(08-03-2016 02:46 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  

(08-03-2016 02:12 PM)msm96wolf Wrote:  AC,
To be honest, I think ESPN would let the AAC go to Fox if the bid is higher. I just don't see if three strong teams leave, there is single east coast that enhances the league let alone three. In addition, major TV markets will be gone as well. The AAC will be lucky to match what the Big East just gets for Basketball from FOX. Initially, I thought Cinci and either Memphis or UCF would be the only two teams added to get to 12. I actually thought the one saving grace for the AAC was Houston would be with UCONN because the logical thinking was B12 would not take a Fifth Texas Team. Now that appears to be out the window, I think this may be the biggest blow to the AAC is them going to 14 and taking Houston. As always, this depends on if the B12 expands.

The AAC already gets less than the Big East. If they lose three teams no way they get more or the same.

This. If the AAC loses three of Houston, Memphis, UC and UConn, it's game over. You're looking at something much closer to MAC or CUSA money than Big East money.

(08-03-2016 02:06 PM)MissouriStateBears Wrote:  

(08-03-2016 01:18 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(08-03-2016 12:09 PM)Realignment Wrote:  I think they'll add BYU, Colorado State, Cincinnati & Houston when it's all said and done. They'll have two teams in the Mountain Time Zone and two teams in the Eastern Time Zone while solving the travel partner issue. The Big 14 would easily be able to sell sponsorship to their championship game. ESPN & FOX may get upset but the Big 14 needs to call their bluff, because at the end of the day the Big 14 will have suitors for their content. Extending the Grant of Rights may be the biggest hold-up as Oklahoma & Texas probably want to have the option to look elsewhere once it's all said and done.

How does it solve the "travel partner" problem? I guess it helps WVU some, Cincy is not a true travel partner, but close enough. however CSU and BYU become two new islands: neither are "travel partners" for the other, as they are 475 miles away from each other, which is roughly the distance from Rutgers to NC State - I doubt anyone considers Rutgers and NC State "travel partners."

Maybe out east that isn't close to be travel partners. It is out west. Heck our travel partner is Wichita and they are 250 miles apart.

The definition of a "travel partner" is a situation where visiting teams can hit both campuses in the same weekend for athletic events. Ideally it means someone who is within road distance (i.e. not on a plane). Even if they still travel by plane, it should be a short distance away. 250 miles is a 4 hour drive by bus: that is a legit travel partner, albeit near the extreme end of it. A team 8 hours away, which requires an 8 hour drive, is NOT a travel partner. Just because a team is the closest team to you, doesn't make it a "travel partner."

that said, while travel partners sound good in theory, I have yet to see a schedule that shows the use of them. I see NBA teams using it, when they go on West Coast trips (or west coast teams coming east) they tend to hit cities near by and play back to backs, and avoid cross country trips. Strangely, colleges don't seem to do that. So not sure of the benefit from that perspective. Outside of that, they just provide teams with at least one close rival: but that is not what a "travel partner" is.

I agree with you mickmack, fox has no use for byu. I think the holdup is fox is actually after more and they're negotiating with the big 12. I've read that fox really wants to get into Florida also. Espn could be on the outside looking in contractual this time. This has turned into a turf war more so than a big12 money grab, which can end up as a win-win for everyone accept espn. Now wouldn't that be awesome

(08-03-2016 03:12 PM)Tigersmoke3 Wrote:  I agree with you mickmack, fox has no use for byu. I think the holdup is fox is actually after more and they're negotiating with the big 12. I've read that fox really wants to get into Florida also. Espn could be on the outside looking in contractual this time. This has turned into a turf war more so than a big12 money grab, which can end up as a win-win for everyone accept espn. Now wouldn't that be awesome

How does Fox have no use for BYU? They are one of the best programs not in the P5 and have a good reliable fan base.

East Carolina is also doing good in tv ratings for football. That would also gets Fox into the ACC country as well. Could FOX offered the AAC and Big 12 to do a mega merger of all 22 teams?

