ACC network officially happening

[ConnHuskBask]

I know a lot of people here were very adament this wasn't going to happen and while not based in anything but a gut feeling, I thought it would.

ESPN has consistently shown it will do whatever it takes to protect the ACC, and this was no different.

I'm not sure where I see this going, but the ACC doesn't look like a possibly for quite some time.

I can envision a scenario where Texas cuts a ND type deal with the ACC and they backfill with Houston in the Big12. If not, I just don't see where any changes are going to be made.

 

[Exit 4]

Lets review that land of misfit toys super conference again - could be plenty of fun - optimized for tv markets:

East:
1) UConn
2) Temple
3) Cincy
4) WV
5) ECU
6) Memphis
7) Navy
8) UCF <--split one FL team in each div.

West:
9) Iowa St
10) Kansas St
11) Kansas
12) Ok St
13) TCU
14) SMU or Baylor
15) Houston
16) USF <--split one FL team in each div.


I figure OU and UT land elsewhere in 2026. Kansas is a nice piece, but not enough cable boxes to get the P4 invite.

Maybe TT, Baylor/SMU and Tulsa move to the Mtn West. Tulane back to whence it came.

And yes, I am just fooling around here. There is no realistic way for the B12 dwarfs and the AAC left to merge while tossing out TT, Baylor/SMU, Tulane and Tulsa.

 

[buddy]

I know a lot of people here were very adament this wasn't going to happen and while not based in anything but a gut feeling, I thought it would.

ESPN has consistently shown it will do whatever it takes to protect the ACC, and this was no different.

I'm not sure where I see this going, but the ACC doesn't look like a possibly for quite some time.

I can envision a scenario where Texas cuts a ND type deal with the ACC and they backfill with Houston in the Big12. If not, I just don't see where any changes are going to be made.

You are correct in stating that ESPN would do what it needed to protect the ACC. However, to me, this seals the doors of the ACC. No need for addition, and no one is leaving. I think the Texas idea is also not realistic.

 

[Dooley]

The ACC won the race for a network deal. Not only that, but the B12 appears to have given up on even trying for one. Perhaps they saw the writing on the wall. The ACC is your P4 conference. The B12, no matter what they do or don't do in the coming year in terms of expansion, will likely lose more members and continue its plans in following the blueprint laid by the Big East. There is no way that Oklahoma will be content with watching all of these mediocre athletic departments continue to grow their exposure, brand and financial bottomline while they are stuck in that dysfunctional conference.

 

[Dooley]

My take: an ACCN is only good news for UConn if there is something written in the deal that it is contingent on Notre Dame joining as a full-time member. I don't care about "if they ever decide to join, it has to be the ACC" because who knows if/when that would ever happen. I care about something firm, as in "you have an ACCN under the condition that Notre Dame is full time". I've yet to see anything saying that is the case.

Therefore, this ACCN deal is bad for UConn. Really bad. They don't need our markets and brand and they don't need to even their membership when adding Notre Dame. Even worse, their members are re-upping an extended GOR that will surely seal up any cracks or legal grey area, if there are any, that would allow members like FSU/UNC/UVA/GT/Clemson to challenge it and escape to greener pastures. That means no movement and that means no suddenly freed up spots that UConn could backfill.

What the ACCN deal also does is officially cements the B12 as the dying P5 conference, as we shift towards a condensed P4. The B12 has already given up trying to get a network and, in doing so, that will scratch UConn off of the top of the expansion candidate list. Their upcoming expansion move will be a short-term, bubble gum, patch job to get a championship game off the ground. That's it. They'll expand with the 2 closest and most competitive football programs for 2016...perhaps as football only members. Most likely: Houston and BYU.

Finally, the ACCN deal also keeps the B1G appeal away. The GOR means no UNC, UVA, GT or even FSU. Where do they turn now? Texas maybe, but Texas isn't going anywhere because as we've all seen in the course of the past few months, they rule that roost in the panhandle 100%. We also have seen Texas' reluctance to give up the advantage that they hold over their B12 conference mates: their LHN. And to be honest, why would they give that up? Like Notre Dame's NBC deal, it's 100% theirs. They took advantage of poor foresight from the other B12 Presidents/ADs that are still in the conference and profited with their T3 rights. I can't see them wanting to give all of that up until they absolutely have to (read: half of the conference decides to bolt to the PAC or SEC). Aside from Kansas, who is a long-shot at best (only because they are a big hoops brand and are AAU), there are no other B12 members that the B1G would be interested in adding. The $50M/yr buy-in makes it an even more difficult case for Kansas - they can't support that number (very few schools out there can).

