Okay, I may be wrong...earlier would be better: ACCnetwork

[arbitragegls]

abuzz may be the word instead of whispers...appears that FSU new President Thrasher is fanning the flames again...even though our Ninja wants to keep it under wraps. So here it is on (Warchant):

Bullish about the future
Thrasher said he doesn't have any strong opinions about the future of the playoff and whether it will eventually be expanded to eight teams. Like all university presidents, he said he has concerns about extending football season even further. But he said he imagines Wilcox and other athletic directors will begin researching those options in the next year or two.

Although he wasn't serving in an official capacity with FSU in 2013, when Barron locked the school into the ACC by signing a long-term Grant of Rights agreement, Thrasher said he is excited about the future of the conference. He was particularly encouraged by a recent visit from the ACC's television consultant, who is working with ESPN on creating a cable network similar to those operated by the SEC and Big Ten.

"I think that's a viable thing," Thrasher said. "They're working hard on it. Whether we can get it up and running by 2016, I don't know. But that's the goal. … We're excited about that. And I'll tell you, that would be a big boom to us in terms of revenue to do that. We're going to work hard on that."

As it turns out, Thrasher's political clout could help make that venture become a reality. Because every state has its own laws and cable networks, Thrasher said the ACC's consultant wanted to know if he could help the conference clear any potential obstacles in Florida.

He does, after all, have more than 20 years' experience in state politics, including a term as Speaker of the House.

"I think I'm probably in a pretty good position to help out there, at least right now," Thrasher said with a chuckle. "I have a little bit of shelf life left with those guys down there."

As discussed on the STEALTH side, the ACCnetwork continues to gain momentum...my understanding was 9 months or so to announce...it is looking for this article as perhaps being faster. To have it up and running in Fall '16 would be...AWESOME!!

Some additional points:
The Conference Presidents are discussing approval as this is written--moving forward is no longer the issue.
1. ESPN/Raycom working this together with the ACC
2. Monies from Maryland leaving may be used...at least the Conference $$$
3. Fox negotiations are moving forward...to get subleases from Raycom back
4. The leadership of the ACC Digital Network (Raycom) is turning out to be a big component of the plan

It is getting exciting...I am trying to cap my enthusiasm and measure my words...but as we all know:

It's Good to be 'Cuse! The Order of the 'Cuse Orange...

 

[Btstimpy]

abuzz may be the word instead of whispers...appears that FSU new President Thrasher is fanning the flames again...even though our Ninja wants to keep it under wraps. So here it is on . . . . . . . . . . (Warchant):

Bullish about the future
Thrasher said he doesn't have any strong opinions about the future of the playoff and whether it will eventually be expanded to eight teams. Like all university presidents, he said he has concerns about extending football season even further. But he said he imagines Wilcox and other athletic directors will begin researching those options in the next year or two.

Although he wasn't serving in an official capacity with FSU in 2013, when Barron locked the school into the ACC by signing a long-term Grant of Rights agreement, Thrasher said he is excited about the future of the conference. He was particularly encouraged by a recent visit from the ACC's television consultant, who is working with ESPN on creating a cable network similar to those operated by the SEC and Big Ten.

"I think that's a viable thing," Thrasher said. "They're working hard on it. Whether we can get it up and running by 2016, I don't know. But that's the goal. … We're excited about that. And I'll tell you, that would be a big boom to us in terms of revenue to do that. We're going to work hard on that."

As it turns out, Thrasher's political clout could help make that venture become a reality. Because every state has its own laws and cable networks, Thrasher said the ACC's consultant wanted to know if he could help the conference clear any potential obstacles in Florida.

He does, after all, have more than 20 years' experience in state politics, including a term as Speaker of the House.

"I think I'm probably in a pretty good position to help out there, at least right now," Thrasher said with a chuckle. "I have a little bit of shelf life left with those guys down there."

As discussed on the STEALTH side, the ACCnetwork continues to gain momentum...my understanding was 9 months or so to announce...it is looking for this article as perhaps being faster. To have it up and running in Fall '16 would be...AWESOME!!

Some additional points:
The Conference Presidents are discussing approval as this is written--moving forward is no longer the issue.
1. ESPN/Raycom working this together with the ACC
2. Monies from Maryland leaving may be used...at least the Conference $$$
3. Fox negotiations are moving forward...to get subleases from Raycom back
4. The leadership of the ACC Digital Network (Raycom) is turning out to be a big component of the plan

It is getting exciting...I am trying to cap my enthusiasm and measure my words...but as we all know:

It's Good to be 'Cuse! The Order of the 'Cuse Orange...

John Swofford has now been saying that the ACC is quietly aggressive in pursuing the Channel, so he's definitely publicly past studying the idea while offering no details. It sounds like this is moving right along.

 

[GoSU96]

It doesn't take stealth, ninja's and whispers to know this is going to happen.

Markets and the best combined three seasons of live sports content is why this is going to happen.

ACC football might be at the back end, but in terms of three seasons of team sports the conference is at the top in every one other than hockey. These dedicated platforms need content and the ACC has plenty of quality through the fall, winter, and spring.

