Did ESPN fuel Big East's demise? You can bet Big East thinks so(CBS Sports.com)

[Alsacs]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...g-easts-demise-you-can-bet-big-east-thinks-so

Ladies and Gentleman we will have litigation. You can bet now the ACC won't touch the Big East again because of this potential lawsuit. It should get interesting and makes some sense because ESPN is kind of screwed they have to pay the Big East market value or risk being sued.

 

[Toga]

If the reporter's tapes confirm that DeFillipo said what was reported then he is truly an idiot of the first order. Put him and Oliver Luck in a steel cage match. Only one big mouth leaves.

 

[NKR1978]

No Big East football school will allow there to be litigation. UConn is a cautionary tale.

Regardless, the ACC clearly undersold themselves in their last deal. They approached their media partner as to how to best renegotiate the deal. I'm sure the Big East had the same discussions when it raided CUSA and Mountain West. The Big East is great at playing a victim.

 

[Stern]

The article is spot on and probably 100% true. That bible sized book on ESPN that came out last year airing all the dirty secrets pretty much would back up that this is SPOT ON. With the way they (ESPN) has operated in the past and how they have operated in recent years, I believe it. This scenario was mentioned when this story broke and the fact it is brought up again is no surprise.

For ESPN it makes sense. If you aren't with them you are against them (talk to NHL and UFC)...when NHL was on ESPN they got tons of coverage, when NHL went to Versus good luck getting more than a 10 second highlight on a game. ESPN wants to devalue the NHL product and they have the power to do so with SportsCenter. When UFC was in talks with ESPN the mothership was kissing UFC's butt airing weigh-in's and doing LIVE post fight coverage from the arena. When UFC signed with FOX instead of ESPN, good luck hearing anything about UFC mentioned on any ESPN station. They might get a mention on the website...might!

This is what ESPN does. You are with them or against them. When the Big East turned them down, they became AGAINST ESPN. And ESPN destroyed the Big East. I believe it. And history backs it up.

 

[OrangeHeel]

No Big East football school will allow there to be litigation. UConn is a cautionary tale.

Regardless, the ACC clearly undersold themselves in their last deal. They approached their media partner as to how to best renegotiate the deal. I'm sure the Big East had the same discussions when it raided CUSA and Mountain West. The Big East is great at playing a victim.

Agree 100% on Big East playing the victim. Even if it's true ESPN was out to get Big East, and put me in the skeptical column, the Big East never figured out how to create a conference that ESPN couldn't destroy. They had about a decade before 2003 to do it and they had eight more years after the first raid to wake up. If the Big East really wants to know who destroyed the conference, a quick look into a large mirror ought to do the trick.

 

[Jake]

Eh, much ado about nothing. There has been a bullseye on the big East and even the big 12 for years. Long before Pitt and SU were offered a spot in the ACC, every member of the league has been playing footsie with another conference.

This will never go to court. All ESPN or the ACC has to do is FOIL the email of the Rutgers AD. "Oh, it says here you've been pleading with the Big Ten to add you into their conference. Oh, and these emails go back to 2009. So what you're really pissed about is the fact that Syracuse and Pitt left before you did."

Your witness.

 

[omniorange]

Another thing to keep in mind with all of this is that presently ESPN only has 2 BCS conferences entirely under wraps - the ACC and the Big East.

They share the Big Ten with the BTN, bb with CBS, and the Big Ten Championship game with FOX. They share the SEC with CBS. They share the Pac with FOX and a forthcoming PTN. They share the Big 12 with FOX.

They know Comcast was interested in the Big East and the Big East was interested in Comcast. You can bet that Comcast and FOX will be interested in acquiring the Big Ten rights when they become available in 2016(?).

How much did all of this influence ESPN's decision? And how much can the ACC realistically expect to make in any renegotiated deal will be interesting to see.

Cheers,
Neil