Non-Key Tweets

[uconnyankee]

Yes we’ve talked about this. It is possible to shift FSU and Clemson to the SEC. It is not possible to move them to the B1G because ESPN would never agree. But you have to believe that a network that is aggressively laying people off and cutting costs, wants to pay double for the content of two schools that it already owns. The only way I see that is if CBS steps up to pay more to the SEC. Even then ESPN would be devaluing the ACC, I don’t see that.

If FSU can come up with half a billion, ESPN would let them go. Hence the investment bank angle.

If the ACC gets .5B, does UConn get in at a half share for a few years?

 

[uconnyankee]

ACC has come a long way...

Are the issues around moving off prodigy and stepping up to AOL?

Really makes you think how flat footed Big East was to be caught off guard by ACC leadership.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Yes we’ve talked about this. It is possible to shift FSU and Clemson to the SEC. It is not possible to move them to the B1G because ESPN would never agree. But you have to believe that a network that is aggressively laying people off and cutting costs, wants to pay double for the content of two schools that it already owns. The only way I see that is if CBS steps up to pay more to the SEC. Even then ESPN would be devaluing the ACC, I don’t see that.

If FSU can come up with half a billion, ESPN would let them go. Hence the investment bank angle.

I work with investment banks quite a bit. If you give them a retainer, and it is unlikely that JP Morgan would fly down to Tallahassee for a wild goose chase like this without one, then they will set up a meeting or two for you. No private equity firm is going to fund an athletic department when basically everyone can see, as Trev Alberts pointed out, that the bundled TV revenue model is about to collapse. PE firms are desperate for deals, but they are not stupid.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Are the issues around moving off prodigy and stepping up to AOL?

Really makes you think how flat footed Big East was to be caught off guard by ACC leadership.

The Big East got stabbed in the back by BCU and Miami. They didn't get caught off guard by ACC leadership.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

After reading Trev Alberts' interview, we should be a hard pass on any offer to join the Big 12 that is not a full share or very close to it. Literally no one in the industry thinks these media deals are sustainable, so why would UConn leave a conference that works for us to join a far flung league of misfits and castoffs that will be scrounging for dollars by the end of the decade, unless we are getting paid to do it?

 

[Sea Goat]

At the time Swofford felt it was a brilliant move because a) it removed the fear of the ACC being raided by the big two and b) it put ND in a situation where it remaining independent in football was no longer a possibility, they would have to join the ACC in football.

He felt surviving long term (by not losing marquee schools) would be how the ACC would remain a power conference while the B-12 and P-12 would over time be decimated by the big two. He also believed that at some point ND will not be able to continue as a football independent and that would be a major prize for the ACC.

What he didn't foresee was that the media contract could become obsolete well before they hit the homestretch in the GOR term. The security of the GOR became a prison for the higher profile members once they saw what they viewed as far that lesser schools (UCF in FSU's eyes) being in position to make more from media revenue than they were making. They never anticipated the landscaped being altered to the level it was and I imagine they never had an inclusion in their contract to adjust to current market if at some future point the market changed sufficiently out of fear of the possibility that it could lead to the contract being negotiated down.

It can be said that the GOR is the ACC's Maginot Line.

Love the historical reference!..

 

[Sea Goat]

The Big East got stabbed in the back by BCU and Miami. They didn't get caught off guard by ACC leadership.

Okay - I didn't want to but I must respond to this drivel... In point of fact, the ACC was playing chess and the Big East and their PC overlords were playing checkers. Marinatto (RIP) was totally out flanked by Swofford and ESPN. Being a product of the PC athletic department, he had zero interest or experience with football. There was no recognition regarding the supremacy of football and how that impacted TV deals. But, how could there be? Marinatto was third straight PC guy at the helm of the conference. Sadly, He was clueless and as a result the BE imploded.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Okay - I didn't want to but I must respond to this drivel... In point of fact, the ACC was playing chess and the Big East and their PC overlords were playing checkers. Marinatto (RIP) was totally out flanked by Swofford and ESPN. Being a product of the PC athletic department, he had zero interest or experience with football. There was no recognition regarding the supremacy of football and how that impacted TV deals. But, how could there be? Marinatto was third straight PC guy at the helm of the conference. Sadly, He was clueless and as a result the BE imploded.

Tranghese (my current avatar) was the culprit and the punchline was that he was the moron who gave the ACC the idea.

He called a meeting with the heads of a few BE schools, ACC schools and Swofford (either the summer of 2020 or summer of 2021) to discuss the idea of the two conferences 'partnering' for the benefit of football. His idea was that the schools in each conference that 'cared' about football (FSU, Clemson, Miami, Va Tech, I'm guessing whoever else may have been pretty good at that time) form one football conference and the schools that 'didn't care' about football (Duke, Temple, Wake, UConn, whoever else looked like they wouldn't be good) form another conference.

