What if....Benedict to Hurley: “We’ll be in ACC by the final year of your contract”

[CL82]

No.

As a poster above has alluded, not until those sports can bring in $28 million plus per year in additional media money.

The Big 12 might actually be twelve if there were teams available that would not cut into the current per program payout.

Not so much, since they had a guarantee with ESPN and Fox. I suspect that ESPN reminded them what happens to conferences that cross them, e.g. the Big East.

 

[billybud]

Oh yeah...but those media entities were not going to be strong armed into paying more money for no more content....ESPN had already kept the Big 12 whole when they devolved to 10 programs...no monetary cut.

I think some figurative horses heads were found in the beds of Big 12 brass.

 

[billybud]

Sooo...it appears the message to conferences is...."bring us a good proposal for very watchable content additions if you want us to pony up more gazillions".

 

[YoungFree]

It may look bleak now, but conference realignment can take place rapidly. UConn can make it into the ACC and it would not surprise me if it happens in a few years. I have confidence that our football and men's bball programs will soon improve drastically. And our UConn officials know how to sell the school to a P5 conference.

Have you read the presentation they sent to the Big 12? If I was on the Big 12 board I wouldn't have selected UConn. Arguably, the package would have been more competitive with the ACC but I'm thinking the ACC would try to get Memphis or Cincy.

 

[buddy]

What have they ever done to make you think that?

I really hate to comment, but I can't bite my tongue here. Well, one made a wonderful trip to the Bahamas on the most important weekend of conference realignment. The other was blind to what was happening during the dissolution of the BigEast. One was monitoring and the other was saying we are the greatest of all. They really really had a chance to grab the gold at that time and let it slip away. Regardless of how bad the prior AD and administration was, they are the ones who let it slip away.

 

[uconnbill]

Have you read the presentation they sent to the Big 12? If I was on the Big 12 board I wouldn't have selected UConn. Arguably, the package would have been more competitive with the ACC but I'm thinking the ACC would try to get Memphis or Cincy.

Memphis brings nothing, so that opinion is just that an opinion. Cincinnati is a possibility but then again they don't bring a bigger market and let's be honest Ohio cares about Ohio St, not Cinci. That is a fact and one many seem to ignore.

 

[CL82]

Sooo...it appears the message to conferences is...."bring us a good proposal for very watchable content additions if you want us to pony up more gazillions".

Or is it don't make us pay more for content we already own for less?

 

[YoungFree]

Memphis brings nothing, so that opinion is just that an opinion. Cincinnati is a possibility but then again they don't bring a bigger market and let's be honest Ohio cares about Ohio St, not Cinci. That is a fact and one many seem to ignore.

I understand that...lived in Ohio for three years. But the ACC alredy has Boston because of BC, already has NY because of Syracuse....not sure what media market we would bring in that the ACC doesn't already have?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I understand that...lived in Ohio for three years. But the ACC alredy has Boston because of BC, already has NY because of Syracuse....not sure what media market we would bring in that the ACC doesn't already have?[/QUOTE

Residents from greater Boston are not that interested in BC and Syracuse barely gets NYC residents interested. UConn can get central and western Mass. fans as well as fans from all over CT, and can also bring in metro NYC in Fairfield and Westchester counties.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Nice post. We are an attractive candidate, but I can't see how we bring enough revenue to the table to justify expansion. The next CR event will probably be the break up the Big 12. That might get us a soft landing spot as a partner to one of the bigger players, or we might end up in a best of the rest group.

No.

As a poster above has alluded, not until those sports can bring in $28 million plus per year in additional media money.

The Big 12 might actually be twelve if there were teams available that would not cut into the current per program payout.

I think you guys over simplify this. None of the ACC schools "brings 28 million per year". In fact, the entire current model evolved from a prior model where each school sold its own content. In that model, none of them got much. It was only by pooling the schools and selling the rights of the conference as a whole that the numbers increased significantly. It should be obvious why, the following and market for any one program, even Texas, is insufficient. Notre Dame gets much less as an independent than it could in the Big Ten. It gets $15M annually from NBC.

Does UConn enhance the overall appeal and market of the ACC. Yes. How does it compare to others? For the ACC, I'd say UConn would add more value than any non P5, non Notre Dame program. We'd have much more value to the ACC than we did to the Big 12, and would really turn New England into "ACC Country" the way it is in the Carolinas and Virgina. They don't have that kind of saturation even in Georgia or Florida.

