Non-Key Tweets

[huskypantz]

We really need another eastern school to come with us, preferably Cincy.

 

[Ha Who]

We really need another eastern school to come with us, preferably Cincy.

Agree but I don't care if Hawaii is our partner

 

[Slasher]

We really need another eastern school to come with us, preferably Cincy.

Do people still really think the Dude has anything worthwhile to say?

 

[amory]

Christopher Lambert‏@theDudeofWV
By the way... Boren apparently favors BYU & UCONN. WVU favors UC & anybody. Texas wants the most value added.
7:36 PM - 23 Feb 2016

Jesse Boone ‏@jesse_boone 5m5 minutes ago
@theDudeofWV has he said he favors BYU and UCONN?

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 2m2 minutes ago
@jesse_boone Someone told me a few weeks ago a reporter was on a radio station in Cincinnati & said the same.

John Borges ‏@JBorges17 4m4 minutes ago
@theDudeofWV does expansion get done this summer?

Jesse Boone ‏@jesse_boone 36m36 minutes ago
@theDudeofWV has he said he favors BYU and UCONN?

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 33m33 minutes ago
@jesse_boone Important to note no decisions have been made.

Jesse Boone ‏@jesse_boone 32m32 minutes ago
@theDudeofWV Right. And I would be surprised if there will be a decision before May or June.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 28m28 minutes ago
@jesse_boone It's a safe bet Boren wants an answer.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV 35m35 minutes ago
@jesse_boone Boren has told reporters that off the record.

Jesse Boone ‏@jesse_boone 34m34 minutes ago
@theDudeofWV okay thank tou

The more I've thought about it, the less I can see BYU being a truly viable option if they end up expanding.

They're the best football candidate, and they bring the big mormon audience. Fair enough.

But beyond having to shuffle all the scheduling around to accommodate their "no sundays" thing, I don't see the Big 12 expanding westward. Let's say they decide to invite Cincy and BYU. Now they've got a conference spanning from West Virginia to Utah. Some 2,000 miles. And BYU then becomes an anchor out west when possible future expansion candidates are almost exclusively in the east, regardless of whether they come from the AAC or if the pipe dream of the ACC falling apart comes to fruition.

Just seems short sighted and impractical to me.

 

[ZOOCONN]

this kick in the nuts is gonna be so bad..... after checking this board day in and day out and seeing all of these little tidbits that indicate that we may finally have our ticket punched i'm just waiting for the aforementioned mother of all nut kicks.

 

[Peacefrog]

If I'm keeping score correctly it has now been "reported" that Boren favors:

BYU/UConn
UC/UConn
BYU/UC

Maybe one of these combinations is correct.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

this kick in the nuts is gonna be so bad..... after checking this board day in and day out and seeing all of these little tidbits that indicate that we may finally have our ticket punched i'm just waiting for the aforementioned mother of all nut kicks.

Husky-Up McGinty.

 

[amory]

If I'm keeping score correctly it has now been "reported" that Boren favors:

BYU/UConn
UC/UConn
BYU/UC

Maybe one of these combinations is correct.

It'll end up being the Florida schools, or Houston and Tulane, or Memphis and Boise State, or Alaska and the University of Toronto

 

[Dooley]

If we are to apply the same "they will always be there" (the same reason we were told that the ACC favored UL over UConn in their last expansion) reasoning to our B12 expansion competitors, I think we can safely evaluate the following:

Cincinnati - ACC is definitely a possibility...they will NOT always be there;

Houston - the academics are horrific and they are 4th most popular in the city of Houston, which happens to already be inside the current B12 footprint ...they are the very definition of always being there;

Memphis - could be a stretch play for the ACC years from now but wouldn't help the ACCN cause whatsoever...they will always be there;

USF - could be an ACC target but how would that fly with FSU and Miami, who clearly wield more power than Tobacco Road these days? I think they will be there for another 5 years as they are too small time for the SEC;

UCF - same as USF;

