Announcements I'd most like at B.E. Media Day...

[nelsonmuntz]

Say NBC and ESPN both offer $8MM per team for a 10 year contract, why would ESPN marginalize a product they just agreed to pay say $150MM a year too?

In a deal like this, ESPN gets what they want, marquee basketball and some decent basketball. Taking Syracuse, Pitt, WVU out of the equation and adding C-USA filler, in effect probably cut the BE potential deal in half. That's what ESPN wanted. Keep Syracuse, Pitt, WVU under their control and then only having to pay half-rate for UConn, Louisville, Georgetown, etc. basketball.

Because ESPN would make sure this is the last time they ever had to pay the Big East a nickel.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Because ESPN would make sure this is the last time they ever had to pay the Big East a nickel.

That is what baffles me. If ESPN added UConn/Rutgers to the ACC and Louisville/Boise State (or USF, Cincy, Houston, whatever) to the Big12, every attractive BE property would be accounted for in football. The catholics would break off and form an attractive all hoops conference, and the remaining schools would reform C-USA.

 

[metsfan2323]

So then it doesn't matter which network the Big East signs with.

And Boise has done OK against the majors. A lot better than WVU in fact, and you are getting your dream of a big conference. So isn't this a big step up?

We're going to 14 no matter who we sign with. I have no love for ESPN, it's just my opinion that NBC's offer needs to be much better then ESPN's because of their current place in the market.

If we are tying ourselves to Jerry Maguire (the upstart with one client), he better show us the money.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We're going to 14 no matter who we sign with. I have no love for ESPN, it's just my opinion that NBC's offer needs to be much better then ESPN's because of their current place in the market.

If we are tying ourselves to Jerry Maguire (the upstart with one client), he better show us the money.

We are tying ourselves to Jerry Maguire, because he is the one most likely to get us the "quan". We will not get that with Bob Sugar.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That is what baffles me. If ESPN added UConn/Rutgers to the ACC and Louisville/Boise State (or USF, Cincy, Houston, whatever) to the Big12, every attractive BE property would be accounted for in football. The catholics would break off and form an attractive all hoops conference, and the remaining schools would reform C-USA.

ESPN looks at the landscape, and is asking themselves why they are paying schools like Wake Forest and Syracuse as much as they are, not how they can get a few more schools under the tent. If ESPN had its way, there would be 30 schools that mattered and everything else would be an exhibition game.

 

[CL82]

Here is what ESPN will offer:

The Big East can choose either:

a) $50MM per year for the whole league, both sports, or
b) ESPN will pay some other league $100MM a year to rip apart what remains of the Big East.

It would be a very credible threat, since ESPN has already paid $78MM a year to the Big 12 and ACC to take 4 teams. Why stop here?

Since we're likely to be the next in line, the thought of the BE being raided again isn't very daunting. I think that if ESPN felt like it can promote another raid, without exposing itself, it would have happened already. The plan is to talk the league down.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Since we're likely to be the next in line, the thought of the BE being raided again isn't very daunting. I think that if ESPN felt like it can promote another raid, without exposing itself, it would have happened already. The plan is to talk the league down.

ESPN has over 3 months to raid the Big East before the exclusive window closes. It probably only took them a month to get the ACC to take Pitt and Syracuse. If UConn was next in line, then we haven't we been taken already? It seems like UConn is a pariah in Bristol for some reason.

The cheapest way for ESPN to raid the Big East would be to convince the ACC to take Georgetown and Villanova. That would definitely kill the combined conference, and possibly drive Boise and SDSU back to the MWC, or to form a new league.

 

[huskyjawz]

I get it, ConnHuskBask, you don't want to shell out an extra 15 bucks a month for NBC Sports.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Two points to this comment:

1) The first point has already been made by Jerry27, but it's worth reiterating; this conference is dying WITH ESPN! ESPN is clearly aware that they have plenty of college football under their umbrella, and they seem content with the amount that they have. Hence, the constant Big East bashing to eliminate our product from the discussion of college football.

