B1G country watches B1G network hockey
The Southeast will probably watch SEC/ACC baseball on the SEC network
The Mid Atlantic/Carolina would probably watch lacrosse/soccer on an ACC network

 

[RioDog]

If you're from a school with a quality athletic department, you care. It doesn't look like Cincinnati cares very much based on their performance. That's a big concern.

The funny thing is that ESPN has gone out and created a faux Director's Cup called the Capital One Cup that picks and chooses some sports above the others in importance, and it separates Men's and Women's. All this is designed to do is make Conferences that only sponsor 19 sports (i.e. SEC, Big XII) feel artificially important in overall athletics. They can't keep up in the straight up comparison. They aren't involved in enough varsity sports to do so.

"Faux"? ESPN is pretty good at creating/defining reality in college athletics. Also, how many people really care if a school "keeps up" in intercollegiate lawn darts and bocce ball? Not trying to be a . I just think your view is naive.

 

[Waquoit]

Still like so many things if you say it enough you can convince yourself it's true even if there's no factual backing.

Bob Ryan has said as much several times. Why would he lie?

 

[B1GALUM]

I think regional areas would watch other sports where they are popular:

B1G country watches B1G network hockey
The Southeast will probably watch SEC/ACC baseball on the SEC network
The Mid Atlantic/Carolina would probably watch lacrosse/soccer on an ACC network

Agreed. Mark Silverman, the BTN president, affirmed this in his remarks at the 2013 Big Ten Conference Media Day: http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=91240
However, while these other sports provide additional content for a conference network and will have local interest, the driver for any further conference realignment will still be football with men's basketball perhaps being a sport that could factor into a decision as well.

 

[whaler11]

I think regional areas would watch other sports where they are popular:

B1G country watches B1G network hockey
The Southeast will probably watch SEC/ACC baseball on the SEC network
The Mid Atlantic/Carolina would probably watch lacrosse/soccer on an ACC network

Please. 60% of BTN advertising revenue is generated on the 14 football Saturdays. They don't even get Tier 1 football games. The other 351 days a year they generate zero interest from advertisers and that includes scores of basketball games.

All that inventory is worthless, it just fills time and nobody watches it. The BTN loses money on a good number of those games. They cost more to produce than the revenue they generate.

 

[HawkHusky]

Please. 60% of BTN advertising revenue is generated on the 14 football Saturdays. They don't even get Tier 1 football games. The other 351 days a year they generate zero interest from advertisers and that includes scores of basketball games.

All that inventory is worthless, it just fills time and nobody watches it. The BTN loses money on a good number of those games. They cost more to produce than the revenue they generate.

Please. If the region likes the programming, they watch it. Case and point: UCONN women's basketball on SNY.

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/011113aac.html

 

[CAHUSKY]

Please. 60% of BTN advertising revenue is generated on the 14 football Saturdays. They don't even get Tier 1 football games. The other 351 days a year they generate zero interest from advertisers and that includes scores of basketball games. .

Zero interest ? When 40% of my advertising revenue is generated by non-football programming I'm thinking I would spend a bit more than "zero" attention to bolstering that inventory

 

[btstimpy]

"Faux"? ESPN is pretty good at creating/defining reality in college athletics. Also, how many people really care if a school "keeps up" in intercollegiate lawn darts and bocce ball? Not trying to be a . I just think your view is naive.

Hay. I say allow the National Football League and the National Basketball Association to create their own FARM leagues on their own. They both are certainly self sustaining enough. The College level does not need to be their farm system. It just doesn't. There is a 30 for 30 show about how when Ohio State flushed Maurice Clarette he had no where to go when the Ohio State Athletic Director black balled him.. There is not farm NFL team.

I'm all about intercollegiate competition. And I like lawn darts too. But having colleges hold professional athletes hostage for financial gain sucks. Kentucky is now doing it in basketball. There are many lowering their standards in football now to do it too.

That's why I love the Director's Cup. Give both Football and Men's Basketball the 100 points for a national championship. They deserve it. But if no one graduates like Kentucky basketball, they are not student athletes to be commended. They never wanted to be there in the first place. Then the rest of the athletes who actually value college can compete for something.

 

[whaler11]

Zero interest ? When 40% of my advertising revenue is generated by non-football programming I'm thinking I would spend a bit more than "zero" attention to bolstering that inventory

And how much of that 40% is men's basketball you think?

Do you guys live in some fantasy land where there is some way in the world where secondary and tertiary college sports become viable television properties.

The audiences are microscopic. Men's college basketball on national networks draws flies 90% of games. Regional conference networks showing non-revenue sports may as well broadcast a test pattern.

