Yankee Network ... this Conference obsession ends | The Boneyard

Yankee Network ... this Conference obsession ends

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We need to stop.

We are just a little bit ... NOT READY. We could be a 55000 seat & rabid fanbase. We are a decade away. And then, certainly, we are far beyond BC, SU and Pitt. They all fear that. Every one of these BCS programs. Why let the upstarts rise? TV money now. Sure ... but the Cartel wants to eliminate the possibility that Boise, UConn, Louisville, USF, UCF rise.

But the Longhorn Network gives us the answer.

The conference can be subverted by a compelling TV network focused on some demographic. Which, frankly, is where we started. UConn = ESPN. But duck those guys.

My idea?

NY and Northeast Media market madness. Focused on Hoop.

Partner with the BE ... and Comcast. Basketball focused on NYC, Boston, Phila, DC, and other major systems. Need deal with Comcast. Then with Time Warner. Cox. ETC.
2. Partner with Rutgers For Football (I know ... I hold my nose ... but they can be Solid & hit NYC with us). Junior Partners are Temple. Army - Navy. And Buffalo. We will push out SU. BC. They can be in their southern conference with no exposure.
3. Olympic sports. Our Women's Team. Other interesting pieces. Hockey too.
4. Have Notre Dame help us. They can provide a lot. Their Olympic sports. and in Football, that has got to be a game or 2 per year.

The HELL with the Longhorn Network. We can do it better with more eyeballs.
 
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We would let UMass in as wel. Junior partner. Play them. KEEP things regional.

When you start fearing the MAC status (thanks Pete Thamel) ... you need to change the paradigm.
 

TRest

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We would let UMass in as wel. Junior partner. Play them. KEEP things regional.

When you start fearing the MAC status (thanks Pete Thamel) ... you need to change the paradigm.
I actually expect us to be in a conference with Tmple and UMass, after Herbst started talking about geographic footprints and the travel for student athletes. All of a sudden NOva football with 18k seats makes sense, UMass will be playing in a 17k seat home stadium. BCS is of course a faint memory.
 
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You're wrong.

BCS' Bill Hancock "can’t envision any changes in conference membership that would cause a seismic change in BCS" via @valeroalamobowl

You can take that contract & string it along. Of course ... FANS will talk forever about how we don't belong. But for at least 5 years (and maybe lawsuits), we are in. Still a chance to rebuild.

And I hate the BCS ... and all this conference moving crap.
 

RS9999X

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Isn't the SNY model the path?

They are test marketing SNY-CT.

For my argument see my sig line below. We need a Husky Network that UConn controls and sub out the production and additional sports to another player. What happens now is the other way around. Plus if we can guarantee placement of the channel some interesting partners will enter the bidding.
 

RS9999X

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The Big Ten went wth Fox to back them up with the Network. All Fox is adding these days is production and management help. The naxt step for the Big Ten is take over the production. As it turns out they don't needs any additional Fox Content to make it work.
 
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It's a creative, free thinking, idea. The road map is out there, tho. LHN, BYU, BTN, SEC.... Soon, everyone will have their own network. They only way even to maintain any type of parity is to have one of your own. It's the new arms race in college football. You can't be the only one without your own network. Yes, you start it with the basketball brand. Football becomes content, but at least you have it. Include Umass, Georgetown, SJU, and ND would assist with its other sports, and a little bit of football, not too much. That type of thing is what would be appealing to the ACC or the Big10. First you have to capture the NYC market, and this would be a way to do it.
 
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I like it. What does it take to pull something like this off? I would imagine it will take some help from the state. Let's partner with Comcast and get this done. Time for Husky Network :)
 

RS9999X

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Yes, you start it with the basketball brand. Football becomes content, but at least you have it. Include Umass, Georgetown, SJU, and ND would assist with its other sports, and a little bit of football, not too much

The other nice aspect of an operating partner is giving them incentive to manage the other content and sell ads. UConn fans shouldn't care who of what else is on there as long as UConn as managing partner gets their $1.25 vig or better a month per subscriber and can sell some ads. SNY is around 65 cents IIRC. There were some strange bedfellow bidders in there on the ACC Network at one point. Stuff like the Golf channel or some others who had some placement but crap content
 
