Mark Gommesen

MTSU has a lot going for it. I believe that C-USA wanted to expand into large unserved media markets to allow the sport networks to expand the number of viewers. Both ESPN/CBS have contracts with the SEC. Since Vanderbilt in Nashville and Tennessee in Knoxville are members of SEC, this unfortunately put MTSU at a disadvantage. Both Charlotte and Norfolk offered large fast growing media markets without competition from other conferences or professional football franchises. C-USA was seeking to place itself in the best position for negotiating new media contracts. This may be a case of business before pleasure.

The reason the contract was originally rejected by BE was not because of dissatisfaction with ESPN/Fox but the division of revenues between football and non-football schools. New negotiations will be ESPN/Fox. You don't walk away from someone who puts 155 million dollars on the table. Texas/Rice proves my point. Rice is not a member of a Big 6 conference. You are right home school TV rights are superior. That's the point if a Big 12 plays SMU it will be at the BIG 12 home where they have superior tv terms and greater revenue from attendance. ESPN/Fox already has a large market share in the DFW because of its contract with Big 12. Even with the BE contract with ESPN/Fox, the networks will be more likely to televised home games in Northeast where most of BE viewership is located. ESPN/Fox will have a choice of TCU,Baylor, Texas or Oklahoma games to televise in DFW from the Big 12. SMU having a home game with Big 12 team does not improve it's viewer ship in DFW over SMU playing an away game a Big 12 team. The networks will prefer to televise SMU playing SDSU or Boise State at home and gain market share in San Diego or Boise. Although rare when Bigs play other Bigs they a team that is a completely different region. ESPN/Fox do not want to pay twice for the same game (market share). In terms of number of viewers in DFW it does not matter if TCU plays SMU or MTSU. But, if SMU was to play UNM instead of TCU. ESPN/Fox gains viewers in Albuquerque. So in simple terms. On any given Saturday Fox/ESPN can capture large numbers of DFW viewers without SMU playing regional opponents. The real value of SMU is to play teams out of region to expand the number of viewers elsewhere.

Although SMU has tenative scheduling agreements with some Big 12 teams in the future, these games will be eliminated. The Big 12 has just completed an tv broadcasting agreement with ESPN and Fox. The Big East will begin negotiations on September 1 with ESPN and Fox. TV broadcast networks are not going to pay twice for the rights to broadcast the same game. Just another reason why bigs don't play other bigs during the regular season The only exception to this rule is major regional rivalry. But, this exception does not apply to SMU. Other D1 programs have large alumni and student base, SMU does not. 40,000 alumni in DFW, 6600 undergraduates where are the bodies coming from to fill seats? Texas playing Rice proves my point, Bigs prefer to play an OOC with a regional opponent that is a member of a major mnor. This also why we will not see Texas play TAMU in the near future after TAMU joins the SEC. Big conferences avoid playing other Big Conferences during the regular season especially if they are the same region., that's why there are Bowl games. Its just a fact. That's why fans mourn the lost of rivalries when one team leaves one Big 6 conference for another Big 6 conference. It is simple fact a big 6 conference team will not book a game against team in another big 6 conference team especially in the same region.

1. SMU competes withl UNT in the same media market. 2. SMU competes with UNT in recruiting. 3. SMU competes with UNT in most sports and will compete in football in 2014 and 2015 4. SMU will no longer be able to schedule OOC games with regional Big 12 teams, creating an opportunity for UNT If you are not obsessed with SMU ..You should be.

Although SMU has tenative scheduling agreements with some Big 12 teams in the future, these games will be eliminated. The Big 12 has just completed an tv broadcasting agreement with ESPN and Fox. The Big East will begin negotiations on September 1 with ESPN and Fox. TV broadcast networks are not going to pay twice for the rights to broadcast the same game. Just another reason why bigs don't play other bigs during the regular season.

