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

[WestCoastHusky]

They weren't so savvy as to realize their lowball non-linear offer would cause the destruction of their intended target, were they?

They were negotiating. Apple upped their offer $2M per school. I am guessing they didn't see FOX pull the Oregon and Washington card at the last sec to sink the Apple deal. Stuff like this happens, and it is part of the negotiation for many businesses. These conference realignments are pretty much like cutthroat corporate negotiations. Apple simply got played this time. I am sure they will be more prepared next time.

 

[noeynox]

https://www.si.com/college/2023/08/07/ncaa-conference-realignment-charlie-baker-statement

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Amazon's Prime Video is the 2nd largest streaming service by subscribers at over 175 million subs (people who actually watch PV) in both US and international. And, Amazon has Thursday night NFL football starting this year and they are paying $1 billion per year for the privilege. And, they have MLB and NBA basketball as well as other sports.

As of now, Amazon is a bigger threat to FOX and ESPN than Apple.

Exactly. One thing streaming platforms can offer that's far better than linear traditional media companies is the interactive experience. I am we are not quite there yet, but it is coming. The ability to do interactive things with live sporting events will be key to keeping the next generation engaged. Apple is doing it already, and Amazon won't be far behind. You can kind of see it in the movie and TV series assets already, but it is not quite there in sports just yet. Right now you can click on a MLB game on the app and you can see all kinds of statistics. Imagine if they can integrate live betting, games, and other thing to keep fans engaged even more.

 

[ZooCougar]

Endowments can't be used on Sports. Whatever donated money goes to sports is already included in fundraising revenues.

Cal has a bad debt profile

Unless there is an endowment specifically for sports.

I know that William and Mary has all of their football scholarships endowed. That means the interest from the endowment is what pays for the scholarships. Or something like that.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

https://www.si.com/college/2023/08/07/ncaa-conference-realignment-charlie-baker-statement

Lol.. like they care or have the power to stop it. The only thing stopping this train is some kind of order from the congress.

 

[ZooCougar]

Cal and Stanford will get into the ACC over us. Book it.

 

[DblCrossbar]

Dang that's brutal. This conference realignment stuff is really getting out of hand. I wonder how many ppl will just get sick of it and say screw college sports or, eventually get bored of it. Not everyone in these inflated conferences can win. What happens when Texas or usc have .500 seasons? Or worse. At this point I hope the descion makers completely fumble this whole scheme.

It depends on the place. CT like some others don’t have a major league franchises of our own - some very fun ones like Hartford Athletic or the Yard Goats have partially but will never completely fill the void created when the Whalers left, but UConn is the de facto focus for a team or brand to root for in the state - sorry Quinnipiac . I suppose the New England patriots by name can encompass the region, but the play in Massachusetts. In other words we’ll always have an interest in the Huskies, and will tend to look the other way even if the entire field is corrupted by greed and greed alone. A bit sad but fanhood is addicting, especially when there is unprecedented success behind it as we’ve seen with MBB and WBB and shared championships that other schools can only dream of.

 

[Rico444]

We pretty clearly have zero value to any conference. At least now I can stop paying attention to realignment again.

 

[Patrick79]

The Big East threw UConn a lifeline, and your hoops program has absolutely thrived in what is becoming an awesome basketball conference with some of the best coaches in the country. UConn should stay where it is. The grass is not always greener. …

To be clear, the catholic schools left the AAC and didn’t invite UConn. This after years of deprioritizing football which led to the plundering of the BE. UConn owes nothing to those schools and has little in common w them.

Without a real home, UConn will not be able to sustain its athletic program in the long run.

 

[Coyote]

The Big12 contract numbers were public knowledge. What a pitiful offer by Apple. Maybe they're in on the conspiracy too.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Lol.. like they care or have the power to stop it. The only thing stopping this train is some kind of order from the congress.

The market may have some thoughts on this.

 

[Coyote]

To be clear, the catholic schools left the AAC and didn’t invite UConn.

To be clear, UConn stayed to collect every programs tourney credits.

 

[Mora4Prez]

We pretty clearly have zero value to any conference. At least now I can stop paying attention to realignment again.

