BTN strikes deal w/Time Warner & Cablevision

[CL82]

Please don't run off @frankthetank. I enjoy him posting here.

I second that. I don't think Frank is a troll, although I do think that he can be pretty myopic. He seems to be unaware of or uninterested in the university's consistent ability to ramp up a given sports program to the highest level of competition. Some tout him as an unbiased voice of reason. I suggest instead that his value is as bellwether of our perception among Midwestern fans.

 

[Drimple]

As much as all of this pains me, I find it incredible that people still think that the play on the field has any relevance whatsoever. It's unfortunate and even maddening but it is what it is and we saw this coming for years.

Again, I wish it were us. Frankly, if it were us I guarantee a lot of the more colorful people that post here would be gloating like crazy too.

Ugh.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

^ The difference for me at least would be I wouldn't immediately go to opponents message board and brag about it when I damn well know they are in a tough spot through no fault of their own.

 

[upstater]

This isn't a knock on you guys, but I think most of us understand that we don't deserve the invite. We already know we've not warrented the invite from the BT, the thing is, the BT thought otherwise.

The B1G knew what it was doing all along. Absolutely no one here believes that Rutgers was not a prize for the B1G in terms of $$$. I don't think anyone has ever doubted that. UConn fans do knock Rutgers on the field though even though our football has been even. BBall, not so much. still, Jay shouldn't interpret the doubts on this thread as being about Rutgers as much as its about the nature of the TV deals.

 

[upstater]

It likely has more to do with the potential of current B1G teams drawing well in NYC and less to do with Rutgers' drawing power.

I've always doubted this idea. It seems crazy to me. Especially since we don't even know what deal the BTN has struck with cable in the boroughs. New Jersey alone is worth it for BTN.

 

[Ldandy]

People on both sides of the argument need to come to grips with one simple truth. RU has done nothing to deserve getting into the B1G other than having the foresight to found a college in the shadow of NYC 0ver 200 years ago. They have not won there way in, or even forced their way in politically. They are the beneficiaries of favorable geography, congrats to them.

When the B1G created the BTN, they suddenly became a viable prospect for expansion. The cable deals should surprise no one. They were started in earnest well before Delany ever took the podium in Piscataway to announce their membership. If the conference members were not assured that their slice of the pie would get bigger, they would have laughed Delany out of the boardroom. "Why should I as the AD of Iowa have to send my women's soccer team to NJ?" "For the promise of less money?" "Another happy side effect is that I see UM, OSU, and PSU less often at home?" "Where do I sign?"

 

[Carl Spackler]

The reality is that UNJ has John Swofford to thank for their current situation, not Jim Delany. Without Swofford's management of the ACC and the business relationship in eventually destroying the Big East conference, none of this ever happens, and there is no hole in the northeast corridor intercollegiate sports market for the BTN network to take adavantage of.

 

[itgoeslike]

That's sour grapes, if that were the case the BTN would already be on basic in the NYC DMA. We still don't know the full details, but if that is in fact what's happened here, you have to tip your hat to Delaney and RU for getting it done.

It's not sour grapes, it's simply factual. Rutgers' following didn't get any better. Instead they added potential new viewers by showcasing opponents that generate higher ratings on average than in the past. The ACC's contract went up $1M per school because the ACC package now has 5 home games against an opponent, Notre Dame, that's guaranteed to generate reasonable ratings and ad revenue. And no, it's not because Wake Forest got better. It's simple math. BTW, I don't have a problem with Rutgers per se, and wouldn't mind seeing the local rivalry with UConn gain stature. The reality is that the B1G teams, aside from maybe Penn State, already have long standing rivalries. Rutgers should root for UConn's inclusion so they can have one to call their own.

 

[itgoeslike]

Seriously? Does it really matter? Either way, folks are gonna make their way to the stadium for a game.

It only matters in the context of the poster's comment that I was responding to. For Rutgers, it's a good thing. I would like to see UConn have a similar problem.

