Does the BEFC demise actually mean we leave early?

[44PRIDE]

It's been thrown around on all boards that the Big East's demise as a football conference would lead to an early exit for us. However, I haven't heard that from anyone official...and I'm starting to think it isn't necessarily true.

The BE has its BCS status locked up through the 2013 season. That means the BBall schools have a guaranteed income from 2 years of bowl games and 2 years of Football TV revenue...on top of the $5m buyout per school upon their exit. Not to mention the extra BBall revenue these high profile programs bring in.

Obviously, it'd be a move for Marinara to hold all these schools against their will. But they have a legally binding contract. If the Big East dissolves as a football conference, what would motivate the BBall schools to let the defectors out of their contract early?

 

[orange79]

I don't think the BB schools get any FB revenue. But, I believe a member is a member - BB schools could still vote to keep us here for the full 27months. But if they do, I hope we tell them we are never playing them ever again.

 

[Orangemen]

Money solves everything.

The catholic schools have to know they'll never see major TV dollars again once the big fish leave. Give them something like $7.5M from each school wanting to leave early, and they should be happy.

The ability to still schedule SU, Pitt, Ville will be very good for their pockets a few years down the line.

 

[kingottoiii]

I don't think the BB schools get any FB revenue. But, I believe a member is a member - BB schools could still vote to keep us here for the full 27months. But if they do, I hope we tell them we are never playing them ever again.

That is fine by me. I want out for FB so we are in the 2012 ACC season. But back to the original question, if the BE BBall schools decide to break away on their own, we can leave right away. They will have dissolved the relationship not us.

 

[44PRIDE]

But back to the original question, if the BE BBall schools decide to break away on their own, we can leave right away. They will have dissolved the relationship not us.

Sure, I can see that. Outside of blackmail, what would motivate them to break away before 2013? By holding the BE together, they are at least guaranteed the revenue from basketball through the end of that contract. And that's HUGE for the DePaul's, Marquettes and Seton Hall's of the world.

There is a great line from THIS ARTICLE:
"The Big East Football Conference" is actually a separate non-profit (501c3) entity from the basketball schools, just for the purposes of revenue sharing."

 

[shantydaze]

When do the football schools have a right to review the arrangement and vote to split off from the basketball onlies? If the deadline is coming up, the football schools could vote to split from the basketball schools and then vote to disband.

 

[dinosaurbbq]

I've seen stories in print that WVU was supposed to go to the Big 12 without waiting on the 27 mo. window. WVU would've started in the Big 12 when Mizzou is supposed to leave, which is for 2013. WVU was reported to have agreed to pay $10 mil total instead of $5 mil for the buyout. In other news . . . Big East football school reps met Sunday with 5 schools targeted to join and WVU and Louisville did not attend. Pretty good signal they both don't intend to be there much longer. Of course, one of them is screwed if the Big 12 only takes 1 of the 2, which I would expect.