BYU - by every metric, they are P5 worthy except for that blasted religious one. They won't play on Sundays and their BYUtv is not just sports-based, it's LDS-based. More complicated to roll into a B12N than thought. They might be a target for the PAC at some point, but the PAC seems content to stay at 12 for the foreseeable future. If they added BYU, who else is going to come to make 14? Colorado St? SDSU? Boise doesn't come close to meeting academic standards of Cal, Stanford, UCLA, etc. I think BYU will be there for quite a while until a 14th school emerges as a "must-add" for the PAC;

UConn - what a difference a few years make. Thought to be a long-shot for the B12 in 2014, we've emerged as a frontrunner thanks to our markets and money we would instantly bring. We'd do the same for the ACC and an ACCN and I think that's the rub. There is probably only enough money and demand for one more conference network - a B12 Network or an ACC Network. Not both. None of our competitors above, except maybe BYU, comes close to bringing the amount of TVs UConn brings. Much like RU being able to bring NYC to the BTN because New Jersey is located inside the NYC DMA and FCC coverage maps, the same thing applies to CT and a B12/ACC Network. I'd say that the B12 looks more likely to launch a network right now, if they are able to convince Texas to roll up the LHN and use that infrastructure in a B12N. If so, UConn is the key to a Network launch and is a MUST ADD.


If I'm the B12, I appeal to Texas' Texas-sized ego and tell them "what good is a LHN if the only people who watch it live in Texas?" The B12 plays the most exciting brand of football in the country and registers the lowest ratings almost on a weekly basis. Why? Because their footprint is embarrassingly small. They need to add markets now. I would add Cincinnati and UConn today, form a strong 3-team eastern pod, and work tirelessly to roll the LHN into B12N. A B12 Network launch would send seismic shockwaves to Tallahassee and Clemson and Miami and Atlanta and would cause some more of that famous in-fighting between "football" and "basketball" schools (sound familiar?). Notre Dame seems to be too stubborn to join any conference at the moment and if you take the ACC's 2 top targets away from them, then chaos ensues. Will it be enough to eventually pry FSU/Clemson/VT/UL/Miami/ND etc into the B12, with a B12N and B12N $$ (thanks to UConn!)?? I think so.

 

[billybud]

The Big 12 is sometimes more difficult to read than Kafka.

But they must expand, I think. With Boren and others all but saying that without expansion that the conference will be deader than disco.

And, they will go east, & they will do their damnedest to bring up a network...

The input from their professional advisers and the TV networks will point them where they will go.

 

[Nutmeg]

I agree with everything but putting BYU behind Cincy. If it's about a network and cable boxes, than by your own analysis it should be UConn and BYU. I think the BYUtv issue can be solved. I disagree about Cincy to the ACC as it currently exists (who would be their partner?). Cincy will still be available to the Big 12 or only as backfill to the ACC (if/when it implodes)

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Jeremy@JeremyinSP
@MH ver3 when zero of those 4 millions homes give a rip about UCONN football (or any big 12 team), there may as well be 40 million homes

Jeremy@JeremyinSP
@MH ver3 @nathanmills apparently not more than Rutgers, RUTGERS(!), or they would have been the big 10's choice. Embarrassing really

TigerJay@jay_256
Basketball has no pull in any expansion. Only football which is why UCONN makes zero sense.

Jeremy@JeremyinSP
@MH ver3 @jay_256 @nathanmills so it does with the big ten but not big 12? Big ten must be stupid then right? Rutgers over UCONN basketball?!

Jeremy@JeremyinSP
@MH ver3 @jay_256 @nathanmills they could have added UCONN but took freaking Rutgers. No way to explain that with your current arguments

I assume some of you are in the same boat as me. I get truly aggravated reading the ignorance that Jeremy and to a lesser degree TigerJay spew. I can deal with Moonshine induced fantasy, and even sometimes enjoy reading it, but just plain stupidity makes me angry. As I sat here reading it I wanted to jump into the fray, temporarily forgetting this happened 2 days ago. Temporary insanity anyone?

