Great ammo for UConn in forcing AAC teams to open up Tier 3 rights

[Hoophound]

Threaten to leave and join CUSA or the MAC?

People are forgetting a very key rule here, don't threaten to leave if you have nowhere to go.

Read my post again and come back and see me. The entire premise of my comment was to create an alternative for leverage and not to threaten without something to back it up. How could you miss that?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Read my post again and come back and see me. The entire premise of my comment was to create an alternative for leverage and not to threaten without something to back it up. How could you miss that?

Aside the fact that what you're proposing to set up with SNY/UConn Network and an informal agreement with the Big East being a complete fantasy, when the AAC simply says no, you want us to become a football independent and play our games televised only in the north east against who exactly?

 

[Sky ball]

Read my post again and come back and see me. The entire premise of my comment was to create an alternative for leverage and not to threaten without something to back it up. How could you miss that?

When you want to complain and bitch you need to misinterpret or ignore the facts or what was said. How did you miss that? LOL

 

[Hoophound]

Aside the fact that what you're proposing to set up with SNY/UConn Network and an informal agreement with the Big East being a complete fantasy, when the AAC simply says no, you want us to become a football independent and play our games televised only in the north east against who exactly?

It isn't really a fantasy at all if you believe the Big East would take us back (many do). The Big East revenue would be $5,000,000, which is $3,000,000 more than the AAC deal gives us in base pay. We'd get NCAA tourney credits through the Big East. So we really only need SNY to give us enough to offset losses from bowl revenue shares and the rest is gravy. Of course, I am assuming we have tapped all the exit fee money at this point. I think SNY could provide us a pretty lucrative deal. Oh, and again, my premise was to line this up before negotiating with the AAC.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It isn't really a fantasy at all if you believe the Big East would take us back (many do). The Big East revenue would be $5,000,000, which is $3,000,000 more than the AAC deal gives us in base pay. We'd get NCAA tourney credits through the Big East. So we really only need SNY to give us enough to offset losses from bowl revenue shares and the rest is gravy. Of course, I am assuming we have tapped all the exit fee money at this point. I think SNY could provide us a pretty lucrative deal. Oh, and again, my premise was to line this up before negotiating with the AAC.

How do you plan on recruiting in football? No league schedule, no bowl tie ins and the games mainly airing only on SNY in the Northeast?

If you want to kill the football program and just join the Big East for all sports, that's fine. It kills all hopes of P5 forever, but going independent in football kills all hope.

 

[huskypantz]

And how would that work exactly?

UConn: We don't want to include our T3 rights in the conference deal this year, we can get more money for them on our own.

Aresco: Well you have to.

UConn: [quietly] okay.

If I were UConn, I'd entertain separate discussions with SNY just prior to the contract negotiation period and document the value of our T3 to the AAC. Our commissioner would not be doing due diligence if he did not request both t1-3 and t1/2 options. Our deal was a whopping freakin' 2 million. How much less are we really talking about without the T3? If it's 1 mil, I would bet that at least half of the schools could garner at least 1 mil and would be interested in the same arrangement. Just make sure they don't profit-share the T3 like the BE did.

 

[CL82]

If I were UConn, I'd entertain separate discussions with SNY just prior to the contract negotiation period and document the value of our T3 to the AAC. Our commissioner would not be doing due diligence if he did not request both t1-3 and t1/2 options. Our deal was a whopping freakin' 2 million. How much less are we really talking about without the T3? If it's 1 mil, I would bet that at least half of the schools could garner at least 1 mil and would be interested in the same arrangement. Just make sure they don't profit-share the T3 like the BE did.

I guess, but here's the thing - we have no negotiating leverage neither does Aresco, unless a competitor suddenly decides that the AAC as a whole, has value. It is very difficult to maximize a deal when the other side knows that you will take whatever you are offered.

 

[Hoophound]

How do you plan on recruiting in football? No league schedule, no bowl tie ins and the games mainly airing only on SNY in the Northeast?

If you want to kill the football program and just join the Big East for all sports, that's fine. It kills all hopes of P5 forever, but going independent in football kills all hope.

Dude, I'm just trying to find a way to have negotiating leverage. If SNY can offer something attractive enough to be worth taking a long look at, maybe the AAC will realize we need our T3 rights. I'm not proposing leaving unless something surprisingly lucrative came out of the exercise.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I guess, but here's the thing - we have no negotiating leverage and just we have no leverage, neither does Aresco unless a competitor suddenly decides that the AAC as a whole, has value. It is very difficult to maximize a deal when the other side knows that you will take whatever you are offered.

Then the logical conclusion is that the UConn athletic department is dead, right?

