I'm also repeating what I hear elsewhere on the actual $$ numbers ,but from a logic perspective, I think it's just a matter of the benefits of scale. Think of it this way - let's say you have the Pac12, and each school has their own conference network. USC's is going to be carried in the LA area, Arizona's will get coverage in the AZ area, etc. But because the content on each sucks (1 or 2 football games per year, etc), you can't charge very much for it. Let's say you charge $0.20 per household. But LA isn't going to get the AZ channel and AZ isn't going to get the USC channel because there's not enough interest. So in total, you're generating about $0.20 per household in the Pac12 area, which each network being carried in each school's popular alumni centers (you'll have a bit of overlap, but Oregon fans aren't going to get about Washington Huskies Network or vice-versa). Compare that to a single network, that now has 10-20 football games per year, tons of basketball games, etc. Those same households in LA and AZ will pick up that network - but you can charge a lot more for it thanks to better quality content, say $0.40 per household (this what the B10 Network is charging). So now, you have doubled your revenue with the same number of total households. Beyond that, people in other parts of the country might be interested in it on a limited basis too - that's why I can get the Big10 Network here in Texas on the premium sports tier. Since the content is good, Big10 Network can be of interest to general hard-core college sports fans. Longhorn Network never will be of much interest to non-Texas fans. By combining all the individual school networks, you can generate more total money than an individual school network could get simply because the channel has more compelling content and more widespread interest.
I haven't really thought through this part, but this might be the same reason the ND football contract generates less for it than the Big12 football contract generates for each of its schools even though most Big12 schools are of less interest nationally than ND.
I was mostly speaking about their TV deal, aren't the rest of their programs in the Big East? They decided that their football team could stand on it's own, and because of that, it slowly eroded their ability to compete. DD
And in that likely scenario, the network is failing to expand your recruiting base: it's essentially "singing to the choir." UT can recruit all day in Texas, obviously; but the real pull of TLN, beyond the $$$, is its ability to promote your brand in California, Florida - other areas of football hotbeds. So other than your financial ROI (which is obviously quite high), it would seem TLN isn't offering you much more in return. Joining a conference network gets you much greater exposure and promotion.
I've been told this is Larry Scott's plane: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N474TC Today he has been in OKC, Stillwater, and Lubbock. Interesting....
Neither ND's independence nor TV deal has eroded anything. It wouldn't have helped their football program to join the Big Ten or Big East. They just can't hire a top notch coach. The guys they've hired since Lou Holtz have flamed and burned. Check out the list: Bob Davie (The George O'Leary complete fiasco) Tyrone Willingham Charlie Weis Brian Kelly Don't forget in between Dan Devine and Lou Holtz, you had the infamous Gerry Faust. One of these days they will probably get the right guy (hopefully not) and return to prominence.
How is hiring Charlie Weis and Brian Kelly not "hiring a top notch coach"...Where do you find these kinds of coaches you speak??... Are they retired, sittin in the booth with shades and a bad heart, or just a myth??....You make it sound so easy to find these folk heroes!!!!
I didn't say hiring a great coach was easy, but Charlie Weiss clearly failed. Do you not agree? He's one of those guys who has no business being a college head coach. I wish he was still there. Brian Kelly is TBD. I'll cut him some slack. If they are lucky, maybe Urban Meyer will come to the rescue if Brian Kelly can't turn it around.
Texas regents schedule meeting on conference affiliation http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/AgendaBook/Sep11/9-2011AB.pdf
my BU guy says all of his sources are saying cincy, pitt and louisville to get invites to join Big 12...OU stays. he finished with, "that's just what i'm hearing." says BYU "dropped off the map...not sure why." North: ISU, KU, KSU, Pitt, Louiville, Cincy South: BU, UT, TT, OU, OSU, Mizzou
With Pitt squeaking by I-AA Maine last week and Louisville losing to Florida International, that might the worst division of all time if no one improves in a hurry! You could have a 6-6 team winning the Big 12 North every year.
OK, I can see what Pitt brings to the picture. But adding Louisville *and* Cinci over Houston? Are you f***ing kidding me? Those two programs are our freaking CUSA cousins. They have almost identical profiles as us. You're telling me nobody from Texas in the Big 12 board room wants to step up to the plate for either SMU, TCU, or UH?
This would be quite the development out of left field. The idea of pitt joining was pretty well crushed in the same breath has ND joining. My money is still on OU to the PAC Telling, isn't it?
And on the flipside, this is from someone on OB: kay boys, I resist the urge to post information on this site about stuff I get from people inside the program or from level 2's with a credible, proven track record. One reason I've chosen to post this information is to illustrate a point: The reporting on this site and others is largely speculative and somewhat unreliable to the extent it assumes Texas doesn't have options or to suggest Texas will do anything but maintain it's status as a National power. I find it somewhat nauseating to listen to talk radio, read the print media or read this site with apocalyptic reaction to Texas a&m's self-fullfilling prophecy to maintain it's mediocre status by racing a Ford Festiva in the Daytona 500 and thinking they have a chance. Make no mistake about it, ATM and OU are knee jerking because Texas has got everyone behind the 8 ball with it's brand management and tv stronghold on the WWL, ESPN. The intention of this post is to illustrate the above basic premise. Texas already has a package on the table from ESPN that would send every sport to the ACC except Football. Football would remain independent and get 8 home games and 4 road games that are guaranteed nat'l television on either an ESPN network, ABC, or LHN. 4 of the 12 game schedule would be against ACC teams each year. The contract would pay UT over $1 Billion. You heard it hear first. Completely opposite of anything we've heard - but it actually makes some sense: 1. A Texas-only football contract could generate good money (the billion $ number is irrelevant without knowing how many years the contract is for, but it would be a good sized #). 2. Having 4 or 5 games on the LHN would help get the distribution that ESPN wants (at least in their mind - not sure if it would work) 3. ACC makes as much sense as anyone else if you're just looking only at the non-football sports 4. It fits Texas simply chasing $$$ 5. It fits Texas' primary concerns about being independent: all the other sports I'm not sure how I'd feel about it until we see who Texas could/would schedule. But without having any idea who the schedule would be, it's hard to have an opinion. All that said, it's some random guy on OB, so who knows the credibility.
Baylor and Tech would be opposed because the last thing they want is another Texas program to be elevated - especially if the Big12 were to eventually fall apart. Texas hates UH and refuses to play them in football because of that seating incident 10ish years ago. A&M is gone. So I'm not sure who in the Big12 going to stand up for UH, sadly.
Sorry, not buying it. Lousiville and Cinci make very little sense over UH/TCU/SMU. I could see maybe one of them, but not both. Definitely not both combined with Pitt. Somebody dun goofed.
I'll agree that I'm not buying the rumor, because I don't believe the Big 12 is salvagable. Side note from someone who works on the LHN- They projected to have 7 Million subscribers by this time. They currently have 300,000. Fail.
It just doesn't make logistical sense. Pitt is UH with better academics, I get that. Lousiville and Cinci though are almost exact clones of UH, in lesser locales. In fact, I'd put Cinci below UH. UL is only slightly above them because of their facilities. But otherwise, it's a wash all around. If this happens, consequences will never be the same.
