Oklahoma President Says Big 12 Should Look Toward Expanding, LINK!

[Ray-Ray]

The information that's come out recently shows cracks in the armor, and it wasn't accidental. Whether they can resolve their differences remains to be seen.

Obviously the GORs are an issue. However, hypothetically, if 2-3 teams bolt for the Big Ten (including the big fish Texas, and possibly Oklahoma), does that start the dominoes falling whereby the remaining teams see the handwriting on the wall and rather than try to replace those teams, the better teams try to find a new home (e.g. The Pac/SEC)? If the conference ends up dissolving, the GOR issue goes away. Not easy, a gamble, but possible?

The programming on LHN is leftovers anyway. What if the BTN said we own the content, but any school can broadcast content that we pass on, as long as it's on their own network? With the Internet, eventually it's going to be more about you choosing what to watch, and not be tied to a broadcast schedule. There's enough content out there for a conference network to choose what they want, and still have enough events and local shows to be broadcast/streamed on a school specific channel working in partnership.

The SEC makes sense, except for the fact that's where A&M went, and the academics are horrible.

And it's a little known fact that Texas approached the Big Ten back in the 90's, but at that time the conference had a moratorium on expansion after bringing in Penn State caused such consternation among AD's and coaches. Things have obviously changed, but it's not out the realm of possibility there is still interest under the right set of circumstances.

 

[topdecktiger]

If the Big-12 wants to stabilize and expand its TV Footprint it should move to 16 Teams and Renegotiate all TV Contracts including the College playoff TV Bowl Money as a condition and that in itself would solve all of its potential problems and result with its own Big-12 Network and within in it the Long Horn Network that is still suffering from Distribution problems.

Add these Schools and States and name it the Big16 Conference!

I would go after COMCAST located in Philadelphia as the Major TV Cable Provider that would willing to increase role in College Football and a Content Distributor! It won't solve all the Travel Problems in the Big-12 MidEast but would reduce it for WVU isolation, and would certainly lower the costs in Big-16 Southwest! It would force the Re-Negotiations of Playoff TV with FOX and ESPN that can work out other deals with percentages with COMCAST BIG16 Network. It would go from 5 state Footprint to 11 State Footprint in some of the Biggest Cable States. Finally, it will be the first conference to go to 16 Teams and take that name first and 12 Schools won't be enough for the future anyway.

Even more important, it would remove PAC-12 threats, along with SEC, and Big Ten and remain a Power Conference until a College Football For Profit League comes into creation and reorganizes the entire League and all 5 Power Conference to a better Geographical, Restored Rivalries, and Reduced Costs Re-organization of Big Four Power Conferences 20 Teams with 2 Divisions each for a total 80 team FBS League. Or Big Eight Power Conferences of 8 Conferences of 10 Teams. This would add another 15 Schools to Power Conferences in the end going from current 65 to 80! Other schools like UNLV, New Mexico, South Florida, UConn, San Diego State, Boise State, Navy, Army, Tulane, etc etc could be added later to Pac-12, Big Ten, SEC, and ACC!

The NFL went through such changes when it went from the NFL into the NFL/AFL Merger into an AFC/NFC Leagues as some Teams were paid to switch and then to 32 teams Expansions. They reorganized into standard Geographical Rivals, Reduced Standard Rosters & Practice Squads, and develop Salary Caps to keep Competitive Levels so all teams could win a Super Bowl and to especially grow Revenues far faster than growing costs to maintain a one to six club advantage over other clubs.

BIG-16 MidEast:
Central Florida-FLORIDA CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
UCincy-OHIO CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
East Carolina-NORTH CAROLINA CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
Memphis-TENNESSEE CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
Temple-PENNSYLVANIA CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
Kansas-KANSAS CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
KSU-KANSAS " " "
WVU-WEST VIRGINIA CABLE SUBSCRIBERS

BIG-16 SOUTHWEST:
BYU-UTAH CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
ISU-IOWA CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
OU-OKLAHOMA CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
OKSU-OKLAHOMA" "
Baylor-TEXAS CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
TCU-TEXAS " "
Texas Tech-" "
UTexas-" "

This is how I see it can resolve all Big12 problems and can expand Schools, Revenues, Networks, and reduce Travel Costs Per Schools.

They can't renegotiate CFP money. That's done collectively. You also don't get paid more for having more teams. All P5 leagues get a base payout of $50 million, plus whatever they earn by making the playoffs. It doesn't matter how many teams you have.

Bowl money would end up going down as well. Most of the bowls are already contracted out. The only bowls with slots available are mid/lower tier bowls that pay ~$750k-1 Million. That wouldn't be enough to make up for the extra teams.