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The package has to be better than what I've seen from SNY so far. There are local networks in the South covering high schools that could easily rival the quality of programming coming from SNY. That and the fact that they seem to gain some sort of joy by interrupting the programming with temporary blackouts that only last about 5 or 10 minutes at peculiar times during UConn football games. It's just not coincidence.
 

ctchamps

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Looks like this idea is already in the works. From the woman's bb board:


As Harriet stated, CTSN (Ct Sports Netw) has been on our cable system (Comcast) for well over a year (on the standard package). The channel carried (coaches & athletes) interviews, championship game replays of all manner of CT HS sports... football, basketball, etc... boys & girls... S to LL. It also carried UConn (Women) game (various older replays) & replays of the Geno shows. All were rotated so they'd be on dozens of times over many months. It was a great way to see any missed shows or games.

Their online site had a very good (simple text encoded) schedule, so you couldquickly look & note the day/time of any game you wanted to see or record in the next week or so.

I would imagine Comcast will just switch the new channel to the current allocated (multiplexed) channel. It's 66-8 on my TV-tuner, but there are widely different (types of) tuners in different TVs. I'd recommend calling or stopping in to other local cable outlet companies to see if/when they will be adding it.
 
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Pudge, you have to email that idea to Susan Herbst and Paul Pendergrast! It's not the type of concept that occurs naturally to those in the "land of steady habits." As an example, no one here ever thought that Uconn could win a basketball NC, and certainly not too many believed we would beat Duke to do it. Now the mantra is, well, you only need 2 guys to get you there in basketball, but in football you need a lot more. There's always a reason why something can't be done around here. There are so many networks on cable. Someone has to envision this.
 

MattMang23

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Media coverage of East Dillon High on Friday Night Lights > media coverage of UConn on SNY.
 

RS9999X

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New York-based Sports Net New York quietly has launched a second feed in Connecticut that will carry many of that state’s sports teams.

The regional sports network has spent the past several months testing the feed, which is branded SNY-CT. It will feature between 100 and 200 additional hours of programming per year.

A separate feed represents a low-cost way for a channel like SNY to further localize content without having to launch a full-fledged channel. All SNY viewers will see Mets games and shows like “SportsNight.” But when SNY shows New York-centric content like high school basketball or repeat programming, its feed in Connecticut will replace that programming with Connecticut-focused sports.


It plans to ramp up its offering fully toward the end of November, with the end of college football and the start of college basketball seasons.

“We think there’s an opportunity in Connecticut — not for a full channel — but to customize parts of SNY for Connecticut viewers,” said SNY President Steve Raab. “It became a natural opportunity for us.”

Raab has considered the idea of launching a separate feed in Connecticut for at least two years. He finally decided to do it after seeing the strong ratings that University of Connecticut sports programming were generating in the state.

For example, 13 UConn basketball games on SNY averaged a 5.0 rating in the Hartford DMA, paced by a February matchup against Providence, which drew a 7.3 rating. Five football games averaged a 2.9 rating in Hartford, topping out with a 6.1 against Cincinnati.

Last August, SNY became the official TV home of UConn football and men’s basketball, a move that helped SNY gain cable distribution throughout Connecticut.

“The UConn ratings in Connecticut were really strong,” Raab said. “We were encouraged by that.”

SNY has signed deals with Fairfield University for three games (mostly basketball) and Quinnipiac University for six games (mostly basketball and hockey). It’s also had serious conversations — but no deals yet — with Yale and the AHL’s Sound Tigers.

These are described as programming partnerships that do not involve rights fees.

It also has the rights to re-air UConn football and basketball games and plans to show evergreen programming, like interviews with UConn basketball coaches Geno Auriemma and Jim Calhoun.

SNY executives say the move already has attracted Connecticut-specific advertisers, including People’s United Bank, Town Fair Tire, DiGiorgi Roofing and Siding, and Blimpie.

“It gives Connecticut-specific advertisers a chance to focus on a more narrow audience,” Raab said.

Raab said he has no immediate plans for other feeds in New Jersey and upstate New York. But if the Connecticut feed is successful, he expects to look into those markets.

“This is a big piece for us to bite off and digest,” Raab said. “If it works in Connecticut, are there other areas that will work? Can you create or gain rights to content to make all this hyper localization meaningful? A lot of pieces have to come together.”
 