2) EVEN IF the Big East were to sign a deal with ESPN, what type of treatment do you think that we would receive?? They would stop the bashing, but they would not market us. They would label us the sixth best conference (perhaps resurrecting the name "Big Six" for us), and they would make sure that everyone knew who conference #6 was. Get used to Wednesday night games, fellas. We would have bragging rights only on the MW and CUSA, which we already have.

No, unfortunately it seems painfully clear that we almost need to have a different network take us up. It's sad, because of the long history of the Big East with ESPN as well as the fact that they reside in our state, but the situation is what it is. I think we need to find a new life without them....and fast!

ESPN isn't going to invest in the BE and then continue this recent activity of trying to marginalize our stature in big boy football.
ESPN is trying to reduce the marketability of the league and with it, the winning bid for our TV rights. If you can get a $1B contract at a 25% discount then you do what it takes to get the discount. But once the deal is signed, ESPN and the Big East are business partners again.

I'm not suggesting that the BE go with ESPN. But if that's the best bid, then I think the BE leadership would be foolish not to consider it.

This jilted lover angle is getting old.

 

[UConnDan97]

ESPN isn't going to invest in the BE and then continue this recent activity of trying to marginalize our stature in big boy football.
ESPN is trying to reduce the marketability of the league and with it, the winning bid for our TV rights. If you can get a $1B contract at a 25% discount then you do what it takes to get the discount. But once the deal is signed, ESPN and the Big East are business partners again.

I'm not suggesting that the BE go with ESPN. But if that's the best bid, then I think the BE leadership would be foolish not to consider it.

This jilted lover angle is getting old.

Settle down, Marty. It has nothing to do with being a "jilted lover." The point I was making is that if ESPN wins the bid (and we both agree that the marginalization was to lower the bid), then ESPN will stop the marginalization. I even made the comment earlier that they would likely resurrect the "Big 6" terminology, as well as making the comment that if they were the largest bid, that it would be difficult to walk away from.

However, they would not have very much reason to PROMOTE the league. There is a gigantic difference between not marginalizing the league and promoting it. So get used to the least favorable timeslots and not much in terms of commercial promotion. That's all I was saying.

Alright, gotta run. I have a few ex-girlfriends to call up and bi%^h to...

 

[Hoophound]

Bringing back the term "Big 6" is going to be hard to sell unless we have a spot in the Orange Bowl.

 

[UConnDan97]

Bringing back the term "Big 6" is going to be hard to sell unless we have a spot in the Orange Bowl.

...or at least a rotating tie-in to one of the "Big 6 Bowls," i.e., Fiesta / Sugar / etc. I agree with your statement though.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I get it, ConnHuskBask, you don't want to shell out an extra 15 bucks a month for NBC Sports.

Clearly you don't. It's not about fans of Big East schools, it's about the casual fan/recruit who no longer is going to tune in to watch a UConn game.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Settle down, Marty. It has nothing to do with being a "jilted lover." The point I was making is that if ESPN wins the bid (and we both agree that the marginalization was to lower the bid), then ESPN will stop the marginalization. I even made the comment earlier that they would likely resurrect the "Big 6" terminology, as well as making the comment that if they were the largest bid, that it would be difficult to walk away from.
I'm settled...
I hear what you're saying. But if we are the 6th best league on Espn i wouldn't expect them to slot us over the other 5. I agree they would stop the attacks and promote us but not over the other leagues in FB... Bb would be a different story...
I guess the question is whether being #6 on Espn is better than being 1 or 2 on fox or NBC...
Money is a part of the equation.
Do we think anyone in the big east leadership is well versed enough to make that decision? Besides Carl spackler?


However, they would not have very much reason to PROMOTE the league. There is a gigantic difference between not marginalizing the league and promoting it. So get used to the least favorable timeslots and not much in terms of commercial promotion. That's all I was saying.

Alright, gotta run. I have a few ex-girlfriends to call up and bi%^h to...

I'm settled...

 

[Jerry27]

Clearly you don't. It's not about fans of Big East schools, it's about the casual fan/recruit who no longer is going to tune in to watch a UConn game.

