Adding to the intrigue of Big East expansion and the Villanova situation, the Big East media rights will be available after the 2013 football season. It’s one of the reasons the Big East invited TCU last fall and Villanova decided to pursue the idea of expansion. The Big East needs to make itself as pretty — and as stable — as possible if it wants to get a deal even close to what the other 5 BCS conferences are (or are going to be) pulling in their latest deals.
Typically, with a deal expiring at the end of 2013, talks wouldn’t have started until next year.
ESPN currently pays the Big East an average of $36 million annually as part of a six-year contract for all of its sports. While initial numbers being floated may not be as rich as the ESPN/ACC deal that was struck last spring, it would still mark a major boost for the 16-team conference.
Sources indicate the early numbers range from $110 million to $130 million annually, but conference sources describe those figures as a starting point for any negotiation. The initial offer would fall short of the $155 million annual payout the ACC will receive from ESPN in a deal that kicks in this summer. But the bold push by ESPN shows the network wants to lock down college rights in the face of increasing competition.
The ACC deal, which is the closest analog for the Big East will pay each school some $12 million/year in the new deal.
Assuming Ashton Gibbs comes back or Pitt doesn’t add another player to the 2011 recruiting class with the open spot, Pitt presently has two available scholarships for the 2012 class. Odds are, though, that at least one other scholarship will open. But it is hard to see Pitt’s class being larger than 3 for 2012
One is going to be filled by Steve Adams from New Zealand. Pitt is pursuing such top-ranked players like Andre Drummond, Amile Jefferson and Omar Calhoun.
Calhoun is obviously the top target for Pitt at the shooting guard position. The other player on the list for a while has been Myles Davis from Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) — a place new Pitt assistant Bill Barton has connections as the former head coach.