 

[noeynox]

I assume some of you are in the same boat as me. I get truly aggravated reading the ignorance that Jeremy and to a lesser degree TigerJay spew. I can deal with Moonshine induced fantasy, and even sometimes enjoy reading it, but just plain stupidity makes me angry. As I sat here reading it I wanted to jump into the fray, temporarily forgetting this happened 2 days ago. Temporary insanity anyone?

The same fahks that make that argument "that is why UConn is still there" don't realize the counter argument is "you're school is still there also fahkface". A couple weeks back I decide to just troll the fahk out of some Houston fahks on twitter just for the fahk of it. Fahkers kept coming in droves and all I would do is aggravate them more with pure bullshat. So juvenile of me, but why fight lies with facts, I would just make absurd comments about their dipsheet "athletic program".

 

[The Funster]

Now that it appears they might be in our corner you are upset with their influence? What?

Are they in our corner? Do they really give a spit about UConn? I don't trust ESPN. They've made their own dodgy decisions and I think they've had too much power in some of these decisions. A network shouldn't be seen as having a large role in shaping college athletics.

 

[CL82]

Are they in our corner? Do they really give a spit about UConn? I don't trust ESPN. They've made their own dodgy decisions and I think they've had too much power in some of these decisions. A network shouldn't be seen as having a large role in shaping college athletics.

I have to admit that I worry about ESPN not wanting to pay $25 million for content that they are current getting for $2 million.

 

[Hoophound]

I have to admit that I worry about ESPN not wanting to pay $25 million for content that they are current getting for $2 million.

I'm not sure that matters much. You have to remember that the new content created by us being in the B12 will be much better content. Also, the AAC will still exist so they'll have cheap, decent content from there with or without us.

 

[NYUConn]

I have to admit that I worry about ESPN not wanting to pay $25 million for content that they are current getting for $2 million.

Well the argument is two-fold: we are incredibly undervalued at 2 mil and in a conference like the Big 12 we are worth even more. If UConn-Cincy games are pulling 800K-1.6 mil viewers in the American, it's reasonable to expect the numbers to double if not triple with the Likes of OU, Texas and KU on the she schedule as opposed to SMU, Temple and Tulsa.

 

[noeynox]

I have to admit that I worry about ESPN not wanting to pay $25 million for content that they are current getting for $2 million.

the same holds true for any add though.

 

[Husky25]

I have to admit that I worry about ESPN not wanting to pay $25 million for content that they are current getting for $2 million.

If you don't have the Long Horn Network on your cable system (Comcast out of Middletown currently does not), then you can't watch it on ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app. If UConn is invited to the Big XII and Texas relinquishes control of the LHN in order to create a Big XII Network, ESPN would get carriage fees from Time Warner, CableVision, Comcast, Cox, and Charter that they are not currently getting for the cable companies in UConn's target demographic (Which includes New York City) to show UConn sports. So effectively, ESPN would not be paying an additional $23 Million for the same content, they would be paying $23 Million to make $50 Million. Net loss become a tidy little profit.

While Rutgers brought the Big Ten Network into NYC, by inviting UConn, the Big Ten could effectively close out the Northeast market for any other competing conference and cable companies serving NYC would be less likely to pay an exorbitant price for their network. All the while, the BTN would be able to get off the specialty sports package and on to a more accessible tier while charging cable companies more money.

 

[Point6]

. . . UConn is the key to a Network launch and is a MUST ADD..

I love this sentiment but thinking shorter term: - is it too early to put this in the meme thread?

 

[pj]

Well the argument is two-fold: we are incredibly undervalued at 2 mil and in a conference like the Big 12 we are worth even more. If UConn-Cincy games are pulling 800K-1.6 mil viewers in the American, it's reasonable to expect the numbers to double if not triple with the Likes of OU, Texas and KU on the she schedule as opposed to SMU, Temple and Tulsa.

Value is non-linear; match two interesting teams and many people tune in, match one interesting team with a non-entity and no one watches. E.g. http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/college-football-tv-ratings/ 2015 college football TV ratings:

Notre Dame-BC gets a 1.1 rating and Notre Dame - UMass a 1.3 because no one cares about BC or UMass, but Notre Dame-Stanford gets 4.3 and Notre Dame-Clemson gets a 4.5.

