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Message: [QUOTE="sutomcat, post: 340026, member: 27"] If we have learned anything over the past 5 years, it is that WVU fans have no inside information and are habitual liars. That being said, the BE is going to be faced with a real dilemma. Surely ESPN will make a low ball type bid. I expect they will make it conditional where they get all BE 1st and 2nd tier content...they will not want to share with NBC. My guess is they offer around 12 million for all sports, 8 million for football only and 4 million for the basketball schools. No requirement for a GOR. My guess is NBC offers something in the 16 million range for all sports schools, with 11 million for the football schools and 5 million for the basketball schools. They will require the BE schools sign a grant of rights that runs the length of the contract (unlike ESPN). I think the BE gets one football game and one basketball game a week on NBC with all other games on NBC Sports. Since ESPN controls all bowl games, if the BE signs with NBC, they take a major hit, forced to set up their own bowl games in Tampa, Memphis and NYC. Might add one in San Diego, a Holiday Bowl light as well. ESPN is in over 100 million homes. NBC Sports is in 79.3, so if they go with NBC, they take a major hit in market penetration as well as in prestige. On the positive side, NBC Sports will feature BE football and hoops far more than ESPN would, working in games around hockey and tractor pulls whenever possible. I think there will be far fewer Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night games. How much will it hurt to lose its Big Monday hoops slot? How much will it hurt to lose the featured status the BET has enjoyed on ESPN? Will the GOR requirement drive Notre Dame to the ACC? Will that drive UConn or Rutgers to the ACC as well? Would ND sign the BE GOR to keep its independence? Would the ACC allow them to join as a partial member? Can ND stay with the BE if it signs with NBC and loses its established bowl bids that ND needs tie ins to in order to ensure access to non BCS bowl games? I think going with the NBC option would take tremendous courage, team work, trust and optimism. They might need to get the offer to 20 million to get certain BE schools to seriously consider going the road less traveled. If history is any guide, this has little chance of working. UConn, UL, Rutgers and ND will want to keep the status quo, sign with ESPN, avoid the GOR and in the case of UConn, UL, Rutgers (and everyone else but ND) hope for an offer from another conference down the road. It would be ironic but totally fitting if in an attempt to establish long term stability and financial viability, the BE leadership demands all member schools sign a GOR and it ends up prompting its two most valuable properties to defect to the hated ACC. [/QUOTE]

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