Article: Basketball Football split inevitable

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.projo.com/college/content/Big_East_Calhoun_McNamara_12-01-10_1OL7VUQ_v3.2f1cd26.html


Article on Nova football decision


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20101201_Trustees_face_decision_on_joining_Big_East_.html#ixzz16t8Sx7gD

[Dr. Blackheart]

I am a little naive perhaps, but isn't there already a split in the BE?  MU gets no football TV money.  More so, the BE football schools in total have no leverage with other conferences.  One or two may get picked off, but they will be slim pickins.  Syracuse, Hartford, Charlestown-Huntington are bottom feeder DMA's in the BE and their bleed halo is not significant.  Rutgers?  The B10 would have swooped them up if NJ/NY was a viable CFF pull with Rutgers.  Cinci, Louisville and Pitts. are minor league cities.  You keep telling us it is about eyeballs or set tops.

Again, the biggest brand equity of the BE is basketball and ESPN.  No other conference can match its pull.  Their football leverage is to build off of this and expand to the set tops for football.  TCU and then Houston or UCF opens uncontested CFF markets for share of mind.  The M-O of the BE is cluster adjoining DMA's--Milwaukee/Madison/GB-Chicago-South Bend; Providence-Boston, Philly-Pitt, Loiusville-Cinci;  Hartford-NY-Boston;   C-H and DC;Syracuse-Buffalo-Rochester.  So Dallas-Houston or Tampa-Orlando fits that mold if Nova declines (why share hoops $$ with another school if you don't have to).

Once that dust settles, the renegotiation begins--moving from a tv deal to a media deal.  I am sure ESPN is already on-board for a reup under certain football conditions to keep their investment in place.

[Dr. Blackheart]

What did you say?

BE football sucks...no one watches...they think that everyone wants to watch their small town football team...no one else does...they add other urban schools with cable households...they get new ESPN deal....they get more $$.  Basketball is their glue.  You prefer cows  

[NYWarrior]

http://www.projo.com/college/content/Big_East_Calhoun_McNamara_12-01-10_1OL7VUQ_v3.2f1cd26.html


Article on Nova football decision


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20101201_Trustees_face_decision_on_joining_Big_East_.html#ixzz16t8Sx7gD

McNamara's contention that a 10-institution football league should breakaway from the Big East is bizarre. First, with just 10 teams these schools can't stage a lucrative football championship game.  Second, by McNamara's logic the league should eschew the New York, Washington DC and Chicago markets (and several others)-- yet he still claims these institutions would rake in the cash.  The logic (and math) doesn't add up with the current mix.

[OhioGoldenEagle]

McNamara's contention that a 10-institution football league should breakaway from the Big East is bizarre. First, with just 10 teams these schools can't stage a lucrative football championship game.  Second, by McNamara's logic the league should eschew the New York, Washington DC and Chicago markets (and several others)-- yet he still claims these institutions would rake in the cash.  The logic (and math) doesn't add up with the current mix.

Agreed.  The idea that the Big East intends to throw away all of that basketball revenue is just idiotic.  I understand that football can generate 5fold what basketball generates, but that doesn't mean that what basketball DOES bring in is peanuts.  I contend that the Big East is doing whatever it can to strengthen football while leaving basketball as it is.....and that happens through addition not subtraction.

[GGGG]

The addition of TCU means one thing...the BE basketball schools are now in a minority.  The decisions that the conference faces are now up to the football schools.  Does this mean that it will break apart?  Only if the basketball schools don't make enough concessions.