Named interim commissioner.

(08-14-2015 01:01 PM)Noodles Wrote:  Named interim commissioner.

Story

interim

great hire, IMO

Don't think she has many supporters at Southern Miss for the permanent position.
We probably don't carry much weight, anyway. We don't have tv sets.

I want a flashier hire but accept her as a good candidate.

Odd that a basketball school would support her.

There are a couple of ways to look at this.

1. First and foremost it is an interim tag. The problem with hiring someone else (namely a male) creates a potential problem and may make the league look bad for not allowing her to be the first official female commissioner now that she has the interim commish label.

2. She is utterly not the right choice if the TV deal is the utmost importance; however, the TV negotiations are by and large done. It's obvious that we are resigning with Fox and electing not to go to the open market. That should be clear as day for anyone paying attention to this league. What the rest of the deal looks like (i.e. ASN, second tier, etc) appears still to be not as clear but again is assuredly in the final stages. So, with that said her role in that is ostensibly less important at least at this time.

3. So, what are the other important issues? That would likely vary based on the personalities here and what you are most interested in, but I'm sure one at the top of the list is basketball getting the league moving back up in the RPI. I would say that's debatable as to her acumen to influence that.

4. Lastly, if continuity is of utmost importance then she may be a good choice. But for a league that has seen a lot of membership changes, is that really important? There has been one constant through all that and that is the commissioner. BB, if nothing else, provided some degree of continuity by staying for so long.

She has a rather long and successful tenure at Tulsa, so she understands what AD's in this league go through day-to-day and year-to-year so that is helpful. I would suspect that she will be highly backed by the AD's to have the interim tag removed and become the permanent choice. With things settled down now with a chance to move this league forward bringing in someone new would possibly have a huge risk/reward profile. With JM, I think you have a low risk/reward and with a big group like this the path to least resistance is likely the one to win out. For that reason, I would expect her to become the permanent commissioner.

Thanks for the summary 3L, however I think the Tulsa connection works against her as they are no longer a member of this conference. She may be a favorite of C-USA's remaining members since realignment but I think that group is now a minority. I'm sure that a coalition to find the new commish may be difficult and she may get the job by default but I wouldn't think she is a slam dunk.

Also you said it was 'obvious that Fox will be our main carrier if you were paying any attention at all'. I feel I've been paying attention but thought I heard that FOX and ESPN may be splitting the programming and that CBS was bowing out. Can you explain the obviousness that I'm missing; thanks.

(08-14-2015 02:09 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  Thanks for the summary 3L, however I think the Tulsa connection works against her as they are no longer a member of this conference. She may be a favorite of C-USA's remaining members since realignment but I think that group is now a minority. I'm sure that a coalition to find the new commish may be difficult and she may get the job by default but I wouldn't think she is a slam dunk.

Also you said it was 'obvious that Fox will be our main carrier if you were paying any attention at all'. I feel I've been paying attention but thought I heard that FOX and ESPN may be splitting the programming and that CBS was bowing out. Can you explain the obviousness that I'm missing; thanks.

Split between two entities implies 50/50 deal similar to what we had with Fox and CBS. Never say never but I can't see any circumstance where that happens with ESPN. If we apply the rule that partners get the first crack at renegotiation that means Fox gets first dibs on Tier 1. With CBS out of the picture for Tier 2, then it is possible ESPN could come into that but that's not ESPN's MO to play second fiddle and it ignores the relationship with ASN, so what ESPN has dibs on is renegotiation of the championship game and that's all. It remains to be seen if ESPN will partner with ASN to purchase and then sell. We'll just have to wait and see all the details on that, but the part that's clear is that Fox is going to have the preponderance of the TV relationship with us.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/..._macl.html

Fox, ASN and ESPN are all fine with me. Has anyone seen that Fox spin around MLB or what ever like the NFL's Red Zone? Now that's the way to watch baseball; you can hardly digest one great play before they're off to something else in another ballpark.

I hope ESPN is more than the CCG and the Bowl Game for C-USA but if it's Fox, ok. Football is less than 3 weeks away...

I don't think you can use the Tulsa angle against her since she's been with CUSA since 2005?

It seems like there haven't been a ton of female conference directors although I really don't know why they can't be.

Does everyone expect a long term deal, or us to sign a short term deal with hopes of renegotiating for something better in the future?

(08-14-2015 06:45 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  Does everyone expect a long term deal, or us to sign a short term deal with hopes of renegotiating for something better in the future?

you talking about MacLeod or the tv deal?

Sorry, should have clarified, I was meaning the TV deal.

Hope she is only the interim. Most Tulsa fans were glad when she left.

(08-14-2015 08:50 PM)TU72N76 Wrote:  Hope she is only the interim. Most Tulsa fans were glad when she left.

i got blasted a few weeks ago for saying the same thing.

I'm fine with this hire as long as she has the stuff to take C-USA higher. If she doesn't, I just hope the powers that be have the foresight to make it a short contract. If she does, full sails and clean decks.

Trigger warning: Not P.C.

Imagine, if you will, that she fails miserably. How do you fire the only woman that has ever been commissioner of a FBS conference?

Is this a valid reason for not making her our permanent commissioner? Not by itself, no. Coupled with her lack of results on the NCAA b'ball tourney committee, maybe so.

There's a general rule in business that you never put a person in the interim position that you are seriously considering for the permanent position and you never accept the interim position if your desire is to have the permanent position.

We'll see how it plays out.