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

[BlueandOG]

If AZ decides to join, does that mean no UCONN (assumes CO jumps ship)?

My thinking (full disclosure, I am totally uninformed and a total UCONN fanboy) is the B12 wants UCONN as the first choice in conference addition, with one PAC school, either Colorado or AZ. My rational is location and hoops. The B12 wants to bolster their #1 hoops conference status; no school does that better than UCONN. The B12 also wants to be a national conference with eyeballs in big markets; no school does that better than UCONN.

 

[Stinger92860]

If the ACC drops their GOR there will be a scramble after the SEC and B1G that their teams. I would think that Pitt would be heavily focused on Big12 to renew the rivalry w/ WV and have Cincy and UConn(?) in the league.

For that matter, the Big 12 having an east conference of UConn, Cincy, Pitt, Syracuse, Va, Tech, Louisville, UCF as a start would be very appealing.

is the ACC GOR with their media partner or with the league or both? Can the league simply vote to rescind the GOR?

 

[ScottVib]

I could see it happening under structured as a win win for all parties. Especially if the schools that want out keep pounding the table whenever they can and if (big if) some sort of off ramp appears for those left behind. To me that off ramp is the p12/ACC merger. But that merger would likely need some of the current schools in each conf to leave to slim it down some. I could see this happening at the end of the decade when the B1G is ready to digest some new schools and perhaps Disney or some new streamer is ready to let the SEC expand again.

Of course the schools that would leave would be the most valuable properties… so why would those schools who’d be left behind take a reduced payout for six years to facilitate a merger?

 

[metsfan2323]

is the ACC GOR with their media partner or with the league or both? Can the league simply vote to rescind the GOR?

Isn't the GOR a contract with ESPN? They can't just tell ESPN that they are dropping the contract with them. They would have already done that if they could.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I could see it happening under structured as a win win for all parties. Especially if the schools that want out keep pounding the table whenever they can and if (big if) some sort of off ramp appears for those left behind. To me that off ramp is the p12/ACC merger. But that merger would likely need some of the current schools in each conf to leave to slim it down some. I could see this happening at the end of the decade when the B1G is ready to digest some new schools and perhaps Disney or some new streamer is ready to let the SEC expand again.

Well the end of the decade is a long way off and the off ramp would need to be an improvement in some manner (perhaps more revenue or exposure for the better schools of the left behinds, more long term security for the remaining left behinds) for there to be a sufficient number of votes.

The ACC by all appearances is stable due to the prohibitive cost of any school attempting to depart. The fact that they cannot receive any contractual increase in media revenues is what is placing them behind other conferences.

 

[Exit 4]

Of course the schools that would leave would be the most valuable properties… so why would those schools who’d be left behind take a reduced payout for six years to facilitate a merger?

I think Inflation will simultaneously kill and yet save the ACC contract. By 2030 those last few years of compensation will be so low that it will be relatively easy for ESPN et al. to make for a happy dissolution whereby 2-4 of the big boys leave for their new P2 homes and the remainder get a new deal at in nominal dollars of the time are higher than that ugly contract. Maybe even 2 leave for the B12 at that moment as well.

Of course ESPN could try to enforce their deal to the bitter end, but my guess is that having an extended acrimonious partnership will be tiresome for all sides and so some sort of plan will be hatched and executed. First we need a good 4-6 years under the current environment (ie cable / streaming/ viewership etc) to see how things continue to evolve....just my guess.

 

[RSTuthill]

Interesting discussion, but I personally am not focused on the long term or the ACC. UConn has one move to make on the chessboard hopefully in the short term. Hoping it happens Friday or next week. Full stop.

If UCoon gets to the promised land, someone here will have to be appointed social chairman to organize the BY celebration. The invitation list should include AD David Benedict and as many from the AD as he would like to bring along.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Are you stuck in the 90's PP?

The transfer portal and NIL are game changers, the talent is getting spread around far more these days. Players are no longer content to sit quietly on the end of the bench waiting their turn and the best FCS players are now being poached to the upper ranks, the FCS is now a farm system for the FBS. Our starting QB this year might be a transfer from Maine and UConn recruited two players from Delaware who are expected to be significant contributors. The days of Joe Flacco spending 4 years in the FCS are over.

and do the northeastern prep leagues not count as northeast recruits?

Great summary. With the internet, Zoom, social media, and transfer portal, recruiting is no longer limited to a region or an area. Sure, coaches that can see kids in person still have advantages, but it certainly won't limit UConn from recruiting Texas and CA going forward. Our coaches just need to establish recruiting pipelines all over the country.

If we are in the B12, you bet your asses we will recruit Texas hard.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Interesting discussion, but I personally am not focused on the long term or the ACC. UConn has one move to make on the chessboard hopefully in the short term. Hoping it happens Friday or next week. Full stop.

If UCoon gets to the promised land, someone here will have to be appointed social chairman to organize the BY celebration. The invitation list should include AD David Benedict and as many from the AD as he would like to bring along.

Well said. We can't wait for the ACC to implode. We have to decide our own path today if there is an opportunity.

Right now, the path is for UConn to join the B12 ASAP so we can start to investing heavily into the football program. I truly believe UConn can be the #2 Northeast program behind Penn State if we can focusing on growing the program.

If we get a 8+ wins season, the fans will return. Rent will be packed again. It wasn't too long ago we had 33K season ticket holders in football.

 

[UConnJim]

Of course the schools that would leave would be the most valuable properties… so why would those schools who’d be left behind take a reduced payout for six years to facilitate a merger?