Michigan-Utah gets a 1.7 and Michigan-BYU a 2.0 but Michigan-Ohio State a 6.4 and Michigan-Michigan State a 4.5.

UConn-Missouri and UConn-BYU got audiences of 1-2 million but UConn-USF, UConn-ECU, and UConn-Tulane got ~200k

Better opponents bring a 4-10 fold increase in audience; for UConn that brings us to about 2 million. Then to be a top football draw at 4-6 million viewers which is where Notre Dame and Michigan are with good opponents, UConn needs to increase its own audience 2-3 fold. That's do-able.

 

[TerryD]

The only question I have about a Big 12 Network is how is Texas going to be compensated at the rate of $15 million or more per year ( plus make the other schools more than their current "3rd tier") within the structure of a Big 12 Network versus the LHN?

In other words, what bribe/incentive can be offered to Texas to give up its sweetheart deal with ESPN for the Longhorn Network?

 

[amory]

The only question I have about a Big 12 Network is how is Texas going to be compensated at the rate of $15 million or more per year ( plus make the other schools more than their current "3rd tier") within the structure of a Big 12 Network versus the LHN?

In other words, what bribe/incentive can be offered to Texas to give up its sweetheart deal with ESPN for the Longhorn Network?

The other schools in the Big 12 would have to give some of the new money coming in to Texas to compensate for them folding the LHN into a Big 12 network.

This would happen for some period of time, probably through the end of the current LHN contract with ESPN.

 

[don356]

I agree with everything but putting BYU behind Cincy. If it's about a network and cable boxes, than by your own analysis it should be UConn and BYU. I think the BYUtv issue can be solved. I disagree about Cincy to the ACC as it currently exists (who would be their partner?). Cincy will still be available to the Big 12 or only as backfill to the ACC (if/when it implodes)

Bronco Mendenhall leaving byu for uva was very telling.

 

[upstater]

The only question I have about a Big 12 Network is how is Texas going to be compensated at the rate of $15 million or more per year ( plus make the other schools more than their current "3rd tier") within the structure of a Big 12 Network versus the LHN?

In other words, what bribe/incentive can be offered to Texas to give up its sweetheart deal with ESPN for the Longhorn Network?

You can make an argument that a B12N would have more reach and pull than the LHN does, so there may actually be additional money generated by doing two things: (1) folding Texas into the B12N & (2) guaranteeing Texas $15m a year.

 

[Kolumbo]

this kick in the nuts is gonna be so bad..... after checking this board day in and day out and seeing all of these little tidbits that indicate that we may finally have our ticket punched i'm just waiting for the aforementioned mother of all nut kicks.

Yes, Yes. It is inevitable.

 

[Dooley]

Value is non-linear; match two interesting teams and many people tune in, match one interesting team with a non-entity and no one watches. E.g. http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/college-football-tv-ratings/ 2015 college football TV ratings:

UConn-Missouri and UConn-BYU got audiences of 1-2 million but UConn-USF, UConn-ECU, and UConn-Tulane got ~200k

I get into arguments all of the time over this. It's much more difficult to compare UConn's ratings to other P5 or G5 games on ESPN/ESPN2 when every single one of our games this past season, save for 2 (the 2 that drew over 1 Million), were televised on a collection of ESPNU, ESPNNEWS, or CBSSportsNetwork. When comparing ratings, it's important to remember what channels these games were aired on. Many of our games were buried on the Ocho networks, I'm guessing, because expectations were so low last year coming off of two dismal seasons. I'm betting that we'll have much more exposure on ESPN's "regular" lineup in 2016.

 

[Dooley]

I have to admit that I worry about ESPN not wanting to pay $25 million for content that they are current getting for $2 million.

