How ESPN Became the AAC's New Best Friend-Wait, What?

[cttxus]

http://www.theuconnblog.com/2014/8/13/5999687/how-espn-became-the-aac-s-new-best-friend

 

[CL82]

That's the arguement, isn't it? No $$ but plenty of exposure. I'll let you know whether I buy in to that at the end of the season, but it should accrue to our benefit as a marquee program for conference.

 

[Waquoit]

ESPN is running that commercial about the coming football playoffs. The one with the USC band in the pool and Les Miles drinking grass. The one AAC team that gets a mention is Tulane.

 

[cttxus]

That's the arguement, isn't it? No but plenty of exposure. I'll let you know whether I buy in to that at the end of the season, but it should accrue to our benefit as a marquee program for conference.

Yes. That's the premise of the article in a nutshell. "In essence, the extensive national television coverage replaces previous syndication and local telecasts. They (the AAC) have until the end of this decade, when the contract runs out, to become a power conference."

and,

"Up to 90 percent of the AAC’s home games will be on national television . . . the exposure level for the conference has increased ten-fold from a year ago."

"ESPN doesn’t want the Mountain West, Sun Belt, MAC or Conference USA champion playing in the Cotton Bowl or the Peach Bowl. They want the AAC champion." As evidence, the article goes on to say "ESPN could not have a team like Northern Illinois in prime time on New Year’s Day. This was confirmed when UCF played on New Year’s Day last year and ratings were up 11%. In response, the college football powers moved the AAC berth over to the "BCS buster" category in an effort to eliminate the Northern Illinois’ and Hawaii’s of the world from dragging down ratings ever again.

 

[pj]

If we're ESPN's best friend because we keep MAC teams out of BCS bowls and do it for pennies, then being their "best friend" means we're locked out of the playoffs.

 

[CL82]

If would be nice if they wouldn't go out of their way to crap all over the conference now that they are going to be broadcasting so many of our games. If UConn football and basketball gets more ESPN and ESPN2 games, at decent times and with quality commentators, the visability may go a long way to resurect our football image. That said, TV money is the key to being able to survive the shooting war of player benefits, facility improvements and coaching hires that is about to start. We are in a solid position right now, but I can't see how we keep it going without access to more sport generated revenue.

 

[FDNY99]

The exposure is all well and good...but at the end of the contract they will still get SIGNIFICANTLY less none than Iowa St, WVU, BC and Cuse...not even worth wasting my time to mention how much less than RU and MD. There is absolutely ZERO chance that ESPN or anyone else for that matter ponies up ACC or B-12 cash for the next AAC contract.

 

[huskypantz]

If we're ESPN's best friend because we keep MAC teams out of BCS bowls and do it for pennies, then being their "best friend" means we're locked out of the playoffs.

Yeah this is classic wingman.

 

[Adios]

The AAC is a test market conference.

 

[upstater]

Yup, they love the AAC:

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/travis-haney/post?id=3114&ex_cid=espnapi_public

"UCF Knights (23)

A Group of Five program should not be ranked, and UCF's bowl win against Baylor is the only reason it is. Quarterback Blake Bortles isn't walking back through that door, folks. Besides the bowl win, the Knights are getting love from the panel for returning 10 defensive starters. But that's from a unit that was only fifth in the American in yards per play (5.35). It isn't exactly Alabama or FSU -- or even TCU, which is ranked behind UCF.

"They're athletic, but so is every team we play," a power-conference assistant said of the Knights' defense.

If Bortles were back, I'd be all about this team as a top-25 choice. But without him, the shoe doesn't fit. Give me a Power Five team with fewer returning starters and 2013 wins -- but more talent. Case in point: Florida would destroy this Central Florida team, and yet UCF is a pick 'em with Penn State in the teams' opener in Ireland. The Knights' stay in the top 25 won't last long."

 

[cttxus]

Yup, they love the AAC:

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/travis-haney/post?id=3114&ex_cid=espnapi_public

"UCF Knights (23)

A Group of Five program should not be ranked, and UCF's bowl win against Baylor is the only reason it is. Quarterback Blake Bortles isn't walking back through that door, folks. Besides the bowl win, the Knights are getting love from the panel for returning 10 defensive starters. But that's from a unit that was only fifth in the American in yards per play (5.35). It isn't exactly Alabama or FSU -- or even TCU, which is ranked behind UCF.

