Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[Sole]

I can’t understand why the Pac 12 would take SMU…makes no sense to me…the pac12 is starting to look a lot like the old big east before it fell apart

 

[WestHartHusk]

I can’t understand why the Pac 12 would take SMU…makes no sense to me…the pac12 is starting to look a lot like the old big east before it fell apart

Even they didn't invite SMU.

 

[Eavesdrop]

Brett McMurphy stated on an SMU podcast today that the Pac-12 has a TV deal in place that will be announced in the next couple weeks.

Thanks for sharing. I just listened to it.

McMurphy actually said (about the 12 minute mark) that you'd think that the Pac 12 would have a deal in place in the next week or two after issuing that statement. Yet from what he's heard the negotiation could extend into late March or April.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

And the hits keep on coming for the Pac-10.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I can’t understand why the Pac 12 would take SMU…makes no sense to me…the pac12 is starting to look a lot like the old big east before it fell apart

The only thing I can think of is they believe SMU can end up doing what TCU did and that they can bring a sufficient piece of the D-FW market.

If their timing were better SMU could have brought a good following but that timing was 1980.

 

[Sole]

Tulane or Rice makes more sense

 

[Drew]

The PAC seems to be in a chicken/egg scenario where they want to have games in earlier windows but TV seems to want to stick them in 10pm ET+ windows (which makes sense). My question would be- why wouldn’t they look to add more teams in the Central or Mountain time zones? Adding more teams in those time zones means you can play games at 12pm ET and/or 1pm ET. Plus you can get yourself into some additional recruiting areas like Texas.

Monetarily it probably doesn’t make any remote sense to add SMU/SDSU plus additional teams like Rice, Tulane, etc, but if it opens additional TV windows for you to sell in your contract? Plus there is a good academic component? Maybe it could make (some) sense for the league.

Lastly which nobody is talking about- PAC is going to have to figure out what to do with P12N. They either have to shutter it, sell it to ESPN to move it to digital behind ESPN+, or get it on cable nationwide. The current situation is unsustainable.

 

[Kolumbo]

Ooof…

This statement deserves its own thread. "Consummating?" The comments are very entertaining. I think of Stanford and although it doesn't have the most championships, it is, academically and athletically, aces. I can't see it wanting to shack up with the programs being discussed.

 

[Pat125]

If a deal is not “consummated,” can individual schools get an “annulment” from the PAC 12?

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Sole]

I hope the big east doesn’t run into problems with their media rights negotiations… i know fox had added more basketball content with the big 12.. but im hoping Amazon and Apple would and maybe NBC CBS would bid on our media rights

 

[Drew]

The PAC may well be best served at this stage putting all of their efforts into getting P12N distributed nationally where possible and using that platform for the majority of their kick offs. Combine that with ESPN’s late windows and you could have something.

3 games on P12N starting at 1pm ET
2 or 3 games on ESPN networks starting between 8pm and 1030pm ET

Seems like the best bet at this point

I don’t see how being on Amazon for one singular game a week does anything for the league. May as well just focus on trying to grow out P12N by consolidating the regional networks they have and getting on the streaming providers like YouTube, Hulu, etc

I wonder if Stadium Sports could come into play here too at this point. Regardless- it looks bleak.

 

[whalerfan]

The PAC may well be best served at this stage putting all of their efforts into getting P12N distributed nationally where possible and using that platform for the majority of their kick offs. Combine that with ESPN’s late windows and you could have something.

3 games on P12N starting at 1pm ET
2 or 3 games on ESPN networks starting between 8pm and 1030pm ET

Seems like the best bet at this point

I don’t see how being on Amazon for one singular game a week does anything for the league. May as well just focus on trying to grow out P12N by consolidating the regional networks they have and getting on the streaming providers like YouTube, Hulu, etc

I wonder if Stadium Sports could come into play here too at this point. Regardless- it looks bleak.

I wouldn't count on anything from Stadium/Bally/Diamond Sports. They didn't pay the $140m interest payment and are in the grace period before bankruptcy. Pro team owners are and should be concerned about this. In fact a note went out to IATSE members about this just this week. It included this little gem... While there are no assurances of what will happen if Diamond Sports Group does declare bankruptcy, most signs at this moment point to the regions carrying on business as usual.