Clearly you don't get it. As someone already pointed out NBC is not only NBC Sports Network. You have no idea what someone will or will not tune into so stop it with the ESPN is our only hope to a better future garbage. The casual fan can find NBC just as easy as they can ESPN. And if a recruit is interested in a program they will find them no matter where the game airs. And news flash, the game highlights will still get on ESPN, because lets face it, that is what they truly want! DaDaDa...DaDaDa! (ESPN theme) Now back to watching the MMA feature on NBCSN!

 

[UCFBfan]

I thought Versus, now NBCSN was standard on cable packages now....am I missing something here? It's not like MLB Network of NFL Network here....Is it not standard on Satellite? I never even considered the fact that NBCSN is not on standard cable because it's so low in the cable numbering....

 

[whaler11]

I know this much, for the same product (MLS) NBCS gets 1/10th the audience that ESPN does.

 

[UConnDan97]

I know this much, for the same product (MLS) NBCS gets 1/10th the audience that ESPN does.

And that has nothing to do with the games that they have had, right? Galaxy vs. Chivas in the L.A. derby, Galaxy vs. Red Bulls (to watch Beckham vs. Thierry Henry), Portland vs. Seattle in the Northwest rivalry, and New York vs. Seattle (two of the biggest fanbases in the country).

Very shocking that those games would draw more than San Jose versus Kansas City. Very shocking indeed...

 

[whaler11]

NBC might be the worst network in the history of broadcasting. They just showed a commercial for Today promoting an appearance by a gold medalist... right before they showed the race she won.

It's a no win situation. ESPN treats them like dogcrap and no one watches NBCS.

 

[whaler11]

And that has nothing to do with the games that they have had, right? Galaxy vs. Chivas in the L.A. derby, Galaxy vs. Red Bulls (to watch Beckham vs. Thierry Henry), Portland vs. Seattle in the Northwest rivalry, and New York vs. Seattle (two of the biggest fanbases in the country).

Very shocking that those games would draw more than San Jose versus Kansas City. Very shocking indeed...

I'd have to look up the games, but would that be any different than ESPN showing Michigan State and Iowa and
NBCS showing Rutgers and Central Florida?

 

[UConnDan97]

I'd have to look up the games, but would that be any different than ESPN showing Michigan State and Iowa and
NBCS showing Rutgers and Central Florida?

The difference, is that Michigan State and Iowa would be showing against Louisville and Boise State on the main NBC channel! And that would be the 12pm game that would hopefully draw onlookers from people waiting for the 3:30 ND game as well as people who drift over from the CBS SEC game a few channels away on their tv guide scroll. That's the ultimate point; that our marquis games will be on the main station, and we will (hopefully, to be fair) draw eyeballs that would otherwise never bother to drift over to a Thursday night ESPN game at 7:30pm. That's the way that I'm seeing it.

 

[whaler11]

The difference, is that Michigan State and Iowa would be showing against Louisville and Boise State on the main NBC channel! And that would be the 12pm game that would hopefully draw onlookers from people waiting for the 3:30 ND game as well as people who drift over from the CBS SEC game a few channels away on their tv guide scroll. That's the ultimate point; that our marquis games will be on the main station, and we will (hopefully, to be fair) draw eyeballs that would otherwise never bother to drift over to a Thursday night ESPN game at 7:30pm. That's the way that I'm seeing it.

I'll believe NBC puts the Big East on the broadcast network when it happens. That would make NBC a much more interesting option, but I've never seen that mentioned anywhere but here.

Thursday night ESPN games are easily the highest ratings that the Big East gets for football. It's the most captive college football audience of the week.

I don't see what the issue with Thursday night games is. They are a pain in the ass when you are at home, but even the SEC plays them.

Wednesday and Friday are terrible, Thursday is good for the league.

 

[whaler11]

ESPN Thursday night games:

USCe/Vandy
Pitt/Cincy
Rutgers/USF
BYU/Boise
Stanford/Washington
USCw/Utah
ASU/Colorado
ASU/Oregon

So good enough for South Carolina, USC, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami and BYU but not the Big East?

And those Pac12 games start at 5 and 6 local time.

 

[UConnDan97]

I'll believe NBC puts the Big East on the broadcast network when it happens. That would make NBC a much more interesting option, but I've never seen that mentioned anywhere but here.

