Raise the Exit Fee to $50m

[mattp]

For those proposing the 50m exit fee, what do you think our incremental TV revenue increase would be by locking up such a deal? I think that's the most important variable and it hasn't really been addressed. If adding the fee is the difference between us taking $8m/year at ESPN and $15m at NBC, it's obviously a lot different than if it's the difference between 8 and 10 mil. Personally I think we'd need to gain about an extra $5m/year to make it worth signing anything like that

 

[Pudge]

For those proposing the 50m exit fee, what do you think our incremental TV revenue increase would be by locking up such a deal? I think that's the most important variable and it hasn't really been addressed. If adding the fee is the difference between us taking $8m/year at ESPN and $15m at NBC, it's obviously a lot different than if it's the difference between 8 and 10 mil. Personally I think we'd need to gain about an extra $5m/year to make it worth signing anything like that

This is a good point. There is an economic decision tree that you can create to determine if this makes sense.

MY POINT (and Nelsons) ... NBC (and Fox) sees relatively inexpensive content in a Conference - just beyond the Big 5 - that can fill their nights & Saturdays on their Sports cable channel. They will pay; but, they have to have some certainty that there is stability. It doesn't have to be in the Exit fee. As pointed out. But, to the idea that BC paying a $5m penalty being like a much bigger exit, there is a point that no rational educational institution would do that. And, that's why the $50m was slammed down the throats of Maryland & FSU.

We are given the ability to regroup & build. This is going to take awhile ... and I don't think we are going to be grabbed by the ACC or the B1G or the B12. But, with capital resources, we will become far more than a CUSA duplicate.

 

[ZooCougar]

We don't have a 550 SAT, suggesting that is self loathing it's more like a freshman on campus intercepted our application and tossed it in the recycling bin.

The old BE was a land of rainbows and unicorns compared to the new one where we get just as much money as Memphis State and Temple.

First ... to wisc ... this is a Start-up. It still is. This is isn't self-loathing. This is a kid with a 550 Verbal SAT knowing he won't get into Harvard. (RE the SEC). We need to plan accordingly.

So what are the options?

Number 1. I do not think, looking across the landscape, that we are at the top of the next list of whom to take (and I don't think any of the Big 5 will take anyone ... until someone gets into the top 10 in Football ... then Rutgers or Louisville snapped away). We need handcuffs.

Lots here are essentially ready to tcan the BE ... and go Independent? Are you nuts? We need the high TV dollars to keep up in this rat race.

Number 2. Memphis & Temple are not circumstantial. They make NO sense ... unless someone behind the scenes made a strong case. In my world, dealmaking in commercial real estate, things like this become clear. All the pissing & moaning, I believe, ends up with a deal outside of ESPN. I respectfully read the FairfieldCtyHusky ... and disagree. We have other networks. We hired this guy Bevilacqua because of that. And shoot me if it isn't clear by December 1.

We just watched Syracuse fanbase bitch about being in the Big East since 2003. I hope I am not going to watch this board disintegrate for 8 years of wannabee. I believe WE are better positioned than Syracuse in the long run. Our Market; our Public Structure. They are gonna rue the their status in that league ... eventually.

 

[businesslawyer]

[quote="mattp, post: 342013, member: 914"
Obviously I'd like to play compelling teams, but all of this non stop bitching about our conference is pathetic. I can't imagine how some of you would handle real adversity in your lives. College football is supposed to be a fun distraction from day to day stuff and some people are carrying it like a burden. All the complaining in the world isn't going to change a thing. We are where we are and we're not happy about it, but all we can do is go out and cheer for our team to win games. You'll notice the four teams I mentioned above did just that and as a result they're situations have improved, some more dramatically than others.[/quote]

How would they handle adversity in their lives -- they'd bitch.

That wasn't clear?

 

[HuskyHawk]

How would they handle adversity in their lives -- they'd bitch.

That wasn't clear?

It's not bitching. It's assessing the landscape differently. Those who champion the NBE are down on UConn. Thinking us unworthy. Saying we are not at the top of the list

I think we are a clear #1 on the ACCs list. No worse than 3rd or 4th to the B1G (and that includes two teams that would need to be pried from a conference. I don't think we are on the Big XII list due to geography. But that could change.

It's not bitching to believe that we can do better. I think a new realignment frenzy makes it happen. Stabilizing the NBE makes it less likely.

