CSNbbs

All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

(12-14-2012 12:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

That said, we're probably best served by getting FB back to 10, and maintaining the geographic footprint . .. .

(12-14-2012 12:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

There will obviously be differences but those differences will mostly be for show as overhead eats up a lot of the net gains.

(12-14-2012 12:00 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]http://www.arkst.com/?p=2071

Great Article. Brings to light the reality of the situation for BCS conferences not in the "Big Five".

"The WAC clearly took the wrong path. Growing to 16, the revenue received never matched the projections and the geography prevented schools that wanted to play each other from being able to. Breaking those ties hurt gate receipts and fan interest"


All the presidents need to read this line over and over again.

(12-14-2012 12:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

No manna dropping from heaven, no easy pie, no Bubble-Up or Rainbow Stew. We have to make money the hard way. That includes reducing travel costs.

If the gang of 5 would band together with a joint rights deal they could get more total dollars. Everyone sees that, but no one is will to admit it.

(12-14-2012 12:20 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 12:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

There will obviously be differences but those differences will mostly be for show as overhead eats up a lot of the net gains.

That very well could be true, but the "show" is a big deal for ECU. Even if getting to the Big East didn't actually result in ECU being in any better position than it was in 1997 the other option was much much worse. ECU fans have been outraged for about a year over the way stuff went down and that we got "left" in a bastardized C-USA, and much worse than that the biggest of the big money donors were disgusted by it. It's not that getting in the Big East or whatever the new league will be called will be a massive financial windfall, but it will prevent the potential financial ruin of big money donors and fans giving up. Getting the invite has brought some energy and excitement back to a fan base that was completely down in the dumps for over a year. That's where this matters, keeping the fan base motivated to give and energized to keep fighting.

(12-14-2012 12:41 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 12:20 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 12:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

There will obviously be differences but those differences will mostly be for show as overhead eats up a lot of the net gains.

That very well could be true, but the "show" is a big deal for ECU. Even if getting to the Big East didn't actually result in ECU being in any better position than it was in 1997 the other option was much much worse. ECU fans have been outraged for about a year over the way stuff went down and that we got "left" in a bastardized C-USA, and much worse than that the biggest of the big money donors were disgusted by it. It's not that getting in the Big East or whatever the new league will be called will be a massive financial windfall, but it will prevent the potential financial ruin of big money donors and fans giving up. Getting the invite has brought some energy and excitement back to a fan base that was completely down in the dumps for over a year. That's where this matters, keeping the fan base motivated to give and energized to keep fighting.

What ECU did was what they had to do. Although I am an Appalachian undergrad I greatly admire ECU for what the school has done both academically and athletically in the shadow of State, Duke and Carolina. I have a partner in a business I am a shareholder in who lives in Greenville and who used to be in the school's administration. He has told me about what has been going on there in regards to their membership in Conference USA for quite awhile. The words have been anything but complimentary. Terry Holland did what he had to do to get them out of that sinking boat. What was an agreement to only play football in the Big East will now probably extend to all sports as they retool and move forward. I just hope you find an athletic director that can continue what Terry has put in place over the years. You guys deserve much better than the hand dealt you being so close to the Triangle and the three schools there. Lebo has the basketball team is off to a good start this year too!

Here is what I believe.

Forget all the talk about Boise State, SDSU, SMU, Houston, Tulane, Memphis, UCF, ECU or even Cincy "going home". When you are the president of a college you are responsible for multi-million budgets and your position is always balanced on political concerns balancing the constituentcies that grant you power. Declaring "I was wrong" isn't in the playbook. Declaring "I was wrong" and then walking into a weakened version of the conference you left (via expansion) is not a workable option.

I think that what you will see is either:
1. The Big East Football League goes forward full steam ahead and yeah one to three more will jump on that train. The end result will be it collapses within less than a decade, probably more like five years, and a new scramble begins.
2. Groups of presidents are talking and asking how do we fix this? How do we get something that is smarter for us? They start looking at schools and ask what do they bring to the table? What do they do for the health of the new league? Do they win football games and sell tickets? Do they win basketball games and sell tickets? Do they have an academic reputation we want to be associated with? Will their fans come to games here? Do they deliver a TV audience or just the maybe, could be, potential of an audience? Then they start forming new leagues.

