Expansion chatter...again

[rrlbees]

BigTime Sports ‏ @GSwaim

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Few talking about #FSU, #Clemson, #CardNation, #BYU today, but consensus from coaches & admins at #FinalFour is major moves coming in June.

BigTime Sports ‏ @GSwaim

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Many head & assistant basketball coaches in the #ACC & #Big12 have heard about the #FSU & #Clemson talks with B12...and no one is laughing.

 

[orange79]

If true, surprising. I know TX and OK are there, but I figured if FSU and Clempson were to move, it would be the SEC. Oh well. UConn and Rutgirls can easily replace them. At elast, that is what they will try to convince you. Oh Lord

 

[Faegan]

If they want to be that stupid and be Texas's b!tches, go and have fun.

 

[orange79]

So, if this happens, we probably won't be getting as much $$$ as we thought, right? Ugh.

 

[rrlbees]

So, if this happens, we probably won't be getting as much $$$ as we thought, right? Ugh.

Would seem that way. And if FSU and Clemson "were" to leave, that puts a huge dent in that home football schedule in future years.

 

[Scotch]

The ACC is turning into the old Big East. I don't like this one bit.

Swofford needs to sweeten the pot for Notre Dame.

 

[ImperialOrange]

That would certianly be an ugly conference footprint aside from L'ville helping bridge WVU.

 

[shandeezy7]

The ACC is turning into the old Big East. I don't like this one bit.

Swofford needs to sweeten the pot for Notre Dame.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Nothing has happened yet. I know everyone will say "where there's smoke, there's fire," but at this point it's all speculation based on dubious "sources."

 

[44PRIDE]

This move doesn't make sense. If Clemson and FSU were to move anywhere, why wouldn't it be the SEC? They've been drooling over each other for generations...

 

[Scotch]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Nothing has happened yet. I know everyone will say "where there's smoke, there's fire," but at this point it's all speculation based on dubious "sources."

I can see a scenario where FSU and Clemson weren't thrilled with the additions of Cuse and Pitt, and want to be in a conference with Texas and Oklahoma - a football conference. I bet the money is close.

 

[TexanMark]

Think about it FSU really want road trips to morgantown, stillwater, manhattan,ks and waco? Their closest road trip (besides Clemson) would be WVU and UT!

 

[Townie72]

The real question is ... what does Frank the Tank have to say about this?

Having won the right to negotiate because they added two schools, the ACC has no reason to add lightweights Rutgiz and UConn.

 

[44PRIDE]

Assume for a moment this had a grain of truth to it. If I were the ACC, I would fight hard for the addition of Louisville...

EDIT: ...and maybe Vanderbilt.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Why would FSU leave the ACC, a conference they have a chance to win year in and year out, to become second step-cousin to Texas and Oklahoma? And create a travel nightmare for their teams? I just don't buy it. I don't buy Clemson leaving either, unless it's to the SEC.

Money only goes so far. But if lining their pockets will keep them warm in the months where Texas and WVU kicks their asses, have at it. Stupid move.

Smart move for Louisville to go to the Big12. Not smart for FSU.

 

[SUinNYC]

Yay! The weather is heating up, so the realignment rumors are too!

Expansion rumors usually start thriving this time of year because once the Final 4 is over there's no more big time college sports to talk about.

I hope this one is just another rumor. Like Rutgers to the Big 10.

 

[DomeStranger]

I'm laughing ... no way FSU and Clemson go to the Midwest ... it's funny just thinking about it. The only reason I could see them two talking to the B12 is to get the SEC's attention.

 

[Rocco]

The ACC is turning into the old Big East. I don't like this one bit.

Wow, over reaction much? We're not even in the ACC yet, and it is already the old BE.

Even if the ACC did lose FSU and Clem:

UNC, NCst, VT, Miami, GT, UVA, Wake, Maryland, BC, Duke, Pitt, SU > RU, UConn, Temple, USF, LVille, Cincy, Memphis, Houston, SDSU, Boise, UCF

 

[CuseLegacy]

As the saying goes...just follow the money.

The Big 12 Conference is more than safe. The league is strong - perhaps stronger than ever - thanks to a forthcoming megadeal with ABC/ESPN.



Multiple sources confirmed Tuesday's report in the Sports Business Daily that the once-embattled league is close to finalizing a TV contract with ABC/ESPN that is on par with other conferences nationwide.

"Yes, the Big 12 is strong," one source said. "I'd say very strong."

Sources in the television industry and within the Big 12 office said the report - a nine-year extension of the league's current contract with ESPN that will pay the conference $1.3 billion through 2025 - is accurate. The old ABC/ESPN contract, which ran through 2016, was originally an eight-year deal for $480 million.

Coupled with its February 2011 renegotiation with Fox Sports - a $1.17 billion deal also through 2025 - the conference's annual television revenue will swell to more than $190 million a year, or about $19 million per school.

An industry source said the syncing of the league's partnerships with multiple entities "makes everyone happy."

In 2010, the Big 12 reported $72.5 million in revenue from television contracts, and that was split among 12 schools. The new $2.47 billion deals goes to just 10 schools, which likely ends any discussion about further expansion back to 12 teams.

The new deal with ESPN adds an extra $5 million a year for each Big 12 school. The league in 2011 agreed to equal revenue sharing, a departure from its original practice of additional revenue weighted toward schools with more television appearances.

