Sporting News: OU and A&M may look at SEC

[daphins]

Weird...every other news outlet that has reported on this has gone with "A&M to SEC rumors surface" or "A&M & OU have serious concerns about advantages granted by LHN" - yet ESPN takes the angle "Texas seeks to calm Big 12 rivals' concerns over Longhorn Network.

I hate ESPiN. This is a blatant attempt to put a positive spin on their "investment" (the Big 12) when it is yet again on the brink of potentially losing a member.

Spin away. The bigger the investment the largest sports network in the country has in our conference, the better it's chance of surviving. I'm ready to show the undesirables the door and bring in teams who want to be part of our conference. Stack it to 16 and let everyone else scramble for a home.

16 team Mega Conferences are a ******* joke IMO. It's all about greed and money, and the cost in entertainment value will be HUGE. How fun is it to see your team get kicked around the bottom of a conference for a decade?....we know it's not fun. So how fun is it going to be for teams like Minnesota, A&M, Etc. to get kicked around the bottom of a 16 team conference while a few studs shuffle the deck chairs at the top every season? We'd see a few top schools pushed to the forefront to become perennial contenders, and then we'd get "Everyone Else". That's not my idea of fun. I actually wouldn't mind seeing the Gov't step in to put a stop to all of this money grabbing. These are for the most part teams who were created by publicly funded universities...paid for, built with, and built up with tax payer money. To see greed being pushed in a direction that will negatively affect learning institutions all to solidify the the Power and money of collegiate football in the hands of a few is disheartening to say the least.

 

[Tre4ISU]

Dane Beebe and Texas' phony promise. Look, LHN was suppose to be a tier 3 rights game...no conference games nor a mention of HS games. OU and A&M have the rights to be ******,and guess what...they are doing something about it. Don't hate on them because they can.

If they could, they would have. They didn't.

 

[MLawrence]

Where did Mike Slive say that? I haven't seen it anywhere. He did say "It's just a number. We could be up to 16 teams in 15 minutes".

The question here is, does the SEC really want to tinker with something that is already working very well for them?

 

[Al_4_State]

The question here is, does the SEC really want to tinker with something that is already working very well for them?

Right. And every single indication from the SEC is that they don't, unless they absolutely have to. Their actions have backed up that stance.

Things that would make them "have to": The Pac-12 or Big 10 going to 16.

Short of that, they have little to no incentive.

 

[CyCrazy]

So Mike Silve lied at his Press Conference today? He made that clear as day.

Quote him from today saying that. He never did thanks for playing. Go back to your trailer Nebby fan.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

If I had my finger on the trigger for big XII armageddon, I'd pull it. This grade school girl crap is stupid. Let's get whatever it is over with already.

This I am tired of worrying about it. Let ISU KU KSU Baylor Tech and OSU start a solid foundation for a new conference. I know one thing ISU is in way better position now than they were last year.

 

[Al_4_State]

Spin away. The bigger the investment the largest sports network in the country has in our conference, the better it's chance of surviving. I'm ready to show the undesirables the door and bring in teams who want to be part of our conference. Stack it to 16 and let everyone else scramble for a home.

16 team Mega Conferences are a ******* joke IMO. It's all about greed and money, and the cost in entertainment value will be HUGE. How fun is it to see your team get kicked around the bottom of a conference for a decade?....we know it's not fun. So how fun is it going to be for teams like Minnesota, A&M, Etc. to get kicked around the bottom of a 16 team conference while a few studs shuffle the deck chairs at the top every season? We'd see a few top schools pushed to the forefront to become perennial contenders, and then we'd get "Everyone Else". That's not my idea of fun. I actually wouldn't mind seeing the Gov't step in to put a stop to all of this money grabbing. These are for the most part teams who were created by publicly funded universities...paid for, built with, and built up with tax payer money. To see greed being pushed in a direction that will negatively affect learning institutions all to solidify the the Power and money of collegiate football in the hands of a few is disheartening to say the least.

This is why they'll blow up if they ever form. It makes everyone outside of the top 12 or so teams in the nation utterly irrelevant.

This also why I don't think it happens.

 

[sdillon500]

I'd really like the above question answered. For those of you who believe that the Big 12 (minus Texas) would be best served creating a network. How? What games would go on it? FOX/ABC/ESPN paid wayyyy too much for 2nd tier games to allow a Big 12 Network.

Conference networks thrive by driving ratings from big time programs on tier 2. The Big Ten makes it work because the BTN airs OSU, PSU, & UM 2nd tier games on the network. A Big 12 Network likely couldn't even air an OU/TAMU game because those games would be 2nd tier on FOX/ESPN most weeks. Basically, the Big 12 Network would get ISU Vs. Kansas or Kansas State Vs. Mizzou. Though I'm sure that network would sell in Missouri, Kansas, & Iowa, that is FAR from enough subscriptions to support a network on a basic cable package.