I think the presidents are about to seize control of realignment because they've lost faith in the commissioners from questionable revenue projections to calls to add someone to appease a member that wasn't staying anyway, to pushing to add poor fitting schools in the quest for either a TV number or just a number that provides stability.

I may be underestimating the sales ability of commissioners and if I am then the new Big East Football League may be the proof that I've underestimated them.

(12-14-2012 12:41 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 12:20 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 12:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]All the midgets scrambling for a piece of the TV pie need to realize that we aren't getting any of it. No combination of Sun Belt/MWC/CUSA/and nBE leftovers is going to get a massive amount of money.

There will obviously be differences but those differences will mostly be for show as overhead eats up a lot of the net gains.

That very well could be true, but the "show" is a big deal for ECU. Even if getting to the Big East didn't actually result in ECU being in any better position than it was in 1997 the other option was much much worse. ECU fans have been outraged for about a year over the way stuff went down and that we got "left" in a bastardized C-USA, and much worse than that the biggest of the big money donors were disgusted by it. It's not that getting in the Big East or whatever the new league will be called will be a massive financial windfall, but it will prevent the potential financial ruin of big money donors and fans giving up. Getting the invite has brought some energy and excitement back to a fan base that was completely down in the dumps for over a year. That's where this matters, keeping the fan base motivated to give and energized to keep fighting.

Exactly why the Sun Belt members left, at a different but same level.

If you are a university president, what you need right now is significant information to make intelligent decisions.

- You need realistic TV value information, that is information about viewers, not markets.
- You need to remember the selection process for the 6th BCS slot is best conference champ and remember that of 8 Busters, four were produced from one of the two "power" leagues of the non-AQ and four were produced from the bottom tier.
-You need to look at school committment to football. Are they marketing and selling tickets, are they investing in the program, are they demanding accountablity for performance.
- You need to look at school committment to basketball. Are they marketing and selling tickets, are they investing in the program, are they demanding accountability for performance.
- You will look at academic reputation and how they fit with you.

And probably exactly why the schools still in the Sun Belt will jump to add some wannabes, instead of just adding NMSU for football only, instituting a big buyout, and sitting tight.

(12-14-2012 02:22 PM)Vobserver Wrote: [ -> ]And probably exactly why the schools still in the Sun Belt will jump to add some wannabes, instead of just adding NMSU for football only, instituting a big buyout, and sitting tight.

When has a school declined leaving due to a buyout? Maryland is broke and they are still going to scrape together $50 million.

Buyouts are for show.

(12-14-2012 02:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 02:22 PM)Vobserver Wrote: [ -> ]And probably exactly why the schools still in the Sun Belt will jump to add some wannabes, instead of just adding NMSU for football only, instituting a big buyout, and sitting tight.

When has a school declined leaving due to a buyout? Maryland is broke and they are still going to scrape together $50 million.

Buyouts are for show.

Then delete the buyout. I still believe that in the current situation, the wise course for the Sun Belt is to add an existing FBS school for football only [NMSU] and sit tight.

(12-14-2012 02:26 PM)Vobserver Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 02:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 02:22 PM)Vobserver Wrote: [ -> ]And probably exactly why the schools still in the Sun Belt will jump to add some wannabes, instead of just adding NMSU for football only, instituting a big buyout, and sitting tight.

When has a school declined leaving due to a buyout? Maryland is broke and they are still going to scrape together $50 million.

Buyouts are for show.

Then delete the buyout. I still believe that in the current situation, the wise course for the Sun Belt is to add an existing FBS school for football only [NMSU] and sit tight.

If nobody else leaves, you may be right VO.

(12-14-2012 02:26 PM)Vobserver Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 02:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-14-2012 02:22 PM)Vobserver Wrote: [ -> ]And probably exactly why the schools still in the Sun Belt will jump to add some wannabes, instead of just adding NMSU for football only, instituting a big buyout, and sitting tight.

When has a school declined leaving due to a buyout? Maryland is broke and they are still going to scrape together $50 million.

Buyouts are for show.

Then delete the buyout. I still believe that in the current situation, the wise course for the Sun Belt is to add an existing FBS school for football only [NMSU] and sit tight.

See post #12, this is our current situation. We choose this route, you might as well kill RCAF today.

Thanks for the insight ArkStFan!

Only if we add newbies.