I realize the latest Big East Commissioner from the Providence College cabal has stressed the need to improve the Big East’s bowl tie-ins as a top priority. And I don’t disagree since that is the most immediate contract. At the same time, he dismisses the need for a 9th team in football.
Well, the football stuff and the bloated side of basketball is in need of being addressed because of the impact on the TV money.
This shows the current set-up for TV deals in the conferences.
It is no surprise that the Big East has the worst contract of any of the BCS conferences with a 6-year/$200 million arrangement with ESPN/ABC for football and basketball. The Big East wasn’t in a position of strength having just lost three football teams and being on double-secret BCS probation.
Still, it is hideous even compared to the inept work of the Pac-10:
• ABC/ESPN: Five years, $125 million for football
• Fox Sports Net: Five years, $97 million for football
• ABC/ESPN: Six years, $52.5 million for basketball
(All run through 2011-12.)
However the Big East allocates the money to football schools versus basketball only schools, it is not good for the football schools overall. Guessing that $100 mill gets a roughly 8-way split ($12.5 mill) and the other half gets a 16-way ($6.25 mill), that’s a paltry $18.75 million over the course of the 6-year deal (or $3.125 mill/year).
Even the Pac-10 clears over $5 mill per team per year with their contracts, and they are considered to have the dumbest negotiators in big-time college sports.
This only underscores one of the problems with the Big East’s basketball side. It is just too big. Too many slices of the pie. Couple that with the too small football side that can’t get even close to the same drawing power of the other major conferences, and this will be a looming catastrophe for the football programs competitively. And eventually for the basketball side as well.
BONUS UPDATE: Brian Bennett on his Big East football blog for ESPN has some more disturbing numbers on where Big East teams lie on the overall list of what D-1 programs take in for overall revenue:
Now think about this: The top Big East teams made less than half of the revenue that Texas and Ohio State generated. Ten of the 12 SEC schools, 10 of the 11 Big Ten schools, six of the 10 Pac-10 schools and half the Big 12 ranked ahead of the top Big East revenue maker.
This list isn’t all about football, of course, and some schools sponsor several sports that bring in money. But we all know that football is the rainmaker, and those that have the most cash usually find the most success. The gap between the SEC and the Big East (and possibly everybody else) only figures to widen given the SEC’s new lucrative TV deal.
39. UConn: $54.7 million
40.: WVU: $54.3 million
44. Louisville: $52.2 million
45. Rutgers: $50.2 million
54. Syracuse: $44.7 million
61. Pittsburgh: $39.7 million
66. South Florida: $34.7 million
67. Cincinnati: $33.9 million
Yeep. Here’s the full chart.
This football, basketball structure is not really working for some of the larger schools on a revenue basis.
May I say that the basketball only schools need to go and ND must either join the conference in FB (I know it will happen only if hell freezes over) or leave!!
Any thoughts?
I guess I am getting too much sun in Dallas and this is really skewing my thought process but something has to be done.
Rev. George. I see that you have a good sense of humor.
From what I have read and heard, there are still many alums and media that haven’t bought in. They are so remote from the rest of the conference — Maryland is the next most northern ACC member. And I understand that the TV ratings for BC hasn’t improved since joining the ACC — although I have no numbers to prove it.
Trouble is that BC makes more in the the ACC, and that is the ultinmate criterion these days. Which is why that, if asked, either SU, RU or Pitt would seriously consider joning the Big 11 … which makes the current BE football situation all the more fragile.
I say the BE needs to move to a 9th team in the very near future.
Too me it would not be a big loss if a three teams left. All they are is just mini Duquesne that dont bring in any money for the league.
If the BE doesnt bring in a ninth team than I think this league needs to be dismantled. There’s too many other bball schools such as the schools I mentioned that no one really cares about(besided Geogetown, or Nova)and not enough football teams. We all know that BE bball is the best, but there are too many Duquesne’s in it, and not enough public insitutions. If nothing changes in say two maybe three years thatn PITT, RU, SU,UofL The Hoopies, and UConn should be allowed to join other major conference then such as the ACC, Big Ten, Sec etc. The schools should complain and get the governemnt involved like they are doing for the BCS.
The Big East would never be like it is today since the wonderful Old Man that thinks he’s the Messiah wanted an all eastern league. Instead he took and eastern school and put them into a midwestern league, and ultimatley created the ACC, and a messed up BIG EAST. Shouldnt Congress have steped in then?????
I would think UCF would be a better candidate. It is located in Orlando with a population of over 2M, and would be a natural rival with USF. (I could also see a couple of Saturday – Monday basketball road trips similar to PAC 10.)
The BigEast has pushed college football so far on the back burner, that we look for silver linings every year in order to keep ourselves afloat. We’ve been holding on to this tiny share of respect and it’s about to wear out. Honestly, how nice would it have been to have a Commish put into place that realizes the state of basketball being solid and would pursue football opportunities much more aggressively…Splitting conference/trimming fat/adding teams that contribute to both football AND basketball?
We do realize that Notre Dame has us by the boys, right? I understand that the dames help attendance and exposure, but let’s admit it, it’s pathetic what they’re able to do with the Beast.
No other major conference would put up with this kind of cockamamy bs. It’s time for the BigEast to put on their big boy underoos and go to work. There are certainly aggressive options available. Unfortunately not one of them starts with leadership from Providence.
HTP
I am dreaming here, but it would be nice to lure away a MD or a NC State from the ACC.
Get rid of the BB only schools? Do we let G’town go?
The reasons:
1) 16 teams is too many and it takes a lot out of you physically and mentally.
2) Get rid of little catholic schools wont hurt your tv market in any way
3) Adding larger TV markets like Memphis, and UCF would only help TV markets, and it would give you two more bball schools that also have football.
Im serious about the pation. If the Big East is going to stay I say fix both leagues, and complement both not just one sport.
As for adding new teams as w bill said BC makes more in the ACC, and no team will join the football teams unless they get more money than where they are currently at. So to go out and get BCS schools will be tough. It looks like we would be stuck picking over C-USA or MAC schools unless they gave BCS teams a sweeten deal.
Maybe you should ask Rutgers, St. Johns, Providence and ‘Nova if we should get rid of Seton Hall.
Maybe you should ask ND if the BE should get rid of DePaul and Marquette.
It could be that we are thinking parochially.
Also, UCF could come in as a football only school since their BB team is weak.
After adding UCF or Memphis the Beast may want to keep the 10th spot open in hopes of one day luring PSU, Maryland, BC, or the pipe dream that is ND much like the Big 11 is doing with their “open” 12th spot.
There has been speculation for a while now that Memphis will be the next BE team, and from what I read from a few Memphis blogs, their fans are very much in favor of it. It should definitiely help their FB program as well as their bb program, especially now that that Cal left. Memphis would also provide a decent TV market, as well as exposure in SEC and Big 12 country.
Note that this is all speculation (don’t know what the buyout is from C-USA or anything,) but I believe the BE really can benefit by adding a team close to a big TV market. One last speculation if they add Memphis .. maybe they can drop DePaul from bb since ND still will draw the Chicago market.