I worry about this too but the same can be said for Cincinnati (and any other school stuck in the AAC mud). I think what it comes down to is adding TV sets and expanding the B12 footprint and individual brands east of the Mississippi. There is a small pocket of geography around Morgantown that care about the B12 but that's about it. The remaining half of the country cares about B1G/SEC/ACC. The PAC can't come this far out east, but the B12 can (and should). East is where the TVs and real money is added.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
MWC teams that are discussing moving as a block to the AAC: SDSU, Fresno, AirForce, CST, BSU, UNLV

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
These schools added would give AAC a coast to coast conference in 3 time zones. Exposure in numerous large markets. #AACN #endofMWC

Martin borg@Martyaborg
@MH ver3 looks like AAC would be in 4 time zones to me

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@Martyaborg you are correct. My bad.

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
This block of schools would split the full $20m buy-in AAC is offering
1:52 PM - 24 Feb 2016

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
AAC will get more than just UC and Uconn exit fee$$. Those schools will be paying big to leave earlier than 27 months.

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
Both schools will probably be negotiating about double the exit fee to get out early

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
AAC wants to avoid litigation and just get on with things.

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
UC and Uconn will take several years to recoup their losses and start seeing gains in TV revenue after the jump but both are willing

Ben from Moscow@BenE_VN
Not end of MWC, its the end of the Big Sky

Idaho, NMSU, NDSU, SDSU, Mont, etc all going to the MWC if this happens

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@BenE_VN you could be correct. I expect MWC will go on in one form or another #endofMWCasweknowit

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
B12N with just the 2 AAC additions will add an expected revenue of $180m per year.

Jared Rosselot@JaredRosselot
@MH ver3 that's actually surprising. What network is leaning towards starting the Big12N?

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@JaredRosselot ESPN converting LHN. Looking at $0.60-$0.75 in state/dma subscriber fees.

Jared Rosselot@JaredRosselot
@MH ver3 does Fox still stay on as a second tier option or does ESPN have total control?

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@JaredRosselot very complicated there. 3rd tier is the issue. Need to add schools to add content not owned by fox.

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
If ACC implodes and B12 adds 4 then that amount could go above $300m per year

Stuart Waugh@sg2waugh
@MH ver3 If ACC implodes the SEC and the B1G will cherry pick first. UNC, FSU, Duke, GIT, Virginia the top targets (AAU carries much weight)

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@sg2waugh FSU is not a target for B10 or SEC. The others are.

Stuart Waugh@sg2waugh
@MH ver3 FSU is the only non-AAU on the list. SEC especially wont want to allow B12 or B1G to have them, may be forced to play for them

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@sg2waugh SEC doesn't want FSU. They want NCST and VT for the new markets and stop at 16

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
If ACC stays the same and B12 adds 2 more AAC schools(UCF or USF and Memphis) then B12N will still net around $225 per year

Ian Salmela@Ian_Salmela
@MH ver3 Why UCF or USF? There are better schools than them. Is it just to get into the Florida market?

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@Ian_Salmela yes. To get Florida market.

Mostly 'Isi M@ki676love
@MH ver3 dude you're smoking Even the SECN doesn't make that much. Pac12N makes $1m per school. You totally made that up bc no facts support

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@ki676love the data shows it. Pac12 network having carriage issues. These numbers are with full market penetration

Mostly 'Isi M@ki676love
@MH ver3 what's full market ? Also you still have to match or double SECN with a 2 less schools, states, & small markets. There's no way

J@UCONNfan14
@ki676love @MH ver3 dont forget other networks paying as well so it would be north of 3mil/yr

Mostly 'Isi M@ki676love
@UCONNfan14 @MH ver3 No way it makes $3m. ACCN got pushed back bc the viability is questionable. If a stronger conf can't do $3M Big12 can't

MH ver3‏@MH ver3
@ki676love @UCONNfan14 ACC isn't a stronger conference. They make way less per school than B12 and with more markets covered

Mostly 'Isi M@ki676love
@MH ver3 @UCONNfan14 we will disagree on who is a stronger conference. ACC has only lost 1 member to B1G10 since 1996. No talk abt collapse

 

[MattMang23]

So the moonshiner doesn't even know there are four time zones spread across the Continental US. I stopped reading after the second tweet because of that.