Conference realignment "Rumors" "tweets" "etc"

[TallyBull]

Why is USF NOT IN THAT PICTURE WITH CINCY AND UCONN

WHAT THE F*CK.

Other than that, sounds good and I hope we can get into something halfway decent. lol

You ask a good question.

[namuh-bull]

Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers and Maryland. You really think this was done b/c of on field results?

Those teams have history. We have none, or very little, and none of any significance. All we have is reputation, media market, and potential. Any positive reputation we have has been destroyed over the last several years. We have not only lost on the field, but also in any type of national opinion. We have the media market, and we have potential. It is far easier to get people to see the present than the future.

Go Bulls!

[Bull Martin]

I really don't see why 10 schools wouldn't want to band together to get UConn and Cincy in the ACC...

[Kahoki]

Thinking about this here, before some of you go nuts and bash me, hear me out first.

I think UCF and USF together should team up here and pitch the Big 12, SEC, ACC. And do it as a packaged deal. In particularly the Big 12.

Now here is why I say this.

As of the numbers I can find. In 2010, national TV market rankings are as follows.

Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater: national ranking #14 with 1,805,810 viewers

Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne: national ranking #19 with 1,455,620 viewers

Totaled together at 3,261,430.

That combined number would put them at #4 in national TV market rankings.

That is alot of possible viewers of the B12 to turn down.

Mike Bianchi, is that you?

http://www.orlandose...,2059056.column

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, no. My vinegar content is not that high.

[Ruger7mmmag]

Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers and Maryland. You really think this was done b/c of on field results?

Hem is right to some extent, but on field results/potential does factor into it. Here's why I think you see what you do with these programs above being targets that were picked off. I worked in national advertising for over 7 years negotiating/buying media for the likes of LG, Toshiba, Samsung, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Brother until I got tired of spending 1-2 weeks every month living up there away from my family and moved into telecom where I could work remote. If you look up their HQs, you'll see I know the NE pretty darn well as well as the inside workings of the $$$ that's involved here and the real value vs. perceived value.

Pitt has a great history, one of the oldest programs in NCAA history with TONS of WEALTHY alumni in a top media market. Combine that with periodic success in football/basketball and on the field they won't be any worse than what the bottom of your conference already has and that's if they don't see a bump from getting your conference label.

Syracuse-Football program is the equivalent of bottom tier of whatever conference they go to, but they have shown in their past they are very capable of putting together a CHAMPIONSHIP level program. With the age group who are pulling the strings, they remember these good times which were recent as the Donovan McNabb days and when combined with their basketball program and media that will cover your games with the, it's a great add. Even playing second fiddle to the Giants, Jets, Devils, Knicks is still more exposure than many schools will get due to the population density their media outlets reach. 10% millions is still more than 100% of many schools out there. Plus the NY market drives advertising around the country. What happens there flows "downstream". It's why most of the large electronics companies started there. (Even though some are moving out west like Toshiba did recently from Wayne, NJ bc they got sick of the taxes).

Rutgers-Same as above in regards to location. Sure their sports have sucked, but Rutgers is an old institution with wealthy alumni who are politically well connected with all entities involved and they are pulling in favors left and right from what I'm hearing. Say what you want, though they do play second fiddle to the pro teams, any time you play them you get SERIOUS run in the media outlets in that area where there are some GREAT recruits.

Maryland-Sure football sucks, but you get a STRONG basketball program with history and once again, a rich alumni base and their proximity to DC gives their conference mates access to a massive media market. The way that area is, if you've ever been to their campus, you're a quick drive to DC, Baltimore etc. which are all great markets.

In buying media, you learn real quick there are certain markets where the CPMs make sense. Rutgers is in one of those. I used to put inserts into the Star Ledger at a CPM for a FRACTION of what it may costs in smaller markets. To translate this into every day terms, I could reach 600k people for the cost of reaching 100k in smaller markets. When you bring in the electronic advertising, this makes those eyeballs even more attractive to reach.

These are also all markets economically which have the best chances to pull through this economy. NY, Baltimore, NJ, Pittsburgh all have industries which are pulling through and recovering.

Now contrast that to Cincy and Uconn and you can see why they weren't picked ahead of the others.