The issue is not whether or not SMU has games in Texas, issue is how many home games does SMU have with regional opponents at home. In 2013 only two. In 2014 only three. In 2015 one. Once SMU joins the Big East, it wlll become very difficult or if not impossible to schedule OOC games with Big 12 teams. In the Big East, SMU only has one competitor in central time zone, Houston. With the exception of Houston and Memphis, SMU 's next closet competitor in the Big East is nearly a 1000 miles a way. SMU will only play Houston every other year. Big fans are not going travel a 1000 miles to Dallas to attend a game. Remember the schedules you are referring to are tentative. Many of Big 12 games will probably be eliminated. Bigs do not play other Bigs during the regular season for many reasons. It reduces the importance of the Bowl games. Big 12 does not not want to elevate the other conference if they lose to a Big East conference. They only reason these games were ever scheduled is because SMU was member of the a major-minor conference. Say good bye to these games.

Attendance will be SMU greatest challenge when it joins the Big East! SMU average attendance was a dismal 20,889 in 2011 and they played against primarily regional opponents. SMU will see increase competition for sport fans in DFW. The TCU joining the Big 12 and UNT is joining the C-USA in 2013. Both schools will be playing regional opponents with large fan and alumni base in the DFW area. UNT should see a significant increase in attendance. Just the opposite is true for SMU when it enters the Big East in 2013. In the Big East, SMU only has one competitor in central time zone, Houston. With the exception of Houston and Memphis, SMU 's next closet competitor in the Big East is nearly a 1000 miles a way. SMU will only play Houston every other year. With TCU joining the Big 12, the Hornfrogs will have four teams in the Big 12 within 200 miles. If schools like Oklahoma, TCU , Baylor are looking for an additional regional game, they probably prefer not to pickup an OOC game with a Big East school, for several reasons. First, the revenue sharing would be more favorable with a major-minor team. The Big East team is a competitor in the same media market and has a major media contract. The Big 12 does not want to give them any more media exposure or elevate the prestige of any Big East team. Major conference teams book OOC games with teams where they can reasonably expect a victory. The Big 12 will not provide the Big East will an opportunity to defeat a Big 12 during the regular season. It will be difficult for SMU in the future to book regional OOC with the Big 12. Most of SMU competitors in the Big East are not in the same region as SMU nor do they have a large fan or alumni base in DFW. Don't look for a large number of Big East fans travel thousands of miles to Dallas to attend a football game at SMU. The C-USA has created built in regional rivalries within the conference, these schools may be more interested in seeking "big money" high exposure games outside the region. Even if SMU's alumni and student body suddenly become energized, it would not have a major impact on attendance. SMU's alumni only number 112,000, with 40,000 in the DFW region. In 2011, SMU only had 6,221 undergraduate students. Gerald J. Ford Stadium may become a very very lonely place. I would expect that a game between SMU and UNT might actually become an annual event. Such a game would boost the attendance at both schools. TCU and SMU games will become a rarity. No regional rivalries except Houston within the Big East, the regional Big 12 schools will not schedule an OOC game with SMU, Regional major-minors looking for "big payday" games elsewhere and and a small alumni and undergraduate base in DFW, all add up to an empty stadium. So SMU where do expect to find the fans to fill your stadium?

Bingo! Attendance will be SMU greatest challenge! SMU average attendance was a dismal 20,889 and they against primarily regional opponents. In the Big East, SMU only has one competitor in central time zone, Houston. With the exception of Houston and Memphis, SMU next closet competitor in the Big East is nearly 1000 miles a way. With TCU joining the Big 12, the Hornfrogs will have three teams with the Big 12 within 200 miles. If schools like Oklahoma, TCU or Baylor are looking for an additional regional game, they probably prefer not to pickup an OOC game with a Big East school, for several reasons. First, the revenue sharing would be more favorable with a major-minor team. The Big East team is a competitor in the same media market and has a major media contract. The Big 12 does not want to give them any more media exposure or alleviate the prestige of any Big East team. Major conference teams book OOC games with teams where they can reasonably expect a victory. The Big 12 will not provide the Big East will an opportunity to defeat a Big 12 during the regular season. It will be difficult for SMU in the future to book regional OOC with the Big 12. Most of SMU competitors in the Big East are not in the same region as SMU nor do they have a large fan or alumni base in DFW. The C-USA has created built in regional rivalries within the conference, these schools may be more interested in seeking "big money" high exposure games outside the region. Ford Field may become a very very lonely place. I would expect that a game between SMU and UNT might actually become an annual event. Such a game would boost the attendance at both schools. TCU and SMU games will become a rarity. SMU's alumni only number 112,000, with 40,000 in the DFW region. No regional rivalries except Houston within the Big East, the regional Big 12 schools will not schedule an OOC game with SMU, Regional major-minors looking for "big payday" games elsewhere and and a small alumni base in DFW, all add up to an empty stadium.

