UConn needs a plan

[pepband99]

So you are agreeing that UConn needs to sell its content differently than it currently is doing, but you like to just attack me personally. Got it.

A couple of years is all we have. The next media contract has to have a path to self-sustainability, or there will be dramatic cuts in expenses. The school will have a good look into the next deal within about 24 months, so if the league wants to do something innovative, it has to start now. That leaves two choices:

1) Get control of content so that the AAC and its partners can better monetize its content regionally, or
2) Wait for ESPN to bid on the next contract. ESPN will drag it out as long as possible because ESPN will know that once the bid comes in, half the schools in the league will start slashing costs if there are no other options.

So you're going to paraphrase badly again, and try to end the statement again. Got it.


Trolymctrollface.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Hey try for whatever, if someone wants to pay enough to make everybody satisfied, go for it. But how to make everyone happy conference is different than being on your own. I honestly don't know how the political calculus of telling all the other schools in the AAC we're taking back our T3 back works but I think they won't be happy about having to sell to their local TV affiliates; a lot of them are #2, #3 or #4 in their own market. Even with cable cutting etc., in 5 years those schools will still attach a value to being on ESPN.

Most of the AAC schools think of themselves as the top tier of non-P5, so I don't think they want to get paid like MAC or CUSA schools, which is what ESPN is going to do.

UConn can't afford to subsidize some of the bottom of the barrel schools if they can't or won't generate enough revenue on their own. I suspect that only Tulane and Tulsa are potentially in that bucket, and even Tulane can probably get a decent price for T2 and T3 content.

I am proposing that the schools sell most of their content individually. I think this is where college athletics is going, so there is no reason to wait.

 

[CTMike]

Most of the AAC schools think of themselves as the top tier of non-P5, so I don't think they want to get paid like MAC or CUSA schools, which is what ESPN is going to do.

UConn can't afford to subsidize some of the bottom of the barrel schools if they can't or won't generate enough revenue on their own. I suspect that only Tulane and Tulsa are potentially in that bucket, and even Tulane can probably get a decent price for T2 and T3 content.

I am proposing that the schools sell most of their content individually. I think this is where college athletics is going, so there is no reason to wait.

Except for the existing contracts and membership in the AAC. You continually gloss over those minor details. As usual you are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

 

[mavblues]

This thread :

 

[junglehusky]

Most of the AAC schools think of themselves as the top tier of non-P5, so I don't think they want to get paid like MAC or CUSA schools, which is what ESPN is going to do.

UConn can't afford to subsidize some of the bottom of the barrel schools if they can't or won't generate enough revenue on their own. I suspect that only Tulane and Tulsa are potentially in that bucket, and even Tulane can probably get a decent price for T2 and T3 content.

This is where we disagree, and I doubt we're going to find evidence to prove either of us wrong.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Except for the existing contracts and membership in the AAC. You continually gloss over those minor details. As usual you are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

In your world, $2 million of TV revenue from ESPN covers a $20MM+ budget shortfall. In my world, it doesn't.

 

[Exit 4]

In your world, $2 million of TV revenue from ESPN covers a $20MM+ budget shortfall. In my world, it doesn't.

Congratulations on noticing the sky has fallen. No one else here noticed. We all post from time to time our solutions, but none of us are deluded that posting excessively on a subject will change the circumstances.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Congratulations on noticing the sky has fallen. No one else here noticed. We all post from time to time our solutions, but none of us are deluded that posting excessively on a subject will change the circumstances.

A) There is a lot of delusion on this board, since it appears about 90% of the board believes the most likely outcome of this situation is a Big 10 or other P5 invitation.

B) Nobody posts solutions other than in P5 fantasy threads. "Getting in a P5 league" is not a solution.

C) This is a sports message board. By your logic, no one should be allowed to post anything, since no matter how many times we post about the basketball team, Ollie doesn't listen.

 

[UConnJim]

Nelson - Nobody disagrees that UConn needs to get more revenues and the AAC media contract sucks, especially for UConn. My guess is that the next media contract will be for more money or the AAC schools will keep their Tier 3 rights. Either way, this will lead to more money for UConn, but most likely not a windfall.