The bigger challenge we face is that ESPN has UConn's rights for pennies on the dollar right now. Our talk about the Big East is (in my opinion) largely to let ESPN know that they won't continue getting UConn at bargain basement prices. They broadcast the hell out of UConn sports. Even when we suck, we are on national TV more than most P5 schools. I think Benedict is positioning us for this. It's why Diaco had to go when he did and so did Ollie. It's a short window and UConn has to have a competitive football team and very competitive basketball team now. Baseball being ranked is great. If the American can switch to Fox, I actually think that ESPN would move to put UConn in the ACC as #15. If we up the cost of our content to ESPN, even that could be enough.

That is my .02

 

[HuskyHawk]

I understand that...lived in Ohio for three years. But the ACC alredy has Boston because of BC, already has NY because of Syracuse....not sure what media market we would bring in that the ACC doesn't already have?

The ACC doesn't have either Boston or NY. Certainly not NYC. Neither of those two schools, alone, are enough to generate the level of market saturation they need. They aren't Ohio State that can capture attention across the state. BC barely moves the needle in Boston.

It's interesting to see how markets change. When I got out of law school, and lived in KC, it was Big 8/12 dominated. KU, Mizzou, K-State, Nebraska, Iowa State...it was fully a Big 12 market, lock, stock and barrel. Now? Lost Mizzou to SEC, lost Nebraska to B1G, where it combines with Iowa. Now the Big 12 is the biggest player in that market, but it's share is much, much smaller.

So that's what I think UConn adds to the ACC (and to a lesser extent the B1G). Two teams in New England (of a total of two that play FBS) and two in NY of a total of three, one of which (Buffalo) doesn't register. That's pretty good market saturation. The ACC really screwed up not adding UConn and Rutgers before it lost Maryland. Big mistake.

 

[YoungFree]

The ACC doesn't have either Boston or NY. Certainly not NYC. Neither of those two schools, alone, are enough to generate the level of market saturation they need. They aren't Ohio State that can capture attention across the state. BC barely moves the needle in Boston.

It's interesting to see how markets change. When I got out of law school, and lived in KC, it was Big 8/12 dominated. KU, Mizzou, K-State, Nebraska, Iowa State...it was fully a Big 12 market, lock, stock and barrel. Now? Lost Mizzou to SEC, lost Nebraska to B1G, where it combines with Iowa. Now the Big 12 is the biggest player in that market, but it's share is much, much smaller.

So that's what I think UConn adds to the ACC (and to a lesser extent the B1G). Two teams in New England (of a total of two that play FBS) and two in NY of a total of three, one of which (Buffalo) doesn't register. That's pretty good market saturation. The ACC really screwed up not adding UConn and Rutgers before it lost Maryland. Big mistake.

Good points. So we are saying that UConn will bring both Boston and NYC to the ACC if they move? Is that because we are UConn fans or is that fact? I haven't lived in either of those markets in 20 years.

 

[businesslawyer]

Good points. So we are saying that UConn will bring both Boston and NYC to the ACC if they move? Is that because we are UConn fans or is that fact? I haven't lived in either of those markets in 20 years.

Did you read one friggin word of the post you're responding to? It's not about "bring." There is no 'bringing' the college sports market in New York or New England. We're not like Alabama or Iowa. It's about meaningfully increasing market share and power.

 

[YoungFree]

Did you read one friggin word of the post you're responding to? It's not about "bring." There is no 'bringing' the college sports market in New York or New England. We're not like Alabama or Iowa. It's about meaningfully increasing market share and power.

Yes I read it. I apolgize I used the wrong word....

 

[HuskyHawk]

Good points. So we are saying that UConn will bring both Boston and NYC to the ACC if they move? Is that because we are UConn fans or is that fact? I haven't lived in either of those markets in 20 years.

UConn is the strongest basketball brand in NYC, Syracuse is next. They'd argue that but the ACC has both. In terms of football, I believe we came in 3rd or 4th, after Rutgers and ND and close to Syracuse. Boston is more tricky, but I live in that market and see UConn stuff everywhere. It's more about the New England market. Boston is the capital of the region, and covers events across New England. Having two New England teams greatly increases the importance of both in the Boston market. It's just the way they think about things.

 

[dogged1]

I think you guys over simplify this. None of the ACC schools "brings 28 million per year". In fact, the entire current model evolved from a prior model where each school sold its own content. In that model, none of them got much. It was only by pooling the schools and selling the rights of the conference as a whole that the numbers increased significantly. It should be obvious why, the following and market for any one program, even Texas, is insufficient. Notre Dame gets much less as an independent than it could in the Big Ten. It gets $15M annually from NBC.