ESPN paired with Fox to pay what they did to virtually guarantee a Big 12 Network didn't exist. A conference network can't happen without an inventory of games - and it will take a lot of Big 12 games to fill up the ESPN & Fox/Fox Regional networks.

There was talk after the 2nd tier rights were renegotiated of turning one of the Fox College Sports channels into a Big XII network with everyone but Texas' involvement. I don't know if those talks are still ongoing, but it was being considered. So to answer your question, a Big XII network would likely be a Fox College Sports property on a sports tier, with 2nd & 3rd tier games. To my knowledge, there was never any talk of including this channel on basic cable, ala the Big 10 network, nor should there be.

Fox and Big 12 near deal worth more than $60 million a year - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal

 

[Nigeria]

This I am tired of worrying about it. Let ISU KU KSU Baylor Tech and OSU start a solid foundation for a new conference. I know one thing ISU is in way better position now than they were last year.

In what way?

 

[Tre4ISU]

This is why they'll blow up if they ever form. It makes everyone outside of the top 12 or so teams in the nation utterly irrelevant.

This also why I don't think it happens.

Not only that but it makes it much tougher for all elite teams to win anything. There are just that many more good teams you have to get through. If teams go to that, they deserves what they get.

 

[hawkfan]

There was talk after the 2nd tier rights were renegotiated of turning one of the Fox College Sports channels into a Big XII network with everyone but Texas' involvement. I don't know if those talks are still ongoing, but it was being considered. So to answer your question, a Big XII network would likely be a Fox College Sports property on a sports tier, with 2nd & 3rd tier games. To my knowledge, there was never any talk of including this channel on basic cable, ala the Big 10 network, nor should there be.

Fox and Big 12 near deal worth more than $60 million a year - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal

OK....so it would be a network in the same way that the SEC has a "network". It is a sports tier add on channel? That would make more sense.

So essentially, it would be like another Fox regional channel that is devoted solely to Big 12 games.

 

[clonedude]

How would jumping to the SEC help OU and A&M at all? Texas would still get to televise Texas high school games, and would still have the recruiting advantage over them.

Plus, OU and A&M's chances of succeeding in the SEC are much more slim IMO. The SEC has a lot better teams than the Big 12 does.

OU and A&M are just a bunch of whiny crybabies IMO. Get over it. OU has lost nearly every single big bowl game they've been in lately. And A&M just isn't very good usually.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

In what way?

ISU is ready for it, they have partners in all this. Trust me Pollard is ready for this. In his release last year on remaining in the Big 12 it did not state who the members of the league were. Also the tv contract is now in place with Fox, let the chips just fall in place now.

 

[3GenClone]

I'd really like the above question answered. For those of you who believe that the Big 12 (minus Texas) would be best served creating a network. How? What games would go on it? FOX/ABC/ESPN paid wayyyy too much for 2nd tier games to allow a Big 12 Network.

Conference networks thrive by driving ratings from big time programs on tier 2. The Big Ten makes it work because the BTN airs OSU, PSU, & UM 2nd tier games on the network. A Big 12 Network likely couldn't even air an OU/TAMU game because those games would be 2nd tier on FOX/ESPN most weeks. Basically, the Big 12 Network would get ISU Vs. Kansas or Kansas State Vs. Mizzou. Though I'm sure that network would sell in Missouri, Kansas, & Iowa, that is FAR from enough subscriptions to support a network on a basic cable package.

My argument for a Big 12 Network is that, like most news stations, the highest performers will draw the most coverage. OU and A&M would be the premier teams on a Big 12 Network, gaining more regional exposure and also only competing with 8-teams for coverage instead of a hypothetical 13 in the SEC. I made sure to emphasize regional exposure, as the argument for moving to the SEC is to bring in TV sets and a recruiting pipeline in the state of Texas that for some odd reason does not exist at the current moment (??).

Also, the word "network" can mean many different things. It could mean a national cable/satellite channel; it could be an online only subscription similar to ESPN3; it could be an ala carte channel such as ESPNU or Fox Sports Fill-In-The-Region Channel; or it could be a single game shown on an HD-alternate channel on FOX or ABC; or it could even be a regional local channel like Mediacom. At this point A&M and OU could explore any of these options or think even more outside of the box - but those universities do not want to explore those possibilities.

 

[CyCrazy]

How would jumping to the SEC help OU and A&M at all? Texas would still get to televise Texas high school games, and would still have the recruiting advantage over them.

Plus, OU and A&M's chances of succeeding in the SEC are much more slim IMO. The SEC has a lot better teams than the Big 12 does.

OU and A&M are just a bunch of whiny crybabies IMO. Get over it. OU has lost nearly every single big bowl game they've been in lately. And A&M just isn't very good usually.

This post is probably the first time you have ever made sense.