What can UConn do now? The focus needs to be on three things: 1) increase donations for athletics, 2) increase attendance at sporting events, 3) find more sponsors. One thing I do know. In any business, you cannot cut expenses to grow revenues, although you can redirect expenses to grow revenues. What sports at UConn can grow revenues: football, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's hockey, and possibly men's soccer. Those sports have to be the investment priorities.

Also, you really need to be careful when you look at UConn's athletic P&L for a number of reasons. There are 4 things that really skew UConn's reported numbers compared to other schools: playing football games at The Rent, playing basketball games at the XL Center, playing hockey games at the XL Center, and including student activities and intramurals in the athletic budget.

As for the price of sports media rights, sure, the middle men like ESPN may change, but the product will retain value. Recently, Facebook, Twitter, Verizon, Apple, and Yahoo expressed interest in NFL media rights. How consumers watch and pay for sports may change, but it will remain highly valuable content. End of the day, the schools with large fan bases should rest easy, but the smaller schools, especially in P5 conferences, should be concerned about their future media revenues. In my opinion, UConn would be well positioned if customers had to pay for specific content.

 

[CTMike]

In your world, $2 million of TV revenue from ESPN covers a $20MM+ budget shortfall. In my world, it doesn't.

Nope. I never said that.

Just one time I want you to very simply state how we extricate ourselves from these existing contracts.

After 3 years, we are still waiting for that answer from you. The best you've mustered to date is "time machine, don't sign the deal" but as you state - that is not a solution.

 

[Exit 4]

A) There is a lot of delusion on this board, since it appears about 90% of the board believes the most likely outcome of this situation is a Big 10 or other P5 invitation.

B) Nobody posts solutions other than in P5 fantasy threads. "Getting in a P5 league" is not a solution.

C) This is a sports message board. By your logic, no one should be allowed to post anything, since no matter how many times we post about the basketball team, Ollie doesn't listen.

Its a message board, post what you want...but understand, people tire when its repetitive, downer, not witty or pithy. Maybe its our collective fault for responding.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This is where we disagree, and I doubt we're going to find evidence to prove either of us wrong.

So what do we do about it?

Two choices:

1) Cut costs
2) Add revenue (Joining a P5 league is not part of this option for at least 9 years).

Which do you prefer?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Nope. I never said that.

Just one time I want you to very simply state how we extricate ourselves from these existing contracts.

After 3 years, we are still waiting for that answer from you. The best you've mustered to date is "time machine, don't sign the deal" but as you state - that is not a solution.

I have told you. I have also told you, with absolute certainty, what won't work (status quo).

It is not my fault UConn is in this situation, but it is your fault that you continue to believe that a Big 10 or Big 12 unicorn will arrive some day and increase our revenue 10x.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Its a message board, post what you want...but understand, people tire when its repetitive, downer, not witty or pithy. Maybe its our collective fault for responding.

It is much more depressing to read about posters accepting failure than it is to read about alternative solutions. You are accepting failure.

 

[Exit 4]

It is much more depressing to read about posters accepting failure than it is to read about alternative solutions. You are accepting failure.

Hmmm, I'm not sure where you are going with your over simplification, but I've lost interest in continuing this discussion for now.

 

[junglehusky]

So what do we do about it?

Two choices:

1) Cut costs
2) Add revenue (Joining a P5 league is not part of this option for at least 9 years).

Which do you prefer?

Uhhhhh... try to do both.

 

[junglehusky]

I have told you. I have also told you, with absolute certainty, what won't work (status quo).

It is not my fault UConn is in this situation, but it is your fault that you continue to believe that a Big 10 or Big 12 unicorn will arrive some day and increase our revenue 10x.

Given your "plan" is to convince the Tulanes of the world to put their T3 content on the market, what's the difference between a Big 10 unicorn for UConn and a NBC Sports / BeIn Sports unicorn for the bulk of the G5 who are not the #1 school in their markets?

 

[junglehusky]

Hey remember when San Diego St. and Boise were going to be in the Big East / AAC? Sounds like nelson's "alliance".

