The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Dail...9/AAC.aspx

The American Athletic Conference will get $1B for its media rights from ESPN over 12 years, according to sources. The average of $83.3M per year is about four times what the AAC was making in its previous rights agreement with the net, which paid the league just over $20M annually. The new agreement begins in '20-21 and runs through the '31-32 academic year.

The annual per-school average of $6.94M provides each AAC school with nearly $5M more in annual revenue. They did not sign a grant of rights, which would have restricted them from jumping to a conference in the Power Five. SBJ reported in December that the AAC was considering a grant-of-rights, which effectively turns over a school’s media rights to the conference.

Tell me why we shouldn’t strive to get out of this league and into that one?

(03-19-2019 03:22 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  Tell me why we shouldn’t strive to get out of this league and into that one?

There's absolutely no reason why shouldn't be doing everything we possibly can to get into that league. While AAC schools will be getting ~$7M, CUSA schools are getting $400k....

And the AAC figure is likely to increase some since they also still have a deal with CBS to negotiate for some of their basketball games.

Wow. Didnt a lot of people expect their media deal to decrease? Power 6 claim rings a little truer.

Yeah, I'm sure a league like that won't consider men's basketball at all if they expand. Smdh.

We need to be going all in, right now. After all the investment in football, be some **** to be left out because of men's basketball.

When that new stadium opens in '21, we need to clearly be the best expansion candidate out of CUSA, The Belt, and the MAC.

UAB needs to have a commission to look at this in a serious, comprehensive way. This is not something to be left to chance. There may not be an open spot at this moment but it is likely that will change at some point and need to be ready. Basketball wouldn’t keep us out. But certainly it could help strengthen our case if we can get things in better shape.

We must continue to build our donor and corporate base. Great things are happening in this city and that will actually strengthen our position. Just have to make sure we are analyzing this and preparing in every facet.

We are actually making a decent facilities push, moreso than in any recent memory. We have the new football operations center/Legacy Pavilion, new soccer stadium, new track & field facility, and new beach volleyball facility. We'll have the new football stadium in 2021 and planned projects for a basketball practice facility, clubhouse building for baseball & softball, and upgrades to Young Memorial Field.

(03-19-2019 09:59 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  We are actually making a decent facilities push, moreso than in any recent memory. We have the new football operations center/Legacy Pavilion, new soccer stadium, new track & field facility, and new beach volleyball facility. We'll have the new football stadium in 2021 and planned projects for a basketball practice facility, clubhouse building for baseball & softball, and upgrades to Young Memorial Field.

Indeed. I've pimped a little on the AAC and Realignment boards. Frustrating seeing the topic come up and UAB go unmentioned. I think we have a lot of strengths (academics, market, new facilities) that make us a strong candidate. A resurgent men's basketball program would make UAB the total package.

I love Frenchie's Big 12 goal, I just think that's unrealistic within the next realignment time frame. Unless somebody on here hits the Lottery.

(03-20-2019 01:18 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(03-19-2019 09:59 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  We are actually making a decent facilities push, moreso than in any recent memory. We have the new football operations center/Legacy Pavilion, new soccer stadium, new track & field facility, and new beach volleyball facility. We'll have the new football stadium in 2021 and planned projects for a basketball practice facility, clubhouse building for baseball & softball, and upgrades to Young Memorial Field.

Indeed. I've pimped a little on the AAC and Realignment boards. Frustrating seeing the topic come up and UAB go unmentioned. I think we have a lot of strengths (academics, market, new facilities) that make us a strong candidate. A resurgent men's basketball program would make UAB the total package.

I love Frenchie's Big 12 goal, I just think that's unrealistic within the next realignment time frame. Unless somebody on here hits the Lottery.

Perhaps we should raise money for one of us who regularly goes out of state to buy Lottery tickets in the BlazerTalk name whenever the pot gets huge. I'm sure we can work out some agreement with our agent if we win.

(03-19-2019 03:20 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Dail...9/AAC.aspx

The American Athletic Conference will get $1B for its media rights from ESPN over 12 years, according to sources. The average of $83.3M per year is about four times what the AAC was making in its previous rights agreement with the net, which paid the league just over $20M annually. The new agreement begins in '20-21 and runs through the '31-32 academic year.

The annual per-school average of $6.94M provides each AAC school with nearly $5M more in annual revenue. They did not sign a grant of rights, which would have restricted them from jumping to a conference in the Power Five. SBJ reported in December that the AAC was considering a grant-of-rights, which effectively turns over a school’s media rights to the conference.

