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On outside of Power Five looking in


Coach Andy Mac

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Another possibility: The Mountain West binds together and remains intact, banking that Alabama-Birmingham, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State or whoever the AAC might add won’t give it enough juice to maintain its foothold as the best conference outside the Power 5.

Except you’re still getting only $3 million a year from your conference in television payouts while some power conferences are north of $50 million, further widening the gap between the haves and have-nots.

And so another back-of-the-napkin scheme emerges, perhaps not immediately but somewhere over the horizon: A national, breakaway conference with the best of the rest.

SDSU, Boise State, Colorado State, Air Force and UNLV (because of its football facilities, not its history) from the Mountain West. SMU, Memphis, South Florida and Navy from the AAC. North Texas, which is pouring money into facilities, from Conference USA. Maybe Army, currently an independent in football, so you have all three service academies.

The geography works in football because teams all charter to games, and there’s little difference in time or expense to fly for another hour or so to Dallas instead of Albuquerque. In basketball and Olympic sports, you could focus schedules within your region and add one or two trips east or west — not ideal but not unreasonable.

It wouldn’t draw $40 million per school from the TV networks. But it might get you $10 million, which is better than $3 million. It also raises your national profile and better positions you if or when the tectonic plates of collegiate athletics shift again.

read more:  https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/story/2021-09-10/san-diego-state-aztecs-conference-realignment-big-12-conference-usa

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So....the TV deals fascinate me...

The AAC schools are getting $7 million from ESPN and MWC is getting $3 million? AAC Schools were getting $2 million per school before they got this deal. First....congrats to the commissioner and whoever negotiated that deal. My question comes on the ESPN side. Who negotiated for them? Especially coming off dismal revenue numbers the past several years for the network, they've been laying off people left and right.

Why would ESPN pay the AAC all that money and not put in a Grant of Rights agreement. Why would ESPN give up all that leverage? So we're going to give you all that money and UCF if you want to leave....cool. You're letting the only reason the conference gets attention (and eye balls) disappear. Who the hell negotiated that for ESPN? And are they getting a return on that investment? I get UCF and Cincy....probably big draws. But is Tulsa vs ECU on ESPN+ bringing in viewers? And now....the flagship schools in the AAC are leaving. What's in it for ESPN?

Seems like ESPN wanted to make the AAC their ESPN+ anchor. Man seems really risky. I wonder if their subscribers increased after the deal? And now the good teams are leaving....How much money is ESPN going to lose on the AAC? They are 1 year into a 12 year agreement. 

Maybe someone smarter than me can explain it but the math doesn't seem to work. ESPN is going to bleed out from this (more than they already are)

Edited by TheColonyEagle
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