"They're athletic, but so is every team we play," a power-conference assistant said of the Knights' defense.

If Bortles were back, I'd be all about this team as a top-25 choice. But without him, the shoe doesn't fit. Give me a Power Five team with fewer returning starters and 2013 wins -- but more talent. Case in point: Florida would destroy this Central Florida team, and yet UCF is a pick 'em with Penn State in the teams' opener in Ireland. The Knights' stay in the top 25 won't last long."

Yes, but I think you need to take that "article" with a large grain of salt. It's actually a blog post from a (likely) not-so-unbiased reporter who also has Texas A&M outside the top 25 this year . . .
Travis Haney
Travis Haney joined ESPN in April 2012 as Insider's national college football writer. He previously covered the University of Oklahoma Sooners for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman for one season, and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks for The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier for four. Additionally, Haney has contributed since 2003 to ESPN publications and projects, including ESPN The Magazine.

A native of Cleveland, Tenn., Haney's initial introduction to a college football cathedral was Neyland Stadium. He later graduated from the University of Tennessee, in 2003, and has spent time covering the Volunteers, the University of Georgia, Clemson University, and other schools. Safe to say, football, and football in the South, was injected into his bloodstream at a young age.

 

[whaler11]

Wow. That is some crazy talk.

 

[whaler11]

The AAC is a test market conference.

Does that mean they will have Crystal Pepsi at Renschler this year. I've been trying to scratch that itch for a long time.

 

[uc1974]

No, just crystal meth.

 

[HomeKing93]

It's nice that the ESPN has an AAC blog - it's the only conference outside of the P5 with one on ESPN.

The problem is ESPN's AAC blog doesn't even have one blogger/contributor assigned to it.

 

[Doggie Style]

ESPN is running that commercial about the coming football playoffs. The one with the USC band in the pool and Les Miles drinking grass. The one AAC team that gets a mention is Tulane.

I saw that today, what a load of shizz!!

 

[weyuo]

Well the AAC has been given a sounding board(ESPN, CBS Sportsnet) to show their worth so if they want to get paid like the big boys they have to play and beat them. A UCF win vs Penn St and a UConn win vs BYU would be a huge boost in perception for the league to start the season.
Man ECU has a brutal non conference schedule with Virginia Tech, N. Carolina and S. Carolina. Winning 2 out of 3 of those is asking a bit much but keeping it interesting so that people are still watching going into the 4th quarter is a feather in every AAC team's cap.

Actually as you look around the league there are a number of compelling out of conference match ups where the AAC could prove they are a legit power conference. Cincy at Ohio St and at Miami(FL), SMU at Baylor on a rare Sunday night college football game, USF at Wisconsin and earlier in the season Maryland at USF just to name a few. It's a shame they have ECU at Virginia Tech, UCF at Missouri and Boise St at UConn all on at the same time(noon 9/13).

AAC's destiny is in their own hands. Win the big ones, win the important ones. Just win!!

 

[freescooter]

Old saying: With friends like this who needs enemies?
Sometimes old sayings are true.

 

[noeynox]

Yeah, I'm not buying the premise of that article. Bottom line. With conference networks for the true big boys, and the big 12 split between Espn and Fox, they need content for their channels. The AAC maybe the best of the rest after the ACC and the exposure is great, but it is hard to keep pace when you are at such a huge monetary disadvantage against the schools you're hoping to compete against.

We will see how it shakes out, but I wouldn't be calling Espn our friend or ally.

 

[Adios]

No, just crystal meth.

We'd be in the MWC if that was our objective.

 

[pepband99]

We're ESPN's penny stock. Only question is whether we're pump and dump, or a long-term play.

 

[Adios]

We're ESPN's penny stock. Only question is whether we're pump and dump, or a long-term play.

With the schools involved, I'd say long-term play. Yes, even Tulane.

http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/2012/10/tulane_president_scott_cowen_u.html