Couldn’t agree more. I don’t understand it and maybe I never will but that seems to be the general consensus from the decision makers.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

We pretty clearly have zero value to any conference. At least now I can stop paying attention to realignment again.

FOX didn't want to pay us extra because they had already got us in the Big East. ESPN didn't want us in the B12 because it might damage the precious ACC media property they got on the cheap. I don't think these decisions were entirely up to the presidents of schools.

What can UCONN do? We have to advocate getting our rights along with Big East rights away from these 2 companies. This is why we have to look into streaming or other linear alternatives, no matter how undesirable they might be. That is the only way these companies might appreciate our value.

 

[DblCrossbar]

They have to have 7 home football games per year for budgetary reasons. If you played a 10 conference game schedule out of 12, you have 5 conference home games and 2 out of conference games. I guess they could play 2 G5 and or FCS home games per year to get to 7, but is that what the media companies want and how does that add value to the media contract?

At the moment the FCS or G5 patsies are basically exhibition games used to tune up the team, pad their records, and be ready for conference play. The media companies don’t want it now, but it‘s part of the current flow of the season for the more prestigious programs. We’ll see if that type of scheduling continues with the P2 configuration.

 

[phillionaire]

 

[king conn]

4

Big 12 played us man...its over over

Translation:

We mentioned UConn, and ESPN said we are done

 

[Greedo]

View attachment 90462

 

[RegisteredUconn]

UConn was team 17 when the Big 12 stopped at 16. UConn will be team 19 when they stop at 18. UConn will be team 21 when they stop at 20.

Yormark played us.

We were team X+1 in the X team bids long before Yormark did anything.

 

[aburks41]

Fox was never going to let the Big12 take UConn. Fox gets UConn for pennies in the BE.

Why would Fox pay UConn 8x more --- all while destroying the amazing Big East content they have?

It was never going to happen, no matter what Yormack wanted

I don't understand this logic though. FOX and ESPN both just agreed to pay more money to these PAC schools by moving them into the Big 12 and Big 10 when they could have had them for a helluva lot cheaper had they stayed together. And now ESPN is panicking that they have no west coast inventory so they're going to shell out money for Stanford and Cal?

The people in charge of this sham are beyond stupid

 

[huskidork]

acc adding Stanford and Cal either means, they're really stupid and think trips from california to syracuse are gonna provide anything of quality, or adding Cal and Stanford to entice Notre Dame with a rival to finally join full time which isnt happening lol

 

[Greedo]

I find it confusing how the state hasn’t put pressure on ESPN in all of these years of realignment. The state could save tens of millions of dollars annually by UConn being in a power conference.

 

[Blades]

Amazon's Prime Video is the 2nd largest streaming service by subscribers at over 175 million subs (people who actually watch PV) in both US and international. And, Amazon has Thursday night NFL football starting this year and they are paying $1 billion per year for the privilege. And, they have MLB and NBA basketball as well as other sports.

As of now, Amazon is a bigger threat to FOX and ESPN than Apple.

Yep, and for the legacy sport networks I'm sure they want both of them out, this is about 5 years old and I posted it before from the OU site.

Conference re-alignment will come - shaped by tech, not TV
“Conference realignment will come,” he said (high ranking executive at Amazon) , “but probably not in the way you’re thinking.” “We already have more cash than ABC/ESPN, NBC or CBS” he said. “And, In another five or six years, it won’t even be close. And too, ”the tech companies are far more advanced than the networks when it comes to knowing how to use the future broadcast technologies, (streaming) and that gap is growing to".....

 

[dayooper]

acc adding Stanford and Cal either means, they're really stupid and think trips from california to syracuse are gonna provide anything of quality, or adding Cal and Stanford to entice Notre Dame with a rival to finally join full time which isnt happening lol

Or Stanford and Cal are putting this out to “encourage” The Big10 and Fox to offer them. Worked with Oregon and Washington so it might work with them.

 

[Blades]

I find it confusing how the state hasn’t put pressure on ESPN in all of these years of realignment. The state could save tens of millions of dollars annually by UConn being in a power conference.

Well ESPN has never been Uconn's friend except when the Rasmussen's started the company, but who actually likes and wants to help out the tax man ?