Texas Saves the Big 12 - Good for Them
by Jon Johnston on Jun 14, 2010 9:12 PM CDT
in Conference Realignment
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It's official - Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and pretty much everyone else is staying in the Big 12, which now has ten members (and it looks like it'll stay that way). Texas A&M decided to stay instead of heading to the SEC.
And you know what? Good for them.
At least that's the way I see it. I'm not even being sarcastic (which is shocking in itself). It looks like this pretty much works out as a win for everyone involved:
- Colorado gets to leave for the Pac 10, something they've wanted to do for years. (More hippies! Whooooeee!!)
- Nebraska gets into the Big 10, with better opportunities academically and the ability to make more money in athletics.
- Iowa State and Kansas State don't get abandoned.
- Missouri gets to stay in a viable conference until the Big 10 hits another round of expansion.
- Oklahoma and Oklahoma State get spared having to travel to Pac 10 schools and pretend they're enjoying it.
- Texas A&M gets to stay where they are as Texas' little androgynous brother.
- College football is spared the mega conference. Out of all these things that's probably the best thing possible as the alternative would have resulted in a bigger separation between the haves and the have nots and most likely have gotten congress involved in college football - something that NOBODY wants to happen.
Oh, and then there's Texas. Texas gets to make more money and play in a weaker conference without a conference championship game. They get to ultimately create their own television network, and will probably make millions more than they would had Nebraska stuck around. So what, if anything, do they have to bitch about (other than than Nebraska rejected them and nobody likes rejection)?
Nebraska will face some lost revenue for leaving the Big 12 so quickly, but so what? It'll be paid for with the increased revenues in the Big 10, and given the booster support with Harvey Perlman, Tom Osborne, and Bo Pelini righting the ship, the cost'll be a blip on the radar.
Listen - I know I could write some snarky article about how Texas pulled a fast one on everyone else, fuel the anger against Texas that's the current rage, but I ain't going to do it. Let's stay positive. Staying positive goes against the internets, it does. Everyone who writes knows that angry, resentful articles full of rage generate a lot more traffic than the positive ones (i.e., the politicos wouldn't be in business if they were positive). Nebraskans should stay positive because we're better off where we're going, and it appears that everyone else is too, so why bother getting all bent about it?
I'm going with the "Don't worry, be happy" philosophy, (which is kinda weird since I'm normally a curmudgeony SOB on these matters). It's probably because it's June, and I'm worn out (and tired of) all the conference expansion stuff. Aren't you? Is it time yet to move onto to talking about our football team and the 2010 season, or do we have more of this alignment stuff left in us (seriously, I want to know).
If there was a loser in all this, it was Chip Brown. During this entire fiasco, journalists ran amok with sources reporting this and that - and in the end, was Chip Brown right about anything?
(You realize tomorrow I'm going to wake up, re-read this and wonder what the hell I was thinking, right?)
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I can be negative...
How embarrassing to be one of the nine schools that will be wiping the dew from Bevo’s taint for the next several years.
My goodness Sooner fans, have you NO dignity at ALL?
LMAO!
Proud father of a United States Marine!
not all of us got sweetheart deals from other conferences
if you were staring the MWC down, you’d lick that taint and call it a burnt orange lollipop.
by rg643 on Jun 14, 2010 9:52 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Actually, the fans do, the administration doesn't
That was the one thing that made me sad in all this. I was a bit down in losing the historical rivals, a bit angry over the venom coming our way as if it was all Nebraska’s fault the Big 12 was going to split. And then I saw that Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione said that (paraphrasing) “wherever Texas goes, we go.” And I was truly saddened.
Really? You’re FREAKING OKLAHOMA! You’ve got the titles, the tradition, the program, and the choices! More than Nebraska had. You don’t need Texas!
Look, if they did their due diligence, and decided that the Pac-10 was their best option, or the SEC, or staying in the Big 12…and that happened to be what Texas did as well, more power to you. Good luck, and godspeed. I for one (and most Husker fans) will miss you. But to cowtow to Texas like that? To say “yessir, Mr. Texas sir, whatever you want, we’ll do. Wherever you go, we’ll be right behind. Yessir? Pac 10 sir? We’ll be there in a flash sir. Thanks for bringing us along sir. You want me to carry your luggage sir?” That’s just sick. You don’t need to be in their conference under their thumb. Hell, you guys played the Red River Rivalry for how many decades while in different conferences. You were only together for 14 years!