They are each contractually obligated to pay their annual share of television revenue under Conference USA's dual contracts with Fox Sports Network and CBS Sports for five years and an additional one-time $500,000 fee. C-USA alone will realize $6.63 million apiece from Memphis, UCF, SMU and Houston when they leave to join the Big East after the 2013 basketball season, according to C-USA assistant commissioner for public affairs Courtney Morrison-Archer. http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/marshall/x68581392/Exit-fees-precede-merger-for-C-USA 2 million entrance fee. Total cost $9.183 million over a five year period Last year the Big East turned down a nine-year, $1.4 billion deal ($155 million per year), which would have been worth about $14.3 million a year to the full members and about $3.2 million to the non-football members. If the Big East's new deal is worth the same amount per year ($155 million) each school would receive a smaller amount than the deal the league turned down last year because there are now more members. Full members would receive about $11.4 million per year, football-only members Boise State and San Diego State would receive about $8.4 million annually and non-football members about $3 million a year. Total revenues over five years $42 million! Net gain of $32.817 or $6.5634 per year The current C-USA media contact CUSA 5 years, $35 million, CBS College Sports (through 2016) 5 years, $35 million, Fox (through 2016) Annual: $14 million Average Annual per School: $1.17 million $6.5634 million less $1.17 million = $5.3934 gain year in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 at total of $21.5736 million earned by joining the big east in the first four years!** 9.183/5.3934 = 1.7 years to pay back total expenses to join the BE. ** I did not include basketball tournament revenue and other sources for the BE or the C-USA. It is difficult to accurately forecast these amounts because they are determined by unknown factors as number tournament invitations and team projections. However, it is save to assume that these revenues were significantly higher for the BE than the C-USA. *** Another unknown factor is an increase in travel expenses. The total cost of joining the BE and lost revenues from the C-USA only totals $2 million a year.

The average weather for Dallas at that time of year is 60 degrees and sunny.

I think the each had pay an entrance fee of $2,000,000 to join the Big East.

The major-minors are competing for media dollars. Networks and advertisers do not have unlimited funds. One more major bowl means fewer advertisers and networks funds for major-minor level bowls. If I remember right, Boise State and TCU were members of the WAC and MWC, respectively when they invited to major bowls. Remember the big fuss when TCU bumped the B1G conference out of Rose Bowl. If one the major bowls do become the exclusive property of the major conferences it does limit opportunities for major minors. It appears that the SEC/BIG 12 is eyeing the Sugar Bowl. The PAC12 and the B1G have always claim squatters rights to the Rose Bowl. A four team playoff only requires three bowl games, there are four BCS bowls.Yet there talk about adding an additional national championship after the bowl games. That's two too any unless...

With the B1G and PAC 12 claiming squatter's rights to the Rose Bowl and the SEC and B12 eyeing the Sugar Bowl, there might be a simple solution. Here's the issue a four team play off doesn't require four bowl games only three. So who loses out. The Fiesta, The Orange, The Rose or the Sugar. The Rose Bowl has been tied to the PAC 12 and the B1G. The Sugar Bowl has always tied to the SEC champion. There is a simple solution. The Rose Bowl returns to the PAC 12 and B1G. The Sugar Bowl belongs to the SEC and the Big 12. The Cotton Bowl becomes the third playoff bowl and rotates with the Fiesta and the Orange Bowl for the National championship.