Ever tried to reach the Cincy population through their media outlets? Puke. The options suck, are expensive and the media "controllers" in that area act like they are back 25 years. They stick with rate cards unless you do a back room deal and even then it's like you're paying for NY coverage with the buying power of Cincy with a school base that's a far cry from Ohio State which still dominates that market in their town. Worst part is Cincy isn't coming back any time soon, but what they do have going from them is they are still sizeable and won't embarrass you on the field in football or basketball.

Uconn is unique bc they are in ESPN's backyard with a rich basketball history, if not for that, they'd be in worse shape than anyone in this situation bc media wise, without ESPN, they'd be NOBODY. High cost to reach the limited population they influence in an area without enough talent to matter. Who is going to send a recruiter to Connecticut? Uconn has pull in ESPN and is the only reason they've got a prayer to be picked up.

Now for USF/UCF. In the eyes of the rest of the country, media wise, we each sit in decent markets, but media wise, we're more expensive than we should be for folks to advertise. Some of the CPMs I was stuck working with were on par with what I could get in NY, LA, Chicago, Dallas etc. yet the ROI wasn't there bc a large portion of that population I'm reaching is RETIRED. So if I want to cut them out, great, but that adds costs to ZONE it towards who I want. Even then, alot of those eyeballs in that area are UF, FSU, UM and a mix of snowbirds who retired down there who will pay to see their teams regardless if USF/UCF are in their conference.

By the same token, it's still a large market, especially when combined as one but the most attractive thing is the recruiting the area offers. Right now though, the SEC gets all they want in these markets as it is so no reason to invest here. ACC is doing the same thing. When FSU is good, it's good for the ACC even if the other schools don't pull much here. However, if FSU/UM leave, now we become important to them.

So the question becomes, based on the $$$, is the investment to share money with us to bring us on board worth the eyeballs/access to recruiting they'll gain?

Being in the business, that's why we're on the outside looking in. If we had finished out 2007 the way it was going, top 10 finish which would've propelled us to 10+ bowls, top 25 ranking, the fan support would've been there and shown a GLIMPSE of the potential to grow these markets into more fertile grounds, more merchandise etc.

Instead, Holtz gutted us and the lack of buts in the seats in a city with our population is going to scare the hell out of potential conferences who would look to add us. Bc if you can't fill a 65k stadium but 1/4 full, then you can bet on worse projections on the population as a whole.

At this point, we need someone who can sell USF's POTENTIAL. Problem is, we won't have another football season under out belt before this stuff goes down. Ironically, one item that could really help USF right now is a strong run by the Basketball team go figure. Our brand is on life support, everything we can do to build that bandwagon is CRITICAL to the future of this program right now.

That's my explanation of why things have gone the way they have and where they are going.

[Kahoki]

Thinking about this here, before some of you go nuts and bash me, hear me out first.

I think UCF and USF together should team up here and pitch the Big 12, SEC, ACC. And do it as a packaged deal. In particularly the Big 12.

Now here is why I say this.

As of the numbers I can find. In 2010, national TV market rankings are as follows.

Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater: national ranking #14 with 1,805,810 viewers

Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne: national ranking #19 with 1,455,620 viewers

Totaled together at 3,261,430.

That combined number would put them at #4 in national TV market rankings.

That is alot of possible viewers of the B12 to turn down.

I'm not going to bash you, but, couldn't the Big 12 get those TV markets by adding FSU?

I would have to yes. However, there is an issue in regards to the $50M exit fee. Now we all know FSU would fight that legal battle. But is it worth fighting? Particularly in a national spotlight. I can't answer that, only they could.

While USF/UCF combo may be more appealing for total viewership, less of a public legal fight over money, and adding 2 up coming programs with a high attendance number of students.

[gobulls83]

Boise, TCU, WVU only made a reputation for themselves in the last decade

Boise State isn't in one of the big leagues either, and you are wrong about TCU and West Virginia. TCU won a national title all the way back in the 1930s and has a history with many of the current Big XII schools from its days in the old Southwest Conference. More accurately, TCU fell off the map in the last part of the 20th century and has seen a revival in recent years. West Virginia has a big following too, though this past decade has been their most successful on the field, no doubt.

[CPR]

Post of the month Ruger7mmmag. Thanks for the insight, it makes sense.

[TallyBull]

At this point, we need someone who can sell USF's POTENTIAL.

I agree 100%. Who's doing it?

[GaUSFBull]

At this point, we need someone who can sell USF's POTENTIAL.

I agree 100%. Who's doing it?

Coach Willie T FTW!!!