 

[upstater]

It's not sour grapes, it's simply factual. Rutgers' following didn't get any better. Instead they added potential new viewers by showcasing opponents that generate higher ratings on average than in the past. The ACC's contract went up $1M per school because the ACC package now has 5 home games against an opponent, Notre Dame, that's guaranteed to generate reasonable ratings and ad revenue. And no, it's not because Wake Forest got better. It's simple math. BTW, I don't have a problem with Rutgers per se, and wouldn't mind seeing the local rivalry with UConn gain stature. The reality is that the B1G teams, aside from maybe Penn State, already have long standing rivalries. Rutgers should root for UConn's inclusion so they can have one to call their own.

5 home games? I don't think ND is giving 5 home games to the ACC, are they? At best, it's 2 or 3.

 

[RU]

Ldandy, I don't know how long you've been a football fan but RU has been in the Big Ten expansion conversation for reasons other than TV since Penn State joined the conference. The geography was the clincher when the Big Ten figured out they could essentially control the NY media market with the addition of RU. The football has been decent for a decade and RU has an all-time .500 record vs the Big Ten. Try not to re-write history.

And for RUthetiger, where do you come off saying RU fans realize they don't deserve the B1G. On behalf of RU fans let me be the first to say GFY.
Sorry for my rant uconn fans. To be honest I truly could care less what happens to uconn athletics but I do sympathize with all the die-hards on this board who feel they belong after 10 years in the BCS. RU fans including myself have felt this way since our undefeated seasons in the late 70s.

 

[itgoeslike]

The reality is that UNJ has John Swofford to thank for their current situation, not Jim Delany. Without Swofford's management of the ACC and the business relationship in eventually destroying the Big East conference, none of this ever happens, and there is no hole in the northeast corridor intercollegiate sports market for the BTN network to take adavantage of.

Swofford's advocation to sell all tiers away to ESPN was a bad one. It was good business for relatives and cronies, but a bad deal for the ACC conference strategically.

 

[upstater]

Ldandy, I don't know how long you've been a football fan but RU has been in the Big Ten expansion conversation for reasons other than TV since Penn State joined the conference. The geography was the clincher when the Big Ten figured out they could essentially control the NY media market with the addition of RU. The football has been decent for a decade and RU has an all-time .500 record vs the Big Ten. Try not to re-write history.

And for RUthetiger, where do you come off saying RU fans realize they don't deserve the B1G. On behalf of RU fans let me be the first to say GFY.
Sorry for my rant uconn fans. To be honest I truly could care less what happens to uconn athletics but I do sympathize with all the die-hards on this board who feel they belong after 10 years in the BCS. RU fans including myself have felt this way since our undefeated seasons in the late 70s.

Has much more to do with Uconn winning championships constantly than anything else.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Ldandy, I don't know how long you've been a football fan but RU has been in the Big Ten expansion conversation for reasons other than TV since Penn State joined the conference. The geography was the clincher when the Big Ten figured out they could essentially control the NY media market with the addition of RU. The football has been decent for a decade and RU has an all-time .500 record vs the Big Ten. Try not to re-write history.

And for RUthetiger, where do you come off saying RU fans realize they don't deserve the B1G. On behalf of RU fans let me be the first to say GFY.
Sorry for my rant uconn fans. To be honest I truly could care less what happens to uconn athletics but I do sympathize with all the die-hards on this board who feel they belong after 10 years in the BCS. RU fans including myself have felt this way since our undefeated seasons in the late 70s.

Holy mackerel. They're like cockroaches in the woodwork. Somebody turn on the light so they scatter.

 

[itgoeslike]

5 home games? I don't think ND is giving 5 home games to the ACC, are they? At best, it's 2 or 3.

