Big East to hold Pitt and 'Cuse hostage

[zeekay]

This SUCKS. I was hoping they'd let us go, since we're a charter member and all and MADE this conference.

Stolen from another site:

"The $5 million exit fee is conditional on proper notice. The news comes from Pete Thamel, who seems to have been pretty reliable in this whole situation.

@PeteThamelNYT Just filed a Big East story. One news nugget: Big East will hold Pitt and Syracuse to their exit contract, meaning a June 2014 exit."

 

[ejz555]

This SUCKS. I was hoping they'd let us go, since we're a charter member and all and MADE this conference.

Stolen from another site:

"The $5 million exit fee is conditional on proper notice. The news comes from Pete Thamel, who seems to have been pretty reliable in this whole situation.

@PeteThamelNYT Just filed a Big East story. One news nugget: Big East will hold Pitt and Syracuse to their exit contract, meaning a June 2014 exit."

Until the Big 12 chips fall...

 

[44USMC]

Well, that would make Pitt and SU voting members. The two teams could wage leadership warfare within the conference and really sabotage the future of the other teams involved.

 

[Chip]

Well, that would make Pitt and SU voting members. The two teams could wage leadership warfare within the conference and really sabotage the future of the other teams involved.

I have no idea how this works but it would be interesting if Pitt or SU could call for a vote to reduce the months of notice (ACC just basically voted on $20M exit the other day and it was effective immediately). Not sure how many votes are needed to pass and if it's combined hoops/football, but what could be interesting is to see how the other schools vote. None of them want to be stuck on this ship.

 

[690West]

I may be naive, but people break contracts all the time. You have to pay a price. There's no penal code that forces SU to stay in the big east for any length if time. Im confused...

 

[44USMC]

I may be naive, but people break contracts all the time. You have to pay a price. There's no penal code that forces SU to stay in the big east for any length if time. Im confused...

The problem is, the Big East could hold SU and Pitt accountable for damages incurred in TV contract violations, especially if ESPN revokes its deal.

 

[zeekay]

I may be naive, but people break contracts all the time. You have to pay a price. There's no penal code that forces SU to stay in the big east for any length if time. Im confused...

EDIT: 44USMC beat me to it.

If they break it, they get sued. bball onlies will say it's two seasons worth of lucrative ESPN coverage of 'Cuse-Nova, 'Cuse-Gtown etc. and calculate the lawsuit payout off of that.

Also because this is conference affiliation, not just football matters, all members vote. Even if WVU, Rugirls, UCONN, Pitt, and Cuse all vote to remove 27 month provision it will not be enough votes. The bball onlies will want their exit fee payouts and bball TV contract payouts.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I really don't expect that to hold.

 

[44USMC]

EDIT: 44USMC beat me to it.

If they break it, they get sued. bball onlies will say it's two seasons worth of lucrative ESPN coverage of 'Cuse-Nova, 'Cuse-Gtown etc. and calculate the lawsuit payout off of that.

Also because this is conference affiliation, not just football matters, all members vote. Even if WVU, Rugirls, UCONN, Pitt, and Cuse all vote to remove 27 month provision it will not be enough votes. The bball onlies will want their exit fee payouts and bball TV contract payouts.

Yours was there as soon as I posted mine as well

 

[kcsu]

This will be worked out. The Big East will either merge with the Big 12 remnants or cease to exist. Expect next year to be our last in the league if it even goes that far. Remember ESPN holds both the ACC and Big East deals so no worries as im sure they already have this figured out.

 

[44PRIDE]

This league (as constituted) will not exist in 2 years.

 

[Rocco]

This will be worked out. The Big East will either merge with the Big 12 remnants or cease to exist. Expect next year to be our last in the league if it even goes that far. Remember ESPN holds both the ACC and Big East deals so no worries as im sure they already have this figured out.

+1

Sent from my Droid Fascinate using Tapatalk.

 

[zeekay]

But if Texas, OU, TTU, and OSU all leave the B12, the remaining schools will be in a lower power position than the remaining Big East. In which case BE can invite remnants of B12 while keeping the name/contracts/etc. and collect the exit fees they want.

I just think Nova and GTOWN will do everything in their power to screw us.

 

[Alsacs]

I doubt the basketball schools will let SU and Pitt leave early. They will want SU to fill up their arenas two more times. I bet we play @Providence the next two years. If the Big East doesn't release us we would have no grounds to repudiate the K we signed when they changed the by-laws to leave.

 

[cmr27]

This is a negotiating position, nothing more. What's he gonna say, "OK, they can leave" right out of the gate?

 

[690West]

The problem is, the Big East could hold SU and Pitt accountable for damages incurred in TV contract violations, especially if ESPN revokes its deal.

Ahh, got it

 

[Stern]

If the Big 12 teams need a home soon because OU/Tex/Tex Tech/OSU are in the Pac 12 NEXT year...SU and Pitt are gone!!

 

[Czar]

TV Contract expires before the 28 month window ends, so no, the potential damages are not as large as people think. Also, the next Big East TV Contract is already garbage now since it will be negotiated in a year. So, seriously, there is no point to holding Syracuse and Pitt, and if anything the ACC may just help pay the penalties just to get the teams out early.