http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c...s/?sct=hp_t2_a3

$20-$23 million a year for the entire conference.

We knew this.  TV considers the league a has-been conference.  No names, no traditions, plenty of negative images.  Why would you offer more if you're an ESPN or NBC exec?

Have to swallow pride and prove these people wrong.  Moral victories don't cut it.  Poor showings won't cut it.  Everyone is going to have to go out and kick a$$, particularly in those important OOC matchups.

Respect will rebuild the brand.  Better brand will result in a better deal in 6 years.

It's almost depressing to consider what's happened since the March 8, 2012 announcement that Temple was back in the Big East.  Bradshaw has tried to paint a picture over the past few months that the new arrangement will be much better than the A-10/MAC combo.  And he's absolutely right as far as football is concerned.  But there's also been a gigantic opportunity lost (not to mention $8 million of annual revenue).  And the basketball team has missed its short window to recruit using the "true" Big East name.  And the basketball schedule truthfully won't be much more attractive in the future (though next year will bring plenty of great opponents -- arguably too tough for the talent and experience of the Owls).

Considering how good football and men's and women's basketball looked just 12 months ago, it's shocking to realize that all three will be in full rebuilding mode in 2013.

Excellent post, Shawn.  Great points.

i know A-10 teams get rougly 400K per year from TV...just curious, how much were we getting from the mac?

I don't understand why they are letting ESPN match the offer. If they want the contract let them beat the offer. NBC is not exactly Spike TV. They would provide pretty good exposure.

Big East HAS to let them match it by contract.  Though it would be humiliating to have them turn down that low an offer, seems to me it would be for the best for the BE if espn did turn it down.  Being the fourth option on ESPN is worse than the first option on NBC.

Loganowl wrote: Big East HAS to let them match it by contract.  Though it would be humiliating to have them turn down that low an offer, seems to me it would be for the best for the BE if espn did turn it down.  Being the fourth option on ESPN is worse than the first option on NBC.

But how many of our games would NBC actually televise. They have 2 channels. ESPN has ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, then 5 games going at once on ESPN-online. Wouldn't ESPN give us the best chances of being televised?

I would much prefer to be on ESPN. Much more exposure.

I'm just a fan so I really care a lot less about the $$ and more about games being on TV (since I live south). I'm also excited that Temple will be playing some opponents down this way so that I can make it to a few games.

From what I've read, it sounds like the NBC deal would get the Big East more exposure since NBC lacks content. The football games would be on Saturdays and what else would NBC have to displace airing Big East games on those days? What college basketball are the currently airing (seems to be pretty boring matchups at present) They have several channels they could utilize. NBC would have a stake in re-branding the conference.

Take it for what its worth but I've noticed a change in the way ESPN is covering the Big East. The blogs and articles have gone from either non-existent or trashing the conference to more content and more positive. Perhaps attempts to lower the value of the Big East initially followed by building the conference back up once they think they might get the TV rights. I have no way of knowing but my instincts tell me that ESPN matches the offer. From what I understand, I would prefer the NBC deal.

Miketb31 wrote:

Loganowl wrote: Big East HAS to let them match it by contract.  Though it would be humiliating to have them turn down that low an offer, seems to me it would be for the best for the BE if espn did turn it down.  Being the fourth option on ESPN is worse than the first option on NBC.

But how many of our games would NBC actually televise. They have 2 channels. ESPN has ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, then 5 games going at once on ESPN-online. Wouldn't ESPN give us the best chances of being televised?

It's an interesting choice.  If the money is the roughly same, do you get into bed with the unquestioned kingpin in TV sports, or do you go with the newcomer?  The A-10's experience with CBS College Sports leads me to believe it's better to stick with ESPN.  Because even though CBS and NBC are trying hard to get into the cable sports channel business, they are nowhere close to ESPN.  To me, the best thing to come out of the A-10/CBS deal was getting the A-10 title game on CBS on Selection Sunday.  But one good day per year does not make up for poor exposure for the entire season. But there are some other things to consider.  For one thing, I think NBC/Comcast are much better positioned than CBS to offer wide exposure across cable providers.  And I can see the Big East getting a lot more exposure on the parent network -- NBC -- than ESPN will offer to the Big East on ABC.  So those are the plusses for NBC.  FOX is probably better than NBC or CBS.  You can bet we'll see C-12 games on F/X and the parent network as well as the regional FOX channels.  And the final item to consider is the possibility to backup deals.  For example, the A-10 now has deals with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, and NBC Sports Network.  So what is the Big East looking at?  If they sign with ESPN, I would assume they are locked into ESPN only.  Perhaps the NBC deal would offer the opportunity to sign additional deals with other networks.  That could help tilt the decision.  But otherwise, if the money and the number of TV dates are roughly equal, I would have to pick ESPN.  (As they say, you can't fight City Hall.)

