MAC Renegotiating with ESPN?

[OU Dude]

for those interested, found this article regarding TV exposure.

EDIT: updated with correct link, thanks for the heads up DiG.

[Dave in Green]

@OU Dude, that's a bad link.

[GP1]

for those interested, found this article regarding TV exposure.

EDIT: updated with correct link, thanks for the heads up DiG.

Still....no connection between winning and TV games.

[GP1]

You mean we could someday be back to watching college students again someday?

Never. You will be watching your tax dollars support the house of cards that has been built. Americans should thank their local AD for this opportunity.

[johnnyzip84]

The Lions are looking to end the MAC's Detroit bowl connection. This might not help with ESPN negotiations.

The Lions are in negotiations with the Big Ten to have a Big Ten team annually in the new bowl game in Detroit, sources said. The Big Ten's opponent would no longer be from the Mid-American Conference, a source said. A team from the ACC is the most likely opponent for the Big Ten, sources said.

[Dave in Green]

Gotta improve the bottom line by bringing in more money and cutting costs. Bigger name teams would bring in more money for a bowl game. Easiest way to cut costs is to cut heads, which is why ESPN is laying off hundreds.

[Dr Z]

Gotta improve the bottom line by bringing in more money and cutting costs. Bigger name teams would bring in more money for a bowl game. Easiest way to cut costs is to cut heads, which is why ESPN is laying off hundreds.

Someone please let me know if that robot Berman gets the ax, I might be able to turn back to that station once in awhile. Next in line would be that blowhard know-nothing self-proclaimed "draft guru" Kiper. I'm guessing hard working guys will fall before those two overrated egomaniacs. I guess it's possible those two don't even get paid, they just keep showing up.

[MDZip]

Two MAC games on a Tuesday night - don't see the logic behind that. Still nice to see the word Akron right in the middle instead of at the very bottom when they showed the standings at the beginning.

[LZIp]

Two MAC games on a Tuesday night - don't see the logic behind that. Still nice to see the word Akron right in the middle instead of at the very bottom when they showed the standings at the beginning.

yea.. it doesnt make a lot of sense, but lets be real...the only one worth watching is the OU/Buffalo game. Should be a good one.

BG-Miami I have no interest at all as its going to be a blowout. Heard something that the starting QB from Miami may be out last week, not sure if that has changed or not.

[K92]

http://deadspin.com/mac-commissioner-squirms-out-of-questions-about-espn-tv-1656711202

[GP1]

http://deadspin.com/mac-commissioner-squirms-out-of-questions-about-espn-tv-1656711202

Hats off to this professor for finally bringing to light the incompetency of the leadership within the MAC. Many of us already knew it, but it brings it to light for the general public.

[Dr Z]

From a Bill Livingston article about basketball:

 

"Football is doing much better than basketball. That is the consensus of the conference basketball coaches. The MAC put a lot of money into football programs," said Mix. What nights are MAC basketball games on ESPN? MAC  athletic directors, led by former member Marshall, pressed for a television deal and any bowl tie-ins (at the time they had none) in 1999 when Chryst became commissioner. The MAC sent seven teams to bowls last season. Chryst's vision, now realized, was of ESPN televising MAC conference games on fallow midweek autumn nights, helping the conference grow from a molehill in the national consciousness to at least a football foothill now.

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, Dr Z said:

From a Bill Livingston article about basketball:

 

"Football is doing much better than basketball. That is the consensus of the conference basketball coaches. The MAC put a lot of money into football programs," said Mix. What nights are MAC basketball games on ESPN? MAC  athletic directors, led by former member Marshall, pressed for a television deal and any bowl tie-ins (at the time they had none) in 1999 when Chryst became commissioner. The MAC sent seven teams to bowls last season. Chryst's vision, now realized, was of ESPN televising MAC conference games on fallow midweek autumn nights, helping the conference grow from a molehill in the national consciousness to at least a football foothill now.

I'm not denying the fact that the MAC doesn't give basketball the same attention that it gives football, but at the same time I don't see an easy way of fixing the TV situation. The MAC has a niche in football with the midweek games because for the most part the B1G, SEC, PAC-12, and all other conferences play the bulk of their games on Saturday and the NFL plays their games on Sunday with only 1 Monday and 1 Thursday game. People watch because they have an itch for football and its' the only thing on. You would be hard pressed to find a night of the week that didn't feature at least 30 basketball games between college basketball and the NBA.

 

I'm not absolving them of blame as there are things that need improving. They need to start by getting their showcase tournament to air on an actual cable station for all games Thursday-Saturday. TWCSN is not acceptable as it eliminates any fan that has dish or another cable provider from watching. ESPN would be a stretch for anything besides the Final and perhaps semis, but there are a host of other options FSN, FS1, FS2, CBSSN, NBCSN just to name a few. I should be able to walk into a sports bar and ask them to turn the game on and not have them tell me sorry we don't carry that station.

 

 

[Dr Z]

MAC's ESPN deal looks even smarter today than it did in 2014

 

The MAC, meanwhile, went from getting about $1 million a year in its previous ESPN deal, which was set to expire in 2017, to reeling in well over $100 million in the new 13-year agreement. The final 10 years of the deal (2017-27) reportedly are worth about $10 million per year. Contrast that with Conference USA, which might be seeing its annual rights haul getting cut from $14 million-plus to about $2 million. Timing really is everything. We emailed a MAC source Tuesday and asked if the person felt even better about the ESPN deal after reading the SBJ story. The reply was simple, and telling: “You would be correct.”

[Captain Kangaroo]

So beginning in 2017 the Zips start receiving $800,000 instead of $80,000? That isn't an all-encompassing Savior, but it's about 25% of a Savior. I'll take it.

 

Now the burden of filling the stadium is lessened a bit. Averaging 20k butts in seats, plus the ESPN money, plus the P5 away game(s) would pretty much get the Zips program to the break even point. Let's see what Williams can do.

[LZIp]

16 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

So beginning in 2017 the Zips start receiving $800,000 instead of $80,000? That isn't an all-encompassing Savior, but it's about 25% of a Savior. I'll take it.

 

Now the burden of filling the stadium is lessened a bit. Averaging 20k butts in seats, plus the ESPN money, plus the P5 away game(s) would pretty much get the Zips program to the break even point. Let's see what Williams can do.

thats a lot more money to retain coaches!

[ZachTheZip]

Most of that increase will be going towards upgrading the JAR's broadcast capabilities to ESPN3 standards, at least in the beginning. The broadcast upgrade for all MAC basketball/football facilities was a big part of the deal, and most MAC schools have already completed it.

[akronzips71]

You mean we might even get some ESPN3 Hoops games instead of that joke of a stream?

[Dr Z]

On May 23, 2013 at 7:44 AM, Dr Z said:

Someone please let me know if that robot Berman gets the ax, I might be able to turn back to that station once in awhile.

 

Rejoice!!!!! 

[Hilltopper]