With the TV deals, they still can't renegotiate the framework. In other words, they still can't free up enough content, because Tier 1 & 2 are both split between ESPN and Fox. It's not like the SEC or Big Ten where one network owns all the rights. And then there is the issue that the teams available to the Big 12 aren't very good and won't bring much money. That's assuming even the dollar figure can be renegotiated, which is suspect due to the nature of the TV contract as previously mentioned.

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

They can't renegotiate CFP money. That's done collectively. You also don't get paid more for having more teams. All P5 leagues get a base payout of $50 million, plus whatever they earn by making the playoffs. It doesn't matter how many teams you have. Bowl money would end up going down as well. Most of the bowls are already contracted out. The only bowls with slots available are mid/lower tier bowls that pay ~$750k-1 Million. That wouldn't be enough to make up for the extra teams. With the TV deals, they still can't renegotiate the framework. In other words, they still can't free up enough content, because Tier 1 & 2 are both split between ESPN and Fox. It's not like the SEC or Big Ten where one network owns all the rights. And then there is the issue that the teams available to the Big 12 aren't very good and won't bring much money. That's assuming even the dollar figure can be renegotiated, which is suspect due to the nature of the TV contract as previously mentioned.

Good info as usual and I trust it especially on the Conference CFB Playoff Stipend as you said. I look for that CFB Playoff format to change in the future sooner not later and going to 6 to 8 Teams. Whether, this would provide the opportunity to expand for the Big-12 is an open question?

I say this based on the Article above that says if the Big-12 is allow to have a Championship game with 10 Schools then why expand at all? As I recall from you before, the ACC is for that change too!

However, if a Conference goes through a major change like adding 6 Teams and 6 States, TV Contracts will be Re-Negotiated and often have clauses within those Contracts saying as much.

The Big-12 still has a footprint problem when it comes to having only 5 States, when trying to form a Network, as I see it?

As you stated before and correct anything if I am quoting you wrong, it is hard to form a Network even with the ACC footprint that is much bigger than Big-12?

 

[topdecktiger]

However, if a Conference goes through a major change like adding 6 Teams and 6 States, TV Contracts will be Re-Negotiated and often have clauses within those Contracts saying as much.

The only thing that gets renegotiated is the payout. They still can't change the framework of the contract, like who owns what content. That's a problem for a network, because the Big 12's rights are split between Fox and ESPN. It would be harder for them to form a network, because if the partnered with ESPN, then none of the Fox games are available, and vice versa. If they went on their own, all they would have are Tier 3 games, and would be short on content, like the Pac 12.

Specifically with the payout, that again comes back to the problem with the Big 12's contract. They don't get extra money for adding more teams. They only get enough to keep the payout the same. Maybe that clause is only up to 12 teams. If they add more, then maybe they can still renegotiate for the teams past 12.

That still leaves some problems. If you are adding teams like East Carolina and Temple, how much more will ESPN and Fox actually pay for those teams? (Assuming they get more money). They looked at this a couple of years ago, and were told that only Notre Dame would bring in more money. (Due to being a partial member.) http://newsok.com/big-12-interim-co...at-would-add-tv-value/article/3688049/?page=1
Not sure a lot has changed since then. The other problem is that the rest of the payout, CFP, bowl money, NCAA tournament, makes up 40% of the payout. That can't be increased, so you are splitting the money now 6 extra ways. For example, your CFP payout goes from $5 million per team to $3.1 million. It's debatable whether or not the TV contract would increase enough to cover the losses.

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

That still leaves some problems. If you are adding teams like East Carolina and Temple, how much more will ESPN and Fox actually pay for those teams? (Assuming they get more money). They looked at this a couple of years ago, and were told that only Notre Dame would bring in more money. (Due to being a partial member.) http://newsok.com/big-12-interim-co...at-would-add-tv-value/article/3688049/?page=1
Not sure a lot has changed since then. The other problem is that the rest of the payout, CFP, bowl money, NCAA tournament, makes up 40% of the payout. That can't be increased, so you are splitting the money now 6 extra ways. For example, your CFP payout goes from $5 million per team to $3.1 million. It's debatable whether or not the TV contract would increase enough to cover the losses.

It was a young ESPN Executive now fired that challenge the Big Ten when it said it could create its own Network. He balked and Delany made his move. The Big Ten Network has been a success and it is based on Cable Subscribers having to pay for its Network by adding cost to cable Bills even if the Subscribers does not want it. If the Big-12 wants a Network it will need more Schools from other States to gain these Cable Subscribers!

Temple and East Carolina would add those Cable Subscribers from Pennsylvania and North Carolina but it is not a slam dunk, each Cable Company must approve but most Cable Sports Packages include them anyway. The problem is when such Packages continue to add Sports Content many Cable Subscribers are upset in getting and being charged and not wanting them. Ratings have little do with it anymore. Sports is still growing because they are like TV Content that everyone watches to see how they games will come out.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspi...to-subsidize-professional-and-college-sports/