 

[upstater]

Yes, I know. I'm just saying your point is rhetorical rather than one that would actually be put into practice and proven. And maybe that was your point -- not that UConn could force AAC to open up Tier 3 rights, but that it can make other schools look like hypocrites by claiming superior media value while insisting on riding UConn's coattails.

Yes, it is rhetorical to a certain extent, but nothing prevents Benedict from embarrassing AAC schools. Come out in the media and say it: "Since so many schools have better brands and markets than UConn, then we can all sell our tier3 rights."

This is worth it for the publicity and spectacle alone. You REALLY announce to the P5 conferences which school believes what they are selling.

It isn't worth it in the sense you piss off your conference mates, but who cares?

 

[noeynox]

The contract is up in 4 years. If the AAC wants to be innovative, it needs to start planning within the next year for a post-ESPN world. I have not seen boo from Aresco that anyone is thinking that way.

To be completely honest, I bet every single AAC school would be better off taking half the revenue for a national contract, leaving a lot of content for Tier 2 and 3, and then selling the remainder on their own. I bet most schools would generate 2x or better what they currently get.

If any of this is going, it's best that is not being done in the media.

 

[CL82]

Then the logical conclusion is that the UConn athletic department is dead, right?

No, but not by any stretch of the imagination, well, at least not by any stretch of the imagination of the sane.

 

[huskypantz]

I guess, but here's the thing - we have no negotiating leverage neither does Aresco, unless a competitor suddenly decides that the AAC as a whole, has value. It is very difficult to maximize a deal when the other side knows that you will take whatever you are offered.

We have more leverage this time around - at least we can actually refuse a deal when offered. We have to hope that NBCSN, CBSSN, FS1/2 and ESPN (or at least 3 of 4) are alive when our deal is up and that two suitors bite. I don't think that there would be an aggressive bidding campaign but it's been proven that the AAC deal was a money maker for ESPN, so there is no reason that we would not interest one of the other networks.

 

[CL82]

We have more leverage this time around - at least we can actually refuse a deal when offered. We have to hope that NBCSN, CBSSN, FS1/2 and ESPN (or at least 3 of 4) are alive when our deal is up and that two suitors bite. I don't think that there would be an aggressive bidding campaign but it's been proven that the AAC deal was a money maker for ESPN, so there is no reason that we would not interest one of the other networks.

Who is we, UConn? We don't make that decision Aresco does.

Now if "we" is the AAC, I guess you are right, but I think this conference has learned that aggressive negotiation with ESPN has risks and consequences. Of the 'networks' you listed which do you know the cable channel off of the top? I'm guessing that it is only one of them. Take a look at the ratings of the best rated NBCSN, CBSSN or FS1/2 game you kind find. Compare it to the worse rated ESPN game and it wouldn't surprise me if the ESPN game was higher. These networks aren't fungible.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Who is we, UConn? We don't make that decision Aresco does.

Now if "we" is the AAC, I guess you are right, but I think this conference has learned that aggressive negotiation with ESPN has risks and consequences. Of the 'networks' you listed which do you know the cable channel off of the top? I'm guessing that it is only one of them. Take a look at the ratings of the best rated NBCSN, CBSSN or FS1/2 game you kind find. Compare it to the worse rated ESPN game and it wouldn't surprise me if the ESPN game was higher. These networks aren't fungible.

If those other networks keep buying up premium content, they'll be a lot closer to ESPN in a few years. If FS1 is showing the best B12 and Big Ten games, people will know where to find it.

 

[junglehusky]

If those other networks keep buying up premium content, they'll be a lot closer to ESPN in a few years. If FS1 is showing the best B12 and Big Ten games, people will know where to find it.

We'll find out when the ratings for the RRR come out this year. I think UT and OU folks will not be happy.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Who is we, UConn? We don't make that decision Aresco does.

Now if "we" is the AAC, I guess you are right, but I think this conference has learned that aggressive negotiation with ESPN has risks and consequences. Of the 'networks' you listed which do you know the cable channel off of the top? I'm guessing that it is only one of them. Take a look at the ratings of the best rated NBCSN, CBSSN or FS1/2 game you kind find. Compare it to the worse rated ESPN game and it wouldn't surprise me if the ESPN game was higher. These networks aren't fungible.

UConn will not have an athletic department if it signs with ESPN for peanuts again so it can get "exposure". Exposure doesn't pay coaches' salaries.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Who is we, UConn? We don't make that decision Aresco does.

Now if "we" is the AAC, I guess you are right, but I think this conference has learned that aggressive negotiation with ESPN has risks and consequences. Of the 'networks' you listed which do you know the cable channel off of the top? I'm guessing that it is only one of them. Take a look at the ratings of the best rated NBCSN, CBSSN or FS1/2 game you kind find. Compare it to the worse rated ESPN game and it wouldn't surprise me if the ESPN game was higher. These networks aren't fungible.

