Report: ESPN agrees everyone needs more MACtion. Hadn't seen this on the boards. I for one hate maction from a home game season ticket holder perspective.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com...e-maction/

Hopefully the money is adequate. It sounds like the new deal will be better. The MAC needs to be creative and needs these important revenues. I know there are many perspectives on this topic, and I appreciate my Saturdays in the Glass Bowl too. I also appreciate the nation having the opportunity to see what a great University Toledo is, what UT offers students, the facilities, etc... The exposure has been a real plus. Staying relevant is important and this connection is a net positive.

One good thing about this deal is that it voids the deal with the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, which almost no MAC fans seemed to be able to watch, with the games being blacked out in Ohio on ESPN3.

Do we know what the contract is worth?

(08-19-2014 10:16 AM)tampabayrocketfan Wrote:  Do we know what the contract is worth?

1 million dollars per year for the entire MAC. Not nearly enough.
http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/411134

(08-19-2014 10:21 AM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  1 million dollars per year for the entire MAC. Not nearly enough.
http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/411134

Agree, another 10 years of mid-week, late start, cold November games played before a mostly empty Glass Bowl.

(08-19-2014 10:29 AM)RangerRocket Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 10:21 AM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  1 million dollars per year for the entire MAC. Not nearly enough.
http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/411134

Agree, another 10 years of mid-week, late start, cold November games played before a mostly empty Glass Bowl.

Yesterday I read an article that the MAC will receive the same as CUSA and the Mountain West, about $12 million per year. Can't remember the source. Someone could search for that info if interested.

They're saying it's $8 million a year. A lot more than before but still not really enough IMO.

(08-19-2014 10:29 AM)RangerRocket Wrote:  

(08-19-2014 10:21 AM)SylvaniaRocket Wrote:  1 million dollars per year for the entire MAC. Not nearly enough.
http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/411134

Agree, another 10 years of mid-week, late start, cold November games played before a mostly empty Glass Bowl.

We'll all save money and gas. Stay home and watch the games on television. The only cold will be a Miller Lite enjoyed from our living rooms.

It is the reality we live in and since none of us are TV contract negotiation specialists I think we should defer to what the MAC and our Athletic Directors have voted for. There is no chance any one of us know anything about this stuff.

Why the MAC cannot get a deal with NBC or FOX for a better time slot is beyond me. Not comfortable with a deal this long for anything.

(08-19-2014 12:08 PM)tampabayrocketfan Wrote:  It is the reality we live in and since none of us are TV contract negotiation specialists I think we should defer to what the MAC and our Athletic Directors have voted for. There is no chance any one of us know anything about this stuff.

What I do know is that the MAC is destroying the fan experience. To me the people we meet and tailgate with are just as important as the game itself. So they can take the money and get the exposure for their empty stadiums for all of America to see.

Here's a link to a story (dated August 19th) on the UT site about the agreement.

http://www.utrockets.com/ViewArticle.dbm...=209611637

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/...rec_1.html

The deal is reportedly for around $100M over 13 years, which includes an upgrade to the last 3 years of the present contract. The official releases don't seem to contain an actual $ figure, so I'm guessing that is an approximate number.

Good things are that every MAC football game will be on at least ESPN3, as well as some men's and women's basketball games. Also ESPN3 will present other non-revenue sports that are produced by the universities themselves, so that will be some great exposure for those sports, assuming UT (and other MAC schools) choose to produce those events - I assume it will be up to the schools what they produce?

Not sure I like the Friday night hoops for 14-15, but we will see. Also not clear whether the BBall games not picked up by ESPN can be shown elsewhere, like the TW deal from last season.

The money is certainly better than the previous deal, but it's a bit of a gamble for such a long contract. It breaks down to and average of around $8M per year (unknown what the year-to-year breakdown is), which doesn't sound that bad, but in 13 years $8M could be worth less than half that, depending on inflation rates.