That's the point isn't we ain't Boise State. Boise State has an established national profile. UNT does not. How did Boise State do it...by playing major FBS teams and winning. It's not only winning, but winning big. Not all wins are created equal. A win over a ULM is not equal to a win over LSU. Boise State won the WAC five times between 2001-2006 and remained completely off the national scene...the view was the played against weak competition! Boise State did not emerge as a major player until they defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the memorable 2007 Fiesta Bowl. It's both schedule and winning!

This will hurt the MWC/C-USA. These conferences were hoping to expand bowl opportunities for member schools. The Big 12 and the SEC just sucked up a huge amount of media dollars. I sure the old BCS bowls, ACC and the BE are not pleased about this development. I think the lawyers are probably already at work on this one. I am sure some members of congress may want to weight in on this.

What are the odds that old Arkansas Alum like Jerry Jones doesn't make bid for this monster? What happens to the Cotton Bowl?

It is understandable why they need another Bowl Game.... Big 12 Bowl Games 2011-2012: Eight Teams In Eight Games Independence Bowl: Missouri Tigers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Holiday Bowl: California Golden Bears vs. Texas Longhorns Alamo Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Baylor Bears Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Iowa State Cyclones Insight Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oklahoma Sooners Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Northwestern Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies Fiesta Bowl: Stanford Cardinal vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys SEC Bowl Games 2011-2012: Seven Teams In Seven Games Other Than BCS National Championship Music City Bowl: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Auburn Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers Gator Bowl: Florida Gators vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Capitol One Bowl: South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Outback Bowl: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Michigan State Spartans Cotton Bowl: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Kansas State Wildcats BCS National Championship Game:

The SEC and the Big 12 staked out a big chunk of real estate in that world on Friday by announcing a five-year agreement for their champions to meet in a Jan. 1 bowl game that will be determined at a later date. The first game will be Jan. 1, 2015. The working name for this new Bowl is the Champions Bowl. One unique feature of this new arrangement: The Champions Bowl will be bid out. The Sugar Bowl is the preferred site, but I'm thinking Jerry Jones has a war chest of his own to bring the game to Cowboys Stadium. Atlanta and the Georgia Dome will want in. This another blatant money grab by two richest conferences to the determent of the other conferencess. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/19085364/champions-bowl-changes-college-footballs-big-picture http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/19084239/sec-big-12-agree-to-bowl-matchup-champs-will-play-if-not-in-playoff

It is exactly it is because we are not high and mighty and do not have a long line of bowl wins and top 25 wins, that UNT must raise its national profile. UNT is entering a conference with three schools just starting their FBS programs. When scheduling OOC games ,UNT must seek teams that will raise the school's profile and ranking. Simply winning six games does not guarantee a bowl bid, it the minimum to qualify for a bowl game. A school must have a profile that will appear to Bowl sponsor. We will be in a conference with three start up programs, in order to improve our national profile, we will need to schedule

My vote is Tulane. But, it's just a loaner.

UTSA will be bowl-eligible and eligible for the C-USA football championship in 2014.ODU will be bowl-eligible and eligible for the C-USA football championship in 2015 Charlotte will be bowl eligible for football in the 2016 season. UTSA will compete in WAC for the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season and will compete in the C-USA in 2013, ODU will compete in its first NCAA Division I FBS football season in Conference USA in 2014. Charlotte will compete in its first FBS season in Conference USA in 2015. . Which does bring up many scheduling questions. 2013 14 Schools 12 FBS schools 7 FBS schools in the West 5 FBS schools in the East 2014 14 Schools 13 FBS 7 FBS schools in the West 6 FBS schools in the East 2015 14 Schools 14 FBS 7 FBS schools in the West 7 FBS schools in the East

Wow. Texas just annexed a large part of Oklahoma. What deal!