So, what does UConn do now? Probably the only thing it can - look into significantly boosting its revenue from TV be re-acquiring its Tier 3 media rights. Let's become the Texas of the G5, on a smaller scale. No G5 school comes anywhere close to the T3 value that UConn delivers. Let's use that to our advantage to continue to try to fund athletics at a P5 level while stuck in the G5. It also wouldn't hurt to become friendly with the bottom rung of the B12 (looking at you - WVU, KSU, ISU, Baylor, TT, OSU, TCU) since a future partnership of the top AAC schools (UConn, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, UCF, USF, Navy) and the rest of G5 (BYU, Boise, CSU) to form a "best of the rest" conference would seem like it would be in all of these schools' best interests. But again, there will only be so many seats in that conference and UConn will need to get one or it will have no choice but to drop funding across all sports to CUSA/MAC levels, including hoops.

This is bad, bad, bad, bad, very bad news for UConn. The greatest sack kick of all was saved for last.

 

[buddy]

My take: an ACCN is only good news for UConn if there is something written in the deal that it is contingent on Notre Dame joining as a full-time member. I don't care about "if they ever decide to join, it has to be the ACC" because who knows if/when that would ever happen. I care about something firm, as in "you have an ACCN under the condition that Notre Dame is full time". I've yet to see anything saying that is the case.

Therefore, this ACCN deal is bad for UConn. Really bad. They don't need our markets and brand and they don't need to even their membership when adding Notre Dame. Even worse, their members are re-upping an extended GOR that will surely seal up any cracks or legal grey area, if there are any, that would allow members like FSU/UNC/UVA/GT/Clemson to challenge it and escape to greener pastures. That means no movement and that means no suddenly freed up spots that UConn could backfill.

What the ACCN deal also does is officially cements the B12 as the dying P5 conference, as we shift towards a condensed P4. The B12 has already given up trying to get a network and, in doing so, that will scratch UConn off of the top of the expansion candidate list. Their upcoming expansion move will be a short-term, bubble gum, patch job to get a championship game off the ground. That's it. They'll expand with the 2 closest and most competitive football programs for 2016...perhaps as football only members. Most likely: Houston and BYU.

Finally, the ACCN deal also keeps the B1G appeal away. The GOR means no UNC, UVA, GT or even FSU. Where do they turn now? Texas maybe, but Texas isn't going anywhere because as we've all seen in the course of the past few months, they rule that roost in the panhandle 100%. We also have seen Texas' reluctance to give up the advantage that they hold over their B12 conference mates: their LHN. And to be honest, why would they give that up? Like Notre Dame's NBC deal, it's 100% theirs. They took advantage of poor foresight from the other B12 Presidents/ADs that are still in the conference and profited with their T3 rights. I can't see them wanting to give all of that up until they absolutely have to (read: half of the conference decides to bolt to the PAC or SEC). Aside from Kansas, who is a long-shot at best (only because they are a big hoops brand and are AAU), there are no other B12 members that the B1G would be interested in adding. The $50M/yr buy-in makes it an even more difficult case for Kansas - they can't support that number (very few schools out there can).

So, what does UConn do now? Probably the only thing it can - look into significantly boosting its revenue from TV be re-acquiring its Tier 3 media rights. Let's become the Texas of the G5, on a smaller scale. No G5 school comes anywhere close to the T3 value that UConn delivers. Let's use that to our advantage to continue to try to fund athletics at a P5 level while stuck in the G5. It also wouldn't hurt to become friendly with the bottom rung of the B12 (looking at you - WVU, KSU, ISU, Baylor, TT, OSU, TCU) since a future partnership of the top AAC schools (UConn, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, UCF, USF, Navy) and the rest of G5 (BYU, Boise, CSU) to form a "best of the rest" conference would seem like it would be in all of these schools' best interests. But again, there will only be so many seats in that conference and UConn will need to get one or it will have no choice but to drop funding across all sports to CUSA/MAC levels, including hoops.

This is bad, bad, bad, bad, very bad news for UConn. The greatest sack kick of all was saved for last.

