BE thinking about adding TCU

[GGGG]

"Starting a network" shouldn't be looked as a panacea of some sort.  The BTN worked as a money maker because it captured huge fan bases in a specific geographic location.  The BTN could get the access, and the $$$ that goes with it, because of this.  As the BE currently stands, there is no way they could replicate this.  

The B12 numbers you quote are a little off...it was actually between $8.7 and $15M.

[goodgreatgrand]

Well, how much is the BE currently worth to ESPN? And everyone keeps talking about how the conference will get a much better deal when the current one expires despite the terrible football product. Based on this re-alignment, you're taking the biggest money-makers out of the BE and combining them with stable athletic departments and good football programs (for the most part - Kansas isnt great but isnt any worse than the bottom of the current BE). The BE football component gets their rivalry with VTech back...which was big. The basketball product would be very good. More markets. Bigger schools with larger alumni bases. Plus, wasnt Tagliabue brought in because of his experience in valuing markets and cable contracts?

[GGGG]

I didn't even touch the ACC schools because I think that's even more far fetched than Kansas and Kansas State.  Virginia Tech didn't beg, plead and spend all that political capital to get into the ACC for them to turn around a decade later and leave.  And Clemson...why would they leave?

I think your source is a little off.

[goodgreatgrand]

I didn't even touch the ACC schools because I think that's even more far fetched than Kansas and Kansas State.  Virginia Tech didn't beg, plead and spend all that political capital to get into the ACC for them to turn around a decade later and leave.  And Clemson...why would they leave?

I think your source is a little off.

VTech did what it needed to do so that it wouldnt get left behind. Nothing more, nothing less.

And its not my source. This person posted his original comments about the TCU rumor on killerfrogs.com

[MUBurrow]

"Starting a network" shouldn't be looked as a panacea of some sort.  The BTN worked as a money maker because it captured huge fan bases in a specific geographic location.  The BTN could get the access, and the $$$ that goes with it, because of this.  As the BE currently stands, there is no way they could replicate this. 

+ 1.  This is why Texas is going out on its own, they capture a geographic area and can work contracts based on that geographic relevance.  For them to make a Big 12 network and share with locations like OKC and Denver (before the CO move) didn't make any sense given their local geographic popularity.  This is why the BYU move to an independent makes some sense.  BYU's geographically centralized base provides a clear place for their network to thrive, and gives the University/network leverage in negotiating with cable providers.  Either the BE as it currently stands or the proposed new BE doesn't seem to have that kind of leverage.