How the cookie crumbles where we land in the B1G.

[shizzle787]

Actually, I have come up with a better idea of how the cookie crumbles that we may get into the B1G.
1. Texas and Oklahoma go to the SEC and it is done expanding.
2. The Pac 12 has no interest in anyone of the Big 12 leftovers.
3. The ACC is content with its 14/15 setup and is done expanding for the time being as ND has no incentive to give up independence and the conference doesn't want 17 basketball schools.
Two possibilities:
1. The B1G responds by adding UConn and Kansas
2. The B1G calls Kansas and tells them to add UConn +1 or +3 to the weakened Big 12 and then grooms them and us for about 10 years before the invite.

 

[huskymedic]

I will admit that in the past year the only time I watched the BTN was when UConn played OSU. Otherwise, it might as well not exist. Maybe millions of people here are watching the BTN regularly and I am an outlier. Maybe there could be a boneyard poll on BTN watching just to get an idea.

Like anything else w/ TV, it depends on what the competing viewing options are but I regularly watch BTN Network Hockey and Baseball games in addition to BTN football games . Would I pay for it as a stand alone channel - I doubt it, but for the very nominal dollar(s) it costs a year to have as part of a larger sports package - it's a value to me.

 

[buddy]

Like anything else w/ TV, it depends on what the competing viewing options are but I regularly watch BTN Network Hockey and Baseball games in addition to BTN football games . Would I pay for it as a stand alone channel - I doubt it, but for the very nominal dollar(s) it costs a year to have as part of a larger sports package - it's a value to me.

Thanks for that update. I personally don't know anyone who watches the BTN on a regular basis, so maybe you are helping put things in perspective.

 

[huskymedic]

Thanks for that update. I personally don't know anyone who watches the BTN on a regular basis, so maybe you are helping put things in perspective.

I may be an outlier @ times because as a big college sports fan, I will chose a college game over some pro games (depending on teams playing).

 

[Ldandy]

I am not certain that paying for many channels that one never watches is cheaper than paying for a single channel that one watches often. I will say that I am not knowledgeable at this time what the actual costs are. I know that you are trying to defend the BTN, but I really wish someone would actually poll people in the the Northeast to see how many actually watch anything on the BTN. I even wonder how many people in New Jersey actually watch anything on the BTN if RU is not involved. I will admit that in the past year the only time I watched the BTN was when UConn played OSU. Otherwise, it might as well not exist. Maybe millions of people here are watching the BTN regularly and I am an outlier. Maybe there could be a boneyard poll on BTN watching just to get an idea.

To be 100% honest I'm the furthest thing from a B1G Fanboy. I am a PSU Fan first and foremost, and enjoy the channel for coverage of my school. The majority of what I watch is PSU Related, although I will watch major conference match ups in football, wrestling, and W.Volleyball. As a Uconn Fan I can see how the network would have little value to you outside of the occasional appearance of your team.

As it relates to your question, when all of these niche networks(B1G included) are placed in a tiered sports package they end up subsidizing the costs of each other and lowering them to the end user. You may not want a number of these channels including BTN, but collectively they are cheaper to you than they would be purchased individually. Your method is fine if you only want a small number of channels, however if you wanted more than a handful of sports channels, the cost of buying them individually cold quickly surpass buying them collectively with the added content you do not want. In this scenario most people will choose a package.

I'm sure there are plenty of people throughout the entire NE watching BTN, as that encompasses tens of millions of people. B1G Schools have good followings in NY and NJ, although New England is a bit more fractured as many of the states outside of CT and MA do not have FBS Football or Basketball Programs to identify with locally. I would wager that BTN does pretty well in NJ for schools not named Rutgers. PSU has traditionally enjoyed a major following in the state, with fans of conference schools like UM, OSU, and UNL being represented as well. With Rutgers being terrible at sports for eternity, NJ became a bit of a melting pot of fandom for many schools outside of NJSU. The BTN benefits in state from having a few of those schools + Rutgers to feature.