Then I went to Crimson and Cream Machine, and to my relief, many fans felt the same way. That they shouldn’t just hitch their ride to whatever Texas does. And even moreso for I Am the 12th Man. Now they’re all apparently going to be in the remnants of the Big 12. OU and A&M are getting a better deal than the rest of the guys. Hope it works out, but I’m not holding my breath. Let’s see this TV deal and how long it’s for. Wonder if the conference will last past it.
Crap, Jon wanted this to be a positive post…
I concur wholeheartedly.
There is no reason the Big 12 can’t survive and perhaps even thrive under this new arrangement. You still have Texas and Oklahoma, two of the strongest programs in college football, period. Kansas State, T. Boone Pickens State, Texas Tech and Missouri should be competitive in years to come. Kansas, Baylor and Iowa State have charismatic new coaches who will hopefully strengthen the conference from the bottom up.
As I see it, aTm is the only team that really missed out here. I wonder if the SEC bid was ever anything more substantial than Mizzou’s bid for the Big Integer? Too bad aTm couldn’t get out from under the Longhorns’ hoof when it had a chance.
As to the mindset, I’m with you, Jon – if the Big Scrapple can survive with Texas getting an even bigger slice of the pie, bully for them. If not, the asplosion will be magnificent to behold from our Rust Belt-fortified bunker.
"...when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to."
— Martin Luther
Texas didn't save the big XII...
Fear of a Pac-16 network did.
by meatybob on Jun 14, 2010 9:47 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
^^^THIS^^^
[Osborne's] school has this ultimatum from Texas to either spit or get off the pot. Commit to the Big 12, Texas is saying, or we'll take this Pac-10 offer, rake in more cash and kiss the Big 12 goodbye. It's on you, Nebraska. Texas is good at this sort of thing -- it could blame Cadillac for those Toyota brake problems and get away with it. - Dennis Dodd
by Screwface on Jun 15, 2010 5:32 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
we over at RockM aren't Chip Brown fans either...
but he was right more than just about anyone else after all was said and done. That probably has somehing to do with being Texas official mouthpiece, but still.
He was right about this one... yes...
…but oh so wrong on everything that happened outside of Austin.
by Husker Mike on Jun 14, 2010 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions
he was the one who broke
the NU (and specifically not MU) to the Big Ten too. And it appears he was right that Texas and the cabana boys were about to pull the trigger on the PAC 11
He spent the first two weeks of the month telling us that the Big Ten wasn't interested...
…in Nebraska.
I have no doubts that Chip has his connections in DeLoss Dodds office, but outside of there…well, no.
by Husker Mike on Jun 14, 2010 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Or
the Big Ten Eleven Ten+2 changed their minds?
Delaney is a crafty bastard
If something gets leaked in the Big10, Delaney wanted it to be leaked. He is like Hannibal in the A-Team (don’t go see it in theaters. it is a rent at best). Three steps ahead at worst. Nobody knows what he has up his sleeve. That is how he is going to get Notre Dame eventually.
by somerandom on Jun 14, 2010 10:29 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
truer words have never been spoken about Delany
you will learn to love and hate him at the same time.
"They say in Happy Valley that if God wasn’t a Penn State fan, why is the sky blue and white?" Fortt said. "Who am I to argue with God?"
Yup.
I’d be surprised if Chip ever got a single piece of real information over the past two weeks from anyone outside of UT.
That being said, he was clearly chosen as UT’s official mouthpiece, and he milked it for everything it was worth and then some. More power to him, I guess. Assuming he wants it, he’s got a job at a much bigger outlet than OrangeBloods waiting for him.
by Cheeseandcorn on Jun 14, 2010 10:37 PM CDT up reply actions
You mean
like the official spokesperson for the Visitors? But what will Scott Wolf do?
"...when the devil says to you: do not drink, answer him: I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to."
— Martin Luther
Thank you Larry Scott
for just saying no to Texas. Texas wanted to “keep its lucrative local television rights and also asked for "extra sweetener" in revenue sharing.” The Big 12 will only become more uneven in the coming years.
And correction: “Colorado gets into the Pac 10, who has courted them for decades, with better opportunities academically and the ability to make more (and equal) money in athletics.” Get it right.
the pac 10 does not currently split it's revenue equally
though fortunately for you guys your new overlord just got exampled by the ncaa.