Texas 6:
Texas
Baylor
TCU
Texas Tech
Houston
SMU

North:
Tulsa
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State

Southeast:
Memphis
Tulane
UCF
USF
East Carolina


Northeast:
Cincinnati
Temple
UConn.
Navy
West Virginia

They could go to 24 by adding UMass. to the northeast and Old Dominion to the southeast. That would push Fox into the ACC, Big 10 and SEC territory for the Big 12.

What part of fox has the west coast. THEY NEED HIGH POPULATION, HIGH DOLLAR EASTERN CONTENT. There is only one conference left that produces million viewer games. Football drives the money train.

Corbett,

It may be because it doesn't always apply well to the conference schedule template for a particular sport.

Football - N/A, as you only play one game per week regardless
Basketball - Depends on the template of the conf schedule ... in the Summit League, I'm pretty sure they do Thurs/Sat games ... so in that case a travel partner would be a huge benefit. But if it's more like Wed/Sat, then probably not going to stay in a hotel Thurs and Fri night, more likely to return home Wed late.
Baseball - I think they usually play three or four games in a weekend against one team?
(Hockey - obviously niche sport, but these are almost always two games per weekend against one team)

But for other sports like volleyball, soccer ... and perhaps individual/multi-team event sports like track, swimming wrestling, where one or two teams can fly in and have a meet with the two travel partners ... it probably is a great benefit.

(08-04-2016 09:46 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  But for other sports like volleyball, soccer ... and perhaps individual/multi-team event sports like track, swimming wrestling, where one or two teams can fly in and have a meet with the two travel partners ... it probably is a great benefit.

That's just it. A while back, probably a couple of years ago, when this topic first came up. To show you how long ago it was, the Big East was still whole. I did some random searches of schedules at that time of any sport I could find. I used Louisville, ND, and South Florida in the Big East, and Boston College and Florida State in the ACC, to see if that type of scheduling was ever used (using the far outlying teams in conferences that have several close teams). I could not find any evidence at the time in any sport that it was used for scheduling. No Big East teams would hit any combination of Rutgers, Seton hall, St. Johns, or UConn in one trip in the Big East, and none of the ones I checked in the ACC hit up any combination of NC State, UNC, Duke, Wake, or Clemson.

Maybe some places do, but even in the minor sports, I was seeing instances of where these opportunities were there, and never utilized. Granted I only checked out about 6 programs and only used two years to look at (I think 2011 and 2012), but still.

That's valid analysis.

Maybe it is simply the case in these days that travel partners are irrelevant for high-major leagues.

(08-04-2016 10:54 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  That's valid analysis.

Maybe it is simply the case in these days that travel partners are irrelevant for high-major leagues.

I agree. My impression is it makes no difference to the Big 12, other than they considered BYU and/or Boise as FB only, but later dropped the idea.

Distance matters to the fans that would like to go to some away games.

(08-04-2016 11:57 AM)Tigersmoke3 Wrote:  Distance matters to the fans that would like to go to some away games.

True. But that is not what a "travel partner" is about.

ESPN for: Boise State, Colorado State, BYU, San Diego State, UNLV, they need west coast conference. Fox blocks them because they have the PAC 12.

Fox Sports wants: Cincinnati, Memphis, UCF, USF, UConn, UMass, Old Dominion, East Carolina, Temple, Navy for east coast content. ESPN blocks it because it is in competition to the ACC, SEC and eastern Big 10.

Going too far east from the footprint, even if the media money is good, comes out from the traditional, anticipated revenue routes that departments depended on: ticket sales.

I have no doubt the best eastern program the B12 could get is UConn, but if one thinks UConn is going to fulfill its share of tickets to Ames, Manhattan, and Lubbok, let alone Austin or others, and vice-versa...no way.

I don't care what wrath it incites, but I think that's an issue with any of these non-SA and BYU G5ers. They're not always good with that in both the revenue sports, and that's "real" money.