 

[TerryD]

Non Big Ten State subscribers need to lobby their cable providers to make the BTN a la carte and not force it upon everyone who wants a sports package. This will change the Big Ten's attitude toward whom it accepts as members. Why should people in New England be forced to have the BTN to get a "sports package"? I really wonder how many New Englanders, even New Yorkers ever watch the BTN. Close your wallet and suddenly people listen. Just think, if New Jerseyites for the most part didn't want to pay for the BTN, would RU have been invited?

That was one reason among many that I cut the cord on DirecTV and went with Amazon Fire Stick, Sling and Kodi. No paying for the SEC Network, Big Ten Network or Pac 12 Network.

I never watched the Big Ten Network (or SEC Network) when I was forced to have them as part of DirecTV. I didn't even know which channel the BTN was on.

The Big Ten Network is not offered by Sling and the SEC and Pac 12 Networks are part of an extra sports package for ten bucks a month that I declined.

 

[Seaa Blue]

I am not certain that paying for many channels that one never watches is cheaper than paying for a single channel that one watches often. I will say that I am not knowledgeable at this time what the actual costs are. I know that you are trying to defend the BTN, but I really wish someone would actually poll people in the the Northeast to see how many actually watch anything on the BTN. I even wonder how many people in New Jersey actually watch anything on the BTN if RU is not involved..

a) Your time and effort complaining about BTN costs more than out-of-market BTN.

b) No doubt there are other channels you would miss (or cost more) if not part of the bundle.

c) Collectively defending BTN increases the national debt by make all of us less productive.

d) All of the above.

Thank you for your interest in BTN.

 

[buddy]

a) Your time and effort complaining about BTN costs more than out-of-market BTN.

b) No doubt there are other channels you would miss (or cost more) if not part of the bundle.

c) Collectively defending BTN increases the national debt by make all of us less productive.

d) All of the above.

Thank you for your interest in BTN.

Maybe you could have concluded with Thank you for your disinterest in the BTN!

 

[Seaa Blue]

Maybe you could have concluded with Thank you for your disinterest in the BTN!

I just don't think that un-bundling will save us much in the end.

I know that I'm not looking forward to "turning my heat down" when I don't want something, only to dial it back up later. I would rather that technology just take care of that for me, or bill me on some tiered bases for what I actually do watch.

As it stands I have a hard time remembering what I get on Amazon vs Sling vs Netflix vs free Hulu. And it's only going to get worse. And if I want to record it, that takes an advanced degree.

 

[huskyrob1]

No AAU, no B1G.

Not entirely true, money and potential revenue talks louder than AAU when considering UCONN. Nebraska got an invite and I don't think they're an AAU member. Though I do admit getting AAU membership would help.

 

[storrsroars]

Not entirely true, money and potential revenue talks louder than AAU when considering UConn. Nebraska got an invite and I don't think they're an AAU member. Though I do admit getting AAU membership would help.

Nebraska was an AAU member. Then they weren't.

 

[buddy]

Not entirely true, money and potential revenue talks louder than AAU when considering UConn. Nebraska got an invite and I don't think they're an AAU member. Though I do admit getting AAU membership would help.

I have come to believe that if your first statement were true, UConn would already have been invited. I also believe that a school needs to be AAU to be invited to that conference. If one gets thrown out of the AAU after the invitation, then it doesn't matter.

 

[Kemba429]

This is pure speculation but let's face it, football and basketball are over for the year. So I believe there is actually a chance we will land in the B1G but one mammoth move has to happen to facilitate that: the Texahoma 4 going to the Pac 12. The Pac 12 has not done as well as hoped in either revenue or viewership. The Big 12 is a ticking time bomb, and everyone knows it. The GOR of rights for both conferences end suspiciously at the same time (2024/25). Why would this happen? Texas and Oklahoma would be able to stay together and keep their state legislatures happy by bringing little brother along. The Pac 12 will get into the Central time zone which will allow for more games on TV that people along the East Coast watch. In order for this to happen, though, the Pac 12 will have to make a concession: Texas would get to keep the Longhorn Network (if it is still viable). How that would work, I don't know but if that concession is made, this would be a marriage made in heaven.