 

[Chip]

It doesn't take stealth, ninja's and whispers to know this is going to happen.

Forget it, he's rolling.

 

[texascpa]

Arb, one point of discussion - I believe the Maryland "money" was already distributed to the teams. I thought a recent article stated that SU used some of the Maryland money they received to pay off the BE exit fee. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[SU2NASA]

Oklahoma to the Big Ten.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Bullish about the future
Thrasher said he doesn't have any strong opinions about the future of the playoff and whether it will eventually be expanded to eight teams. Like all university presidents, he said he has concerns about extending football season even further. But he said he imagines Wilcox and other athletic directors will begin researching those options in the next year or two.

I don't get this part. Add 4 games on the third Saturday in December, acquire currency. No extending of the season required.

 

[KaiserUEO]

I don't get this part. Add 4 games on the third Saturday in December, acquire currency. No extending of the season required.

its dumb.

most sports span 2 semesters.

hoop runs from midterms-to finals-to midterms again.

most southern baseball teams do that as well.

football just runs through 1 semsters midterms-through finals...and thats it.

what is the worst that could happen?? 2 or 4 teams play into the 1st and 2nd week of the next semester??

puh-flukin-lease.

 

[baggerbob]

I don't get this part. Add 4 games on the third Saturday in December, acquire currency. No extending of the season required.

20 years in state politics, makes a person talk to all sides, so they can't be pinned down as being wrong.

 

[thorpedo]

I'm patiently waiting for this to finalize.

 

[HtownOrange]

I don't get this part. Add 4 games on the third Saturday in December, acquire currency. No extending of the season required.

Taking things slow to keep the NCAA out of the CFB playoff coffers. Just an opinion but makes more sense than arguing the kids can't handle it in the Bowl division but the lesser division kids can.

 

[longtimefan]

20 years in state politics, makes a person talk to all sides, so they can't be pinned down as being wrong.

A strange situation--a career politician becomes the president of a state university. That would be like Sheldon Silver's being named SU chancellor.

But, that seems to be the direction higher education is taking--away from the academic and toward the fund-raising. And who would know more about where to find the cash than a well-connected pol?

 

[SU68]

A strange situation--a career politician becomes the president of a state university. That would be like Sheldon Silver's being named SU chancellor.

But, that seems to be the direction higher education is taking--away from the academic and toward the fund-raising. And who would know more about where to find the cash than a well-connected pol?

Terry Sanford was governor of North Carolina and then served as president of Duke for 16 years.

 

[longtimefan]

Terry Sanford was governor of North Carolina and then served as president of Duke for 16 years.

But was Sanford a career politician--more than 20 years in the state legislature--like this guy?

 

[riskylogic]

But was Sanford a career politician--more than 20 years in the state legislature--like this guy?

Yes, even while he was at Duke:

An Avuncular Letter

Also, he became a U.S. Senator after leaving Duke.

 

[Chris02M]

David Teel‏@DavidTeelatDP 7m7 minutes ago
#Hokies AD Babcock on prospect of an #ACC cable channel in partnership w/ESPN: "Each report that we receive is a little more optimistic."

 

[longtimefan]

Yes, even while he was at Duke:

An Avuncular Letter

Also, he became a U.S. Senator after leaving Duke.

Well, seems just as wrong whether it's Duke or FSU.

 

[CuseOnly]

Arb, one point of discussion - I believe the Maryland "money" was already distributed to the teams. I thought a recent article stated that SU used some of the Maryland money they received to pay off the BE exit fee. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The TV revenue is divided up between all schools and the ACC Conference office gets an equal share. The money is divided 15 ways, not just among the 14 teams.

All money is divided and distributed this way. I am sure that is the league $$ that Arb is talking about.

 

[Lou_C]

Well, seems just as wrong whether it's Duke or FSU.

A LOT of people thought it was wrong for FSU, for sure. I didn't follow it extremely closely, but there was a lot of opposition, except from anyone that mattered.

I think it came down to who they thought could deliver the dollars.

 

[Btstimpy]

It doesn't take stealth, ninja's and whispers to know this is going to happen.

Markets and the best combined three seasons of live sports content is why this is going to happen.

ACC football might be at the back end, but in terms of three seasons of team sports the conference is at the top in every one other than hockey. These dedicated platforms need content and the ACC has plenty of quality through the fall, winter, and spring.

I have an idea about Hockey. I know it's radical, in fact so radical that John Swofford or the ACC would probably never go for it, but here goes. Once the ACC Network and Channel are in operation, the ACC should strike a deal with Hockey East to franchise Hockey East as the ACC Hockey Conference. It would operate as an entity with its own commissioner, but it would get a TV contract for some number of games on the ACC Channel. I know that today Notre Dame does this with NBCSN for hockey, and NBCSN is showing 6 Hockey East games this season. The rest are on the NESN, a cable sports network.