You're right, I misspoke. They play 5 games with the ACC annually but alternate between 3/2 home/away and 2/3 home/away, which averages out to 5 ACC home games every two years.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Swofford's advocation to sell all tiers away to ESPN was a bad one. It was good business for relatives and cronies, but a bad deal for the ACC conference strategically.

I agree. That will eventually bubble it's way to the surface internally in the ACC. That - and the Notre Dame parasite/host relationship. TIme will tell, but I believe firmly that in Swofford's decades long crusade to destroy the Big East, he compromised the long term existence of his own conference. The first founding member has already left.

 

[ruthetiger]

[quowant meeRU, post: 972388, member: 2791"]Ldandy, I don't know how long you've been a football fan but RU has been in the Big Ten expansion conversation for reasons other than TV since Penn State joined the conference. The geography was the clincher when the Big Ten figured out they could essentially control the NY media market with the addition of RU. The football has been decent for a decade and RU has an all-time .500 record vs the Big Ten. Try not to re-write history.

And for RUthetiger, where do you come off saying RU fans realize they don't deserve the B1G. On behalf of RU fans let me be the first to say GFY.
Sorry for my rant uconn fans. To be honest I truly could care less what happens to uconn athletics but I do sympathize with all the die-hards on this board who feel they belong after 10 years in the BCS. RU fans including myself have felt this way since our undefeated seasons in the late 70s.[/quote]
You want me to sit on it and rotate?

You need to calm down and get off the toilet of diarreah.

First off let's make one thing clear, our pedigree is not that impressive where we could've just gone on to the conference hands down.

Number 2. What were you saying when UNL got plucked from the BXII? And what did you say to yourself when PITT and Cause got taken by the ACC? You mean to tell me you knew?

 

[HuskyJ]

I don't know how long you've been a football fan but RU has been in the Big Ten expansion conversation for reasons other than TV since Penn State joined the conference. .

Heck I remember a really really long time ago hearing Mike Francesca talk on the radio about Rutgers ending up in the B1G. This was way before realignment started and it’s rare that they talk Rutgers on WFAN so it has been out there a long time.

 

[Fishy]

What in the world are you guys reading?

^ The difference for me at least would be I wouldn't immediately go to opponents message board and brag about it when I damn well know they are in a tough spot through no fault of their own.

I do not mind Frank and welcome his presence.

There is a tad too much enthusiasm to get here whenever there's bad news, but all of these folks are here to peer into the pit of the damned, so it is what it is.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I do not mind Frank and welcome his presence.

There is a tad too much enthusiasm to get here whenever there's bad news, but all of these folks are here to peer into the pit of the damned, so it is what it is.

I like pit of the damned. It's like were in that prison in The Dark Knight Rises. We need to jump without the rope.

 

[Ldandy]

Ldandy, I don't know how long you've been a football fabut RU has been in the Big Ten expansion conversation for reasons other than TV since Penn State joined the conference. The geography was the clincher when the Big Ten figured out they could essentially control the NY media market with the addition of RU. The football has been decent for a decade and RU has an all-time .500 record vs the Big Ten. Try not to re-write history.

And for RUthetiger, where do you come off saying RU fans realize they don't deserve the B1G. On behalf of RU fans let me be the first to say GFY.
Sorry for my rant uconn fans. To be honest I truly could care less what happens to uconn athletics but I do sympathize with all the die-hards on this board who feel they belong after 10 years in the BCS. RU fans including myself have felt this way since our undefeated seasons in the late 70s.

***********************************************************************************************

I know I shouldn't respond but damn it I'm feeling weak. I have followed college football for 33 years if that satisfies your curiosity. I remember PSU as both an Eastern Independent and as a member of The B1G. I have been to countless games both home and away. To your first point about Rutgers being in the discussion for membership 20+ years ago I say so what? Lots of teams have been discussed over the years and they were not added to The B1g either. Not until there was a way to monetize a Rutgers addition, were they ever really a viable candidate. Not a second before. If they were a slam dunk candidate like you believe, why did the conference stay at 11 teams for nearly 20 years?