FS1 is clearly trying to change that. By bidding for B1G games, they will attract an audience, and that audience will grow. You'll start seeing FS1 on in bars. The Red River game isn't about screwing OU and UT it's about propping up FS1 and expanding it as a must carry station. They are all-in on this thing, as the recent hires show.

Given what FoxNews did to CNN in ratings after starting way behind, I really wouldn't count them out yet.

 

[huskypantz]

Who is we, UConn? We don't make that decision Aresco does.

Now if "we" is the AAC, I guess you are right, but I think this conference has learned that aggressive negotiation with ESPN has risks and consequences. Of the 'networks' you listed which do you know the cable channel off of the top? I'm guessing that it is only one of them. Take a look at the ratings of the best rated NBCSN, CBSSN or FS1/2 game you kind find. Compare it to the worse rated ESPN game and it wouldn't surprise me if the ESPN game was higher. These networks aren't fungible.

We as in AAC.

 

[zls44]

FS1 is clearly trying to change that. By bidding for B1G games, they will attract an audience, and that audience will grow. You'll start seeing FS1 on in bars. The Red River game isn't about screwing OU and UT it's about propping up FS1 and expanding it as a must carry station. They are all-in on this thing, as the recent hires show.

Given what FoxNews did to CNN in ratings after starting way behind, I really wouldn't count them out yet.

There's about 629 reasons why the Fox News comparison is illogical for this situation.

The Shouty Network has no audience. It isn't going to grow.

 

[whaler11]

There's about 629 reasons why the Fox News comparison is illogical for this situation.

The Shouty Network has no audience. It isn't going to grow.

Awful Announcing had some numbers on ESPN today.

Number one in cable in all the key demos.

Those hires by Fox are the biggest waste of money in television history. It's not a shocker this Fox guy hiring the 'talent' lasted so little time at his last job.

 

[junglehusky]

There's about 629 reasons why the Fox News comparison is illogical for this situation.

The Shouty Network has no audience. It isn't going to grow.

I got it! Get Vice Sports to start a network and broadcast live sporting events!

Wait... they're owned by Hearst and Disney. Nevermind.

 

[zls44]

I got it! Get Vice Sports to start a network and broadcast live sporting events!

I think one network nobody watches is enough for Vice right now.

 

[IMind]

And how would that work exactly?

UConn: We don't want to include our T3 rights in the conference deal this year, we can get more money for them on our own.

Aresco: Well you have to.

UConn: [quietly] okay.

Why would we? If we can get more for a tier 3 rights from SNY than we can get for our tier 1-3 rights from the conference contract... why would we do it? If they want our tier 3 rights then they have to pay us for them. I don't think ANYONE in the UConn AD thought for a second that the TV contract was going to be as bad as it was. The days of conference unity are long gone. Most of these schools were in CUSA just a little while ago. Tulsa should kiss our ass... otherwise they'd be looking at $200k per year and the BeIN network... and not $1 mil per and ESPN.

 

[CL82]

Because you are apart of the conference or you aren't. If you are, they will package our tier 3 rights into the tv deal to make it more desirable to ESPN. If you aren't apart of the conference then you are an independent, likely without nationally broadcast games and struggling to cobble together a schedule for every sport we carry.

 

[upstater]

Because you are apart of the conference or you aren't. If you are, they will package our tier 3 rights into the tv deal to make it more desirable to ESPN. If you aren't apart of the conference then you are an independent, likely without nationally broadcast games and struggling to cobble together a schedule for every sport we carry.

As I wrote though, tell the big market schools like Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF, USF, and one more (Tulane?) to put their money where their mouth is. 7 out of 10 schools > 66% majority to vote on rights for TV package.

 

[CL82]

As I wrote though, tell the big market schools like Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF, USF, and one more (Tulane?) to put their money where their mouth is. 7 out of 10 schools > 66% majority to vote on rights for TV package.

I was replying to Imind.

I think that what you are proposing is lobby the schools that could have valuable T3 rights so that you'd have the votes to block a deal. That could work. I'm not sure that any of them have T3 rights that are as valuable as ours are. I doubt that they's all line up with us, but you could try.

 

[uconnell]

If those other networks keep buying up premium content, they'll be a lot closer to ESPN in a few years. If FS1 is showing the best B12 and Big Ten games, people will know where to find it.

I know where to find FS1 and don't watch it and who can predict where the AAC will be in a few years. Anyone have the figures for the Big East. Games. I think they were pretty poor.