Should ESPN tell the American to make a football only deal with UConn?

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Is any human being that selfish?

I've been witnessing the boundary-pushing of human selfishness too long to find the addition of this question necessary or sensible.

 

[Slasher]

If the American wants to pay us the full $7m for just our football team then sure. Otherwise we will make more $ going independent assuming SNY steps in

This comment is just absurd, I'm sorry. You expect as an independent to get >$1M per home game? Especially when you consider that at least one of them is very likely to be against an FCS team? The reason a conference can extract more than an independent (Notre Dame and BYU not withstanding) is because for conference games they get the game regardless of where it's played. You only have rights to your home games. If you look at the likely schedule for UConn at home, it's maybe 2 quality games, an FCS game, and probably a MAC level game or two. No one is paying an average of $1.2M for those games. BYU gets around $1M per home game, but they have a national following in football and puts together a pretty darn good schedule.

 

[storrsroars]

This comment is just absurd, I'm sorry. You expect as an independent to get >$1M per home game? Especially when you consider that at least one of them is very likely to be against an FCS team? The reason a conference can extract more than an independent (Notre Dame and BYU not withstanding) is because for conference games they get the game regardless of where it's played. You only have rights to your home games. If you look at the likely schedule for UConn at home, it's maybe 2 quality games, an FCS game, and probably a MAC level game or two. No one is paying an average of $1.2M for those games. BYU gets around $1M per home game, but they have a national following in football and puts together a pretty darn good schedule.

Keep in mind that UConn is starting from a $4 mill base, not zero. Our administration is already estimating a $2 mill savings in travel across all sports. If SNY is involved, that would likely reduce outlays for production that the AAC deal would involve. So what UConn would need to make per football game is significantly less than $1.2 million to make the NBE deal a financial positive.

 

[Slasher]

Keep in mind that UConn is starting from a $4 mill base, not zero. Our administration is already estimating a $2 mill savings in travel across all sports. If SNY is involved, that would likely reduce outlays for production that the AAC deal would involve. So what UConn would need to make per football game is significantly less than $1.2 million to make the NBE deal a financial positive.

I know that, but that's not what @aburks41 was saying. He said we need full $7M from AAC or FB only isn't worth it.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Meaningless.

No one else is leaving for anything but the P5 and there’s nothing the American can do to scare anyone away from that.

Yeah the big problem is the contract is like 12 or 13 years. Even if the conference ranked up there and won 3 national titles, the money is almost nothing. This defection is 99 percent on Aresco.

 

[upstater]

Temple has a long history of FBS. These schools all accept losing money in FB. Truth is, to Temple, the AAC is like a glass of water in the dessert.

These schools have never ever lost as much money as they are losing now; it is exponential. Even the Ivy Leagues lose $7-10m. But $30-$40m in an environment in which tax subsidies are slashed and in which tuition outpaces incomes? You simply can't hold out for long, especially if you're a northeastern school.

 

[noeynox]

These schools have never ever lost as much money as they are losing now; it is exponential. Even the Ivy Leagues lose $7-10m. But $30-$40m in an environment in which tax subsidies are slashed and in which tuition outpaces incomes? You simply can't hold out for long, especially if you're a northeastern school.

Are schools losing 30 to 40 million on football alone? That doesn't seem right.

 

[Husk1881]

As far as football goes, they are going to hate what's coming even more. I mean, Liberty and UMass do nothing for me.

But did UCF and Houston do it for you? If we are gonna play teams we don’t care about we might as well win.

 

[blue93]

But did UCF and Houston do it for you? If we are gonna play teams we don’t care about we might as well win.

For the record I’m fine with football staying independent, but this is a bad take. We’ve beaten both of those schools and they’ve been ranked a lot which generates interest in itself.

If you want to make that point, I wouldn’t use the two schools that were arguably the biggest wins in the past 5 years.

 

[upstater]

But did UCF and Houston do it for you? If we are gonna play teams we don’t care about we might as well win.

Yes, actually. These teams had top end NFL talent and they were highly ranked. It is UConn's failing that these games didn't do it for the fanbase.

I remember games against Baylor and USF that were packed to the gills. This was back when UConn had a chance of winning.

What ailed UConn? Was it unexciting games against UCF and Houston? Or was it bad coaching and losing?

