ESPN was lying when they said they played no part in conference realignment

[WestCoastHusky]

Read this article with some good insights:

http://outkickthecoverage.com/espn-fox-advising-big-12-on-expansion-adding-notre-dame.php

 

[CL82]

It's also interesting to note that Notre Dame, the only school that ESPN and Fox said would increase television value for the Big 12, is presently the television partner of Comcast/NBC.
Reading the tea leaves, Notre Dame joining the Big 12 in any capacity strengthens the position of ESPN and Fox while weakening the position of Comcast/NBC. We already know that ESPN and Fox joined forces to stop Comcast/NBC from obtaining the Pac 12 television rights. Now the networks are also advising the Big 12 that Notre Dame is the preferred expansion candidate.
So isn't that a double conflict?

ESPN and Fox aren't just advising the Big 12 on whether or not it should expand to help their rights package, the networks are advising the Big 12 to expand in a way that hurts their primary rival too. It's a great business move.

Wow.

 

[mattp]

ESPN advising the B12 to add ND is like me advising you to date Kate Beckinsale. it's a friggin no-brainer that will never happen anyway. why even pretend that ESPN influenced that decision?

more interesting to me is the other side of the equation where they basically said it wouldn't pay to add FSU or Clemson, obviously b/c ESPN doesn't want that investment (their deal with ACC) to go down the crapper. right now they're practically stealing FSU with that lousy contract, why would they want to give that up?

 

[whaler11]

ESPN advising the B12 to add ND is like me advising you to date Kate Beckinsale. it's a friggin no-brainer that will never happen anyway. why even pretend that ESPN influenced that decision?

more interesting to me is the other side of the equation where they basically said it wouldn't pay to add FSU or Clemson, obviously b/c ESPN doesn't want that investment (their deal with ACC) to go down the crapper. right now they're practically stealing FSU with that lousy contract, why would they want to give that up?

Which was the thing someone like Waylon couldn't answer. Why would ESPN help destroy the ACC when they made them such a key part of their programming?

 

[UConnJim]

I don't think that FSU and Clemson were considered potential B12 adds back in January when the comments were made. At the time, the potential adds to the B12 were schools like Louisville, BYU, Cincinnati, and the long shot Notre Dame. Clearly, adding FSU and Clemson is additive to the Big 12, but they were not considered potential adds back then.

 

[uconnfan68]

Which was the thing someone like Waylon couldn't answer. Why would ESPN help destroy the ACC when they made them such a key part of their programming?

Because they were left to destroy? They already took care of the Big East.

 

[CL82]

ESPN advising the B12 to add ND is like me advising you to date Kate Beckinsale. it's a friggin no-brainer that will never happen anyway. why even pretend that ESPN influenced that decision?

more interesting to me is the other side of the equation where they basically said it wouldn't pay to add FSU or Clemson, obviously b/c ESPN doesn't want that investment (their deal with ACC) to go down the crapper. right now they're practically stealing FSU with that lousy contract, why would they want to give that up?

Wait so your saying I have a chance with Kate Beckinsale? Woohoo! I knew that court order was a misunderstanding.