Here's more on this... Diamond Sports Group's Problems Could Trigger Demise of RSN's

 

[Drew]

I wouldn't count on anything from Stadium/Bally/Diamond Sports. They didn't pay the $140m interest payment and are in the grace period before bankruptcy. Pro team owners are and should be concerned about this. In fact a note went out to IATSE members about this just this week. It included this little gem... While there are no assurances of what will happen if Diamond Sports Group does declare bankruptcy, most signs at this moment point to the regions carrying on business as usual.

Here's more on this... Diamond Sports Group's Problems Could Trigger Demise of RSN's

Yeah I didn’t realize Stadium was owned by Sinclair- big no go on that front then

 

[Rufus]

I don’t think it’s possible at this point for the PAC 12 Network to be distributed nationwide. If it were possible, it would have happened with top brands USC and UCLA in the conference. It hasn’t happened since the launch date of August 15, 2012….over a decade ago.

The networks best hope is for ESPN, FOX, Amazon or Apple to take it over. I think it’s more likely to cease operating than for a takeover.

 

[Stinger92860]

I hope the big east doesn’t run into problems with their media rights negotiations… i know fox had added more basketball content with the big 12.. but im hoping Amazon and Apple would and maybe NBC CBS would bid on our media rights

Maybe Fox is behind the B12/BE rumors. One can only hope.

 

[jostar1]

 

[jostar1]

 

[Sole]

Nice!!!!… hopefully big tv ratings for both the men and women… and of course.. both Uconn teams win…the Villanova game is sold out at Villanova…uconn joining the big east has really helped the women basketball in the big east

 

[huskymedic]

Tulane or Rice makes more sense

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Stinger92860]

And here we are on the outside looking in from a money perspective. We are getting it done on the field of play, so maybe our time is coming.

 

[noeynox]

And here we are on the outside looking in from a money perspective. We are getting it done on the field of play, so maybe our time is coming.

We are? I think we need more than one 6-7, season to make that claim. I like how we are trending. Finally seems like there is a plan in place.

 

[Stinger92860]

We are? I think we need more than one 6-7, season to make that claim. I like how we are trending. Finally seems like there is a plan in place.

basketball times 2, baseball, and a bowl game. I expect more from football next year, now that we have Mora

 

[noeynox]

basketball times 2, baseball, and a bowl game. I expect more from football next year, now that we have Mora

All great points, but realignment has been all about FB to date. Feel like everything else is ancillary. May be it is changing with the Big 12 commissioner's talk of basketball being undervalued. Fingers crossed.

 

[ScottVib]

basketball times 2, baseball, and a bowl game. I expect more from football next year, now that we have Mora

If basketball mattered (significantly) to realignment, UConn would've already been into a "P5" conference.

I'd argue that UConn proving they could be a streaming "bell-cow" driving subscriptions to a service might be the next difference maker (and a way to make the ability to monetize "secondary" sports (women's basketball, baseball, ice hockey, etc)) for a new era of streaming and provide a vehicle for those streaming providers to earn extra value outside of the primary (football majority/small piece of men's basketball) sports.. that could provide UConn with a path that can bolster a strong men's basketball program and a football program that needs to return to where it was 12 seasons ago.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

All great points, but realignment has been all about FB to date. Feel like everything else is ancillary. May be it is changing with the Big 12 commissioner's talk of basketball being undervalued. Fingers crossed.

I doubt that it's changing. He was speaking that way because he knows if hoops is even reasonably close in relative value the B-12 would be in great shape. As it isn't, being a quality hoops conference does little more than allow them to fight for scraps with other conferences.

 

[Sole]

We will find out what college basketball is worth in about a year…if negotiations go smoothly between the big east and FOX…if not, then about two years when the big east opens up negotiations with other media outlets

 

[noeynox]

I doubt that it's changing. He was speaking that way because he knows if hoops is even reasonably close in relative value the B-12 would be in great shape. As it isn't, being a quality hoops conference does little more than allow them to fight for scraps with other conferences.

Yeah, probability is on your side here.