ESPN, Fox Open Discussions for Next Big 12 Deal

[Die4Cy]

What would be great about that would be you'd never see the same ad in a loop like 3 times in a row during a commercial break.

There was one cruise line ad on Pluto that they showed literally non-stop.

Cyclones.tv did the Lady Gaga Bud Light commercial three times in a 4 minute tv break. Every break.

 

[Die4Cy]

Where do you think you’re going? Girl? Where do you think you’re going?

GAH beat me to it!

 

[HFCS]

In retrospect I would guess what FOX/ESPN would like is a 16 team team major conference of:

Oklahoma St.
Kansas
Kansas St.
Iowa St.
Baylor
TCU
Texas Tech
West Virginia
Cincinnati
BYU
Oregon
Washington
Utah
Arizona
Arizona St.
Colorado

But I don't think the Big 12 schools would be willing to go back on Houston and UCF (or BYU/Cincinnati for that matter if you're adding Cal/Stanford too) and it seems pretty unlikely Oregon or Washington would be willing to move to a new conference other than the Big 10. But I also can't really see the scenario where FOX/ESPN is working to move the four corner schools which would leave Oregon/Washington/Stanford out on an island as major programs with no major conference home (and if the plan was for two of those three to move to the Big 10 theres no reason it wasn't with USC/UCLA). Whats pretty clear to me is that FOX and ESPN have a tremendous amount of influence, but not complete control because there is no way it would have played out into this messy situation if they had control of the whole process.

B12/Pac merger made sense before it didn’t.

GAH beat me to it!

The whole point is repeating it though, so more authentic.

 

[CloneGuy8]

 

[t-noah]

It was my understanding all games would be on TikTok - each play gets its own video, and you just click them in succession. We'll make billions.

This is the kind of forward thinking that we've all been waiting for! Well done. Send to Yormark.

 

[BCClone]

https://247sports.com/college/texas...mpact-Texas-Oklahoma-departure-SEC-192343044/

Article says early exit payout for each would be $170MM. Thats $340MM total. For 10 schools, $34MM each. I’ve got to believe conceding that type of money comes with ample funding from ESPN to make up for it.

That is 2 years of Payouts and the 80MM of conference fees. That is also if the big 12 doesn’t show a decrease in annual payouts. Otherwise they could go after that also.

 

[HFCS]

I never realized the Oregon/Oregon State trophy is the platypus trophy. How perfect is that?

I know we were never in Iowa’s conference but I can’t help but feel there are so many things showing the closing of the golden age of college football.

I mean the idea of Pac 10/12 is great even if their fandoms aren’t as rabid as others. Some Oregon St fan is out there tonight where we’ve been but it’s gonna really happen for them in terms of the significant change.

 

[HFCS]

UCF opens Florida recruiting and has nearly 70K students. They are a growth stock to buy now
Houston opens up the 5th largest MSA in the country, has nearly 50K students, re-solidifies Texas recruiting, and brings an elite basketball partner.
Both also WANT to be in the conference. Plus it would be nice to have easier games on the football schedule as BYU and Cincy are usually better than ISU

Would we rather have Oregon and Wash.. Yes, but they want to be apart of the B1G. Plus the B1G needs more travel partners for USC and UCLA.

Washington and Oregon are on an island unless they join mwc with boise, Utah st, wsu, ore st, etc.

I just drove LA to Seattle, thats a long drive and not straight Midwest roads. Even LA to SF bay is far considering traffic.

All the Pac schools had one close partner and then a ton of distance. The four we’re adding are closer to b12 than they were to pnw. Even UCF probably isn’t that different than a trip to Seattle.

 

[heitclone]

It doesn't matter in the long run but it feels like the MWC is a winner in all of this. They'll likely get to add two p5 schools in the only two states in which they don't currently have teams and the late night time slots they currently have aren't really impacted by the big 12 or b1g getting involved bc they were already the last in the pecking order.

If I'm schools like SMU, Tulane, Memphis or Tulsa, I'd rather be in the new MWC than the new AAC. The big 12 moves last year created a huge trickle down to the g5. Could be more g5 movement as those leagues hunker down.

 

[isucy86]

The big hangup that the Pac schools are having is how much do i make if I move? So this allows the Big 12 to give them a number, not just a guess. And Yormak knows that number already, so I think this just allows him to take a piece of paper from Fox and ESPN that says $x if school Z comes to the Big 12.

Yormack would not have opened the window if he thought it would disadvantage the Big 12.

The 365 guys from Baylor had Bob Thompson, the former Fox Sports CEO, on today and he said that the Networks approached the Big12.

This allows Fox & ESPN to have simultaneous discussions with both Big12 & Pac12 Conferences. Although the Pac is now outside their exclusive window with ESPN and Fox.

It enables Fox/ESPN to nail down their potential investment if they go forward with either or both Conferences.

Thompson didn't say it directly, but my guess both Networks want that settled prior to bidding on new CFB Playoff.