ESPN must have some horrible contract negotiators. No wonder they have had to let so many people go recently. Way over paying for The Longhorn Network was bad enough. What competent person would knowingly out bid someone else by a factor of 4? If they wanted to throw money away, they could have simply doubled what the AAC was getting and still would have won the contract.

(03-20-2019 09:23 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  

(03-19-2019 03:20 PM)BlazinBham Wrote:  https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Dail...9/AAC.aspx

The American Athletic Conference will get $1B for its media rights from ESPN over 12 years, according to sources. The average of $83.3M per year is about four times what the AAC was making in its previous rights agreement with the net, which paid the league just over $20M annually. The new agreement begins in '20-21 and runs through the '31-32 academic year.

The annual per-school average of $6.94M provides each AAC school with nearly $5M more in annual revenue. They did not sign a grant of rights, which would have restricted them from jumping to a conference in the Power Five. SBJ reported in December that the AAC was considering a grant-of-rights, which effectively turns over a school’s media rights to the conference.

ESPN must have some horrible contract negotiators. No wonder they have had to let so many people go recently. Way over paying for The Longhorn Network was bad enough. What competent person would knowingly out bid someone else by a factor of 4? If they wanted to throw money away, they could have simply doubled what the AAC was getting and still would have won the contract.

If that's the case, then the AAC's leadership did a heck of a job selling their league. CUSA does a good job of selling the league...down the river.

If this investment in the AAC pays off as ESPN expects, they may wind up with TV rights to one of the new "P6" conferences into the 2030s for what may be seen then as bargain level money. If UAB wants to get into that conference, it must improve its "financial game" to match that new level of competition.

The financial gap between G5 and P5 conference members is getting larger every year. Power conference members are getting several millions annually from media and bowls (who pay to the conferences, not to the NCAA) to plow back into their athletic programs while G level conference members generally must work with hundred-thousands to a couple million.

Our current CUSA level budget was way to low tocompete in the CAA, Needed about 15 million to bring us to bottom of that league This 7 million plus some increased attendance for better conference games will help close the gap but will need increase other revenues - keep working we are getting close

(03-21-2019 01:53 PM)uabbean Wrote:  Our current CUSA level budget was way to low tocompete in the CAA, Needed about 15 million to bring us to bottom of that league This 7 million plus some increased attendance for better conference games will help close the gap but will need increase other revenues - keep working we are getting close

Just how much would UAB have to increase its budget level to match the bottom and then the median program in the AAC? How realistic is it to desire to close whatever deficit may exist between UAB's budget and these two AAC programs?

Wasn’t that long ago TCU was a conference mate that was our equal.

Houston, SMU, and UCF made major investments in football with facilities.

We just now started. When we are sitting here with new practicei facilities and Ans a stadium championships, bow wins, and incriesing attendance. we are a much more attractive date. AAC may not be the only intwrested party. We will look a lot better to others than we will perceive ourselves. Don’t forget we are more respected outside this state than in it and that is today.

Memphis, UCF, and some others I get. Never understood how Tulsa's budget is so much larger than ours. Their attendance is no bigger and their school is much smaller (less than 4,000 undergrads).
Deep pocketed alums like Tulane?

(03-21-2019 06:12 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  Memphis, UCF, and some others I get. Never understood how Tulsa's budget is so much larger than ours. Their attendance is no bigger and their school is much smaller (less than 4,000 undergrads).
Deep pocketed alums like Tulane?

Private school with wealthy donors.

(03-21-2019 07:58 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  

(03-21-2019 06:12 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  Memphis, UCF, and some others I get. Never understood how Tulsa's budget is so much larger than ours. Their attendance is no bigger and their school is much smaller (less than 4,000 undergrads).
Deep pocketed alums like Tulane?

Private school with wealthy donors.

A lot of Texas and Oklahoma schools get oil & gas industry money. Public schools get various taxes while private schools have endowments from wealthy oil & gas businessmen. Oral Roberts University is in Tulsa as well.

(03-21-2019 04:55 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(03-21-2019 01:53 PM)uabbean Wrote:  Our current CUSA level budget was way to low tocompete in the CAA, Needed about 15 million to bring us to bottom of that league This 7 million plus some increased attendance for better conference games will help close the gap but will need increase other revenues - keep working we are getting close

Just how much would UAB have to increase its budget level to match the bottom and then the median program in the AAC? How realistic is it to desire to close whatever deficit may exist between UAB's budget and these two AAC programs?

Per the 16-17 USA financial database revenues, Our budget was 25 Million, The lowest CAA budget was 48 million - UAB would need to increase over 20 million. The median CAA budget is 58 million - UAB would need to increase over 30 Million.

IMHO UABs budget will increase to around 30 million at the time of new stadium- thus why I used my estimate of a 15 Million needed