We'll be just fine, Nebraska is in a much better place too
Just don’t duck our non-conference requests
College Football wins
Andy Katz at ESPN reported an “influencial group” saved the Big 12. He reported high ranking NCAA officials, TV execs, conference commissiors intervened. May be true, who knows with all the wild reports that have hit the internet the past few weeks. I believe college football wins with a Big 12, albeit more controlled by Texas than ever. Nebraska lands in a good spot for them, CU ends up in a good place and the little 7 of the Big 12 get more money to support their overall athletic programs.
Personally I’m not ready for the landscape of college football to change drastically, I’ll need several years to adjust to no Nebraska and no Colorado.
I dont blame the Neb admin for their choice
but I will miss our rivals. Esp since the money appears to be closer to Big Ten money. But hey, This new Big 12 still is not stable, so Neb made the right call.
I still don’t know if I believe Beebe’s numbers. Why would Fox be willing to up what they pay the BigXII by 500%?
[Osborne's] school has this ultimatum from Texas to either spit or get off the pot. Commit to the Big 12, Texas is saying, or we'll take this Pac-10 offer, rake in more cash and kiss the Big 12 goodbye. It's on you, Nebraska. Texas is good at this sort of thing -- it could blame Cadillac for those Toyota brake problems and get away with it. - Dennis Dodd
by Screwface on Jun 15, 2010 5:38 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
It's no longer the Bic XII, it's the Big Texas Network
If you’re Texas, you have to love this deal. You get everything you wanted, plus you chased off a school that has been doing it’s damndest to stop your conference coup d’etat for over 10 years.
In the end, like you said, Texas gets it’s money, but at what cost? You have (other than Oklahoma) 8 mediocre teams with very little competition. So, when everyone else but you and Oklahoma sucks in your conference, will networks pay big money to broadcast it? If not, will the projections that Beebe stated come to fruition?
And what if the Longhorn Network doesn’t garner the profits they think it will? The Big Texas Conference will be right back where we are in just a couple years.
If I’m what’s left of the Big XII North, I look at the bigger, better deals Colorado and Big Red got by getting while the getting is good, and I’m taking care of number one. First offer I get, I’m gone. Screw Texas and their money.
Especially if my name is Kansas.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free." ~ Ronald Reagan
Very good points!
I also think the Big 10’s money is going to increase, even after a 12 team split. Nebraska and the new inventory of big games vs Iowa, Ohio St, Michigan, Penn St; along with a conference championship should result in an even bigger take per school.
by HawkeyeRecon on Jun 14, 2010 11:59 PM CDT up reply actions
I agree
More demand for Big Ten games mean more demand for the Big Ten Network.
Which means more money per school.
Lots more money.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free." ~ Ronald Reagan
I agree, good for them
I’m happy for Iowa State, Kansas, K-State, and Baylor as they won’t get left out in the cold now. I’m happy to see that the horrifying spectre of a mega-conference seems to have been -for the moment- averted. And of course I’m glad to see that the Big 12 isn’t going to die, once again for the moment.
On the other hand, I’m saddened to see whats about to happen to the little nine in this revamped conference. Without Nebraska standing in their way, this is Texas’s own little kingdom to an even greater extent…might as well move the league offices to Austin.
And of course this has to be the worst day of Larry Scott’s career. He was on the verge of a mega conference with USC, OU, Texas, and a few other not insignificant teams and he gets…..Colorado? With respect to our friends from Boulder, while CU is a fine university and a good cultural match to the lefties out west, I’m sure the Buffs weren’t exactly the home run Scott was looking for.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
Larry Scott is still the smartest guy in the room
prepare to be shocked at how big the new Pac 12 TV deal is. Adding the Denver and Salt Lake markets (plus a Conf Champ Game) ARE home runs.
We'll see
Don’t get me wrong, I wish the best for all of you guys out west (it’s no hide out of our backs if the PAC-10 succeeds) but I’m not seeing a massive blockbuster deal coming. Denver and SLC are nice media markets, but the PAC 10 already owns the #2, 6, 12, 13, 20, 22, and 28th biggest media markets in the country. Denver comes in at 16th and SLC at 31st.
I’m sure the PAC 10 will get a nice TV deal, but to be honest, adding Denver isn’t going to be a gamechanger for a conference that completely owns California already. The math just isn’t there…..
