Big 12 $200 mil 13 year deal w/ ESPN/Fox

[soonergirlNeugene]

Theres a lot of speculation out there about expansion once this gets finalized. I've been hearing FSU/Clemson as well as Louisville/Cincy. Does anyone here know whether there are terms in the agreement driving this or if it's just more of the same idle chatter we've been seeing for the past year.




Big 12 verbally agrees to new ESPN/Fox deal
By Dennis Dodd | Senior College Football Columnist

Big 12 presidents have verbally agreed to a lucrative new media rights agreement, a source told CBSSports.com.

The deal is expected to be the one reported by CBSSports.com on March 13 worth a combined $2.6 billion with ESPN and Fox. The 13-year deal is projected to be worth $200 million annually to the conference (an average of $20 million per school) through 2025. For the moment, the Big 12 enters the stratosphere of the Pac-12, SEC and Big Ten, all of which are near or above the $200 million per year mark.

Expected to be announced along with the new deal is an extension of the league's grant of rights. League CEOs had previously agreed to a six-year grant of rights that would allow the conference to keep a school's television rights if it left for a new league. The expectation is that the new grant of rights will be 13 years to match the TV deal. That provision essentially binds the at-times contentious league together for the term of the agreement.

The hiring last week of Bob Bowlsby as the new Big 12 commissioner has to be an indication that the TV announcement is near and the league is on stable ground.

Even though it has been nearly two months since the news of the deal broke, lawyers continue to work on details of the final contract. While there isn't expected to be a hang up, the source added that until the agreements are actually signed the deal is not official.

The Big 12's current deal with ESPN/ABC doesn't expire until 2016. That part of the agreement is being termed an extension that would “sync up” with a $1.2 billion, 13-year deal signed with Fox in April 2011.

The first order of business for Bowlsby is possible expansion. While there are few candidates available that would be worth $20 million annually to the contract, it is known that Louisville is interested in joining the league.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

And in other news....

Big East crashing and burning.

The Big 10 is not going to stand pat and let the SEC and ACC (as they currently stand, kinda forgot about Syracuse and Pitt) be the only 14 team conferences.

The Notre Dame domino is about to fall.

Hold on to your hats.

[8timechamps]

Don't know anything in the agreement, but I think the biggest driver is the (soon-to-be) four team playoff. There's been a lot of talk about taking the conference champions if they are ranked in the top 6....fine, but there's only 4 spots and 5 major conferences. Who's going to be the odd man out? Not the SEC, Big XII, Big 10, so that only leaves the PAC and ACC. The PAC is too important to the television numbers, so the ACC would get left out. If you're a football school in the ACC (FSU/Clemson), that thought process is not lost on you.

At least that's my thinking as to what's driving the rumors.

[swardboy]

Never a dull offseason.....

[Chuck Bao]

Don't know anything in the agreement, but I think the biggest driver is the (soon-to-be) four team playoff. There's been a lot of talk about taking the conference champions if they are ranked in the top 6....fine, but there's only 4 spots and 5 major conferences. Who's going to be the odd man out? Not the SEC, Big XII, Big 10, so that only leaves the PAC and ACC. The PAC is too important to the television numbers, so the ACC would get left out. If you're a football school in the ACC (FSU/Clemson), that thought process is not lost on you.

At least that's my thinking as to what's driving the rumors.

At least one of those five conferences will have a two or maybe a three-loss champion and really shouldn't be considered in the mix. But, I get the point that OOC scheduling should get weaker, as the contenders gear for a conference championship and a four-term playoff run.

[LASooner]

Never a dull offseason.....

Well... not until the last 3, the first 110 offseasons were kinda dull.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Don't know anything in the agreement, but I think the biggest driver is the (soon-to-be) four team playoff. There's been a lot of talk about taking the conference champions if they are ranked in the top 6....fine, but there's only 4 spots and 5 major conferences. Who's going to be the odd man out? Not the SEC, Big XII, Big 10, so that only leaves the PAC and ACC. The PAC is too important to the television numbers, so the ACC would get left out. If you're a football school in the ACC (FSU/Clemson), that thought process is not lost on you.