This offended and insulted a number of schools. Tell me, how do you think PC would have reacted in say 2008 if someone suggested the then 16 member Big East field two basketball conferences, one with schools who cared about winning, one with PC and other schools that didn't care?

That some of these schools weren't achieving the results that others were, and that it is unlikely that all but a few would ever be able to field teams capable of making a run at a title does not mean they don't care. Additionally, he made it abundantly clear that the conference did not view football as an important part of the conference, rather something that some members found somewhat important so to pacify those members, they would hold their nose and allow a collection of schools to field a football conference with the BE name. Finally, while the conference was making it clear that the leadership had little understanding of (or desire to understand) football, they would think as far outside if the box as necessary to benefit the non-football members.

He told the leadership of the ACC and the leadership of the better football schools in both conferences that the Big East was ripe to be raided, which is what led the the discussions that resulted in the first raid.

 

[Bongo Fury]

After reading Trev Alberts' interview, we should be a hard pass on any offer to join the Big 12 that is not a full share or very close to it. Literally no one in the industry thinks these media deals are sustainable, so why would UConn leave a conference that works for us to join a far flung league of misfits and castoffs that will be scrounging for dollars by the end of the decade, unless we are getting paid to do it?

Because they don’t pay crap and they are only respected by fans of teams in the league. Unfortunately The other major conferences get the prime broadcasting. BE doesn’t get much respect.

 

[Khal Drogo]

F cuse and pitt

After ACC implodes and after UConn SD are added 17 and 18, Pitt and Louisville will be 19 and 20.

 

[superjohn]

Because they don’t pay crap and they are only respected by fans of teams in the league. Unfortunately The other major conferences get the prime broadcasting. BE doesn’t get much respect.

First part is true but second part is bullcr^p, basketball fans around the country absolutely respect the Big East.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Okay - I didn't want to but I must respond to this drivel... In point of fact, the ACC was playing chess and the Big East and their PC overlords were playing checkers. Marinatto (RIP) was totally out flanked by Swofford and ESPN. Being a product of the PC athletic department, he had zero interest or experience with football. There was no recognition regarding the supremacy of football and how that impacted TV deals. But, how could there be? Marinatto was third straight PC guy at the helm of the conference. Sadly, He was clueless and as a result the BE imploded.

I am tired of these ignorant takes banning the conference going away on one guy.

BCU and Miami tried to kill off the Big East, and got a lot of help from the ACC and ESPN. There was literally nothing anyone in the Big East could have done to handle it better than they did. Despite the betrayal, the Big East was able to add a lot of programs with potential and survive as a BCS conference.

 

[noeynox]

First part is true but second part is bullcr^p, basketball fans around the country absolutely respect the Big East.

Big East is the real deal. Once UConn came back and relieved Nova of having to to do all the heavy lifting, the league regained its legitmacy.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Because they don’t pay crap and they are only respected by fans of teams in the league. Unfortunately The other major conferences get the prime broadcasting. BE doesn’t get much respect.

Literally NO ONE THAT MATTERS thinks "prime broadcasting" is going to be a thing for much longer. And I am using "literally" correctly when I say that.

 

[goldendomer]

First part is true but second part is bullcr^p, basketball fans around the country absolutely respect the Big East.

Big East basketball is my favorite to watch. Of course I watch ND in the ACC, but I miss playing those schools.

 

[pj]

After reading Trev Alberts' interview, we should be a hard pass on any offer to join the Big 12 that is not a full share or very close to it. Literally no one in the industry thinks these media deals are sustainable, so why would UConn leave a conference that works for us to join a far flung league of misfits and castoffs that will be scrounging for dollars by the end of the decade, unless we are getting paid to do it?

You have to look at a deal holistically. You don't pass on an offer solely based on a revenue number. If the money is low, but higher than Big East money, you demand that the exit fee be even lower. You get the B12 competition and profile for football, raise the university's stature and prove its worth, and be prepared to exit as soon as there is a better deal. With ACC disruption, that will come. As soon as there is a threat to move, you can negotiate to normalize the B12 payments or make the jump.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You have to look at a deal holistically. You don't pass on an offer solely based on a revenue number. If the money is low, but higher than Big East money, you demand that the exit fee be even lower. You get the B12 competition and profile for football, raise the university's stature and prove its worth, and be prepared to exit as soon as there is a better deal. With ACC disruption, that will come. As soon as there is a threat to move, you can negotiate to normalize the B12 payments or make the jump.

The Big East is going to lower the exit fee if we are not making enough in the Big 12? That logic makes no sense at all.