This gets us to where we come in. Suddenly, Kansas is the sexiest property left in the CR world. The Pac 12 won't touch them as they'll be content at 16 so the B1G and SEC will be vying for them. I truly believe that it will come down to Kansas and us to B1G or Kansas and WVU to SEC, and Kansas holds the cards. I believe they will pick academics and go with the B1G.

Where did I go wrong?

Well, what about the rest of the Big 12 which generates more money than UConn. Like Texas Tech, OK State, WVU, Kansas State, and Iowa State?

 

[buddy]

Well, what about the rest of the Big 12 which generates more money than UConn. Like Texas Tech, OK State, WVU, Kansas State, and Iowa State?

I know WVU is not AAU. I don't know about the others. If AAU is a requirement for admission, then it is likely these schools will be joining UConn in a new AAC/Big 12 in 2024 rather than the B1G.

 

[huskyrob1]

Nebraska was an AAU member. Then they weren't.

Yes, technically they were but Delaney already knew they were going to get thrown out of the AAU but he invited them anyway.

 

[Seaa Blue]

Yes, technically they were but Delaney already knew they were going to get thrown out of the AAU but he invited them anyway.

More technically, the Presidents and Chancellors of the Big Ten allowed Nebraska to be on the short list of schools Delany could talk to. They then extended the invite after Nebraska's time table got moved forward by the Big 12.

 

[huskyrob1]

More technically, the Presidents and Chancellors of the Big Ten allowed Nebraska to be on the short list of schools Delany could talk to. They then extended the invite after Nebraska's time table got moved forward by the Big 12.

I'm not so sure about all of them, since Michigan and Wisconsin had already voted to take away Nebraska's AAU membership. AAU had nothing to do with it, it was all about money and Nebraska's football program.

 

[Macho Grande]

My money is on ESPN recommending to ACC to expand to add content for ACC Network. Pull in Navy for football only (already has that setup with AAC) and UCONN for everything and all is well with ND...

 

[CL82]

My money is on ESPN recommending to ACC to expand to add content for ACC Network. Pull in Navy for football only (already has that setup with AAC) and UConn for everything and all is well with ND...

I'm not at all sure that ESPN gives a crap about it, or that money works, but I hope that you are right.

 

[CTMike]

My money is on ESPN recommending to ACC to expand to add content for ACC Network. Pull in Navy for football only (already has that setup with AAC) and UConn for everything and all is well with ND...

Sign me up!

 

[don356]

At the rate espn is going, the acc network will be lucky if it happens.

 

[Ldandy]

I have come to believe that if your first statement were true, UConn would already have been invited. I also believe that a school needs to be AAU to be invited to that conference. If one gets thrown out of the AAU after the invitation, then it doesn't matter.

AAU is a preference not a requirement. Non AAU Member ND's courtship over the years dispels that myth. There is only one true requirement. Can you make the current members considerably more money by adding you? Its really not more complicated than that.

 

[dayooper]

AAU is a preference not a requirement. Non AAU Member ND's courtship over the years dispels that myth. There is only one true requirement. Can you make the current members considerably more money by adding you? Its really not more complicated than that.

It's a little more complicated than what you say, but the gist is correct. A school can't be a total academic abomination and still get in. These are Big10 presidents we are talking about here.

 

[Ldandy]

It's a little more complicated than what you say, but the gist is correct. A school can't be a total academic abomination and still get in. These are Big10 presidents we are talking about here.

Understood. I just dislike the myth that AAU Membership is a necessity. I believe a school like Uconn or Oklahoma could gain admission without AAU Status under the right set of circumstances.

 

[dayooper]

Understood. I just dislike the myth that AAU Membership is a necessity. I believe a school like UConn or Oklahoma could gain admission without AAU Status under the right set of circumstances.

I agree completely. I think the rules have changed to a certain extent with Chicago leaving the CiC and the start up of the Big10 Academic Consortium. On the flip side, any school would have to add a whole lot of money and exposure to be added.