At least that's my thinking as to what's driving the rumors.

Good line of speculative reasoning...

And another reason I think the Notre Dame domino is going to fall. 4 spots for the big enchilada. 5 major conferences. Big bosses want conference champs. Et tu, Notre Dame? (Not the Julius Ceaser context... but you get the picture.)

Under any circumstance they will be hard pressed to ever again go undefeated. We take the swipes at the domers all we want, but we can't say they don't schedule. This year is a prime example... NASTY.

So how does ND maintain a challenging national schedule and still get to play for it all with 1 or 2 losses? Simple. Be a 1 or 2 loss major conference champion... which would of course require joining said major conference.

And I would add... if Big 10 strikes out to become the 3rd (unless ACC loses FSU and Clemson) 14 team conference, then one of two things happens:

Pac 12 takes another jump, OR the SEC strikes first to become the first 16 team conference.

And we thought all hell broke loose before.... What silly rabbits we are...

[BBQ Man]

Money, Money, Money!!!

[8timechamps]

At least one of those five conferences will have a two or maybe a three-loss champion and really shouldn't be considered in the mix. But, I get the point that OOC scheduling should get weaker, as the contenders gear for a conference championship and a four-term playoff run.

True, and my 'case' was kind of a perfect-storm scenario, but as we saw last season, it can certainly happen. There are just so many possibilities that would force a selection committee, or the polls to pick 4 teams from conference not named ACC. Outside of a perfect season, I can't see a situation that would put a one loss ACC team ahead of a one-loss team from any of the other big 4 conferences.

Of course this is complete speculation on my part, but I'm sure it's being thought about somewhere.

[8timechamps]

Good line of speculative reasoning...

And another reason I think the Notre Dame domino is going to fall. 4 spots for the big enchilada. 5 major conferences. Big bosses want conference champs. Et tu, Notre Dame? (Not the Julius Ceaser context... but you get the picture.)

Under any circumstance they will be hard pressed to ever again go undefeated. We take the swipes at the domers all we want, but we can't say they don't schedule. This year is a prime example... NASTY.

So how does ND maintain a challenging national schedule and still get to play for it all with 1 or 2 losses? Simple. Be a 1 or 2 loss major conference champion... which would of course require joining said major conference.

And I would add... if Big 10 strikes out to become the 3rd (unless ACC loses FSU and Clemson) 14 team conference, then one of two things happens:

Pac 12 takes another jump, OR the SEC strikes first to become the first 16 team conference.

And we thought all hell broke loose before.... What silly rabbits we are...

The Notre Dame factor. That's what I've started calling it.

Notre Dame's independent status is going to fall one way, or another. Or they risk being left out in the cold.

The writing is on the wall, and all signs point to 14 team conferences in the coming years. Conferences are going to become more aggressive in grabbing up quality teams, so they don't end up like the Big East. If/when there are four 14 team conferences, Notre Dame's independence is only going to lessen the chances that they get a shot to play for it all. They know that, and so do the conference directors.

The only real question is, when will that domino fall?

[Jason White's Third Knee]

At least one of those five conferences will have a two or maybe a three-loss champion and really shouldn't be considered in the mix. But, I get the point that OOC scheduling should get weaker, as the contenders gear for a conference championship and a four-term playoff run.

A 2-3 loss SEC team would be comparable to any conference champion from any conference, including the SEC. Therefore, any 2-3 loss SEC team should get an automatic bid.

[Chuck Bao]

A 2-3 loss SEC team would be comparable to any conference champion from any conference, including the SEC. Therefore, any 2-3 loss SEC team should get an automatic bid.

That's exactly the rub of the pending 4-team playoff system. SEC fans can bitch all they want just as long as the playoffs isn't in their backyard.