Alberts is not the only one that thinks that football will split off from the other sports. If that happens, then isn’t the Big East the best option for our other sports?

 

[JohnFSilver]

It is precisely responsive to a bunch of old men arguing that female athletes should just deal with the consequences of a conference alignment decision that was made with absolutely no regard for them.

I think there is a case there for this.

 

[superjohn]

I think there is a case there for this.

Why are you playing along with him?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Literally NO ONE THAT MATTERS thinks "prime broadcasting" is going to be a thing for much longer. And I am using "literally" correctly when I say that.

It isn’t going to go away as fast as you think, or likely ever. The TV spectrum is still out there and very valuable. We know from ratings that sports on streaming only get a fraction of the viewers as sports on linear. Yes, it’s probably coming over time, but it will still be important when these TV deals are over.

 

[hoopsfan22]

It isn’t going to go away as fast as you think, or likely ever. The TV spectrum is still out there and very valuable. We know from ratings that sports on streaming only get a fraction of the viewers as sports on linear. Yes, it’s probably coming over time, but it will still be important when these TV deals are over.

Streaming sports is still too painful from subpar production quality to the crap MLB is pulling and it's only going to get worse. If that's the future, then sports are screwed except for a very narrow minority of truly diehard fans who will jump through all of the hoops and pay up to see every game.

 

[CL82]

Streaming sports is still too painful from subpar production quality to the crap MLB is pulling and it's only going to get worse. If that's the future, then sports are screwed except for a very narrow minority of truly diehard fans who will jump through all of the hoops and pay up to see every game.

I've watched UConn baseball on UConn +. It's a decent broadcast. As streaming becomes more commonplace you will see better commentators and production values. UConn among many others, has shown it can be done.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I've watched UConn baseball on UConn +. It's a decent broadcast. As streaming becomes more commonplace you will see better commentators and production values. UConn among many others, has shown it can be done.

I find the spreading out of games onto exclusive services the bigger pain which is what MLB is doing this season: some games on MLB.tv, some are just blacked out so you better have cable, some on Apple TV, some on Peacock, etc. I guess MLB makes more money by selling the parts than just selling the whole package of games. Reminds me of the B1G's new TV contract in spreading out the games to every major network because they could rake in more money than just selling half the games to ESPN and the other half to Fox/BTN.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I find the spreading out of games onto exclusive services the bigger pain which is what MLB is doing this season: some games on MLB.tv, some are just blacked out so you better have cable, some on Apple TV, some on Peacock, etc. I guess MLB makes more money by selling the parts than just selling the whole package of games. Reminds me of the B1G's new TV contract in spreading out the games to every major network because they could rake in more money than just selling half the games to ESPN and the other half to Fox/BTN.

That's the game. Production quality is fine if they want it to be. The issue is achieving universality of access. The network TV channels have it. ESPN has it. FSI falls just short of it. Everything else? Peacock isn't going to have it. Paramount+ isn't going to have it. Hulu isn't going to have it. Apple isn't either. Amazon is closer. The theory is: people want all of X team's games and so will sign up for 3-4 streaming services. No. They won't.

I said it before in these threads, the reason live sports is so valuable is because it's the only thing people watch live. Everything else is DVR or streamed at the time of your choosing. That makes live sports the most valuable thing for advertising supported platforms. It's much less valuable to a subscription-based platform. We've seen that people have very low tolerance for subscription + ads. MLS works better because soccer struggles with advertising compared to U.S. sports with stoppages.

TNT/TBS cover the NCAA tournament free to all of us, with heavy advertising. Let's say Amazon buys those rights. It will need to sell ad space, because that's the value of live sports. I expect Apple and Amazon to come out with a free tier access to the platform. Put the non-advertising supported content behind a pay tier, but broadcast the advertising supported content to anyone on the app. That's what they have to do. In some respects they have that with Fire TV and Apple TV, but they don't have a free "channel".

 

[CL82]

I find the spreading out of games onto exclusive services the bigger pain which is what MLB is doing this season: some games on MLB.tv, some are just blacked out so you better have cable, some on Apple TV, some on Peacock, etc. I guess MLB makes more money by selling the parts than just selling the whole package of games. Reminds me of the B1G's new TV contract in spreading out the games to every major network because they could rake in more money than just selling half the games to ESPN and the other half to Fox/BTN.

Yeah I hear you are. It certainly makes hopping around during the game a little more challenging. Eventually though they will all likely be part of your integrated television menu (without separate signs) and thus not harder to access than different channels on cable.

Has anyone downloaded Yukon plus onto their TV. I tried but couldn't gHas anyone downloaded UConn+ onto their TV. I tried but couldn't get it. My LH is notoriously "dumb" as smart TVs go though.