Does UConn enhance the overall appeal and market of the ACC. Yes. How does it compare to others? For the ACC, I'd say UConn would add more value than any non P5, non Notre Dame program. We'd have much more value to the ACC than we did to the Big 12, and would really turn New England into "ACC Country" the way it is in the Carolinas and Virgina. They don't have that kind of saturation even in Georgia or Florida.

The bigger challenge we face is that ESPN has UConn's rights for pennies on the dollar right now. Our talk about the Big East is (in my opinion) largely to let ESPN know that they won't continue getting UConn at bargain basement prices. They broadcast the hell out of UConn sports. Even when we suck, we are on national TV more than most P5 schools. I think Benedict is positioning us for this. It's why Diaco had to go when he did and so did Ollie. It's a short window and UConn has to have a competitive football team and very competitive basketball team now. Baseball being ranked is great. If the American can switch to Fox, I actually think that ESPN would move to put UConn in the ACC as #15. If we up the cost of our content to ESPN, even that could be enough.

That is my .02

Your .02 is better than many, 10 dollar bills we have floating around here.

 

[YoungFree]

UConn is the strongest basketball brand in NYC, Syracuse is next. They'd argue that but the ACC has both. In terms of football, I believe we came in 3rd or 4th, after Rutgers and ND and close to Syracuse. Boston is more tricky, but I live in that market and see UConn stuff everywhere. It's more about the New England market. Boston is the capital of the region, and covers events across New England. Having two New England teams greatly increases the importance of both in the Boston market. It's just the way they think about things.

I miss being able to get UConn stuff. My parents said me a package every few months with stuff the pick up at Wal-Mart, Bob's and Stop and Shop....I have to go online to order my stuff...at mark-up. Dang California...I hate it here.

 

[bobbyinaz]

I think you guys over simplify this. None of the ACC schools "brings 28 million per year". In fact, the entire current model evolved from a prior model where each school sold its own content. In that model, none of them got much. It was only by pooling the schools and selling the rights of the conference as a whole that the numbers increased significantly. It should be obvious why, the following and market for any one program, even Texas, is insufficient. Notre Dame gets much less as an independent than it could in the Big Ten. It gets $15M annually from NBC.

Does UConn enhance the overall appeal and market of the ACC. Yes. How does it compare to others? For the ACC, I'd say UConn would add more value than any non P5, non Notre Dame program. We'd have much more value to the ACC than we did to the Big 12, and would really turn New England into "ACC Country" the way it is in the Carolinas and Virgina. They don't have that kind of saturation even in Georgia or Florida.

The bigger challenge we face is that ESPN has UConn's rights for pennies on the dollar right now. Our talk about the Big East is (in my opinion) largely to let ESPN know that they won't continue getting UConn at bargain basement prices. They broadcast the hell out of UConn sports. Even when we suck, we are on national TV more than most P5 schools. I think Benedict is positioning us for this. It's why Diaco had to go when he did and so did Ollie. It's a short window and UConn has to have a competitive football team and very competitive basketball team now. Baseball being ranked is great. If the American can switch to Fox, I actually think that ESPN would move to put UConn in the ACC as #15. If we up the cost of our content to ESPN, even that could be enough.

That is my .02

You're right that no ACC school "brings" $28MM to the table. The problem is that's what they're being paid.

Expansion is about increasing revenues.

UConn or any other candidate would need to bring more than $28MM to the table in the current environment. None of the ACC schools are going to vote to add anybody if it costs them money. They won't vote to add anybody to stay at the status quo.

The only ways the ACC adds UConn are:

1. Notre Dame decides to join and they need a dance partner.
2. If somehow the ACC Network does ever get off the ground, and there are metrics that demonstrate adding UConn will bring more money to the table.
3. If the sports media bubble has burst when the ACC contract with ESPN expires in 2030 and in order to make the same , or close to the same, they add UConn

As has been said before, being Notre Dame's dance partner is about the worst position to be in when it comes to Conference Realignment

 

[billybud]

Football still is the the media money pull...

"While the NCAA Tournament has undergone a recent resurgence, the same cannot be said for the regular season. The overwhelming majority of college basketball regular season games barely registered in the ratings, with nearly 60 percent earning a rating of 0.0 or 0.1 . More than three-quarters of the games had a rating of 0.5 or lower.

2015-2016 data...."Of the 979 regular season games examined by Sports Media Watch (excludes seven games for which ratings were unavailable), only 25 had a rating of 1.5 or higher. That includes both Duke/North Carolina games and the Big Ten Tournament title game, each of which had a season-high 2.6."

The March Madness draws eyes for three weeks....but basketball regular season doesn't turn dials...