 

[Boxerdaddy]

What's so great about a 1:30 PM kickoff? An 11 AM lead in to a 2:30 PM kickoff gets them more viewers potentially.

What's so great about not joining the B1G? B1G membership would bring them more $.

It's Notre Dame. They do what they want.

 

[JUKEBOX]

Does Big 12 w 4corner addition and other 4 need new brand? It’s only 25 years old and half the league would be new teams? If they add 4 acc down road even less “big 12”.

I don't mind keeping "Big 12," but can't we go to the "Big 16" at that point? I thought the Big 12 owned that trademark.

 

[MugNight]

 

[qwerty]

Cyclones.tv did the Lady Gaga Bud Light commercial three times in a 4 minute tv break. Every break.

NEVER FORGET . . . . .

 

[cymonw1980]

It doesn't matter in the long run but it feels like the MWC is a winner in all of this. They'll likely get to add two p5 schools in the only two states in which they don't currently have teams and the late night time slots they currently have aren't really impacted by the big 12 or b1g getting involved bc they were already the last in the pecking order.

If I'm schools like SMU, Tulane, Memphis or Tulsa, I'd rather be in the new MWC than the new AAC. The big 12 moves last year created a huge trickle down to the g5. Could be more g5 movement as those leagues hunker down.

This is assuming (like most of us are) that some group of 2-4 teams head to the b10 and 4 head to the B12 right?

I *think* what happens is the MWC all move into the "PAC12" at that point... WSU/OSU are the only pac members left... but would probably take it for the brand. But agree with your point... the MWC/PAC becomes the top G5 conf and may poach some schools from the AAC.

 

[BCClone]

The 365 guys from Baylor had Bob Thompson, the former Fox Sports CEO, on today and he said that the Networks approached the Big12.

This allows Fox & ESPN to have simultaneous discussions with both Big12 & Pac12 Conferences. Although the Pac is now outside their exclusive window with ESPN and Fox.

It enables Fox/ESPN to nail down their potential investment if they go forward with either or both Conferences.

Thompson didn't say it directly, but my guess both Networks want that settled prior to bidding on new CFB Playoff.

This is the guy who the PAC was always quoting as saying the big 12 had less value than the PAC and we would be seeing a payout cut in our next contract. His credibility was becoming really poor so I question whatever he says, it seems he goes off what he thinks happened. In his quotes you can tell he is more media market size for OTA is the only important thing and doesnt' really believe streaming is anything, unless he has recently changed his opinion. Going off what the PAC reporters always quoted him as saying.

 

[BryceC]

Washington and Oregon are on an island unless they join mwc with boise, Utah st, wsu, ore st, etc.

I just drove LA to Seattle, thats a long drive and not straight Midwest roads. Even LA to SF bay is far considering traffic.

All the Pac schools had one close partner and then a ton of distance. The four we’re adding are closer to b12 than they were to pnw. Even UCF probably isn’t that different than a trip to Seattle.

I drove from Stockton to SF one time, (which isn't even that far!) and it took freaking forever. It isn't like the midwest where you set your cruise at 80 and just lean back.

 

[HFCS]

I drove from Stockton to SF one time, (which isn't even that far!) and it took freaking forever. It isn't like the midwest where you set your cruise at 80 and just lean back.

yeah, at no time has this conference had easy travel. They each had one local rival. For Washington even their local in state rival isn’t really that close of a drive, no straight line roads at all in that state.

 

[isucy86]

This is the guy who the PAC was always quoting as saying the big 12 had less value than the PAC and we would be seeing a payout cut in our next contract. His credibility was becoming really poor so I question whatever he says, it seems he goes off what he thinks happened. In his quotes you can tell he is more media market size for OTA is the only important thing and doesnt' really believe streaming is anything, unless he has recently changed his opinion. Going off what the PAC reporters always quoted him as saying.

I was on the go last night & didn't have time to post the full interviews. The 365Sports bring another perspective. Get a little bit more in depth thought processes than Twitter posts. I would rather get the perspective of TV folks than conference media shills.

Here are the 365 guys interviews with a couple different former Fox Execs yesterday. Nothing to earth shattering, but good background. Both are about 17 minutes.

Bob Thompson Discussion

Pat Crakes Interview

 

[HFCS]

Cruising Reddit and various boards and twitter…the mood of Pac fans has definitely changed the past 48 hours.

Seems other mountain schools are now where Arizona fans have been from the start, enthusiastic about getting to new Big 12. It was probably tough for Utah fans who spent the last year deluding themselves that Pac was a billion times better than big12 but they’re finally adjusting.

I really think Utah is in more of a dangerous position than they realize too. Not as dangerous as WSU/Ore st but maybe next worst position. We have no idea what Yormark’s expansion philosophy is other than aggressive. Pegging BYU as covering Utah and going after other markets is in some ways more aggressive.

I think one way or another the AZ schools package themselves and their state does have double the population of Utah, plus with rumors of Arizona to SEC you take them both now to buffer yourself against that outside chance keeping both brands as strong as possible.