You know that ESPN deal we all hate? ...Not So Fast My Friend!

[Guest]

How ESPN Became the AAC’s New Best Friend

http://www.theuconnblog.com/2014/8/13/5999687/how-espn-became-the-aac-s-new-best-friend

Hmmm... I don't know. We chose ESPN over an NBC upstart because of exposure... but now they pawned us off to a CBS upstart. I don't quite get that.

 

 

The issue is that CBS Sports is better than ESPN 3... it's still a national network..

[ScherdinNine18]

My thoughts are that had we not fallen so far the last 3 years, we wouldn't be worrying about this.  I have some family that are in the know with some higher ups in OU and said had we not **** the bed in football, hoops and baseball, there was legitimate interest by multiple conferences (my guess was ACC and Big 12) to bring us in.  They always ask me if we like those new athletic facilities (hinting that was a must to even be considered)...

 

But now that this is our reality we need to right the ship and start winning again.  If this story has some legitimacy to it, I'm all for it.

[Dhambuc]

While I agree ANY exposure is better than NO exposure, there are a lot of variables that need to happen and will within the next few years( prior to TV negations).

 

AAC teams (USF in particular) just need to win, Not only conference games BUT OOC games and bowl games.

 

Power 5 and the rest need to insist Scholarship limits remain in place. If we keep the scholarship limits we can still snag the 2nd stringers from the Big Boys and let them start for us which will help us compete. If they allow the Power 5 to have/pay as many as they want than we could be dealt another blow.( this is a huge point I hope those in the Non Power Conferences ) stick to this and not allow the power conferences to expand the number.

 

Teams will be leaving for the Power 5 before the Next AAC TV contacts  come up( conference expansion will happen) Lets hope USF is one of the 4-8 teams that get the final spots in the Big Boy League.

 

Playoffs will increase to  8 teams in the near future. It will only take a few years for one or more of the power conferences being left out of the Playoffs. ( 4 Spots, 5 conferences)

 

Agree with the money thing, We have never had Texas or UF money for athletics but with winning seasons, exposure and a chance to start we were able to get competitive  teams in the past.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Dhambuc

[Skingraft]

Not sure how to read that article

[Triple B]

How ESPN Became the AAC’s New Best Friend

http://www.theuconnblog.com/2014/8/13/5999687/how-espn-became-the-aac-s-new-best-friend

Hmmm... I don't know. We chose ESPN over an NBC upstart because of exposure... but now they pawned us off to a CBS upstart. I don't quite get that.

And ESPN slaughtered the Big East... just to build us back up again? Not sure I am buying this here. But I could be happy in this conference if we do become the 6th "power" conference.

College Football is still better if all teams have a chance for a Cinderella Season, or the possibility of moving into the big time.

 

Right now they've only pawned off roughly 1 game a week. There is plenty of chance for the conference to get a lot of coverage on the ESPN families, and not just ESPN3 ...

[NAM37]

Like all 10 trillion of these threads, it comes down to "just win."

[hm101]

They need us to be relevant. The G5 collectively make up a lot of eyes and a lot of inventory of games. If we are irrelevant, they lose Cincy, USF, UCF, UConn, Fresno St, Boise St, ECU, etc fans tuning in to see their programs compete in exciting games and exciting bowls. 

 

So we are in the same room but at a smaller table. 

[NCBull]

Not sure how to read that article

Co-sign

[charsibb]

Not sure how to read that article

 

This is the quote that struck me as interesting

 

Namely, ESPN could not have a team like Northern Illinois in primetime on New Year’s Day. ... In response, the college football powers moved the AAC berth over to the "BCS buster" category in an effort to eliminate the Northern Illinois’ and Hawaii’s of the world from dragging down ratings ever again.

 

Instead of two "undeserving" teams in the big bowls there will now only be one. And to make sure that one team is a good one, the AAC had to be busted down to the lower tier.

 

It's a comspiracy!

[Who'sYourData?]

How ESPN Became the AAC’s New Best Friend

http://www.theuconnblog.com/2014/8/13/5999687/how-espn-became-the-aac-s-new-best-friend

Hmmm... I don't know. We chose ESPN over an NBC upstart because of exposure... but now they pawned us off to a CBS upstart. I don't quite get that.

And ESPN slaughtered the Big East... just to build us back up again? Not sure I am buying this here. But I could be happy in this conference if we do become the 6th "power" conference.

College Football is still better if all teams have a chance for a Cinderella Season, or the possibility of moving into the big time.

 

Point of clarification.  We did not choose ESPN over NBC.  ESPN had rights of first refusal, they merely needed to match the terms of the deal offered by NBC, which they did.

 

Overall, interesting perspective.  We have exposure, now we have to do something with it.