Big East - NBC 6 Year Deal Almost Done

[zls44]

Finally, if we wind up needing a few extra games to complete the picture, call up 2 teams at a time with games scheduled against each other and ask if they'd be amenable to each replacing that game with the start of a UConn series. For a bunch of mid major teams, the answer would be yes.

"Hey, Troy and Miami (Oh)...we know you guys have a mutual home-and-home series scheduled and everything, but how'd you like to completely disrupt your schedule for the chance to play in the recruiting hotbed of East Hartford, Connecticut against a team from a mid-major conference on NBC Sports Network?"

 

[RS9999X]

My problem with all this is I don't see how Tulsa, ECU, Tulane and a Championship game weren't dilutive to UConn basketball.

 

[UCFBfan]

My problem with all this is I don't see how Tulsa, ECU, Tulane and a Championship game weren't dilutive to UConn basketball.

Tulsa is not in the NBE nor will it ever be. Navy wont join in all likelihood so a 12th team is not needed.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[VAHuskyFan]

"Hey, Troy and Miami (Oh)...we know you guys have a mutual home-and-home series scheduled and everything, but how'd you like to completely disrupt your schedule for the chance to play in the recruiting hotbed of East Hartford, Connecticut against a team from a mid-major conference on NBC Sports Network?"

Your argument seems to be that our football program has no value to offer opponents. If you believe that, then we might as well just shut it down and join the C7 anyway because we're never getting an invite anywhere else. It's not an argument for staying in the NBE.

I don't believe that. A home-and-home offer from UConn is an upgrade for a mid major over playing another mid major. It doesn't "completely disrupt" anything. Team A was scheduled to host Team B on x date? They host us instead on the same date. Team B plays away at the Rent during their current bye week and the former A-B matchup becomes the bye week.

The issue is opportunity cost. What would we be giving up to join the C7 and go Independent in football? At $2M per year with crappy opponents, I can't think of anything, except maybe the "opportunity" to make less TV money while destroying our basketball program in the process. Under any sort of normal circumstances you do not do this, but this scenario is so bad that we essentially aren't giving anything up by leaving.

 

[upstater]

Am I the only one who didn't know that Comcast NBC owns SNY?

 

[ZooCougar]

It's pathetic.

It's also what we are worth on the market.

 

[ZooCougar]

On the bright side, you don't have to worry about being on ESPN 3 anymore. More games will be on regular NBC channels.

I have Time Warner Cable, and the NBC Sports Network HD is right there alongside the ESPNs. It may have been time for a change.

 

[ZooCougar]

Your argument seems to be that our football program has no value to offer opponents. If you believe that, then we might as well just shut it down and join the C7 anyway because we're never getting an invite anywhere else. It's not an argument for staying in the NBE.

I don't believe that. A home-and-home offer from UConn is an upgrade for a mid major over playing another mid major. It doesn't "completely disrupt" anything. Team A was scheduled to host Team B on x date? They host us instead on the same date. Team B plays away at the Rent during their current bye week and the former A-B matchup becomes the bye week.

The issue is opportunity cost. What would we be giving up to join the C7 and go Independent in football? At $2M per year with crappy opponents, I can't think of anything, except maybe the "opportunity" to make less TV money while destroying our basketball program in the process. Under any sort of normal circumstances you do not do this, but this scenario is so bad that we essentially aren't giving anything up by leaving.

The main benefit in keeping football in the Big East is scheduling and bowl alliances. What bowl alliances do we get as an independent?

 

[CL82]

It's also what we are worth on the market.

Well I gots me a theory on that.

NBC wanted some certainty as to members and so asked for GOR. Aresco said hey help me sell this give me the w/GOR # and the w/o GOR #. NBC lowballed the no GOR no # to induce schools to grant one. Connecticut (and possibly Cinci) refused to agree to a GOR. Thus the conference is left with craptastic lowball number and Aresco treats us as we were dead to him.

What do you think?

 

[ZooCougar]

If he asked Cincy and UConn for a GOR, then he shouldn't be in charge.

The Big East is a risky partner to do business with at the moment. Can't really see us getting much more than CUSA and company.

