ND & Texass lifting their skirts for Delaney

These stories are like crack. It is not a good thing, and I just wish I could stop. Still I keep checking each of these threads.

I am still not sure super conferences are coming. I am sure every writer is putting every story out there hoping it sticks and they are breaking the story. They don't care if they are right or wrong, actually at this point no one can be wrong. Everything is happening behind closed doors and every story is from an unnamed source. It is crack and I wish I could just pay attention to the games.

 
redblooded said:
I don't think ESPN has a lot of say overall in the network when it comes to anyone other then Texas and Texas can basically tear up the contract in the event of realignment from my understanding. Sure you probably don't want to piss ESPN off totally, but really aside from suing to recoup sunk costs related to network startup and throwing the spin machine into reverse to bash Texas rather then try and promote them there really isn't a whole lot they can do.

I also don't think they are going to try and punish the big ten. These regional conference networks are direct competitors. If they push these conferences are going to take the inventory that pays the ESPN bills in the fall and sell to fox/cbs/comcast or simply broadcast the games themselves. Imagine ESPN with half their CFB game inventory gone... What are they going to replace it with? more sports talking heads 'debating'? The Ochocinco's?

Playing hardball like ESPN tried before the Big Ten created the BTN led them to this point. Now that the rest of the networks have figured out the value of live sporting events in the DVR era, they won't be trying that again.
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ESPN does have the overall say in the LHN's programming--remember, this is the very argument that Texas used to allow high school football games, as *Texas* wouldn't be choosing the games, per se, ESPN would.

And from what I saw in the FoIA contract the Aggies got, I don't think the contract gets 'torn up' when a conference move happens. If anything, I don't think it's really covered (other than what broganreynik posted--thanks broganreynik), so there may be some legal hand-wringing going on with this. You can't just have your school change conferences and everything else remain intact, especially if no other conference wants the channel as-is.

Then again, considering the status quo has ESPN taking a massive fiscal hit on the network, it may be in their best interests to just provide a number, have the Big 10 or Fox cut them a check, and then the LHN becomes the BTN 2-Electric Boogaloo. Or, the clause broganreynik found could be ESPN's attempt to force Texas to go independent, as the contract outlines that ESPN gets something like a 60-day bidding window before anyone else for all Texas games should they go independent.

Also, don't think that ESPN playing patty-cake with the Big 10 will keep the network in their good graces, even if they roll over on conversion of the LHN. Fox Over-the-Air (read--Fox broadcast flagship, not sports or other Fox cable channels) is expected to bid for the Big 10's upcoming ESPN/ABC rights for 2015, and CBS' SEC rights when they're up (2012?). That's why Fox was so eager to grab the Big 10 and Pac-12 championship games--it's dipping their toe in the water, and all signs point to Fox jumping in.

 
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Dunno Carter. The Notre Dame hockey bit has legs, and the Notre Dame and Big 10 TV contracts line up.

The Texas bit is the one that's odd, but we do know for a fact (via FoIA) that the Big 10 and Texas did talk about membership in 2009-2010 (remember the "tech problem" emails from Ohio State re: Texas?), so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

The thing is, I seriously doubt that Pearlman and Osborne would let Texas get a free pass to membership. If anything, I'm sure the Big 10 is pumping them for info on Texas so Bevo can be sufficiently neutered before joining.

 
IF Texas does manage to join the conference, I find comfort in the fact that Delaney isn't going to simply accept any demand from Texas. This isn't a conference dictated by one school. It is dicated each and every one of the institutions within the conference. It isn't going to change.

 
NoKoolAidForME said:
If Texas was to join the Big Ten the conference would automatically have a new hated rivalry that can create interest like the OSU Michigan rivalry. Texas Nebraska would be great in the Big 10 especially if the game is played every year. They hate us and we obviously hate them. Just a thought!
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Hmmm...it would be rather ironic to take OU's rival...

 
irafreak said:
NoKoolAidForME said:
If Texas was to join the Big Ten the conference would automatically have a new hated rivalry that can create interest like the OSU Michigan rivalry. Texas Nebraska would be great in the Big 10 especially if the game is played every year. They hate us and we obviously hate them. Just a thought!
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Hmmm...it would be rather ironic to take OU's rival...
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here is the question I have? Would the Big Ten allow them to be full members right away? Or would texas have to come in with the same stipulations as Nebraska did?