You have always been one of the optimistic posters. I have been one of the pessimistic posters. Your avatar moniker should change. Warde has met Delany. Warde and Delany have kicked UConn's butt. That ill fated trip to the Bahama's is coming back to haunt UConn again. Thanks Warde!

 

[don356]

Lets review that land of misfit toys super conference again - could be plenty of fun - optimized for tv markets:

East:
1) UConn
2) Temple
3) Cincy
4) WV
5) ECU
6) Memphis
7) Navy
8) UCF <--split one FL team in each div.

West:
9) Iowa St
10) Kansas St
11) Kansas
12) Ok St
13) TCU
14) SMU or Baylor
15) Houston
16) USF <--split one FL team in each div.


I figure OU and UT land elsewhere in 2026. Kansas is a nice piece, but not enough cable boxes to get the P4 invite.

Maybe TT, Baylor/SMU and Tulsa move to the Mtn West. Tulane back to whence it came.

And yes, I am just fooling around here. There is no realistic way for the B12 dwarfs and the AAC left to merge while tossing out TT, Baylor/SMU, Tulane and Tulsa.

If you are one of the "other" b12 teams, ie not texas or oklahoma, this accn has to make you nervous.......very nervous.

 

[ramses 2.0]

there's too many moving parts to say with any confidence whether this is good or bad for UConn.

but my gut feeling says it's bad for UConn.

for the life of me I can't understand why FSU, Clemson, UNC, Virginia, and any other school with a puncher's chance at the SEC or Big 10 would sign an extended GOR.

Simple,UNC&UVA are where they want to be & the other 2 don't have viable options they could accept.

 

[MASSconn]

Our chance to join the ACC was from 2004-2013. We first did not take it (there is no doubt in my mind that they pitched to almost every Big East school), and then were passed over because of some awful hires, marketing and naivety. If it isn't already obvious, Susan and Co are compiling a plan for Connecticut (Prefer it over UConn) to join the B1G. Every hire, academic program and research position points that way.

Yes, if the ACC adds Notre Dame full time (not going to happen w/ NBC $), that spot does open up for us. I would stay more tuned to the B1G and maybe, just maybe, the B12 for a temporary home.

This wait absolutely sucks and often times I am completely embarrassed that we are where we are, but there is writing on the wall that Storrs has the potential to be a force that fits the B1G.

Plus, with the ACCN official, the B1G needs eyeballs in New England. This completes their Eastward expansion and is a lot more profitable (tv wise) than Kansas or Oklahoma. The Northeast Corridor is the most populous area in the US and the most educated/affluent. This is not our death sentence, analyze it from glass half full perspective.

 

[Sea Goat]

You have always been one of the optimistic posters. I have been one of the pessimistic posters. Your avatar moniker should change. Warde has met Delany. Warde and Delany have kicked UConn's butt. That ill fated trip to the Bahama's is coming back to haunt UConn again. Thanks Warde!

Buddy, I think your focus on the LV addition in 2012 doesn't account for the deep resentment that many in the ACC had towards UConn well before that. The lawsuit by Blumenthal in 2003 was more important than anything Warde did or didn't do in 2012. This isn't just my opinion, many insiders at UConn today feel it was a big factor in 2011.

In 2011, we were allegedly "in" along with Syracuse before BC and Miami put up a stink. Whether used as a pretense or not, Blumenthal's ill-advised lawsuit against BC, Miami, the ACC AND MANY INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, helped to poison the chances for UConn then. And let's face it, we've been scrambling ever since. 5 e-f-f-i-n-g years of scrambling...

 

[junglehusky]

My take: an ACCN is only good news for UConn if there is something written in the deal that it is contingent on Notre Dame joining as a full-time member. I don't care about "if they ever decide to join, it has to be the ACC" because who knows if/when that would ever happen. I care about something firm, as in "you have an ACCN under the condition that Notre Dame is full time". I've yet to see anything saying that is the case.

Therefore, this ACCN deal is bad for UConn. Really bad. They don't need our markets and brand and they don't need to even their membership when adding Notre Dame. Even worse, their members are re-upping an extended GOR that will surely seal up any cracks or legal grey area, if there are any, that would allow members like FSU/UNC/UVA/GT/Clemson to challenge it and escape to greener pastures. That means no movement and that means no suddenly freed up spots that UConn could backfill.

