Once again, ESPN underwrites ACC expansion

[Fishy]

According to Florida State's president, the grant of rights was necessary because 'the new pact was necessary to proceed with long-term re-negotiations with ESPN. He said the network executives were growing “tired of conference realignment because they’re being asked to pay more for what they already own. Every year, they’re being asked to renegotiate their contracts.”


Basically, ESPN upped the ACC's take for the third time since 2010. If they were truly 'tired' of expansion, they would have stopped encouraging it by handing over multi-million dollar rewards every time it happened.They're now up to $20M per team - a conference that rarely puts a team in the top 10 in football and routinely sends 3-4 teams to the NCAA tournament now makes more per team than the AAC makes in a year.

Despite ridiculous claims to the contrary, ESPN funded the dismantling of the Big East and is now funding the preservation of the ACC. I would hate to agree with Nelson on this, but if anyone in the UConn press corp had even an ounce of stones in 'em, they'd press the governor for his feelings on the matter re: providing tax breaks to a corporation that just poleaxed the state U.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Cue zls in 3, 2, 1...

 

[Carl Spackler]

If ESPN really wanted to fix things, they'd push for a true college football playoff system in the FBS, where every single FBS program has the same route to a national championship.

Instead they've created New Coke, by transforming the Big EAst into the ACC. In 2014, the ACC will have more former Big East members, than original ACC members, and will have the same bastardized arrangement with Notre Dame.

New Coke didn't do so well, and the Disney model of entertainment delivery, doesn't apply to sports, and there are a lot of corporate giants that have watched what ESPN/Disney has done to the television industry, and sports and are sitting around patiently to start picking at the empire and take it apart.

The only thing the AAC can do, and we with it, is start from scratch, and build winners. we did it before, in the Big East. Time to start over and do it again.

 

[Mr Blueskin]

Is anyone here close with Jeff Jacobs...he reads the BY once in a while and is the only one in the state with enough cahones to write about ESPN ultimately screwing UConn. Whether its intentional or not, they could throw us a bone already. Make it happen Jeff.

 

[Fishy]

For this job, Jeff Jacobs is basically on a list of one.

If we need a reporter to stare at their own navel and make spit bubbles, the list is much, much longer.

 

[SubbaBub]

13M x 8 Former BE FB schools = 104M
17M x 12 ACC schools = 204M
104M + 204M = 308M

20M x 15 new ACC schools = 300M

ESPN just saved $8M and bolstered their primary exclusive CFB property.

 

[husky10]

13M x 8 Former BE FB schools = 104M
17M x 12 ACC schools = 204M
104M + 204M = 308M

20M x 15 new ACC schools = 300M

ESPN just saved $8M and bolstered their primary exclusive CFB property.

This would be assuming that ND would be getting an equal share as everyone else in the conference is this true??

 

[RS9999X]

ESPN just saved $8M and bolstered their primary exclusive CFB property.

And ND isn't getting $20 mil. The savings were greater. The number of marquee matchups are far better than with the AAC payroll . The ACC went from offering 72 games as a 9 game conference to 182 games of content plus the 2 or 3 NDs games each year.

This was the plan back in 1997-2003. Swofford and Tagliabue talked about the 5 Conference deal. BCS Consolidation. We saw the 9-game schedules appear, the resolutions to stop scheduling FCS, and the inbred bowls and attempts to align the Pac-12 and BiG into a preferred scheduling partnership arrangement with 1 game of the 3 OOC games for each team to be played among the Rose Partners.

Behind the scenes the Rose PArtners, the Pac-12 and BiG, explored the synergy of piggy backing network sales in a post-ESPN world. Could they get $1.50 per month for both stations in all their combined markets with the footprint partner getting $1.20 of the $1,50 a month by offering it as a bundle?

 

[WestCoastHusky]

For this job, Jeff Jacobs is basically on a list of one.

If we need a reporter to stare at their own navel and make spit bubbles, the list is much, much longer.

Someone needs to write an article showing ESPN's involvement in this whole deal. They basically locked up their exclusive property (ACC) for a long period while screwed UCONN at the same time.

