Smoking Gun? Tweeted by Dan Wetzel

[slbpsi63]

Dan Wetzel â€@DanWetzel

Oklahoman on Big12 consulting w ESPN, Fox on expansion (NotreDame) http://bit.ly/NSeb4R @ClayTravisBGID take on it http://bit.ly/LTqyLE

http://outkickthecoverage.com/espn-fox-advising-big-12-on-expansion-adding-notre-dame.php

So they have proof of what we have known all along... TV is driving expansion.... DUH!!!

[crambone]

lol

[Skingraft]

I'll second that lol

[Gismo]

Talk about conflict of interest. So these are only big 12 memos. Maybe espn and fox have been advising every conference, even the big east. It wouldn't surprise me if this is the case.

[Reliable Source]

Talk about conflict of interest. So these are only big 12 memos. Maybe espn and fox have been advising every conference, even the big east. It wouldn't surprise me if this is the case.

Actually I am pretty sure ESPN hasn't been advising the Big East. Ever since we turned down their TV offer, we have been in the shitstorm. If they were advising us, we might have still been part of the Thanksgiving dinner that is trying to figure out how to carve up the turkey.

[Gismo]

So far evidence that espn advised big 12 and ACC. Only target schools for either conference have been from the big east, ND, pitt, cuse, WVU, TCU. Likely retaliation to devalue the brand and reduce competition with other networks that might win big east tv rights in the future. Speculation that this may not have happened if big east accepted the espn offer.

[BDYZR]

So far evidence that espn advised big 12 and ACC. Only target schools for either conference have been from the big east, ND, pitt, cuse, WVU, TCU. Likely retaliation to devalue the brand and reduce competition with other networks that might win big east tv rights in the future. Speculation that this may not have happened if big east accepted the espn offer.

BINGO!

[Reliable Source]

So you're saying this is about the money? Time to call the Captain

[USFDan]

The question is does USF, Rutgers, Louisville and Cincinnati have any grounds to sue ESPN, Big12 and ACC? They may have a case that could be worth a ton of money if they can pursue it. Or maybe a way to guarantee themselves a spot in one of the big 5?

[Gismo]

I think the Big East would have a strong case against ESPN if they can bring forth enough evidence that ESPN is purposely devaluing their brand by advising (or manipulating) the other conferences to invite teams from the Big East. I think making a case against the other conferences would be more difficult than making a case against ESPN.

What has happened is pretty clear. The Big East said no to ESPN's offer, and ESPN is trying to reduce the value of the Big East in case they are outbid for the TV rights. ESPN wants full control on college football and the more teams they can get TV rights to the better it is for them. This is why they are trying to pick off Big East teams, so that the TV rights for these teams will not belong to another network.

The sooner the Big East gets a good bid for it's TV rights the better. I believe all it will take for the Big East to stick it to ESPN is to sell their TV rights to any network that isn't ESPN. My theory is that while ESPN may still try to steal teams from the Big East the law of diminishing returns will apply. Conferences have expanded to the point where there's not much to be gained from expanding unless your adding a team with a ND or Texas like reputation, and even the PAC didn't expand when they could have had Oklahoma AND Texas. Once the conferences see that it's no longer profitable or logical to expand and the Big East gets a TV deal from another network ESPN will be the loser when it's all said and done.

For the first time ESPN will have real competition. They have been paying these conferences a lot less than they are worth because they've had no competition. The SEC realized this and added teams so they could renegotiate their contract (this was made easier for the SEC because of the bad blood in the Big12). The Big East also realized ESPN was under paying and was the first to say to ESPN "we think we can get more". I believe that ESPN is behind the moves by the ACC and Big12 and that they're only interest is to reduce competition with other networks over TV rights. The defections from the Big12 I believe were because of bad blood in the conference.