Well, let me be the first to show you that others are talking about it:

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/5/31/3055532/big-east-tv-contract-notre-dame-football-nbc

"(NBC's) purpose (at the meeting) was to show they had an interest in the Big East and they had it tied in with Notre Dame football," Johnson said. "They talked about doubleheaders and tripleheaders on the NBC station. Not on the Versus or whatever they all have, NBC (Sports Network), because they've got several cable outlets. They talked about how they liked the time zones and they talked about tying in doubleheaders and tripleheaders on Saturday with football."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...edia-pot-big-east-facing-deal-of-its-lifetime

"How would a Big East game of the week leading into or following Notre Dame's game sound?"

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...needs-nbc-sports-to-raise-increase-tv-revenue

"They could also select an important Big East contest to match up as a lead-in or a spill-over to the Notre Dame contest already scheduled."

I don't want you to think that I'm just spewing out crap for crap's sake. This was on the first page of a Google search with NBC and Big East as the key words. I'm sure there are more. This is what that deal is all about; plenty of inventory for their NBCSports channel, but also packaging marquis games around ND to give them a full Saturday slate. If the money is there, it sounds good to me!

 

[CL82]

ESPN has over 3 months to raid the Big East before the exclusive window closes. It probably only took them a month to get the ACC to take Pitt and Syracuse. If UConn was next in line, then we haven't we been taken already? Um because next in line means next up not already chosen? It seems like UConn is a pariah in Bristol for some reason. UConn was the original target of the ACC rad along with Cuse.

The cheapest way for ESPN to raid the Big East would be to convince the ACC to take Georgetown and Villanova. Swofford isn't stupid enough to take partial members.That would definitely kill the combined conference, and possibly drive Boise and SDSU back to the MWC, or to form a new league.

.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If UConn was going to be in the ACC, it would already be in the ACC.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I am all for Thursday nights, but the Big East isn't even getting those games anymore. It is getting buried on ESPN3 with the occasional regional broadcast in the northeast if the rest of the ABC games that afternoon sucked.

If the Big East signs with ESPN, some of the games won't even be picked up by ESPN3 anymore, and there will never be a game on ABC. ESPN will push out Syracuse and BC to the syndicaters in the northeast, and cut the Big East off completely.

 

[HuskyFan16]

If the Big East signs with ESPN, some of the games won't even be picked up by ESPN3 anymore, and there will never be a game on ABC. ESPN will push out Syracuse and BC to the syndicaters in the northeast, and cut the Big East off completely.

Isn't SNY already under contract to show all UConn games not picked up by ESPN?

 

[whaler11]

Well, let me be the first to show you that others are talking about it:

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/5/31/3055532/big-east-tv-contract-notre-dame-football-nbc

"(NBC's) purpose (at the meeting) was to show they had an interest in the Big East and they had it tied in with Notre Dame football," Johnson said. "They talked about doubleheaders and tripleheaders on the NBC station. Not on the Versus or whatever they all have, NBC (Sports Network), because they've got several cable outlets. They talked about how they liked the time zones and they talked about tying in doubleheaders and tripleheaders on Saturday with football."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...edia-pot-big-east-facing-deal-of-its-lifetime

"How would a Big East game of the week leading into or following Notre Dame's game sound?"

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...needs-nbc-sports-to-raise-increase-tv-revenue

"They could also select an important Big East contest to match up as a lead-in or a spill-over to the Notre Dame contest already scheduled."

I don't want you to think that I'm just spewing out crap for crap's sake. This was on the first page of a Google search with NBC and Big East as the key words. I'm sure there are more. This is what that deal is all about; plenty of inventory for their NBCSports channel, but also packaging marquis games around ND to give them a full Saturday slate. If the money is there, it sounds good to me!

I forgot about RC Johnson saying that, I did see that. Is there anyone other than him in any official capacity that has mentioned it?

 

[Hoophound]

If Big East games being shown on NBC Sports are heavily promoted on NBC during the week it will really help the image of the Big East. NBC has to market the crap out of their football product during prime time on their other stations to get people watching NBC Sports on Saturdays. If that happens, this can work.