I don't think the ACC will break up, but the conference is being short sighted. The ACC has schools wanting to leave and some that probably could leave if they were able to. Given that, what is the LT plan for the ACC? Is the strategy hope that college athletics changes before the GOR expires so that the ACC survives as is? Right now, there is potential to join 3 conferences: SEC, Big 10, and Big 12. All of those conferences would result in a higher or equal payout for the schools that left. My guess is that there are enough opportunities for the majority of the ACC schools, but some would be left out.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Great summary. With the internet, Zoom, social media, and transfer portal, recruiting is no longer limited to a region or an area. Sure, coaches that can see kids in person still have advantages, but it certainly won't limit UConn from recruiting Texas and CA going forward. Our coaches just need to establish recruiting pipelines all over the country.

If we are in the B12, you bet your asses we will recruit Texas hard.

Exactly, in the last few weeks we brought in fb recruits from TX, TN, etc. Basketball brings in players from coast to coast. It's no longer a scenario of limiting the recruiting footprint but rather creating relationships and a great environment for young athletes to develop.

 

[businesslawyer]

Isn't the GOR a contract with ESPN? They can't just tell ESPN that they are dropping the contract with them. They would have already done that if they could.

Technically the GOR is an agreement between each member school and the ACC. Once the ACC has the GOR from the schools, it's agreement with ESPN to broadcast ACC games is worth more money because ESPN gets the right to Clemson home games even if Clemson leaves the conference.

 

[Stinger92860]

Isn't the GOR a contract with ESPN? They can't just tell ESPN that they are dropping the contract with them. They would have already done that if they could.

That’s why I asked.

 

[giddyup]

is the ACC GOR with their media partner or with the league or both? Can the league simply vote to rescind the GOR?

There is no way the conference can unilaterally rescind a contract with their media partner. Whatever the conference licensed to the media partner is premised on the conference having been granted the rights by each school to exclusively license their rights in a conference pool of team rights. Except for certain rights reserved by schools (I.e., say branded merchandising) in the initial grants to the conference, each school is stuck. They can breach their agreement with the media partner, it good luck with that. Their best option is to negotiate an increase with an extension, but I can’t see any schools poised to bolt agreeing to that.

 

[RSTuthill]

If UCoon gets

If a moderator could kindly change this typo I would be very grateful.

 

[huskymedic]

Found the last part of it interesting. ACC never could figure it out. But how funny would it be if the Big 12 figured out how to corner the NYC basketball market. Then some how get a Big12 channel out of it that sells in NY.

 

[How Sway?!]

Not a smart move.... Is this his way of saying he's for a 50m annual grant to UConn?

If you ask him he'll probably say yes.

 

[huskymedic]

-> Furthermore, the Big 12 proudly noted eight of its 10 returning teams played in bowl games last winter, the highest percentage in FBS. All four newcomers reached the postseason as well. And now you're talking about adding... UConn? Willingly doomed its football program to FBS purgatory so basketball could re-join the Big East UConn?

As one well-connected college sports insider put it to me at Big 12 media days on Thursday, "You already have one Kansas. Do you really need another?" <-

Now they are taking shots @ the Commissioner… LOL

Taking bets on who the connected college sport insider is…

 

[Duncan Idaho]

-> Furthermore, the Big 12 proudly noted eight of its 10 returning teams played in bowl games last winter, the highest percentage in FBS. All four newcomers reached the postseason as well. And now you're talking about adding... UConn? Willingly doomed its football program to FBS purgatory so basketball could re-join the Big East UConn?

As one well-connected college sports insider put it to me at Big 12 media days on Thursday, "You already have one Kansas. Do you really need another?" <-

Now they are taking shots @ the Commissioner… LOL

Taking bets on who the connected college sport insider is…

Well connected sports insider doesn't know UConn also played in a bowl, beat #19...

 

[king conn]

-> Furthermore, the Big 12 proudly noted eight of its 10 returning teams played in bowl games last winter, the highest percentage in FBS. All four newcomers reached the postseason as well. And now you're talking about adding... UConn? Willingly doomed its football program to FBS purgatory so basketball could re-join the Big East UConn?

As one well-connected college sports insider put it to me at Big 12 media days on Thursday, "You already have one Kansas. Do you really need another?" <-

Now they are taking shots @ the Commissioner… LOL

Taking bets on who the connected college sport insider is…

It screams get off my lawn. Railing against big conferences, ignoring what is going on.

 

[Drew]

No major sports rights renewals means.. stability?

 

[noeynox]

PFL considered premium is shocking.

 

[Drew]

PFL considered premium is shocking.

That guy works for the PFL

 

[DCUconnfan]

No major sports rights renewals means.. stability?

To me, this says this is the only chance the PAC has at garnering large $$ - move to non-linear programing because that's the only bid that is out there and might be willing to pay a pretty penny because all other content is already locked up.

With the writer's/actors strikes (separate but connected), ESPN layoffs, absolutely ridiculous contracts already signed for existing media, some day this is going to end very badly for some. I'm happy that Fox Sports and others have joined the party because otherwise the puppetmaster (ESPN) would have already whittled this down to one (SEC) and maybe two (+ B1G) and left everyone else in the dust. It's happening anyhow but with more seats at the table (maybe 3 or 4 conferences).

 

[dayooper]

To me, this says this is the only chance the PAC has at garnering large $$ - move to non-linear programing because that's the only bid that is out there and might be willing to pay a pretty penny because all other content is already locked up.

With the writer's/actors strikes (separate but connected), ESPN layoffs, absolutely ridiculous contracts already signed for existing media, some day this is going to end very badly for some. I'm happy that Fox Sports and others have joined the party because otherwise the puppetmaster (ESPN) would have already whittled this down to one (SEC) and maybe two (+ B1G) and left everyone else in the dust. It's happening anyhow but with more seats at the table (maybe 3 or 4 conferences).

I agree, but I think it’s only going to be 3 seats at the table with the SEC and Big10 as the top 2. The fight is for the 3rd spot.