Big XII and ESPN

[The Sultan]

3) Maybe ESPN had a behind the scenes roll,

Sourdough?  That would be my choice.

[cheebs09]

I thought the role ESPN played was convinced Syracuse and Pitt to get the BE schools to turn down the soon to be finalized deal with ESPN and then get an invite from the ACC for a better deal. That set the dominoes in motion.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Msnbc and CNN are journalistic entities?

You should do stand up comedy.

Yes they are. Their primary purpose is report on news. You may not agree with the slant they take but that doesn't change what they are. I didn't comment at all on the quality of the journalism.

[real chili 83]

I'm gonna guess the "realness" of the journalism depends mostly on how much it affirms one's beliefs.

Paukni, I couldn't agree with you more. 

My opinion, both Fox and MNSBC are both garbage, or at least not real journalism.  Do they both find a nugget here and there....of course.  But that's about it.

Tying this into the OP's original point, ESPN is mostly just entertainment. 

If you want some real garbage, read the Sunday sports section of the SB Tribune.  That's some world class slurping.   

[GoldenWarrior11]

It makes good business sense for ESPN for the Big 12 and AAC to merge and operate under the name Big 12. AAC TV rights were acquired for peanuts by ESPN in the latest round of contract renewals . A reformulated Big 12 will have some nice media market presence .

In realignment, all moves roll downhill.  The Big 12 will poach the valuable pieces from the American; the American will poach from C-USA; C-USA will poach from Sun Belt; and the Sun Belt will likely look to the high FCS ranks to promote from. 

It actually doesn't make sense for the Big 12 to fully absorb the AAC, because there are high-value properties and low-value properties in the conference.  The Big 12 will take top-valued programs in the AAC.  Not only is there not additional value in taking a Tulsa, an ECU, a Tulane, etc., but it also creates more mouths to feed and essentially creates a new faction within the conference that Presidents/ADs will surely avoid. 

Cincinnati is a near certainty to be gone to the Big 12; Houston and UCF are also possible, if not likely as well.  If I'm schools like Memphis and SMU, solid programs in the AAC, but not valuable enough to be get a golden ticket out, I'm trembling in fear like UConn, Cincinnati and USF all were in 2011.  It's possible that they get stuck rebuilding the AAC with the likes of UAB, Marshall and other C-USA call-ups. 

[Scoop Snoop]

I thought the role ESPN played was convinced Syracuse and Pitt to get the BE schools to turn down the soon to be finalized deal with ESPN and then get an invite from the ACC for a better deal. That set the dominoes in motion.

I remember something along those lines as well. ESPN did not create the basketball-football tension in the Big East but they took the opportunity to gain from it.

[brewcity77]

Thank god the next generation has greater media literacy than the last one.

[Lennys Tap]

I remember something along those lines as well. ESPN did not create the basketball-football tension in the Big East but they took the opportunity to gain from it.

As Mayor Daley famously said during the 1968 Democratic Convention, "The police are not here to create disorder. They're here to preserve it".

[harryp]

Article in AZ Star today urges a merger between PAC 12 and Big10 with TV rights to CBS. Possible?

[Herman Cain]

In realignment, all moves roll downhill.  The Big 12 will poach the valuable pieces from the American; the American will poach from C-USA; C-USA will poach from Sun Belt; and the Sun Belt will likely look to the high FCS ranks to promote from. 

It actually doesn't make sense for the Big 12 to fully absorb the AAC, because there are high-value properties and low-value properties in the conference.  The Big 12 will take top-valued programs in the AAC.  Not only is there not additional value in taking a Tulsa, an ECU, a Tulane, etc., but it also creates more mouths to feed and essentially creates a new faction within the conference that Presidents/ADs will surely avoid. 

Cincinnati is a near certainty to be gone to the Big 12; Houston and UCF are also possible, if not likely as well.  If I'm schools like Memphis and SMU, solid programs in the AAC, but not valuable enough to be get a golden ticket out, I'm trembling in fear like UConn, Cincinnati and USF all were in 2011.  It's possible that they get stuck rebuilding the AAC with the likes of UAB, Marshall and other C-USA call-ups.

I agree there would be a some kind of push down of the some or all of the schools you outline in this scenario

[WhiteTrash]

Article in AZ Star today urges a merger between PAC 12 and Big10 with TV rights to CBS. Possible?

If the Big10 and PAC 12 could make that work then why couldn't the Big East add Gonzaga? You can't travel much further than Rutgers to UCLA.

[The Sultan]

If the Big10 and PAC 12 could make that work then why couldn't the Big East add Gonzaga? You can't travel much further than Rutgers to UCLA.