(2015-16) The ACC tournament final, Virginia-North Carolina delivered the largest viewing audience of the regular season (but still just a 2.0 rating).

Nationally...twice as many people watched Louisville-Mississippi State play football as watched the Big 12 BB tournament final...in fact,
more people watched middle of the road football games like VT-Virginia, Florida-South Carolina, Wake Forest-Notre Dame, UCLA-Memphis then watched the Big 12 Tournament final.

 

[Zissou]

So that's what I think UConn adds to the ACC (and to a lesser extent the B1G). Two teams in New England (of a total of two that play FBS)

3 FBS teams in New England:
BC
UConn
UMass

 

[billybud]

3 FBS teams in New England:
BC
UConn
UMass

I suspect that. someday, somewhere, UMass will have a .500 season in FBS. Not next year....but, with judicious scheduling, it could happen.

The problem is that with 129 teams...the bell curve distribution runs from Alabama to some team ranked in the lower rings of the netherworld by Sagarins ELO .

It is a convenient fiction that all play for the same prize....

 

[SouthronCross]

Kick out BC. Add Uconn. I would not be surprised if down the road BC could end up dropping FB. Aside from Notre Dame, which is a world if it's own, all the catholic schools have dropped FB or dropped to a lower division. When I was a kid schools like Holy Cross were playing a big time schedule. Not anymore, obviously. BC is not a big draw in Boston for non students or non alumni. It's a Catholic commuter school and does not fit with other ACC schools. They pretty much stink so I doubt they are a big draw when they go on the road. I don't think the ACC wants the big in New England, and if there is expansion Uconn will most likely end up in one or the other of those two leagues. If Uconn does get the nod, it will obviously not be because their FB is a big plus. However, in a better league they stand a chance of improving and they can compete with the lower tier schools in each of those conferences. I think any further expansion will be more about establishing a geographic foot print than bolstering the FB in either conference. There are no FB powerhouse programs left to choose from, Uconn is probably the best of the leftovers in terms of fanbase, potential and similarity to existing members of either league. Also, since you are an ACC guy, I want to ask you this. Have you heard rumblings about the ACC not being happy about Louisville. Not because they are not good, but because their academics are far below ACC standards and they have all these scandals?

Sorry to not respond for so long. I had a family member who was very ill, and, he just passed away three weeks ago. So, it's been awhile since anything remotely approaching mormalcy has been seen in these parts. All of that said...

I DO believe that some in the ACC are having buyer's remorse concerning Louisville. Everything to do with Pitino, Papa John's, etc, have some saying enough is enough. But, I HIGHLY doubt that they'd be booted, at least not at this point. I know Carolina fans are the last folks to be caught dead saying this, but, if anything, the fallout from the academic scandal has, at the very least, forced many of the more egotistical nutbars amongst our fanbase to tone down their arrogance and rhetoric towards everybody else. Save for NCSU and Duke, of course.

We all know that UL's academics were not of ACC level, but, they were the only school that a majority of the league would vote to add at the time. And, even though they were...and, still are...a basketball-first school, their football success at the time was the deciding factor, and, we all knew it. Even though Swofford might've preferred UConn to UL, he did a very poor job selling his future vision for the league to the members who were less than enthusiastic about adding UConn. As one of your regulars here...maybe Fishy...correctly pointed out.

 

[Bobol]

Screw the ACC. I would prefer UConn to become a member of the Big Ten. .....much better $, better academics .... better competition across all sports.

 

[CL82]

Sorry to not respond for so long. I had a family member who was very ill, and, he just passed away three weeks ago. So, it's been awhile since anything remotely approaching mormalcy has been seen in these parts. All of that said...

I DO believe that some in the ACC are having buyer's remorse concerning Louisville. Everything to do with Pitino, Papa John's, etc, have some saying enough is enough. But, I HIGHLY doubt that they'd be booted, at least not at this point. I know Carolina fans are the last folks to be caught dead saying this, but, if anything, the fallout from the academic scandal has, at the very least, forced many of the more egotistical nutbars amongst our fanbase to tone down their arrogance and rhetoric towards everybody else. Save for NCSU and Duke, of course.

We all know that UL's academics were not of ACC level, but, they were the only school that a majority of the league would vote to add at the time. And, even though they were...and, still are...a basketball-first school, their football success at the time was the deciding factor, and, we all knew it. Even though Swofford might've preferred UConn to UL, he did a very poor job selling his future vision for the league to the members who were less than enthusiastic about adding UConn. As one of your regulars here...maybe Fishy...correctly pointed out.

Very sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts go out to you and your family.

 

[Kolumbo]

UL's academics are now at the ACC level. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.