 
I feel if ND were to join a conference it would be the Big East. They would have a better negotiating position to get a honey deal money wise and keeping their coast to coast scheduling. It is interesting that NBC has a new owner that is investing a lot into NBC Sports. The money these TV deals continues to get bigger and bigger for every deal.

 
308_Husker said:
IF Texas does manage to join the conference, I find comfort in the fact that Delaney isn't going to simply accept any demand from Texas. This isn't a conference dictated by one school. It is dicated each and every one of the institutions within the conference. It isn't going to change.
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But what scares me is: What happens when Delaney steps down? Who takes over and are they going to stand up to Texas (if Texas isn't the one that took Delaney's spot)?

 
okaive said:
308_Husker said:
IF Texas does manage to join the conference, I find comfort in the fact that Delaney isn't going to simply accept any demand from Texas. This isn't a conference dictated by one school. It is dicated each and every one of the institutions within the conference. It isn't going to change.
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But what scares me is: What happens when Delaney steps down? Who takes over and are they going to stand up to Texas (if Texas isn't the one that took Delaney's spot)?
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And will Texas be able to install their own patsies, like they did with Beebe and the Big XII, or Walt Anderson and the Big XII officials?

And one positive to come from this--I'm sure the Big 10 would lift their restrictive scholarship rules on college baseball if Texas comes to town. That puts Nebraska and Texas squarely in the catbird seat for owning Big 10 baseball, and the inclusion of TX would help the conference's RPI more than Nebraska's inclusion.

 
If Texas so much as mutters that they might theoretically at some point consider MAYBE attempting to research joining the B1G, every school, its ADs, and all its fanbases need to rise up and block the move as fast as humanely possible. Texas is a disease conferences contract. Sometimes you're not even aware you're sick until years later. I'm not worried about Delaney, but what about his successor? How long before Texas starts to lobby for their special considerations? A year? Ten years? Twenty?

The Whorns overplayed their hand and they should be made to lose big. From what I understand Texas is fond of sayings. I'm thinking of one about making beds and sleeping in them.

 
matthew_m_g said:
Dunno Carter. The Notre Dame hockey bit has legs, and the Notre Dame and Big 10 TV contracts line up.

The Texas bit is the one that's odd, but we do know for a fact (via FoIA) that the Big 10 and Texas did talk about membership in 2009-2010 (remember the "tech problem" emails from Ohio State re: Texas?), so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

The thing is, I seriously doubt that Pearlman and Osborne would let Texas get a free pass to membership. If anything, I'm sure the Big 10 is pumping them for info on Texas so Bevo can be sufficiently neutered before joining.
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Texas is just posturing. They want everyone to think that the Big Ten is a viable option, one that might even take them with their Longhorn Network, because it gives them stronger leverage negotiating with the PAC 12 or the ACC.

They will never learn to stop manipulating.

 
The hilarious thing is the legs the current rumor is getting with the ACC. Texas to ACC for all sport BUT football, they go indie in football, agree to play at least four games a year against ACC teams, with some special provision of having some on LHN, ESPN pays both ACC and Longhorns for the deal, rumored to be worth potentially $1B to all parties concerned, potentially paving the way for ND to go to ACC with same agreement. Why on earth the ACC would agree to such stupidity is beyond me, but if they do, they deserve everything that comes with it. That type of inequity will kill that conference quicker than anything. The true football schools will get out as quick as possible - F St., V Tech, Miami, Boston schools... and I don't think a Pitt or a Syracuse wants to mess with that type of setup either. I would hope they're smarter than that... but then I had hoped the Big XII was smarter than it proved to be as time went on too.

Guess we'll see or hear more after the BoR meetings for both OU and tu on Monday... both have line items referring to conference alignment in meetings on Monday.

 
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