The 12 members of Hockey East would then become associate members of the ACC for Hockey only. Syracuse could move its women's program into ACC Hockey, which is Hockey East under the covers. The ACC Channel gets local distribution in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. And John Swofford opens up the second ACC office in Boston at the current Hockey East office. He can do so with it having purpose other than Napoleonic emotions like the Big Ten in New York.

Then you start penetrating all of New England with ACC marketing, and perhaps pick up some fans for other ACC Sports. New England becomes locked down as ACC territory. The ACC could even look at associate membership for UMass lacrosse like the Big Ten did with Hopkins. I don't know, maybe getting too radical here. But a new Channel opens up a lot of possibilities.

 

[Toga]

I have an idea about Hockey. I know it's radical, in fact so radical that John Swofford or the ACC would probably never go for it, but here goes. Once the ACC Network and Channel are in operation, the ACC should strike a deal with Hockey East to franchise Hockey East as the ACC Hockey Conference. It would operate as an entity with its own commissioner, but it would get a TV contract for some number of games on the ACC Channel. I know that today Notre Dame does this with NBCSN for hockey, and NBCSN is showing 6 Hockey East games this season. The rest are on the NESN, a cable sports network.

The 12 members of Hockey East would then become associate members of the ACC for Hockey only. Syracuse could move its women's program into ACC Hockey, which is Hockey East under the covers. The ACC Channel gets local distribution in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. And John Swofford opens up the second ACC office in Boston at the current Hockey East office. He can do so with it having purpose other than Napoleonic emotions like the Big Ten in New York.

Then you start penetrating all of New England with ACC marketing, and perhaps pick up some fans for other ACC Sports. New England becomes locked down as ACC territory. The ACC could even look at associate membership for UMass lacrosse like the Big Ten did with Hopkins. I don't know, maybe getting too radical here. But a new Channel opens up a lot of possibilities.

The idea of moving the women's program under the covers is intriguing. I'll be taking a time out now.

 

[Hoo's That]

Terry Sanford was governor of North Carolina and then served as president of Duke for 16 years.

Colgate Darden was a Virginia US representative and governor who became the President of UVa. The good - he established our graduate business school that bears his name. The bad - he presided over the deemphasis of football that still reverberates today.

 

[NashvilleOrange]

Google Fiber announced that they're expanding to Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh. This pretty much guarantees that they would carry the ACC Network right off the bat as half of their markets are in ACC territory.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ties-are-now-officially-getting-google-fiber/

 

[Lou_C]

I have an idea about Hockey. I know it's radical, in fact so radical that John Swofford or the ACC would probably never go for it, but here goes. Once the ACC Network and Channel are in operation, the ACC should strike a deal with Hockey East to franchise Hockey East as the ACC Hockey Conference. It would operate as an entity with its own commissioner, but it would get a TV contract for some number of games on the ACC Channel. I know that today Notre Dame does this with NBCSN for hockey, and NBCSN is showing 6 Hockey East games this season. The rest are on the NESN, a cable sports network.

The 12 members of Hockey East would then become associate members of the ACC for Hockey only. Syracuse could move its women's program into ACC Hockey, which is Hockey East under the covers. The ACC Channel gets local distribution in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. And John Swofford opens up the second ACC office in Boston at the current Hockey East office. He can do so with it having purpose other than Napoleonic emotions like the Big Ten in New York.

Then you start penetrating all of New England with ACC marketing, and perhaps pick up some fans for other ACC Sports. New England becomes locked down as ACC territory. The ACC could even look at associate membership for UMass lacrosse like the Big Ten did with Hopkins. I don't know, maybe getting too radical here. But a new Channel opens up a lot of possibilities.

I don't think that's the dumbest idea in the world, or at least to be thinking that way. Especially if an ACC Network doesn't get done, and the ACC considers a PAC model conference-owned network at the end of the current media deal. If we go with an ESPN network, those kind of decisions are likely out of our hands.

I've always thought that an ACC network should consider thinking outside the box in terms of content from other conferences, HBCUs, FBS, etc. Stuff that could be acquired cheaply but is still live programming.

 

[Indytarheel]

I don't think that's the dumbest idea in the world, or at least to be thinking that way. Especially if an ACC Network doesn't get done, and the ACC considers a PAC model conference-owned network at the end of the current media deal. If we go with an ESPN network, those kind of decisions are likely out of our hands.

I've always thought that an ACC network should consider thinking outside the box in terms of content from other conferences, HBCUs, FBS, etc. Stuff that could be acquired cheaply but is still live programming.

One of the largest untapped audiences is the HBCUs (Historical Black Colleges and Universities). Not only are they in the ACC footprint (if I am not mistaken, GA and NC have the most HBCUs in the country and a great majority is along the East coast and South), but they also have a loyal following that is generational. The Bayou Classic football game at Thanksgiving is a sell out every year. The CIAA basketball tourney is the largest bball tourney behind the ACC and now the BIG. It used to be the ACC, then the CIAA tourney. Anyway, the MEAC has some of the largest and most prestigious HBCUs in NC A&T, Florida A&M, Howard University and Hampton. So, having the ACC Network televise some of their content would also bring ad dollars to the ACC coffers.