Well I gots me a theory on that.

NBC wanted some certainty as to members and so asked for GOR. Aresco said hey help me sell this give me the w/GOR # and the w/o GOR #. NBC lowballed the no GOR no # to induce schools to grant one. Connecticut (and possibly Cinci) refused to agree to a GOR. Thus the conference is left with craptastic lowball number and Aresco treats us as we were dead to him.

What do you think?

 

[whaler11]

What this shows is that no one is worth too much on their own. The only reason anyone has value is because of who they play.

Tickets, television contracts - you can't try to tease any school's value out of what they get paid in a conference because it's the combination of schools that generates value.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Man, it's a good thing I'm smoking a blunt right now.

 

[Marty Jackson]

The main benefit in keeping football in the Big East is scheduling and bowl alliances. What bowl alliances do we get as an independent?

just wait.you think things cant get worse? how about those bowl alliances?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I think the worst part about this whole deal is that our value to SNY takes a major hit.

Consider this, that SNY will occasionally get a decent Big East Basketball game to have UConn and that is something that regionally has interest. If NBC Sports has our Tier 1 rights, doesn't that mean they get first dibs at our games? In this case, with a league with only 4 basketball names in UConn, Temple, Memphis and Cinci, doesn't it stand to reason that every UConn conference game would be on NBC Sports and not SNY?

Same goes for football. UConn goes from the middle of the pack in BE football, to one of the top properties in the NBE football. With the lack of inventory again, doesn't that mean UConn won't have any SNY games aside from maybe the FCS and MAC games?

 

[huskymedic]

I think the worst part about this whole deal is that our value to SNY takes a major hit.

Consider this, that SNY will occasionally get a decent Big East Basketball game to have UConn and that is something that regionally has interest. If NBC Sports has our Tier 1 rights, doesn't that mean they get first dibs at our games? In this case, with a league with only 4 basketball names in UConn, Temple, Memphis and Cinci, doesn't it stand to reason that every UConn conference game would be on NBC Sports and not SNY?

Same goes for football. UConn goes from the middle of the pack in BE football, to one of the top properties in the NBE football. With the lack of inventory again, doesn't that mean UConn won't have any SNY games aside from maybe the FCS and MAC games?

Considering that Comcast/NBC Universal are equity owners in SNY, I'm sure there will be a bunch of cross-sharing.

 

[upstater]

I think the worst part about this whole deal is that our value to SNY takes a major hit.

Consider this, that SNY will occasionally get a decent Big East Basketball game to have UConn and that is something that regionally has interest. If NBC Sports has our Tier 1 rights, doesn't that mean they get first dibs at our games? In this case, with a league with only 4 basketball names in UConn, Temple, Memphis and Cinci, doesn't it stand to reason that every UConn conference game would be on NBC Sports and not SNY?

Same goes for football. UConn goes from the middle of the pack in BE football, to one of the top properties in the NBE football. With the lack of inventory again, doesn't that mean UConn won't have any SNY games aside from maybe the FCS and MAC games?

As I did some research at night, it appears ESPN owns all of UConn's tier 3 rights, and that any money for the games from SNY was immediately rerouted to the Big East, and shared among ALL the BE teams. So SNY contracts from ESPN, and ESPN sends the money to the BE. So UConn didn't benefit much from the SNY games other than getting great exposure.

The thing that may hurt UConn in this is in the IMG contract and the coach's show rights. With fewer games on SNY, the shows might not make as much, and IMG might not up the value of the contract (which, given the great ratings, probably was in the works). But we shouldn't really worry about this. It was a 10 year contract and it's not going to run out in at least 5 years.

 

[CL82]

If he asked Cincy and UConn for a GOR, then he shouldn't be in charge.

The Big East is a risky partner to do business with at the moment. Can't really see us getting much more than CUSA and company.

Agree with the 2nd part, but I think that he has to ask so that the value of what he has to offer is known.

As part of my CR 12 step program I try not to speculate on this too much, but sometimes I backslide.

 

[ZooCougar]

just wait.you think things cant get worse? how about those bowl alliances?

Exactly.

Zero is the number of bowls we'll have access to as an Indy.