Because in the case of adding Gonzaga, they would have to travel 1,000+ miles for every road game - nine or ten in total.  A Big Ten / Pac 12 merger would likely involve a couple of cross over games that would require such travel, but wouldn't be a regular thing.

[The Equalizer]

If the Big10 and PAC 12 could make that work then why couldn't the Big East add Gonzaga? You can't travel much further than Rutgers to UCLA.

The article merely suggesting pursuing a non-conference scheduling alliance with the Big 10, similar to the Gavitt Games or our current Big 12 agreement:

https://tucson.com/sports/pac-12-hotline/pac-12-survival-guide-heres-what-the-conference-must-do-as-realignment-roils-the-landscape/article_45f70b78-f1ce-11eb-ae8f-37e1b3624e21.html

[Silkk the Shaka]

I'm gonna guess the "realness" of the journalism depends mostly on how much it affirms one's beliefs.

The reality is that none of them are. Incidentally they might have some solid primary reporting on occasion, but corporate media either exists mainly as a mouthpiece for its billionaire ownership or secondarily as a profit engine which necessarily prioritizes sensationalism and ridiculous slant above all else.

[real chili 83]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  +1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[MarquetteDano]

Journalism aside,  I don't know why so many here are given a shrug as it relates to ESPN.

If ESPN decided that they could make more money by ensuring Villanova would never win a NCAA Title again,  and we had concrete proof and them putting things in place to ensure Nova had a more difficult time winning a title,  would people have a problem with that?

It seems like them tampering with conferences is A-Ok with many here and that shocks me.  I guess we all have become immune to these things.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Journalism aside,  I don't know why so many here are given a shrug as it relates to ESPN.

If ESPN decided that they could make more money by ensuring Villanova would never win a NCAA Title again,  and we had concrete proof and them putting things in place to ensure Nova had a more difficult time winning a title,  would people have a problem with that?

It seems like them tampering with conferences is A-Ok with many here and that shocks me.  I guess we all have become immune to these things.

Your example would be wrong, but it isn't what they are doing. 

The primary motivation of conferences has become television deals. I guess I don't blame ESPN for that reality. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Your example would be wrong, but it isn't what they are doing. 

The primary motivation of conferences has become television deals. I guess I don't blame ESPN for that reality.

ESPN's motivation is "cost savings". 
If we give Conference A (X) more dollars then we can completely dump the contract with Conference B and save (Y) more dollars when they have to renegotiate with less members.

[The Equalizer]

ESPN's motivation is "cost savings". 
If we give Conference A (X) more dollars then we can completely dump the contract with Conference B and save (Y) more dollars when they have to renegotiate with less members.

I don't think its cost savings--it's ratings (and therefore ad revenue) growth. 

If the best teams leave Conference B and join Conference A, we'll renegotiate with A and drop B.   And we expect it to cost us more for Conference A alone than we used to pay for A & B combined.   But we'll get more marketable matchups to fill our limited available airtime, therefore our ad revenue will grow.

[WhiteTrash]

Big XII and PAC 12 entering into discussions.   

[Dr. Blackheart]

Big XII and PAC 12 entering into discussions.   

Poor West Virginia.The cost for used couches just went up.

[brewcity77]

Because in the case of adding Gonzaga, they would have to travel 1,000+ miles for every road game - nine or ten in total.  A Big Ten / Pac 12 merger would likely involve a couple of cross over games that would require such travel, but wouldn't be a regular thing.

I'm not advocating for Gonzaga, but if you add them, you likely schedule them so they travel no more than 4 times during the regular season. Batch games so they get 2-3 road conference games each time they travel.

It's not ideal, but they're in Spokane, nothing is ideal. It's well over 1,000 miles to Pepperdine, LMU, and San Diego. I believe Portland is the only WCC school less than 700 miles away. If conference play starts in December, scheduling 2 big road trips during winter break where they get 6 of their road conference games done could mean just 2 more trips with 2 games each before the BET. Make those Thursday/Saturday and it's actually pretty doable.

Not saying we should, but if you're creative, it's really not that much more difficult than their current conference.

[willie warrior]

It's pretty simple to turn the channel when sports aren't on.

Are you really that dense with that lame response? I said that in prior post which you smart alecky responded to. Must be great for you that I live rent free in your head.

[muwarrior69]

As I said earlier. They should form one super conference which puts them in the driver seat, not the TV networks; especially if its about the money.

[Uncle Rico]

Are you really that dense with that lame response? I said that in prior post which you smart alecky responded to. Must be great for you that I live rent free in your head.

So, you still watch ESPN for sporting events?  You're really showing them