That practice was at the heart of one-third of the league's original members - Nebraska and Colorado in 2010 and Texas A&M and Missouri in 2011 - deciding to leave for conferences with richer television contracts and more equitable revenue-sharing models.

For newcomers West Virginia and Texas Christian, it's a banner day. WVU was paid a reported $10 million from the Big East last year, while TCU in 2009-10 was among nine schools in the Mountain West Conference that divvied up just over $9 million in total league revenue.

Mike Soltys, ESPN vice president of communications, told the SBD, "We have an existing agreement with the Big 12 that has four years remaining. We are in regular conversations with all our partners about future opportunities. There's nothing beyond that."

The Big 12's new deals put the league on the same playing field financially with existing television contracts in the Southeastern Conference and the Pac-12 Conference.

The Pac-12 last year signed an agreement with Fox Sports and ABC/ESPN that pays the league $2.7 billion through 2024, or $21 million per school annually.

The SEC in 2010 signed an extension with ESPN that, paired with its existing deal with CBS, nets the league $3.075 billion through 2024 (more than $25 million a year per school), although with the SEC's expansion to 14 teams, its television contracts likely will be up for renegotiation soon.
On the tube

A look at reported contract terms of the six BCS conferences' current or upcoming football packages:

ACC: 12 years, $1.86 billion, ESPN (through 2024)*

Big East: 6 years, $200 million, ABC/ESPN (through 2013)

Big Ten: 10 years, $1 billion, ABC/ESPN (through 2016); 25 years, +$2.8 billion, Big Ten Network (through 2032)

Big 12: 13 years, $1.17 billion, Fox (through 2025)*; 13 years, $1.3 billion, ABC/ESPN (through 2016)**

Pac-12: 12 years, $2.7 billion, Fox/ABC/ESPN (through 2024)*

SEC: 15 years, $2.25 billion, ESPN (through 2024); 15 years, $825 million, CBS (through 2024)

* contract in effect in 2012 ** deal hasn't been formally announced + Big Ten Network revenue projected

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

Meh...sounds like Swaim is trying to create something to talk about on his internet radio program. Wish he would make it the SEC to give it some credibility.

 

[uconnric]

Meh...sounds like Swaim is trying to create something to talk about on his internet radio program. Wish he would make it the SEC to give it some credibility.

FSU and Clemson to the SEC won't happen, Florida blocks FSU and USC blocks Clemson. The Big Twelve is their only way out. They weren't happy with the addition of Pitt and Cuse to the football lineup (nor would they have been happy with UConn or Rutgers obviously) and conference re-alignment is still all about football. This is also their chance to get away from Wake, Duke and BC. For FSU and Clemson the move makes sense. Their football programs and fan bases have little in common with the "northern" schools.

 

[IthacaMatt]

BigTime Sports ‏ @GSwaim

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Few talking about #FSU, #Clemson, #CardNation, #BYU today, but consensus from coaches & admins at #FinalFouris major moves coming in June.


BigTime Sports ‏ @GSwaim

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Many head & assistant basketball coaches in the #ACC & #Big12 have heard about the #FSU & #Clemsontalks with B12...and no one is laughing.

FSU and Clemson will NEVER EVER EVER leave the ACC for he Big 12. They would do it for the SEC, possibly, but not for the Big 12.

 

[SU2NASA]

0% chance.

 

[JacketFan]

This might be bias/arrogance on my part, but I just cannot see this happening. On the FSU and Clemson boards the fans are at best 70-30 against this with most of the support coming from UT and WV fans. As a recent Tech grad, I can say confidently that any rumors that b12 fans have been spreading about us also being interested are completely and totally false. We have no desire to be in a conference where we would be the top academic institution with a huge drop after No. 2.

I'll stand be the fact that all these rumors are coming from blogs out of WV and Texas, and that they represent pipe dreams for those schools, not real scenarios.

Also why would ESPN negotiate a contract that would undermine the ACC as has been rumored. ESPN has invested billions in the ACC and the ACC is delivering the No. 3 football ratings and No. 2 basketball ratings. The latter will go up with the additions and the former is in a rough time. Essentially ESPN would shorting the product it owns in entirty for a product it owns 40 percent of. Could someone explain to me why a company would do that?

 

[OrangeTim]

BigTime Sports ‏ @GSwaim

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Few talking about #FSU, #Clemson, #CardNation, #BYU today, but consensus from coaches & admins at #FinalFour is major moves coming in June.


BigTime Sports ‏ @GSwaim

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Many head & assistant basketball coaches in the #ACC & #Big12 have heard about the #FSU & #Clemson talks with B12...and no one is laughing.

 

[Scotch]

Wow, over reaction much? We're not even in the ACC yet, and it is already the old BE.

Even if the ACC did lose FSU and Clem:

UNC, NCst, VT, Miami, GT, UVA, Wake, Maryland, BC, Duke, Pitt, SU > RU, UConn, Temple, USF, LVille, Cincy, Memphis, Houston, SDSU, Boise, UCF

So your point is that the current ACC is better than the current Big East? Brilliant.

FSU football is the most valuable commodity in the ACC. If you think losing it, along with another traditionally solid football program, wouldn't be a huge loss, you're delusional. And this isn't the first time there has been chatter about FSU exploring other options. At minimum, conversations are happening, and Swofford has work to do.