So we are basically at the same number, within a couple of million. Apparently, you just like to make posts shredding the conference.
It's not the $ number in a media deal that matters for the Big East to survive and/or thrive at this point in time. Not at all. The big east is very much undervalued in both basketball and football, with aging contracts in both set to expire in 2013. The big east is not going to make less money than we already make - it will make more, just a matter of how much more. THe athletic departments that might be struggling, well they need to clean up their houses - talking to you Rutgers. The new programs are all going to see increases in revenue. The existing programs will see increases. What's relevant for the dolllar amount - is how much the gap between the highest valued media properties and the Big East either widens or closes. I'm predicting it's going to close, and that's what's got the ACC leadership really nervous.
It's not the money that's the key to the future growht potential/success/thriving though - as i've said many times, I believe it's scheduling - football and basketball - that will be the key to both survival and growth potential of the new Big East. We need to be able to schedule both sports in their respective prime time viewing slots during the week, and at the same time have those games easily accessible on basic viewing services in all of the regions we are now in.
The big east would be signing it's own death warrant, if we were to continue w/ ESPN in the same format, and get relegated to Tuesday/Wed/Thur/Fri night football for marquee matchups and regular games saturday at noon or some other slot on espn3 online.
It will be interesting to see what ESPN offers in September, if anything. I can't even begin to speculate on the internet/cyberspace/streaming angle when it comes to broadcasting, but it's a big part of the broadcasting world in the future.
I'm anticipating that will have to a big part of it, b/c I can't imagine how they'd (ESPN) be able to present a plan to get into the markets that we've got presence in, with their current structure and in competition with the nvestment properties they've got lined up already - unless they try to pitch the same plan we've had for years, which relegated big east football to the scrap heap of broadcasting slots for college football.
IF the leadership in providence wants the league to continue, they can't try to keep the status quo with ESPN. Things have to change when it comes to scheduling and broadcasting big east football in primetime slots on Saturdays.
Big East basketball? HUGE HUGE chip sitting there on the table in all of this. New York City? Big EAst championship tournament? Big East football championship game in NYC? All chips sitting there on the table.
Big time poker game.