 

[freescooter]

Pudge, you've already seen one element of Maryland's or anyone else who want to get out of the ACC, argument. This, like every other arrangement is negotiable. At the end of the day, If FSU wants to leave for the Big 12 it will leave for the Big 12 and the ACC will acquiesce. It will cost them some money probably, but not $50 million. Just like it West Virginia and Pitt and Syracuse and ND didn't have to wait 27 months. Suppose the Big East had refused to back down and suppose West Virginia had refused to play a Big East schedule this year...At some point both sides recognize that a negotiated settlement is the best, because in the end if you're th, tooe Big East and you lose, you get zippo from everyone else. If you're West Viginia and you lose, its a lesser problem because you still have a conference. If you're the ACC and you lose, you're screwed, and you risk losing not only FSU but part of your tv deal, too and if you are FSU, worst case is you stay put. These requirements are useful up to a point, but they are more for show than for substance, and th emore outrageous you make them, the more unreasonable, the more unenforceable I believe.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There is no new realignment frenzy coming. The Big 12 is the only league even sniffing around at adding teams, and then only if ESPN shells out a ton of cash. And UConn is not on that list. If anyone wanted to add UConn, they would have added UConn. It's not like Herbst didn't #begharder with every league that would listen, and some that wouldn't. No one wants us.

So what do we do about it? The complainers don't have any solutions, they just like to regurgitate ESPN cheap shots against the league, and by extension, UConn. Others see a modicum of stability and survival until the next big change (likely a 16 team playoff). Survival is key. If NBC will pay an 8 digit number per football school, that will enable UConn to stay in the game. That is all we need at this point, and is the best we can hope for.

 

[junglehusky]

We better hope to hell that the B12 doesn't decide it wants Louisville and BYU, because if it does all it has to do is bat its eyelashes twice and they'll be gone in a cloud of dust like a Warner bros. cartoon character. Then we have to hang our hat on... who, Rutgers?

 

[noeynox]

This is a good point. There is an economic decision tree that you can create to determine if this makes sense.

MY POINT (and Nelsons) ... NBC (and Fox) sees relatively inexpensive content in a Conference - just beyond the Big 5 - that can fill their nights & Saturdays on their Sports cable channel. They will pay; but, they have to have some certainty that there is stability. It doesn't have to be in the Exit fee. As pointed out. But, to the idea that BC paying a $5m penalty being like a much bigger exit, there is a point that no rational educational institution would do that. And, that's why the $50m was slammed down the throats of Maryland & FSU.

We are given the ability to regroup & build. This is going to take awhile ... and I don't think we are going to be grabbed by the ACC or the B1G or the B12. But, with capital resources, we will become far more than a CUSA duplicate.

I posted what matt did months ago. Problem is the landscape continues to change and the big east is about to be on the outside looking in with this latest incarnation of the BCS. If nbc, fox,or cbs is willing to throw anywhere from 12-15 million, per all sports school, sure sign whatever you have to and take the money. I don't think the networks are going to offer that kind of money, and I think ND, leaving for the same arrangement with the ACC is a bad sign for the big east

 

[Pudge]

[quote="mattp, post: 342013, member: 914"
Obviously I'd like to play compelling teams, but all of this non stop bitching about our conference is pathetic. I can't imagine how some of you would handle real adversity in your lives. College football is supposed to be a fun distraction from day to day stuff and some people are carrying it like a burden. All the complaining in the world isn't going to change a thing. We are where we are and we're not happy about it, but all we can do is go out and cheer for our team to win games. You'll notice the four teams I mentioned above did just that and as a result they're situations have improved, some more dramatically than others.

How would they handle adversity in their lives -- they'd bitch.

That wasn't clear?[/quote]


Exactly ... this means that we are going to see this Board full of bitching for about 8 years.

 

[Pudge]

It's not bitching. It's assessing the landscape differently. Those who champion the NBE are down on UConn. Thinking us unworthy. Saying we are not at the top of the list

I think we are a clear #1 on the ACCs list. No worse than 3rd or 4th to the B1G (and that includes two teams that would need to be pried from a conference. I don't think we are on the Big XII list due to geography. But that could change.

It's not bitching to believe that we can do better. I think a new realignment frenzy makes it happen. Stabilizing the NBE makes it less likely.

I do like this.

Because it shows how delusional some of you are. This ACC and B1G hoping/wishing/praying is going nowhere. And it is not self-loathing NOR dismissive to state that WE fight it our where we are. And WIN. Get better as a Program. Because at MattP stated, that is the proven way that other Programs (READ TCU) have advanced. The Problem: If one of our conference mates WINS, we are always going to be nervous. That kinda sucks.

 

[kbdiggity]

I think we are a clear #1 on the ACCs list.

Why do you think that?

 

[Adios]

Why do you think that?

The media unanimously says so.

 

[Doggie Style]

The media unanimously says so.

When I was tailgating down at the Maryland game, there was not ONE Maryland fan that didn't want Uconn in the ACC over Cuse,Pitt & ND when the subject came up.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why do you think that?