 

[ZooCougar]

I hope a tiny black hole forms at ESPN HQ during peak work hours and spits the whole snide crew somewhere on the other side of the horse head nebula.

entire network.

 

[UConn990411]

UConn already screwed the pooch by not suing the NCAA after they banned the basketball team from the postseason.

If this really is the end of the realignment, and UConn's been left out in the cold, this administration better try to bring ESPN down with it.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

UConn already screwed the pooch by not suing the NCAA after banning the basketball team from the postseason.

If this really is the end of the realignment, and UConn's been left out in the cold, this administration better try to bring ESPN down with it.

CT state attorney better be working on a MASSIVE lawsuit bringing ESPN to the table. If their actions (according to Flipper) left UCONN out in the cold, they need to pay. I really don't care how many jobs they created in the state of CT. By destroying state's flagship university, the long term effect could be in the billions.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

13M x 8 Former BE FB schools = 104M
17M x 12 ACC schools = 204M
104M + 204M = 308M

20M x 15 new ACC schools = 300M

ESPN just saved $8M and bolstered their primary exclusive CFB property.

Subba,

The right numbers are:

ACC: 12 schools x $13MM/school = $156
Big East offer: $130 for the whole mess

If ESPN had offered the Big East $150, the league would have taken it and expansion would have stopped right there.

Instead, ESPN is going to pay the ACC about $300MM for 14.5 programs, while handing Fox TCU, WVU, Rutgers and the C7.

 

[uconnfan68]

Is anyone here close with Jeff Jacobs...he reads the BY once in a while and is the only one in the state with enough cahones to write about ESPN ultimately screwing UConn. Whether its intentional or not, they could throw us a bone already. Make it happen Jeff.

Jeff would rather screw UConn than expose ESPN.

 

[ZooCougar]

Jeff would rather screw UConn than expose ESPN.

I don't believe for a second that signing that deal would have stopped realignment. It would have just inflated the value of future deals.

 

[coachcap]

According to Florida State's president, the grant of rights was necessary because 'the new pact was necessary to proceed with long-term re-negotiations with ESPN. He said the network executives were growing “tired of conference realignment because they’re being asked to pay more for what they already own. Every year, they’re being asked to renegotiate their contracts.”


Basically, ESPN upped the ACC's take for the third time since 2010. If they were truly 'tired' of expansion, they would have stopped encouraging it by handing over multi-million dollar rewards every time it happened.They're now up to $20M per team - a conference that rarely puts a team in the top 10 in football and routinely sends 3-4 teams to the NCAA tournament now makes more per team than the AAC makes in a year.

Despite ridiculous claims to the contrary, ESPN funded the dismantling of the Big East and is now funding the preservation of the ACC. I would hate to agree with Nelson on this, but if anyone in the UConn press corp had even an ounce of stones in 'em, they'd press the governor for his feelings on the matter re: providing tax breaks to a corporation that just poleaxed the state U.

Call me jaded. The governor is a B.C. grad. While he's the elected head of the State, he has ties that bind to the ACC. The conspiracy theorist in me feels that he's too conflicted to be of any relief for UConn in this matter.

 

[djct1999]

I am so sick of Florida State. First off, when was the last time they were relevant in college football at the end of a season? Secondly, if Florida State was so highly regarded, wouldn't they be in the SEC or Big 10 by now? Fact is, no other conference wanted them. But that is the most frustrating thing to me in this whole conference realignment mess. The ACC is by far the 5th best power conference in football. We are all talking about programs like UNC, Clemson, GT, UVA that have done nothing on the football field. Syracuse and Pitt will share similar fates as BC. Again, the ACC is awful in football. Its only way better than the AAC but it is not a major player in all of this(on the field). As for hoops, the conference is top heavy. Didnt they get only 4 teams in this years dance? Wasn't 2009 the last time they were in a final four? I fully understand that the ACC is light years ahead of the AAC, but thats where it ends. The ACC is the worst power confernce. Has always been and always will be. RIP Syracuse and PITT.

 

[upstater]

Since pretty much nothing can be done at this point, what you do is eliminate ESPN's $15 million tax break, and then call Susan Herbst and tell her, you see this here $15 million, it comes directly from the tax break we used to give ESPN. That's where it comes from and goes direct to UConn.

