Not sure if that's for the entire television package or just for football or basketball. If it's the entire package, that's a big letdown for the schools in that conference. Those coming in from CUSA (Houston, SMU, ECU, Tulane, Memphis, UCF), would be making a bit more than they currently do, but nothing significant. Those from the Big East (UConn, Cincy, USF) would be making about $1 million less in TV revenue than their current contract, if that's for the entire package. Would be a tough pill to swallow for those schools when they turned down ESPN's offer of $13 million/school/year a few years ago. Something I would have done at the time, as well.

As mentioned in the article, ESPN contractually has the ability to match the reported NBCSN offer. Wonder if that is the case with all of their college deals?

espn.go.com/mens-college-baske...ia-rights-deals

NBC Sports Network verbally offered the Big East between $20 million and $23 million per year for six years to acquire the league's media rights, sources told ESPN.

Meanwhile, the Big East's Catholic 7 schools are closing on a deal with Fox Sports, according to sources.

NBC Sports Network is expected to submit an official offer to the Big East by next week. Once the Big East receives an official offer from NBC Sports Network, the league must give ESPN, the Big East's current rights-holder, the opportunity to match the deal.

Frankly given the crap left over in that conference that's a generous offer that should be signed before the ink is dry.

Any news on ECU basketball front?

WHICH Big east? I'm conflustered.

wrcwolf wrote: Not sure if that's for the entire television package or just for football or basketball. If it's the entire package, that's a big letdown for the schools in conference. Those coming in from CUSA (Houston, SMU, ECU, Tulane, Memphis, UCF), would be making a bit more than they currently do, but nothing significathat nt. Those from the Big East (UConn, Cincy, USF) would be making about $1 million less in TV revenue than their current contract, if that's for the entire package. Would be a tough pill to swallow for those schools when they turned down ESPN's offer of $13 million/school/year a few years ago. Something I would have done at the time, as well.

As mentioned in the article, ESPN contractually has the ability to match the reported NBCSN offer. Wonder if that is the case with all of their college deals?

espn.go.com/mens-college-baske...ia-rights-deals

NBC Sports Network verbally offered the Big East between $20 million and $23 million per year for six years to acquire the league's media rights, sources told ESPN.

Meanwhile, the Big East's Catholic 7 schools are closing on a deal with Fox Sports, according to sources.

NBC Sports Network is expected to submit an official offer to the Big East by next week. Once the Big East receives an official offer from NBC Sports Network, the league must give ESPN, the Big East's current rights-holder, the opportunity to match the deal.

So a little hard to keep track of BE teams-think Temple currently and Navy(future) are part of the BE. Anyone else?

Guess the BE did not understand ESPN offer was an offer they couldn't refuse.  Either your
signiture or BE will be gone. ND leaving was like the bloody horse's head left for the BE.

Really curious about this. Could work out nice for ECU.

Btw, wouldn't mind seeing them add Charlotte.

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--- abcfan2005 wrote:

Any news on ECU basketball front?

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I actually hope that the Big East takes this deal. I am really hoping that between NBCSN, CBSSN, and the new FOXSN, that at least one of them offers something on the level with ESPN, I can not stand ESPN anymore. Lucky both hockey and MLB have their own networks

Doesn't appear to be any alternatives for the Big East at this moment, but the NBCSN offer.

What's interesting to me is ESPN's ability to match the offer. After some reading, that ability to match was in the public-viewed (court case) CUSA contract, as well. Is that a feature in all TV contracts? Supposedly, if ESPN matches the NBCSN offer, then they would have to continue the terms, number of games shown, etc..., of the current contract. That would mean 17 ESPN/ESPN2 football games, 5 ESPNU football games, 49 ESPN/ESPN2 basketball games and 30 ESPNU basketball games. ESPN will be losing a bunch of inventory, especially basketball games, if they lose the Big East to NBC and the Catholic 7 conference to FOX. So matching the offer isn't out of the question. If those terms above are accurate and ESPN does match, that would be a helluva deal for teams such as ECU when it comes to national exposure for their football and basketball teams. If they don't match, then the Big East will become the dominant college property on NBCSN. Not bad compared to ECU's current position. Plus, about 2x more TV revenue.

abcfan, it is believed that ECU will be extended a full membership once the "Catholic 7" split is finalized. The Big East will be a 12-team conference in football with Navy being a football-only member. In basketball, they will be an 11-team conference or maybe they'll invite a basketball-only school from the A-10 , CAA (Mason) or SoCon (Davidson) to even the numbers. Of course, that's all dependent on no more movement above them.

Johnny, ND's move wasn't the back-breaker for the Big East. That was the Cuse/Pitt defection. Also, those that were adamant to turn down that ESPN offer have now left the conference. Probably a smart decision then, however, now UConn, Cincy and USF have to live with the repercussions.

pskunk119 wrote: WHICH Big east? I'm conflustered.

Conflustered?.....LOLLER!

Love it...Must use it.

Me?....I'm "Exhaustipated".....

Definition  is "too tired to give a crap".

Pete Thamel from SI.com discussing the Big East presenting its NBCSN deal terms to ESPN. 

LINK

Thamel hypothesizes that the WWL may match it, just to load up on cheap programming to fill space and keep NBCSN from getting more content. If ESPN takes the deal, they will get the "Big East" at 1/4 of the price offered ~ 2 years ago. Of course, that's about right, as it seems like 3/4 of the Big East at that time is in the process of leaving.

ESPN will match to keep content off NBCSportsNet

Keeping content off NBCSN is a goal for ESPN, as we saw with the Pac-12 deal. However, I think under the terms of the contract, ESPN would have to at least offer the Big East the same terms as the previous contract. Does the WWL want to televise Big East football in some prime spots on Saturday? Do they want to have an ECU vs UConn Big East Tourney championship game on at 8:00 PM on Saturday night of tournament week? Do they want to continue "Big Monday" by leading off with Tulane vs SMU? That may make them walk.

The WWL keeps the Big East content. Also appears that the past contract isn't exactly in play in terms of game placement, etc... From the last paragraph, it looks as if ESPN and FOX are continuing to work together to keep NBCSN out of college sports as much as possible.

www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Da...1/Big-East.aspx

NBC late last week agreed to a deal that would put Big East football and basketball games primarily on NBC Sports Network, with the ability to move some games to NBC's broadcast network. ESPN had to decide whether to match that deal by today. It matched the rights fee but is not likely to put any games on its broadcast channel, ABC. Sources say ESPN is likely to sublicense a significant amount of games to other networks, such as Fox Sports, which is launching Fox Sports 1 this summer.