Because we perfectly fit the profile of the league and we are squarely in their geographic footprint. We're a major state U, on the east coast, with a top 60 USNWR rank, a tremendous basketball program, decent baseball, extremely good soccer and mediocre football. Does that sound like an ACC school to you? Rutgers has a little better football, but is dramatically worse at basketball, baseball and soccer.

Who else would be on the list? They rejected WVU over academics. So UL, Cincy and the Florida schools are out. They litteraly have no other choices.

 

[HuskyHawk]

By the way. I don't think we are a very good fit in the B1G. We are much smaller than those schools. But let's look at their list. 1. Rutgers AAU, big state, solid academics and football. Good market. 2? Nobody. They'd need to raid the ACC for Maryland and Big 12 for Kansas. Mizzou begged and is now off the board. B1G blew that in my book. Iowa State adds nothing. The Dakota schools are out as is Montana. They could try for Pitt. So while we aren't a great fit, we are still among the better options.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Because we perfectly fit the profile of the league and we are squarely in their geographic footprint. We're a major state U, on the east coast, with a top 60 USNWR rank, a tremendous basketball program, decent baseball, extremely good soccer and mediocre football. Does that sound like an ACC school to you? Rutgers has a little better football, but is dramatically worse at basketball, baseball and soccer.

Who else would be on the list? They rejected WVU over academics. So UL, Cincy and the Florida schools are out. They litteraly have no other choices.

Rutgers has a little better football? Based on the first 4 games of the 2012 season?

 

[UCFBfan]

Rutgers has a little better football? Based on the first 4 games of the 2012 season?

Are you trying compare Rutgers football standing to UConn's based on 4 games?? I hope I'm misreading what you wrote because if you're just using the first 4 games then you're pretty short-sighted.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Are you trying compare Rutgers football standing to UConn's based on 4 games?? I hope I'm misreading what you wrote because if you're just using the first 4 games then you're pretty short-sighted.

I was responding to HuskyHawk saying Rutgers has a 'little better' football program - which I disagree with. It's been pretty damn even the past decade but we have two co-championships to their none. That being said, to give them their due they have been ranked higher and seemingly in the 'others receiving votes' more than UConn.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I'm really confused.

The OP was meant tongue in cheek, wasn't it?

It was a sarcastic point that a huge buyout will guarantee stability knowing full well that no school would actually agree to it.

How the hell did this morph in to 7 pages and some people taking the thread seriously?

 

[lv99]

I'm really confused.

The OP was meant tongue in cheek, wasn't it?

It was a sarcastic point that a huge buyout will guarantee stability knowing full well that no school would actually agree to it.

How the hell did this morph in to 7 pages and some people taking the thread seriously?

If there was any humor intended in the original post, I sure didn't find it. There's no place for humor here. We're here to discuss things seriously.

I do like the $50 million exit fee. I think it's a great idea. But only for new members. We would get out with no exit fee. The new members would have to pay an exit fee.

Why? Because I'm afraid all these new teams like SMU, Memphis, Temple, etc. are going to leapfrog us when it comes time for one of us to move up. There needs to be something in the bylaws that says something like "Hey, you new guys don't get any ideas about using this league as a stepping stone, the old guys have seniority when a better league comes calling".

Just imagine how bad it would be if in a few years Temple is being invited to the Big Ten and we're still stuck here. Although, frankly, I wouldn't worry too much about Temple going to the Big Ten. They will be lucky to just remain in the Big East, assuming that nasty rumor that they're about to get kicked out again, started by a certain Boneyard member, has any legs to it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I was responding to HuskyHawk saying Rutgers has a 'little better' football program - which I disagree with. It's been pretty damn even the past decade but we have two co-championships to their none. That being said, to give them their due they have been ranked higher and seemingly in the 'others receiving votes' more than UConn.

Mostly they have been ranked more and playing D1 much longer. It's close, but I give them a slight edge. As an overall athletic program, I think we are far ahead.

 

[Marty Jackson]

We better hope to hell that the B12 doesn't decide it wants Louisville and BYU, because if it does all it has to do is bat its eyelashes twice and they'll be gone in a cloud of dust like a Warner bros. cartoon character. Then we have to hang our hat on... who, Rutgers?

No... Uconn makes its own future.

 

[Pudge]

OP was hyperbole. The number isn't as important as the concept; there needs to both the perception of stability ... and the reality. This is from the UConn perspective frankly.

What this thread represents to me is a dividing line in these boards. I don't see the dynamic that gets UConn an invite. To the ACC. Or the B1G. That's not commentary on where UConn sits in this world or what we deserve.

 

[ZooCougar]

Backpedal much?