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
You make a good point for me
The conference has the largest TV demographic heading into renegotiation – and now its over two time zones (now they can show USC to the Midwest and east coast earlier). The reason why the current deal is so small is because it is ANCIENT and small minded. Larry Scott has been preparing for this deal since the first day he took the job – he’s not about to fumble on the goal line. Plus, the blueprint on how to do it is obvious (Big 10) – add three years of inflation, and the new Pac 12 deal will be huge.
what are the ratings like for games?
At some point, the $$$ generated isn’t about market size but ratings. It all comes down to how many people watch and I have no idea how the PAC 10 compares to the Big Ten in that regard. As to the deal being HUGE, I am not so sure. I think it will get pretty close to the Big Ten, but also remember that where the PAC has USC and some programs like CU, WA, etc that are trying to reclaim lost glory, the Big Ten has OSU, Penn State, NU, Iowa (hell even WI gets in on it) and a number of other schools trying to relcaim last glory (Michigan, MN, etc).
There are just more teams that actually draw ratings in the Big Ten. It has more to do with fan options at this point. California is full of pro teams and more colleges than I can shake a stick at. It’s this very reason that Schools like MN go through such droughts because of all the options for that metro areas size. Do you want to know who is always #1 in their towns and surounding areas? Michigan, OSU, Iowa, Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, etc. It happens when they are good and bad, which is why the TV deals are so large. They are simply a safe draw.
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Jun 15, 2010 7:39 AM CDT up reply actions
Ratings have nothing to do with the size of these contracts
It comes down to number of TV sets/subscribers. I get the Big 10 network in Denver, almost never watch it, but it’s reaching my home, which counts.
that is simply not true
“ratings” always matter. 60% plus of the BTNs profitability comes from advertising which is drive by ratings, not subscribers. Your subscriber fees for a network are based upon what tier you are placed on and how many people purchase that package.
For TV contracts, the only thing those paying you for it care about are the advertising dollars they can expect to get. Subscribers don’t drive advertising revenue, but “ratings” do. Talk to any network TV exec and they only care about ratings. It all comes down to how many eyeballs are actually watching, not how many could.
No one is getting Rubio's rights unless they pry them from our cold dead fingers.
by TheEvilProfessor on Jun 15, 2010 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Ratings have EVERYTHING to do with these contracts
And its not only ad revenue. Ratings drive the subscription costs as well. Do you really think the Big Ten will only charge $.80 per HH in Omaha? Try like $3 to $5.
The Big Ten doesn't charge subscribers anything for the BTN
That’s the cable company. They key is getting on the basic backage so that everyone who has cable is subscribing to the BTN which gets somewhere around $.88 per subscriber in a footprint state.
Ratings do have everything to do with the television contracts conferences sign with ESPN and the like. How much the network is wiling to shell out is directly related to how many people will be watching, and thus how much they can charge for advertising. It seems ESPN has committed to maintaining the same payout level to the Big XII through the remainder of its contract (2015-2016). Will be interesting to see the ratings for the diminished Big XII as that will determine its next contract and is the basis for Beebe’s (wildly optimistic) projections.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
To stretch the metaphor, I thought the megaconference might be a home run, but was probably just going to be an out on the warning track. Everyone was way, way too certain that it was going to work well.
When the Pac-10 first announced it was expanding, CU and Utah were the pair most often thrown about, and I’m still considering that a solid hit, at the least.
by AllSaintsDay on Jun 15, 2010 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions
Well
The next two years traveling in the Big whatever is going to be interesting for CU. And next year will be rough for Nebraska. Anyway, really wish you guys the best and hope we can still be neighbors.
For sure
I’ll be watching Nebraska alot next season (to gauge the exit hate) and for years to come in the Big 10. I always felt the Big 8 was superior to the Big 10 in every way, the Huskers will have the best chance to prove it.
Anyone who hates Texas
and loves the moves that Colorado and Nebraska made will find this sort of stuff to be spank material – enjoy!
http://www.shaggybevo.com/board/showthread.php/65838-10am-UT-press-conference/page1
http://www.shaggybevo.com/board/showthread.php/65851-Dan-Beebe-Teleconference
by BuffsFan99 on Jun 15, 2010 1:00 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Holy crap, that's great!
They’re hating life and we’re lovin’ it. they realize this deal is the very definition of “gilded cage.” Thanks for the links and enjoy the PAC-10.
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