The TV Deal: Syracuse and Pitt.

[IMind]

What's amazing to me is that Boeheim specifically mentioned the TV deal in his multiple interviews yesterday. That the reason Pitt and Syracuse left is that the Big East didn't accept ESPN's first offer TV deal. If they had Pitt and 'Cuse would still be in the conference. That to me just sounds crazy.... Did they really panic that much? Was the reason the contract got turned down because of the basketball schools? The next offers in would have to have been higher. It seems to me that the Big East was in a great position... I just can't believe this was ultimately the reason why they left.

 

[businesslawyer]

Of course it wasn't. What did you want him to say -- that my administration decided to chase every last dollar instead of valuing history and long term partnerships with other schools?

 

[IMind]

To even use that as a reason seems insane. Why even bring it up... of course that could just be his distorted reading of the situation...

 

[freescooter]

Considering that Pitt was among the schools lobbying to NOT accept the tv deal...I think it is pretty much an excuse, not a reason. Syracuse and especially Pitt acted in a manner that makes Bill Leahy and GeneDeFillipo look like men of honor. Boehiem was sent out there to justify it.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I agree, hes not gonna make his school look bad, he isnt going to tell the real reason that its all about money and what not

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Why would Pitt and Syracuse have stuck around a league that had a deal paying them $3MM/year less than they would make in the ACC, but they wouldn't stick around a league that had the potential to easily beat the ACC deal?