 

[billybud]

There may be niche audiences for non revenue sports....I've seen ESPN broadcast dressage to dog shows.

But we are talking specialty audiences of very small numbers...

 

[HawkHusky]

There may be niche audiences for non revenue sports....I've seen ESPN broadcast dressage to dog shows.

But we are talking specialty audiences of very small numbers...

Niche audiences but audiences none the less. To say there's zero interest is just misinformed and incorrect.

As a college sports fan, I will be watching Minnesota/Wisconsin/Michigan hockey games on B1G Network this year (as will a good amount of upper Midwest residents) and I would watch UVA/UNC/Duke lacrosse and soccer if an ACC Network came to fruition (as would many Virginia/Carolina residents).

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Hay. I say allow the National Football League and the National Basketball Association to create their own FARM leagues on their own. They both are certainly self sustaining enough. The College level does not need to be their farm system. It just doesn't. There is a 30 for 30 show about how when Ohio State flushed Maurice Clarette he had no where to go when the Ohio State Athletic Director black balled him.. There is not farm NFL team.

I'm all about intercollegiate competition. And I like lawn darts too. But having colleges hold professional athletes hostage for financial gain sucks. Kentucky is now doing it in basketball. There are many lowering their standards in football now to do it too.

That's why I love the Director's Cup. Give both Football and Men's Basketball the 100 points for a national championship. They deserve it. But if no one graduates like Kentucky basketball, they are not student athletes to be commended. They never wanted to be there in the first place. Then the rest of the athletes who actually value college can compete for something.

I generally agree and it is a model that has proven to be successful outside of the us; but, many college presidents will not give up the millions that big time college football, and to a lesser degree basketball, generates form them willingly, especially for the colleges that hang their hat on football only instead of other facets, such as academics.

 

[RioDog]

Hay. I say allow the National Football League and the National Basketball Association to create their own FARM leagues on their own. They both are certainly self sustaining enough. The College level does not need to be their farm system. It just doesn't. There is a 30 for 30 show about how when Ohio State flushed Maurice Clarette he had no where to go when the Ohio State Athletic Director black balled him.. There is not farm NFL team.

I'm all about intercollegiate competition. And I like lawn darts too. But having colleges hold professional athletes hostage for financial gain sucks. Kentucky is now doing it in basketball. There are many lowering their standards in football now to do it too.

That's why I love the Director's Cup. Give both Football and Men's Basketball the 100 points for a national championship. They deserve it. But if no one graduates like Kentucky basketball, they are not student athletes to be commended. They never wanted to be there in the first place. Then the rest of the athletes who actually value college can compete for something.

I'm with you in terms of the spirit of the thing, but the reality is that the universities have given over control to TV networks and bowls. The Director's Cup is great in theory, but weak in the reality of public perception. You said that the Capitol One Cup is designed to "...make Conferences that only sponsor 19 sports (i.e. SEC, Big XII) feel artificially important in overall athletics." I think its the other way around.

Director's Cup- some effete Yacht Club types in blazers and university ties standing around at a cocktail party saying (Thurston P. Howell III voice) "Say Bif, did you see that James Madison won the Director's Cup? Their squash team is fantastic this year... take THAT SEC..."

Capitol One Cup- ESPN broadcasting to millions of the great unwashed promoting the institutions that make them money, telling any twisted tale that serves their purpose. And the masses turn to each other and say "Wow, Big 12 and SEC, paragons of collegiate athletics... "

To me it seems that the Directors Cup exists to make those schools on the margins feel artificially important. Again, I believe in the spirit of the DC, but its pi$$ing against the tide of mass media.

 

[btstimpy]

I'm with you in terms of the spirit of the thing, but the reality is that the universities have given over control to TV networks and bowls. The Director's Cup is great in theory, but weak in the reality of public perception. You said that the Capitol One Cup is designed to "...make Conferences that only sponsor 19 sports (i.e. SEC, Big XII) feel artificially important in overall athletics." I think its the other way around.

Director's Cup- some effete Yacht Club types in blazers and university ties standing around at a cocktail party saying (Thurston P. Howell III voice) "Say Bif, did you see that James Madison won the Director's Cup? Their squash team is fantastic this year... take THAT SEC..."

Capitol One Cup- ESPN broadcasting to millions of the great unwashed promoting the institutions that make them money, telling any twisted tale that serves their purpose. And the masses turn to each other and say "Wow, Big 12 and SEC, paragons of collegiate athletics... "

To me it seems that the Directors Cup exists to make those schools on the margins feel artificially important. Again, I believe in the spirit of the DC, but its pi$$ing against the tide of mass media.

James Madison isn't going to win the Director's Cup. James Madison isn't going to finish in the top 30. It's teams from the Power 5 Conferences filling the top 10 of the Director's Cup each year just like they fill the BCS Bowls.