Yep, it's a loop-hole. We need to find some smart kids who can play basketball. The NCAA imposes limits on the total financial aid each Division I member may award in each sport that the school sponsors. It divides sports that it sponsors into two types for purposes of scholarship limitations: "Head-count" sports, in which the NCAA limits the total number of individuals that can receive athletic scholarships, but allows each player to receive up to a full scholarship. "Equivalency" sports, in which the NCAA limits the total financial aid that a school can offer in a given sport to the equivalent of a set number of full scholarships. Roster limitations may or may not apply, depending on the sport. The term "counter" is also key to this concept. The NCAA defines a "counter" as "an individual who is receiving institutional financial aid that is countable against the aid limitations in a sport." Accordng to NCAA regulatons: 15.5.3.2.2.2 Academic Honor Awards. Academic honor awards that are part of an institution’s normal arrangements for academic scholarships, either based solely on the recipient’s cumulative academic record from all collegiate institutions previously attended or based on the recipient’s high school record and cumulative academic record from all collegiate institutions previously attended, awarded independently of athletics interests and in amounts consistent with the pattern of all such awards made by the institution, may be exempted from a team’s equivalency computation, provided the recipient achieved a cumulative transferable grade-point average of at least 3.000 (based on a maximum of 4.000). (Adopted: 1/16/10 effective 8/1/10, Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11) Academic honor awards do not count in the equvalency calculation. Please note, it is not clear if this applies to students with a previous collegiate academic record only. The regulation does not state any requirement for the length of the previous collegiate record, A student who completed a single community college course prior to applying for Academic scholarship would qualify.

1. Get a big hat. 2. Put names in hat. 3. Pull names out of hat.

[th][/th] Another unknown is how much the Big East's new media rights deal, which the league starts renegotiating on Sept. 1, will be worth. Last year the Big East turned down a nine-year, $1.4 billion deal ($155 million per year), which would have been worth about $14.3 million a year to the full members and about $3.2 million to the non-football members. If the Big East's new deal is worth the same amount per year ($155 million) each school would receive a smaller amount than the deal the league turned down last year because there are now more members. Full members would receive about $11.4 million per year, football-only members Boise State and San Diego State would receive about $8.4 million annually and non-football members about $3 million a year. Former CBS Sports president Neil Pilson recently told the New York Times he thought the Big East's deal would exceed the $155 million per year deal the league turned down last year. However, industry sources told CBSSports.com that they believe the Big East's new media rights will be worth substantially less than $155 million per year. That's because when the Big East starts negotiating, about $8 billion will have been spent on recent college football deals, so there won't be as much money available.. With the elimination of AQ in the BCS and the fact that the C-USA has expanded into large fast growing media markets, the C-USA could in a few years close the gap with the big east. The Big East is not scheduled to renegotiate it's television contract until September. C-USA needs to immediately negotiate new TV contracts and beat the Big East to the table. C-USA has added a combination of established and emerging programs. Four of the five schools bring a market size ranked among the top 36 in the country and totaling over two million more TV households than the league held this past year. Now that ODU as committed that wll bring an additional 718,750 households, totaling close to three million additional TV households. Five of the six schools are in the fastest growing media markets. Four of the six schools are media markets without direct competition from other major Universities or Pro teams. After realignment the C-USA increase the number of large media markets in markets and dramatically increase the number of television households. The C-USA has position itself for better long-term growth than any other conference. None of the other conferences have any room for growth, they have already saturated their markets. C-USA was clever enough to expand within it's hold geographical foot print, yet add new large media markets like San Antonio, Charlotte, Miami, and Norfolk and secure itself in the DFW market. The C-USA is located in the fastest geographical region of the country. According to the US Census Bureau, from 2000 to 2010, regional growth was much faster for the South and West (14.3 and 13.8 percent, respectively) than for the Midwest (3.9 percent) and Northeast (3.2 percent). While expanding, the C-USA avoided media markets dominated by the SEC or the ACC. After realignment, the C-USA loss Memphis and Orlando to the Big East. Although major media markets, the both of these markets were highly competitive. The Tennessee market is relatively small and is being dominated by the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt both of the SEC. Similarly the Florida market is dominated by the ACC and the SEC. The C-USA can offered television networks a conference that includes large rapidly growing media markets with a huge number of television households, in the fastest growing region in the country without offering little or no direct competition to the network's existing contracts with any of other large conferences including the SEC, the ACC, The B1G,or the BIG 12. .THE C-USA NEEDS TO ACT NOW[/td]