What the ACCN deal also does is officially cements the B12 as the dying P5 conference, as we shift towards a condensed P4. The B12 has already given up trying to get a network and, in doing so, that will scratch UConn off of the top of the expansion candidate list. Their upcoming expansion move will be a short-term, bubble gum, patch job to get a championship game off the ground. That's it. They'll expand with the 2 closest and most competitive football programs for 2016...perhaps as football only members. Most likely: Houston and BYU.

Finally, the ACCN deal also keeps the B1G appeal away. The GOR means no UNC, UVA, GT or even FSU. Where do they turn now? Texas maybe, but Texas isn't going anywhere because as we've all seen in the course of the past few months, they rule that roost in the panhandle 100%. We also have seen Texas' reluctance to give up the advantage that they hold over their B12 conference mates: their LHN. And to be honest, why would they give that up? Like Notre Dame's NBC deal, it's 100% theirs. They took advantage of poor foresight from the other B12 Presidents/ADs that are still in the conference and profited with their T3 rights. I can't see them wanting to give all of that up until they absolutely have to (read: half of the conference decides to bolt to the PAC or SEC). Aside from Kansas, who is a long-shot at best (only because they are a big hoops brand and are AAU), there are no other B12 members that the B1G would be interested in adding. The $50M/yr buy-in makes it an even more difficult case for Kansas - they can't support that number (very few schools out there can).

So, what does UConn do now? Probably the only thing it can - look into significantly boosting its revenue from TV be re-acquiring its Tier 3 media rights. Let's become the Texas of the G5, on a smaller scale. No G5 school comes anywhere close to the T3 value that UConn delivers. Let's use that to our advantage to continue to try to fund athletics at a P5 level while stuck in the G5. It also wouldn't hurt to become friendly with the bottom rung of the B12 (looking at you - WVU, KSU, ISU, Baylor, TT, OSU, TCU) since a future partnership of the top AAC schools (UConn, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, UCF, USF, Navy) and the rest of G5 (BYU, Boise, CSU) to form a "best of the rest" conference would seem like it would be in all of these schools' best interests. But again, there will only be so many seats in that conference and UConn will need to get one or it will have no choice but to drop funding across all sports to CUSA/MAC levels, including hoops.

This is bad, bad, bad, bad, very bad news for UConn. The greatest sack kick of all was saved for last.

More or less, this is correct. The only thing worse would be if Cincy gets a lifeboat to the B12. Santa Ono laughs all the way to UBC (not BCU though it might as well be).

 

[junglehusky]

Buddy, I think your focus on the LV addition in 2012 doesn't account for the deep resentment that many in the ACC had towards UConn well before that. The lawsuit by Blumenthal in 2003 was more important than anything Warde did or didn't do in 2012. This isn't just my opinion, many insiders at UConn today feel it was a big factor in 2011.

In 2011, we were allegedly "in" along with Syracuse before BC and Miami put up a stink. Whether used as a pretense or not, Blumenthal's ill-advised lawsuit against BC, Miami, the ACC AND MANY INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, helped to poison the chances for UConn then. And let's face it, we've been scrambling ever since. 5 e-f-f-i-n-g years of scrambling...

No, the lawsuit was a factor earlier, but its effects had worn off by that round of CR. Besides, Pitt was like the lead plantiff and they didn't get hurt buy it in the end.

 

[Sea Goat]

No, the lawsuit was a factor earlier, but its effects had worn off by that round of CR. Besides, Pitt was like the lead plantiff and they didn't get hurt buy it in the end.

You would think, but resentment remained. No one likes to get sued in a corporate setting, let alone individually. By naming a host of individuals in the suit, he created many bitter memories for the very people who would determine our fate in 2011. As far as Pitt is concerned, the defendants believed the suit was Blumenthal's and the State of Connecticut's baby.
We were detested for doing it. Even if all of the defendants ended up with "Irish Alzheimer's", they would remember Blumenthal's suit.

 

[junglehusky]

You would think, but resentment remained. No one likes to get sued in a corporate setting, let alone individually. By naming a host of individuals in the suit, he created many bitter memories for the very people who would determine our fate in 2011. As far as Pitt is concerned, the defendants believed the suit was Blumenthal's and the State of Connecticut's baby.
We were detested for doing it. Even if all of the defendants ended up with "Irish Alzheimer's", they would remember Blumenthal's suit.