I've seen this happen before in Higher Ed. When U. Rochester sold a wind farm several years ago, it took the entire proceeds and set up a translation center and press. All the money went to it.

The way to do it is, the day you announce ESPN no longer receives the subsidy, you simultaneously announce within minutes that UConn is receiving an additional $15 million grant to bolster "athlete" insurance and medical.

 

[djct1999]

Since pretty much nothing can be done at this point, what you do is eliminate ESPN's $15 million tax break, and then call Susan Herbst and tell her, you see this here $15 million, it comes directly from the tax break we used to give ESPN. That's where it comes from and goes direct to UConn.

I've seen this happen before in Higher Ed. When U. Rochester sold a wind farm several years ago, it took the entire proceeds and set up a translation center and press. All the money went to it.

The way to do it is, the day you announce ESPN no longer receives the subsidy, you simultaneously announce within minutes that UConn is receiving an additional $15 million grant to bolster "athlete" insurance and medical.

seriously, if they are so in love with the acc, ship them to charlotte or better yet greensboro. they will learn fast the value of ct and its proximity to nyc.

 

[CL82]

Since pretty much nothing can be done at this point, what you do is eliminate ESPN's $15 million tax break, and then call Susan Herbst and tell her, you see this here $15 million, it comes directly from the tax break we used to give ESPN. That's where it comes from and goes direct to UConn.

I've seen this happen before in Higher Ed. When U. Rochester sold a wind farm several years ago, it took the entire proceeds and set up a translation center and press. All the money went to it.

The way to do it is, the day you announce ESPN no longer receives the subsidy, you simultaneously announce within minutes that UConn is receiving an additional $15 million grant to bolster "athlete" insurance and medical.

Except that I'm confident that "not screwing over UConn" wasn't a contingency in that agreement. As long as ESPN meets their end of the deal, which I believe were certain employment marks they are entitled to the tax break. I agree with the sentiment, though.

What we can do is pressure our elected reps to make sure that that they never, NEVER, get another dollar of taxpayer money. Never get a zoning break, etc. ESPN should be the most hated company in Connecticut. They bankrolled CR and never lifted a finger to make sure we had a soft landing. ESPN doesn't instruct and fund the ACC's raids, and we're sitting pretty dominating the BE. If during any of the ACC raids, ESPN says, yeah we'll give you this bump up but one of the teams needs to be Connecticut, we'd have a safe home right now. Never forget that.

 

[Hoophound]

Espn can still get us in the ACC. Right now is the time they can do it. They won't because they can use us to help the AAC get some traction. I don't think the AAC signing with Espn was good for us, it was good for the new conference. Frankly, I think we'd have a better shot at getting out if we weren't an Espn property.

 

[CL82]

Espn can still get us in the ACC. Right now is the time they can do it.

Sure, but will they?

Just say that the NY Market is too valuable to cede to the B1G and CT and SYR lock it down. Done deal. That's why if they don't act, we need to remember it and hold them accountable.

 

[Hoophound]

Sure, but will they?

See above. You are quick. Modified as you were asking.

 

[CL82]

See above. You are quick. Modified as you were asking.

lol, apparently so are you. See modified post above.

 

[upstater]

Except that I'm confident that "not screwing over UConn" wasn't a contingency in that agreement. As long as ESPN meets their end of the deal, which I believe were certain employment marks they are entitled to the tax break. I agree with the sentiment, though.

What we can do is pressure our elected reps to make sure that that they never, NEVER, get another dollar of taxpayer money. Never get a zoning break, etc. ESPN should be the most hated company in Connecticut. They bankrolled CR and never lifted a finger to make sure we had a soft landing. ESPN doesn't instruct and fund the ACC's raids, and we're sitting pretty dominating the BE. If during any of the ACC raids, ESPN says, yeah we'll give you this bump up but one of the teams needs to Connecticut, we'd have a safe home right now. Never forget that.

Tax breaks are renewed. I haven't lived in Conn. in a very long time, but up here in NY, Alcoa's tax break has been renewed for eons. It comes up every 5 years.