I would have a couple of reasons to be against ESPN (other than I hate them). One, if you believe the BC AD, they played a part in the main lynchpin that destroyed the conference which was getting the ACC to invite Pitt and Syracuse. He retracted the next day but the BC AD definitely said that.

Two, ESPN would relegate that Big East to a secondary product like they've done with the MAC. Who knows when they would schedule our games just to fill time. I never thought I would see basketball games starting before noon but, because of ESPN, that's becoming common. They might say "Let's have Big East Midnight Football every Wednesday" and the conference would do it. I think I would rather be a main product that a network would actively try to grow rather than a minor player.

My two-cents!

btn400 wrote: I would have a couple of reasons to be against ESPN (other than I hate them). One, if you believe the BC AD, they played a part in the main lynchpin that destroyed the conference which was getting the ACC to invite Pitt and Syracuse. He retracted the next day but the BC AD definitely said that.

Two, ESPN would relegate that Big East to a secondary product like they've done with the MAC. Who knows when they would schedule our games just to fill time. I never thought I would see basketball games starting before noon but, because of ESPN, that's becoming common. They might say "Let's have Big East Midnight Football every Wednesday" and the conference would do it. I think I would rather be a main product that a network would actively try to grow rather than a minor player.

My two-cents!

Good points... I would lean towards NBCUniversal/Comcast - think they would really promote the new conference... or would hope so

OwlsHead wrote:

btn400 wrote: I would have a couple of reasons to be against ESPN (other than I hate them). One, if you believe the BC AD, they played a part in the main lynchpin that destroyed the conference which was getting the ACC to invite Pitt and Syracuse. He retracted the next day but the BC AD definitely said that.

Two, ESPN would relegate that Big East to a secondary product like they've done with the MAC. Who knows when they would schedule our games just to fill time. I never thought I would see basketball games starting before noon but, because of ESPN, that's becoming common. They might say "Let's have Big East Midnight Football every Wednesday" and the conference would do it. I think I would rather be a main product that a network would actively try to grow rather than a minor player.

My two-cents!

Good points... I would lean towards NBCUniversal/Comcast - think they would really promote the new conference... or would hope so

Great points, actually. Look at the CBS Network solely dedicated to college sports. The Saturday afternoon programming on there is Army, Navy and Air Force football games.
Even a CUSA/Big East grouping of teams would trump that.
Hate to go back to ESPN dictating Tuesday and Wednesday night games:



http://templefootballforever.blogspot.com/

papreps wrote:
Great points, actually. Look at the CBS Network solely dedicated to college sports. The Saturday afternoon programming on there is Army, Navy and Air Force football games.
Even a CUSA/Big East grouping of teams would trump that.
Hate to go back to ESPN dictating Tuesday and Wednesday night games:

Don't be so sure NBC wouldn't eventually look for midweek games too.

I think the good news is that there could still be a bidding war, so the dollar figures could rise.  Even though ESPN has the right to match the NBC offer, I wouldn't think that means the Big East has to sign it.

Even if that were to happen, i'd rather see Aresco give the new venture a shot.  NBC would have to promote if it wanted to get viewers to tune in.

More importantly and this is a matter of principle, but ESPN brought on the demise of the BE.  It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they did that with the intention of driving down the value of the tv contract, so, if that was the cable channels intentions, i say screw 'em.

What i truly hope is that Aresco plays these 2, which as you say drives up the offer and then he ultimately leaves ESPN at the altar.  That would be the best payback.

This is MAC money. How come I get the feeling I am still going to be looking at blurry internet streams?

NBC Sports is hardly blurry internet streams and, hopefully, a lot of our fans will be making road trips to places like Tampa, Memphis, New Orleans and Dallas and won't feel the need for stream.

http://templefootballforever.b...-accounted.html

Absolutely praying ESPN gets the rights. Not sure you guys are realizing the effects of ESPN having rights to Big East Programming. Ever notice how the NHL gets no air time on Sportscenter anymore ever since they split? This past summer ESPN led with the Women's world cup on Sportscenter! The women's world cup people! The reason...because they had the rights to it. ESPN gives a ton more coverage on SC & related shows to the Aussie Open and the US Open now that they carry these Grand Slams. ESPN creates buzz for whatever programming they have and the Big East remaining on ESPN is vital to the conferences future viability.

It's still 2 Million/year, which is more than the zero we got from the MAC and 400k from the A10. I don't see how the likes of St. Johns is worth 3 Million/year for just basketball. Better luck next conference reshuffling :-(