In a statement released Monday, FOX announced that it would not match ESPN's $125 million per year offer for the rights to the BCS, a 50% increase from the current price of $82.5 million per year. FOX had offered to pay $100 million, a 25% increase.
This almost assures that ESPN will acquire the rights to the Bowl Championship Series in its entirety, starting in 2011. For its part, FOX seems to confirm that this will be the case, noting in the aformentioned statement that "the University presidents and BCS commissioners ... decided to take their jewel events to pay television."
This would mark the first time in over a decade that a major sport's championship event aired exclusively on cable. The National Hockey League Stanley Cup Finals aired on various cable networks from 1981-1994.
http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/200...-espn.html
Here is how the payout works for the non-BCS schools this year.
The schools that make up the MAC, SBC, CUSA, MWC, WAC and independents receive 9% of the BCS money (9.216 million) every year. Half of this amount is divided evenly per school.
MAC .921.6 mil
CUSA .921.6 mil
MWC .921.6 mil
WAC .921.6 mil
SBC .921.6 mil
The other 50% of the money is distributed by a (5-4-3-2-1) ratio.
MWC (5) 1.536 mil
MAC (4) 1.228 mil
WAC (3) .9216 mil
CUSA (2) .614 mil
SBC (1) .3072 mil
Assuming Utah plays in a BCS game coalition conferences pick up another 9% distribution with the participating conference receiving 6 million up front.
Utah 4.294 mil
MWC 1.706 mil
The coalition conferences then divide up the remainder of the extra 9% distribution (3.216 mil) on the (5-4-3-2-1) ratio
MWC (5) 1.072 mil
MAC (4) .8576 mil
WAC (3) .6432 mil
CUSA (2) .4288 mil
SBC (1) .2144 mil
Total BCS payout per conference:
MWC 9.53 mil
MAC 3.01 mil
WAC 2.49 mil
CUSA 1.96 mil
SBC 1.44 mil
Let's pretend now that this new deal goes through with ESPN with an increase of 50% and that the Mountain West+Boise earns BCS status.
The schools that make up the MAC, SBC, CUSA, WAC and independents receive 9% of the BCS money (13.824 million) every year. Half of this amount is divided evenly per school.
MAC 1.728 mil
WAC 1.728 mil
CUSA 1.728 mil
SBC 1.728 mil
The other 50% of the money is distributed by a (4-3-2-1) ratio.
MAC (4) 2.7648 mil
WAC (3) 2.0736 mil
CUSA (2) 1.3824 mil
SBC (1) .6912 mil
Assuming Ball State plays in a BCS game coalition conferences pick up another 9% distribution with the participating conference receiving 9 million up front.
Ball State 6.441 mil
MAC 2.559 mil
The coalition conferences then divide up the remainder of the extra 9% distribution (4.824 mil) on the (4-3-2-1) ratio
MAC (4) 1.9296 mil
WAC (3) 1.4472 mil
CUSA (2) .9648 mil
SBC (1) .4824 mil
Total BCS payout per conference:
MAC 15.42 mil
WAC 5.25 mil
CUSA 4.08 mil
SBC 2.90 mil
The future is bright for the MAC in FBS football.
More BCS money, an Army/Navy bowl deal in place, rising dollar value of money games, this all adds up.
Excellent. This should likely kill the BCS.
Great...now ESPN can overhype the teams they need to so their TV ratings are maximized.
JVWOwls86 Wrote:Great...now ESPN can overhype the teams they need to so their TV ratings are maximized.
exactly. I wonder what the ESPN rankings are going to look like once they have a more at stake. this is horrible for non-bcs schools. If the bcs is fighting off demands for a playoff now, there's even less of a chance they will change at all if they're making even more money. yes, we may be making a little more money but it's still peanuts compared to what the bcs schools will make and have to pump back into their programs. And don't even get me started on what Notre Dame will likely make with this new agreement...
While this looks good IF Ball State makes a BCS game, something I doubt the big-wigs will allow to happen even if they are 13-0, note that all of the BCS conferences are getting more money too. This does not appear to help the MAC gain any ground on the big boys unless we can get a team in a BCS bowl game each year for many years in a row...
Two thoughts:
1). As KC indicates, a bigger pie means more pie for all,
2). A 13 - 0 Ball State would still receive a ton of FREE publicity for being undefeated and not invited to the BCS National Championship game or any BCS game. They would become the poster child for what injustice can happen to non-BCS schools.
When programs, like MAC programs, are building, free publicity can really help. USC, Florida, etc. don't stand to gain much by more publicity, but MAC schools do.
Good to see that ESPN has $ to spend on marque television events.
I hope they'll spread some of the $ to the MAC when the conference and ESPN re-negotiate their TV and rights deal.
I hope ESPN runs the BCS into the ground.