I'm not saying they can do it to the extent of ND...I'm just saying that's the logic behind it. That's the move they're banking on and that's what ESPN is clearly banking on. The amount of $$$ generated by LHN for UT from ESPN is just ridiculous. There isn't a school in the country that's going to turn that down.
If UT was a conference that didn't allow private networks, and had seemingly eons of good relationships between its institutions, and lots of money flowing in the door... would UT still do it?
I don't know if they'd leave a conference for it...but damn, it would be tempting. That's so much more than anyone thought when they first started floating around the LHN idea.
This is my point... we need to stop saying "anybody would do that deal"... or at least preface it with "anybody in Texas' situation would do that deal"... cause I'm not sure how much money it would take to buy, for example, Ohio State out of the Big 10.
I think this, right here, is UT's problem in a nutshell: arrogance. It blinded them. I don't believe they ever thought lowly-little A&M would ever leave UT's bossom; that OU could survive without its UT lifeline; that it's shiney new network made them the next Notre Dame when, really, it did nothing but endanger their standing in a rapidly evolving college football landscape. I see several posters discussing going independent - more UT hubris, IMO. If we do move to the super conference model, there's not going to be a place at the table for independents. That's why you can quibble with A&M's choice (the SEC? Really? You'll get KILLED!) but not their timing: They got in front of this and determined their destiny. UT might be hitting the grocery store the day of a hurricane if they don't loosen their grip on TLN.
I think UT football would be just fine as an independent. It's UT other sports that would end up hurting because of that. What possible conference could they join as a non-football member? The Mountain friggin' West? Fat chance.
I thought Notre Dame's total TV deal was something around $15-$20MM per year, or just a bit bigger than Texas' tier 3 LHN deal. Every Pac10, SEC, Big10, and Big12 school makes more money from their TV deals than Notre Dame does. They make just enough to justify staying independent, but they'd make much more in a conference.
Well, ND doesn't seem to be hurting for money... but it is pretty sweet to be on Network TV every weekend across the entire country.
People keep saying this, but it's about the same amount of $$$ that would be generated by a Pac16 network for each school in that theoretical conference thanks to economies of scale and better quality programming. I don't think the money is the driving force in the LHN. I have no idea - and the writer has no idea - how these numbers are derived, but these are supposedly some sort of Tier 3 school-specific broadcasting revenues: http://businessofcollegesports.com/2011/05/06/school-specific-broadcasting-revenue/ Kansas, Kentucky and UNC, of course, are from basketball - but look at just how much they claim to receive per year. Also see how little Texas was claiming - that's pretty messed up, for whatever reason, so I imagine these numbers are not complete at all but they do provide a minimum baseline. On an unrelated note, here is a breakdown of all the conference TV contracts - unrelated to any of the discussion, but possibly of interest to people: http://businessofcollegesports.com/2011/05/05/televison-contract-breakdown/
Are you talking about in the event UT is independent? If that's what you mean, I would agree.... but are you saying that if UT had to give up LHN and went to Pac16 they would do better (in terms of media revenues) than they would if they could go to the ACC (for example) and keep LHN revenues on top of whatever ACC media revenues they shared in?? I'm not suggesting UT ditch every conference and go independent...I'm suggesting that if maximizing revenues is the issue, you find a conference that lets you keep LHN on top of those conference revenues. That has to be the best of both worlds from a straight dollars and cents perspective.
Yes but you're forgetting to factor in additional money from the Big 12 deals with Fox/ESPN, of which UT reportedly gets a larger cut than their conference peers. So TLN should be viewed as *additional* television revenue and would, I'm guessing, make UT the New York Yankees of college football.
The Pac16 Network is their soon-to-be-launched 3rd tier rights network, similar to the Big10 Network (except that is Tier 2). That deal is expected to generate $11-$12MM / yr / member. That is in addition the $20MM they make from their ESPN/ABC/FOX deals for Tier1/2 rights. If Texas & OU were to join, both of those numbers go up. I'm saying that Texas would make more money from: Pac16 Tier 1/2 + Pac16 Network Tier 3 than either of Big12 Tier 1/2 + LHN ACC Tier 1/2 + LHN That's not accounting for unequal revenue distribution in the Big12 because I'm not sure how much Texas gets relative to everyone else. But just looking at Tier 3 rights, the Pac16 Network is projected to generate for EACH school in a Pac16 about what the LHN will generate for Texas.
I'll repeat something I said earlier: The Little 12 is a solar system, not a conference. When everything started to orbit around UT, the whole thing was doomed. NU got ticked off and left for greener pastures. CU had an opportunity and took it. A&M got angry and is walking out. OU will likely announcing something next week. Ohio State (or any other school in the Big Ten) doesn't think of itself as bigger than the conference or that the conference is just a tool for generating sports revenue. The mentality is totally different. Big Ten schools are proud to be in the conference and the conference is part of their identity. They are strongly connected to each other beyond sports. People who say "anybody" would behave exactly as UT don't know what they are talking about.
wow. I certainly don't have enough experience in that industry to comment with anything to counter that...but from a layman's view, that seems really hard to believe.
call me jaded, but i think this "loyalty" isn't nearly as solid as i once thought it was. i thought things like tradition really mattered...now i'm pretty sure it's the pursuit of the almighty dollar that matters most. OH ST might not leave the Big 10 if offered more money...but only because they'd fear a smaller contributing alumni base as a backlash....not because the rivalries or pageantry of it all is so meaningful. i think that ship has sailed, sadly.
Totally agree, and they would have a better chance of competing, Notre Dame stepped out, and got stepped on ! DD
I didn't mean they valued going Independent. Rather that they value the independence of not sharing the network with anyone else.
Those tight knit conferences have rules and a balance of powers. The Big 12 became Texas' conference. The Big 12 was weak, UT crushed it. But we all already know that.