Wonder why that never worked out. Maybe it's because they found out NBCSN and ESPN weren't going to pay enough for it to be worthwhile.

 

[CTMike]

I have told you. I have also told you, with absolute certainty, what won't work (status quo).

It is not my fault UConn is in this situation, but it is your fault that you continue to believe that a Big 10 or Big 12 unicorn will arrive some day and increase our revenue 10x.

No, you haven't actually given any specific plan on how UConn gets out of the contacts they are party to. You've thrown out a number of ideas, some of them even good ones, without a way to make them actionable. As Exit 4 mentioned, I've lost interest in trying to elicit a real actual plan from you.

 

[Adios]

And you guys flip out over the mention of sex? Must be the kids.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

No, you haven't actually given any specific plan on how UConn gets out of the contacts they are party to. You've thrown out a number of ideas, some of them even good ones, without a way to make them actionable. As Exit 4 mentioned, I've lost interest in trying to elicit a real actual plan from you.

The contract is up in 4 years. At this point, it is probably too late to break it, and it will take at least 2 years to put something in place to replace ESPN. It way be worth it to try and by their way out of the last year of the contract, or be so difficult for ESPN that it simply isn't worth it to hold onto the AAC for the last year or two, but we are at the margins.

The bigger issue is what comes next. "Seeing what we get from ESPN" is a terrible strategy, which backfired badly last time. The AAC needs to be creative or it will fail. I have provided a lot of ideas, and am open to other solutions. The one thing we know for sure is that ESPN hates the league and won't pay for it, so the league should act accordingly.

 

[CTMike]

The contract is up in 4 years. At this point, it is probably too late to break it, and it will take at least 2 years to put something in place to replace ESPN. It way be worth it to try and by their way out of the last year of the contract, or be so difficult for ESPN that it simply isn't worth it to hold onto the AAC for the last year or two, but we are at the margins.

The bigger issue is what comes next. "Seeing what we get from ESPN" is a terrible strategy, which backfired badly last time. The AAC needs to be creative or it will fail. I have provided a lot of ideas, and am open to other solutions. The one thing we know for sure is that ESPN hates the league and won't pay for it, so the league should act accordingly.

Was that so hard? Believe it or not we agree more than we disagree.

There is very little that UConn can do today beyond play at a high level, try to reign in costs, and pound the pavement with fundraising. In 2-3 years - you are right. UConn will have to go with the deal that maximizes revenue. They should fully vet options that don't include ESPN. However, I think they should at least listen to ESPN AFTER they know what their next best alternative is.

 

[whaler11]

For those who don't remember Waylon's plan in the last negotiation was to be hot and bothered about NBC. NBC! LOL.

Which turns out is a lot worse than just finding out what ESPN will pay - because their ridiculous offer is what capped the last contract!

 

[nelsonmuntz]

For those who don't remember Waylon's plan in the last negotiation was to be hot and bothered about NBC. NBC! LOL.

Which turns out is a lot worse than just finding out what ESPN will pay - because their ridiculous offer is what capped the last contract!

I didn't know there was a right of first refusal. I don't recall your post pointing that out, but I would welcome a link if you have one. I don't remember ever seeing any positive ideas from you, probably because there have never been any.

I think UConn athletics is in its final years as a national program. I think the school and the league are going to pray for a miracle from ESPN, and when the next contract looks like this one, the Board of Trustees is going to pull the plug, slashing costs until we look like a MAC program. Ollie will take the next NBA job, Geno will retire, and we will be lucky to be UMass by the time it is done.

That is what I think will happen, because have not seen anything from anybody that indicates innovative thinking in growing revenues.

 

[junglehusky]

LOL. Nelson looks at situation with literally dozens of interested parties and competing interests, from other schools in our conference with poor markets / fanbases, networks whose business is falling out from under their feet, another conference who could barely agree on what kind of snacks to serve at their meetings, and says "yup, it's UConn's fault" they can't think of ways to "innovate".

How about this - instead of a "plan" that relies on G5 schools scattered across the continent with varying resources and fanbases, just work on increasing the duck*ing endowment and donations to the athletic department. And put a product out that sells more tickets. Boom. Plan.