Ah, more boneyard conventional wisdom on the opinions and thoughts of college presidents / administrators at other schools, without any actual evidence. Got it.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

ESPN Launching Digital ACC Offering Next Month, Linear Network In '19

ESPN will launch an ACC digital network next month called ACC Network Plus and a 24-hour linear channel in August '19 dubbed ACC Network, according to sources. Modeled on the SEC’s digital offering that ESPN launched two years ago, ACC Network Plus will be fully owned by ESPN and available to authenticated subscribers through WatchESPN and the ESPN app. ACC games that appear on ESPN3 will move to the digital ACC Network Plus.

At launch, the digital channel will carry at least 600 Olympic-style events per year, with individual schools producing an undetermined number of the events. When the linear channel launches in '19, it will carry at least 400 events, including 40 football and 150 men’s and women’s basketball games each year.

 

[billybud]

Yes...I still think that if the ACC picks up a #15, UConn is in great shape with its basketball, women's basketball...and olympic sports.

 

[billybud]

The problem is that there is little chance that Notre Dame leaves independent status for football...and there is little chance that the SEC-Big Ten will relent and allow the ACC to run with three divisions/pods.....and, with two divisions, some folks who know are saying the scheduling difficulties have not been solved re the Irish and unequal divisions.

Some noodling about the Irish having five ACC games a year...and counting those as a "division game for purposes of a division championship" for the ACC team playing them....the short division gets an extra Notre Dame game a year....but nobody wants to give up a game with the Irish.

 

[CL82]

ESPN Launching Digital ACC Offering Next Month, Linear Network In '19

ESPN will launch an ACC digital network next month called ACC Network Plus and a 24-hour linear channel in August '19 dubbed ACC Network, according to sources. Modeled on the SEC’s digital offering that ESPN launched two years ago, ACC Network Plus will be fully owned by ESPN and available to authenticated subscribers through WatchESPN and the ESPN app. ACC games that appear on ESPN3 will move to the digital ACC Network Plus.

At launch, the digital channel will carry at least 600 Olympic-style events per year, with individual schools producing an undetermined number of the events. When the linear channel launches in '19, it will carry at least 400 events, including 40 football and 150 men’s and women’s basketball games each year.

ACC Network Plus will be fully owned by ESPN! Wasn't the whole benefit having the ACC own it's own channel? How does this allow the ACC to keep pace with B1G and the SEC?

It doesn't.

 

[ramses 2.0]

ACC Network Plus will be fully owned by ESPN! Wasn't the whole benefit having the ACC own it's own channel? How does this allow the ACC to keep pace with B1G and the SEC?

It doesn't.

It's the same set up the SEC has, ESPN owns the channels, the conference owns the product & they split the profit

 

[CL82]

It's the same set up the SEC has, ESPN owns the channels, the conference owns the product & they split the profit

Do we know this or is it speculation?

 

[billybud]

That type partnership puts less immediate loss risk on the conference...and was probably modeled on the success of the SECN.

A little different scheme than the BTN in which the Big Ten is a minority owner (49%) and Fox the majority owner.

The PAC 12 does own their network and has problems monetizing it.

Having ESPN as a full partner does provide an incentive for ESPN to market like they did the SECN.

 

[billybud]

"
ACC Network is expected to look a lot like ESPN’s other college sports conference channel, the SEC Network. ESPN launched SEC in 2014 around the time it and other Walt Disney Co. channel renewals were coming due. The ability to bundle the ACC Network launch with ESPN and other channels could be behind the logic for waiting until 2019 for the official launch of ACC Network. "

"ESPN will launch an ACC digital network next month called ACC Network Plus and a 24-hour linear channel in August '19 dubbed ACC Network, according to sources. Modeled on the SEC’s digital offering that ESPN launched two years ago, ACC Network Plus will be fully owned by ESPN and available to authenticated subscribers through WatchESPN and the ESPN app. ACC games that appear on ESPN3 will move to the digital ACC Network Plus. "

 

[ramses 2.0]

Do we know this or is it speculation?

100% fact

 

[Sea Goat]

Ah, more boneyard conventional wisdom on the opinions and thoughts of college presidents / administrators at other schools, without any actual evidence. Got it.

Well whatever - you'd be surprised I guess. Blumenthal did us no favors - pure and simple. The case was a farce. But one thing is for sure - it really doesn't matter now.

 

[CL82]

100% fact

Do you have a source?