RS9999X

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Now that the proof of concepts are being done CT has to step in and take control. Put it out to bid, choose a partner, set a carrier rate with at least a $1.50 accrual to UConn, and fiat it into existence.
 
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You're wrong.

BCS' Bill Hancock "can’t envision any changes in conference membership that would cause a seismic change in BCS" via @valeroalamobowl

You can take that contract & string it along. Of course ... FANS will talk forever about how we don't belong. But for at least 5 years (and maybe lawsuits), we are in. Still a chance to rebuild.

And I hate the BCS ... and all this conference moving crap.

I agree 100%. Screw who thinks our league doesn't belong. I honestly don't see us losing our bid so I really don't care anymore. We can make it work with the teams we end up adding.
 

whaler11

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We will push out SU. BC. They can be in their southern conference with no exposure.

Obviously your entire post is ridiculous. The idea that Olympic sports are going to drive any kind of network or viewers is silly. Hockey? UConn's hockey team?

I did make sure to quote the funniest part. SU and BC are going to have no exposure? Yeah, they will be on ESPN every time you turn it on, but the Hartford DMA is going to ignore it because UConn and Rutgers are playing UMass, Buffalo and Temple? If anyone gave a crap about what Connecticut watches on TV, the school wouldn't be trying to beg their way into a conference.

Unless you are playing quality competition the games are a completely worthless TV property.

Notre Dame is going to move their football games from NBC to the UConn/Rutgers television network? That's an absurd concept.
 

zls44

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Obviously your entire post is ridiculous. The idea that Olympic sports are going to drive any kind of network or viewers is silly. Hockey? UConn's hockey team?

I did make sure to quote the funniest part. SU and BC are going to have no exposure? Yeah, they will be on ESPN every time you turn it on, but the Hartford DMA is going to ignore it because UConn and Rutgers are playing UMass, Buffalo and Temple? If anyone gave a crap about what Connecticut watches on TV, the school wouldn't be trying to beg their way into a conference.

Unless you are playing quality competition the games are a completely worthless TV property.

Notre Dame is going to move their football games from NBC to the UConn/Rutgers television network? That's an absurd concept.

You're talking to the same guy who really thinks UConn's program is above SU & BC's just because of a couple of years.

Perspective.
 
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Pudge - I get it! Could not agree more. And I was thinking the exact same thing. UCONN's ability to hold onto its enormous athletic success will be highly dependent on retaining and growing regional interest. How to do that will be largely dependent on what the media and promotion heads come up with, but you are absolutely right - taking aim at anyone and everyone in the region with football is absolutely the right was to go.

Sure, for as long as they can BC and Syracuse will not step on the field with UCONN. They will be busy getting their asses kicked by Clemson and FSU, etc. But, if UCONN can schedule creatively and win consisently (even if it is against lesser competition) the regional following will stay and grow.

I get the importance of conference affiliation, the BCS bid and the money associated with both - I really do. But, to a great extent it is overplayed. Yes, it provides Duke and Indiana football with money, but it does nothing for them in terms of on field performance or fan attendance. Where as TCU, Boise, BYU and others have shown what can be done without a BCS conference bid. And make no doubt about it, those programs are as good and as successful as any in the country.

We have entered this arena in fine form. Interestingly, our combined record against Cuse and Pitt since entering the Big East is 9 and 5 (.643), we have winning records against both and we have beaten the Orange 4 years in a row. We did this as a new BCS entrant and for several years running through recruiting classes where we were under the 85 schollie maximum. We will continue to compete very well on a regional basis in football and the Big Esat, in whatever form it takes, will provide a solid home for two of the most historically successful basketball programs of all time - and even in a football centric world, that means something.

For those of you scoffing at Pudge's thread, that's obviously your right to do so. I really do beleive that regional interest is critical to football and that interest is more than up for grabs in the Northeast. I'm also a fighter and not a fairweather fan.............
 
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Media coverage of East Dillon High on Friday Night Lights > media coverage of UConn on SNY.
Great idea. Trash the only network that gives us coverage in NYC. Ever notice any coverage from any of the Boston networks? They act as if Connecticut isn't even part of "New England". I don't watch much of NESN or Comcast "New England", but they don't cover us at all.
 