 

[upstater]

Are schools losing 30 to 40 million on football alone? That doesn't seem right.

Not on football alone.

But travel for all teams works into it.

Plus, I do think a really huge chunk is football.

Buffalo used to have a $10m deficit a decade ago. Then it ramped up football and the deficit ballooned to $35m.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...........

 

[kobe]

View attachment 44703

Shut up kobe.

 

[UconnU]

I don’t think ESPN cares about UConn fans but they definitely care about the *~1 billion dollar investment*~ they just made in the conference.

Imagine investing 1 billion dollars into a conference with no following at all? Terrible decision.

 

[businesslawyer]

But did UCF and Houston do it for you? If we are gonna play teams we don’t care about we might as well win.

The last year we didn't totally suck, and Houston came in undefeated and we beat them (with both teams playing backup QBs), the Rent was pretty electric. I think that was the last time that it was actually fun being in the stadium.

It is very hard to separate the lack of enthusiasm caused by the OBE splitting up versus the lack of enthusiasm caused by sucking too much for too long. I tend to think it has far more to do with the latter than the former, but I don't know of any way to prove that.

 

[businesslawyer]

Thousands of Cuse grads

Yes, Syracuse grads are disproportionately represented in on air jobs. But the thought that thousands of announcers, producers, lawyers, suits, HR folk, etc. are overwhelmingly Syracuse grads is fairly stupid.

And, even if what you say is true, so what? The State of Connecticut is supposed to protect or not protect in-state jobs based on the college from which the employees have their undergraduate degree? That's not fairly stupid. That's in an entirely different class.

 

[CL82]

Well played.

 

[Guapo]

Well played.

Chances ESPN hires Kevin Ollie?

 

[Pudge]

Yes, Syracuse grads are disproportionately represented in on air jobs. But the thought that thousands of announcers, producers, lawyers, suits, HR folk, etc. are overwhelmingly Syracuse grads is fairly stupid.

And, even if what you say is true, so what? The State of Connecticut is supposed to protect or not protect in-state jobs based on the college from which the employee has their undergraduate degree? That's not fairly stupid. That's in an entirely different class.

Part of the answer to you and schedule is UMASS

I look at their schedule - with McGuirk & long trips to Foxboro - and it ain’t bad. It’s better than Liberty or NM State not BYU; with major impediments & no regional coverage - no SNY & not any college ambience. Just a name.

I expect Benedict to do better. And if it’s broadcast ... better still. You have the significant problem of zero confidence in getting November games. And bowls etc. I hope we have some American replacement from Universities that may like playing us - Cincinnati or Temple. But that’s that

 

[CL82]

Chances ESPN hires Kevin Ollie?

I read that and thought "Lol..., well actually..., nah..., uh maybe,... pssh not happening..., then again..."

 

[Husky25]

Stay with me; it's not a dumb as it sounds at first blush.

• This last media deal for the American was built to get ESPN + subscribers.
• Keeping UConn in the American means that UConn football fans will still need to sign up to see games.
• Since the bulk of media contract is based upon football, ESPN could reduce the contract less if UConn stays put.
• Down the road there would less resistance for UConn fans toward + because fans would have already have been using it.
• Finally it earns ESPN some goodwill in their state of residence. Not a stand alone reason for making a deal but definitely a plus.

If I were forced to get ESPN+ for UConn content, it would only be between September and February at the most, and that would only be if I had a hard time finding a reddit link. I'm at half the football games as it is and the other content currently on ESPN+ doesn't really move my needle much.

To get subscribers for ESPN+, why fumble around with the AAC? ESPN owns the SEC Network. 50 million good ol' boys would sign up overnight.

 

[Guapo]

If I were forced to get ESPN+ for UConn content, it would only be between September and February at the most, and that would only be if I had a hard time finding a reddit link. I'm at half the football games as it is and the other content currently on ESPN+ doesn't really move my needle much.

To get subscribers for ESPN+, why fumble around with the AAC? ESPN owns the SEC Network. 50 million good ol' boys would sign up overnight.

Guinea pig - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[jostar1]

Guinea pig - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Yeah, that was us.

 

[Guapo]

Yeah, that was us.

Thank you, I’m glad someone got it lol