Congratulations on having around a .500 record against Illinois, Iowa, and MSU of old. Without rewriting history explain how RU was decent for a decade? If decent means scheduling an embarrassing non conference schedule and then going .500 in a below average league than by all means rock on. Schiano was a flim flam artist who put together bowl seasons with smoke and mirrors. He goes away and Flood comes in ... Yikes.

As for Tiger, he is a pretty level headed poster. He realizes that the B1g was a gift, and is hopeful that RU can make the most of the opportunity. Sorry but RU did absolutely nothing on an athletic field in 150 years to warrant inclusion in a better conference. That said we know this has nothing to do with conference realignment. If your campus was in Delaware, WV, or in Southeast PA, you would be battling Temple for an AAC Bid. Trust me they wouldn't care if you beat Lehigh and Colgate in 1976 either.

 

[Fishy]

Rutgers is in the Big Ten because they're in a heavily-populated state that's the width of the Hudson River from a very freaking large city.

If I'm a Rutgers' fan, I stop reading after "Rutgers in is the Big Ten", high-five myself and live a happy life. But, for some reason, most of them seem compelled to try to convince the world that the Big Ten sought them out because of their exploits on the field.

There's 15 million people in New Jersey and Maryland and you both border massive television markets, so you won the lottery. That'd be enough for me at this point.

 

[NotreDameJoe]

As much as all of this pains me, I find it incredible that people still think that the play on the field has any relevance whatsoever. It's unfortunate and even maddening but it is what it is and we saw this coming for years.

Regular season records don't move the needle much. But major bowl results do. A win over Okla and the Huskies would be in the ACC/BUG.

 

[specialisthusky]

Regular season records don't move the needle much. But major bowl results do. A win over Okla and the Huskies would be in the ACC/BUG.

That is bullspit.

 

[upstater]

That is bullspit.

Oklahoma had lost 4 bowls in a row going into that game. If they had lost to the Huskies, Stoops wouldn't even be the coach any more.

 

[SAMCRO]

[

Regular season records don't move the needle much. But major bowl results do. A win over Okla and the Huskies would be in the ACC/BUG.

Ya, that's what the problem was. SU squeaking by K-State in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl after a 4-5 year vacation from qualifying for a bowl game must have been the deal sealer for their invite to the ACC; and RU topping ISU in the 2011 Pinstripe Bowl was there fate sealer. You could be on to something. Had UConn played in and won the Pinstripe Bowl instead of winning the conference and losing to OU in the Fiesta Bowl we'd be in the club by now.

 

[Kolumbo]

[Ya, that's what the problem was. SU squeaking by K-State in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl after a 4-5 year vacation from qualifying for a bowl game must have been the deal sealer for their invite to the ACC; and RU topping ISU in the 2011 Pinstripe Bowl was there fate sealer. You could be on to something. Had UConn played in and won the Pinstripe Bowl instead of winning the conference and losing to OU in the Fiesta Bowl we'd be in the club by now.

And too bad that bowl win over South Carolina happened so long ago...perhaps if UCONN had a W over a power like Notre Dame or something...

 

[Ldandy]

Regular season records don't move the needle much. But major bowl results do. A win over Okla and the Huskies would be in the ACC/BUG.

LOL. No doubt in my mind either that had The Huskies won that game, Delany himself would have walked onto the field to hand deliver UCONN an invite to the conference. Instead he tore it up into a million pieces and tossed it in the air like confetti. Winning one or two bowl games does not get a team a conference invite... Unless that conference is the ACC.

 

[NotreDameJoe]

Say what do WVU, TCU, Utah have in common?

okay now what's the 2nd thing they all did before that?

 

[sportsart]

Regular season records don't move the needle much. But major bowl results do. A win over Okla and the Huskies would be in the ACC/BUG.

Thank God ND doesn't need an invite.