 

[daphins]

How would jumping to the SEC help OU and A&M at all? Texas would still get to televise Texas high school games, and would still have the recruiting advantage over them.

Plus, OU and A&M's chances of succeeding in the SEC are much more slim IMO. The SEC has a lot better teams than the Big 12 does.

OU and A&M are just a bunch of whiny crybabies IMO. Get over it. OU has lost nearly every single big bowl game they've been in lately. And A&M just isn't very good usually.

Their "Help" is that they already have strong recruiting lines in Texas, and they can sell "You can Play in the SEC...the best conference in the country".

Not a HUGE sell, but I think they're arguing that this will be their only leverage over Texas for a potential recruit.

 

[hawkfan]

It was tried once, by a league who had no schools anybody wanted to watch. I don't think a 16 team WAC is comparable to a 16 team Big Ten or 16 team SEC...not even close.

The law of supply & demand suggest that it would work really well as long as it was executed correctly. Think for a second why ESPN wants to prevent 16 team leagues. It ain't because they are kind hearted souls looking to protect the historic rivalries of college football.

They want to avoid 16 teams in a BCS conference because it would cost them money....and a monopoly. Say you had four BCS conferences of 16 teams that left the NCAA and left all the mid majors in the dust. There would essentially be four TV contracts rather than 10 or so that there are now. Right now, if ESPN goes to the Big Ten in 2016 and the Big Ten demands too much, they'll say, screw it, we'll buy up the SEC, MWC, Big East, & Big 12 to compensate. Imagine if three of those four were gone. ESPN would be in a bad position.

Further, four 16 team conferences would create a scenario where there would be a TV footprint large enough (in all likelihood) to support a conference network for each conference. Do you know where ESPN feasts? It's tier 2 games that it broadcasts on ESPN, ESPN2, & ESPNU (and ESPN Gameday as well). Imagine four super conferences, each having its own network for all tier 2 games. ESPN would lose a butt load of money in that scenario.

Essentially, my point is, ESPN knows it would be profitable for the schools if there were 4 16 team leagues, which is exactly why they want to do everything possible to prevent that from happening. ESPN ain't some patron saint....they are greedy a-holes that are trying to prevent consolidation in CFB to protect the influence/monopoly they damn near currently have on the sport.

What's your explanation then.....why would ESPN desperately want to avoid the advent of the super conference? Supply and demand is a pretty proven economic theory....but I guess using a soundly proven economic theory to support my argument seems like a conspiracy to you?

To those of you claiming that super conferences wouldn't work, I never received a reply to the above.

Why then, if super conferences are destined to fail, would ESPN/ABC pay off Texas to stay where they are?

14-16 school conferences will happen eventually - they give the schools much more negotiating power against the TV networks.

Hell, relatively speaking, the largest television contracts in history happened back in the 70's & early 80's (Prior to de regulation after Oklahoma V. NCAA) because the NCAA was the only TV contract in town for college football. If you have any questions about the history of college football & TV, I could not recommend this book highly enough:

Amazon.com: The Fifty-Year Seduction: How Television Manipulated College Football, from the Birth of the Modern NCAA to the Creation of the BCS (9780312323455): Keith Dunnavant: Books

If you want a shortened version of the book, see the author of this article (He synopsizes Dunnavant's work):

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/sugarman/Sports_Law_Anthony_Lee__Regents-College_Football-BCS.pdf

ESPN knows damn well that if the conferences consolidate they'll have less leverage in negotiations, and that will cost them hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

[clonedude]

This post is probably the first time you have ever made sense.

Well, thanks a lot. You'll have your first intelligent post too someday. I'll be sure to let you know. Idiot.

 

[Boomer]

How would jumping to the SEC help OU and A&M at all? Texas would still get to televise Texas high school games, and would still have the recruiting advantage over them.

Plus, OU and A&M's chances of succeeding in the SEC are much more slim IMO. The SEC has a lot better teams than the Big 12 does.

OU and A&M are just a bunch of whiny crybabies IMO. Get over it. OU has lost nearly every single big bowl game they've been in lately. And A&M just isn't very good usually.

I'll answer in part

OU & A&M jump to the SEC is a counter measure to the longhorn network, believe it or not there are plenty of kids in this country who WANT to play in the SEC above any other conference. Geneo Smith this year is prime example

OU will take some lumps but I'm willing to bet that we would hold are on

You're entitled to your opinion, you dog us for our bowl record lately, thats fine whatever

 

[Al_4_State]

Their "Help" is that they already have strong recruiting lines in Texas, and they can sell "You can Play in the SEC...the best conference in the country".

Not a HUGE sell, but I think they're arguing that this will be their only leverage over Texas for a potential recruit.

Selling "you're probably going to play for a National Title" will go MUCH farther than selling "you're going to play in the best conference in the country".

How far has the 2nd pitch gotten Kentucky, Vandy, Miss. St, etc?