My comments about the Capital One Cup are based on where they weight the sports. Who in their infinite wisdom decided that winning the Track & Field Championship is worth tripple than winning Men's Ice Hockey? And why is Track & Field triple to Swimming? or Tennis? There should not be weighting arbitrarily decided by someone at ESPN trying to prop up the SEC. The General Public will probably fall for it due to the media influence ESPN has and general lack of awareness on the scoring by that unwashed mass you cite. But the Learfield Sports Director's Cup is the better measure and the more accurate measure.

There are athletic departments in the SEC that have the ability to compete straight up with the schools in the NCAA that sponsor a larger sports portfolio. It's the same with the Big XII. The Big XII is one of the best Wrestling Conferences. What the heck is Texas, who is the richest athletic department overall, doing without a team? or without a Men's Soccer Team?

I understand that football has its role, and that is fine. It is driving the recent conference realigment. I also think that in judging a NCAA athletic department, there are other measures beyond football that are important. When the ACC decides to add another member, I want them to bring in a good athletic department rather than a good football team. If both can be accomplished, that's all the better.

 

[btstimpy]

Cincinnati just reinstated full scholarship funding to all Olympic Sports this spring. I am hoping within 3-4 years the other sports will be successful to complement a good football/basketball program.

Oh and these "other" sports are important especially since there are talks that the ACC is interested in creating it's own network. A lot of the inventory will be made up women's sports, baseball, lacrosse, etc.

That's good. Hopefully it will help improve the overall athletic department at Cincinnati.

 

[btstimpy]

Yes because schools that sponsor 25 sports are so much more 'important' than those that sponsor 19. Water Polo, Men's Volleyball, Women's Lacrosse - that is what separates the 'important' programs from the lowly dregs.

Maybe you believe this nonsense or maybe it's because you are a Virginia fan so you have to crank up your unwarrented faux elitism...

I know that this Alabama Oklahoma game isn't important because the SEC just doesn't value field hockey.

When I'm watching a tight UVA-UNC field hockey game, and they have been on ESPNU, the Alabama Oklahoma Sugar Bowl Game means ZERO to me. Congratulations to Connecticut by the way in Field Hockey. By your comments, you might have missed where UConn finished the season this year in Field Hockey.

 

[ZooCougar]

When I'm watching a tight UVA-UNC field hockey game, and they have been on ESPNU, the Alabama Oklahoma Sugar Bowl Game means ZERO to me. Congratulations to Connecticut by the way in Field Hockey. By your comments, you might have missed where UConn finished the season this year.

I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Director's Cup placing is actually a meaningful metric to insiders. But I am continually dismayed at how UConn gets crapped on despite it's top level success in nearly every sport.

 

[btstimpy]

I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Director's Cup placing is actually a meaningful metric to insiders. But I am continually dismayed at how UConn gets crapped on despite it's top level success in nearly every sport.

We're not at the end game yet on CR. UConn needs to build football back up though as does my school. It will go a long way to helping. As for standing through fall sports, UConn did very well.

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-fieldh/spec-rel/122413aaa.html

 

[whaler11]

When I'm watching a tight UVA-UNC field hockey game, and they have been on ESPNU, the Alabama Oklahoma Sugar Bowl Game means ZERO to me. Congratulations to Connecticut by the way in Field Hockey. By your comments, you might have missed where UConn finished the season this year in Field Hockey.

Don't worry I know what the field hockey team did. I just don't care about field hockey and don't pretend to just because they won the national championship. Half the people crowing about the field hockey team have never seen a game nor would they have been able to name a player beforehand.

It's good that you like what you like - but when you are in the .0000001%, it's wise to at least acknowledge that fact.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Don't worry I know what the field hockey team did. I just don't care about field hockey and don't pretend to just because they won the national championship. Half the people crowing about the field hockey team have never seen a game nor would they have been able to name a player beforehand.

It's good that you like what you like - but when you are in the .0000001%, it's wise to at least acknowledge that fact.

I did not go to the NCAA tile game; but, when I was at UConn I would often watch a Field Hockey game at Sherman on my way back and forth from Hilltop, especially as the team captain my senior year was from my high school. While football is more important than any sport, including field hockey when it comes to money and CR, I am very proud of the Huskies for their title this year. Well earned by group of athletes who play all four years, get a degree, and do not make millions in their sport after college.

 

[billybud]

Curling, Field Hockey, Diving, Rifle, Sand Volleyball...it's all good....for the very few people devoted to a niche sport.

 

[billybud]

I like women's Rugby as a niche sport ( I played Rugby through my late 30's)...but it is what it is...a niche.