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I wish every Connecticut sportswriter was Michael Lewis. Often, Mike DiMauro or Jeff Jacobs shows that they are totally out of their element by dipping into economics, markets or legal affairs ... and they show that they lack a scintilla of knowledge and, moreover, the laziness to actually pick up the phone & ask someone who has some background.

Equally irksome are the whaler & zls. Posting anonymously, they often go after the BL, nelsonmuntz, fairfieldcounty posts ... cause they can. Frankly, if you've been around awhile, you know that (with some good points) some of the posts from people with background are also a little crazy or presumptive. Whaler is a proven curmodgeon; Zac has what background? We can tell some intelligence by how folks put words together in these boards; we can also tell character when someone either fails to read the actual words or spins opinions in stark contrast to what was written. I've got some background in this (bigger transactions & markets). What about you 2?
 

whaler11

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I wish every Connecticut sportswriter was Michael Lewis. Often, Mike DiMauro or Jeff Jacobs shows that they are totally out of their element by dipping into economics, markets or legal affairs ... and they show that they lack a scintilla of knowledge and, moreover, the laziness to actually pick up the phone & ask someone who has some background.

Equally irksome are the whaler & zls. Posting anonymously, they often go after the BL, nelsonmuntz, fairfieldcounty posts ... cause they can. Frankly, if you've been around awhile, you know that (with some good points) some of the posts from people with background are also a little crazy or presumptive. Whaler is a proven curmodgeon; Zac has what background? We can tell some intelligence by how folks put words together in these boards; we can also tell character when someone either fails to read the actual words or spins opinions in stark contrast to what was written. I've got some background in this (bigger transactions & markets). What about you 2?

I work on bigger deals than the whatever the Big East television package will be every day. Do I need to post my resume or get you a phone number for my management to prove something to you?

Waylon has a thousand posts on the last board that have been proven to be wrong. Give him another few months and he'll have a thousand here that will be proven to be wrong. Waylon has told me 20 times I hate the Big East and UConn because I've been pointing out to him that the league has been a dead man walking for the past few years. So, as we wait on pins and needles on what Air Force does next let me know who was right. I pretty much agree with FCF about 90% of the time and don't remember a single time I ever 'went after him' so I'm not sure what he has to do with anything. You must not be reading things too closely around here yourself since he and Waylon do nothing but argue with each other. You also shouldn't be lumping Waylon and yourself in with BL - trust me you guys don't deserve it.

Back to your stupid idea. UConn games against 4th rate competition have zero value as a television property. The team is coming off a national championship, plays in the best league in the country and has the top recruit in the country... and season ticket sales are down. So if they can't sell tickets to Big East games with a NC contender, how would games against junior partners like Army be valuable on television.

Buffalo and UMass after their upgrade are two of the absolute dregs of FBS. Nobody, and I mean literally almost nobody wants to watch them play football. In person or on television. Somehow, salvation lies within UConn attaching themselves to second rate sports program.

Olympic Sports? What non-football, non-basketball college sport event does anyone watch? Lacrosse? Um UConn doesn't have a team. Hockey? UConn may as well not have a team. Field Hockey? Track and Field? Have you ever seen a field hockey game or a college track and field meet? They are aggressively boring in person, nevermind on television. Baseball? Weekday afternoon college baseball games are known for their extremely high ratings.

If you want to pretend that because you can dream up some ridiculous pie in the sky idea and act like that it brands you as some sort of forward thinking genius... that's great. The problem is that it can't possibly work, so don't get offended when that gets pointed out to you. Does this make me a curmudgeon and negative? Well, I'd ask this - what the hell is there to be positive about? A 3-9 season that is going completely off the rails or the fact that the league is dissolving around UConn? Should I ignore the reality and embrace idiotic ideas like creating a UConn network that the state government legislates that everyone needs to subscribe to at some ridiculous rate?
 

RS9999X

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Should I ignore the reality and embrace idiotic ideas like creating a UConn network that the state government legislates that everyone needs to subscribe to at some ridiculous rate?

Yes you should embrace it. When they force the ACC channel onto your cable provider and either hike the rates or squeeze out something else to recover the costs you can scratch your head and ask "How'd that happen Yogi?"

When you accept 1/3 of the state didn't carry SNY until last Fall then you get it. The cable companies squawked but swallowed the 65 cents and passed it on to consumers with the usual markup.
 
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