College Football Realignment and the effects on TV coverage

[stationless listener]

In case you're just reading, the Big 12 is about to be radically changed, if not disappear altogether. We know of just two leaving, Colorado and Nebraska. Others may follow suit. So what do you think will be the effects of that on not only the other conferences but on how media companies cover their games?

As I see it, the Pac 10 is getting into position for a bigger payout in their next TV contract. Now who would pay them? The SEC, the Big 10 and the ACC already got good deals with ESPN/ABC and CBS. I don't know if ESPN would have enough scratch to have the Pac 10 to that roster of conferences. This could open the way for the likes of Comcast/Versus and even FSN to get the big Pac 10 contract. For a channel like Versus, this would be a major coup if they can get the Pac 10 on board.

What happens to both Notre Dame and the Big East after this? What happens to the likes of Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor? Who would conference with those schools if they're left off?

 

[JayR]

What happens to the likes of Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor? Who would conference with those schools if they're left off?

Mountain West would be a good fit.

 

[KeithE4]

The soon-to-be-Pac 16 (Big Pac?) wants its own network. It already has a deal with FSN (unless it expired after this past season).

It also needs to have its teams play more games in the Central time zone, so the Eastern Seaboard Partisan Network will pay attention to them (outside of USC, which is bowl-ineligible for the next two years but is the only football program in the current conference lineup with nationwide interest).

It seems to me that the Pac 10 needs the Big 12 schools (especially Texas & Oklahoma) far more than those schools really need the Pac 10 - they need games that end before 10 PM Eastern time. For example, USC plays only one game outside the Pacific or Hawaiian time zones in 2010 - they're at Minnesota on 9/18. Eight of their games start at 8 PM ET or later, which means they end at about 11 - barely in time for their highlights to make it on SportsCenter if they don't go into overtime.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I could see Kansas and Kansas State joining Conference USA. I also could see the Big East and the ACC pilliage schools from CUSA and cause that conference to fold.

A lot depends on exactly who else joins the Big Ten. If the Big Ten stops at 12 members, then there won't be much drama. In fact, if the Big Ten stops at 12, the Big 12 might still exist in a smaller, less powerful form.

Regardless, I would not be surprised to see one of the current mid-majors "elevate" to a higher national status in the vacuum of the Big 12.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

For example, USC plays only one game outside the Pacific or Hawaiian time zones in 2010 - they're at Minnesota on 9/18.

Also on 11/13 @ AZ in Tucson--which will then be back in the Mountain Time Zone--
with a tentative 6 PM MT start.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I think it will actually result in less coverage. The Big Ten Network, SEC Network, potential PAC 16 Network, will all want ownership of their best game each week, and to maximize the number of viewers being driven to that game. I suspect this means they will be reluctant to release as many games to ESPN, regional sports networks or over-the-air broadcasters so as to minimize the competition. Those outlets could increasingly be the recipients of leftover scraps like the MAC Conference, Conference USA, or even Div. I-AA/II.

There are even some predictions that this trend could ultimately result in a number of the most powerful schools leaving the
NCAA altogether and forming their own athletic league.

 

[philosofy]

Anyone willing to venture a guess at how much this will cost the average cable/sat viewer on their monthly bill? It seems like all of this movement and talk of new TV contracts is gonna cost anyone with pay tv at least a couple bucks per month extra really soon.

 

[landtuna]

Also on 11/13 @ AZ in Tucson--which will then be back in the Mountain Time Zone--

Tucson is always on Mountain Standard Time (as is the rest of AZ except the Navajo reservation).

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Also on 11/13 @ AZ in Tucson--which will then be back in the Mountain Time Zone--

Tucson is always on Mountain Standard Time (as is the rest of AZ except the Navajo reservation).

Yes, but for simplification, and to not confuse the average viewer ("civilians") more
than necessary, AZ is on de facto Pacific Time during DST, and Mountain Time during
the approx. four-month standard time period.

You say "Mountain Time"--referring to AZ--in June, and something's going to be off
by an hour! ;D

 

[tothedj]

In today's "Charlotte Observer", there is a good column in regards to College Sports re-alignment, i agree these
changes are not good, and don't benefit viewers as a whole, plus your cable bill when it keeps going up, maybe
some of these operators like Time Warner and others should expand their "Games & Sports Tier" to include all
of the sports channels that subscribers like me don't want to pay for, maybe then rates would come down for
a lot of subscribers.

 

[KeithE4]

In today's "Charlotte Observer", there is a good column in regards to College Sports re-alignment, i agree these changes are not good, and don't benefit viewers as a whole...

They're designed to benefit the conferences' and schools' bottom lines. Period. The Pac-11 (so far) needs to be in the Central time zone, to have their (future) TV network seen in Texas, have earlier games that can be covered by ESPN, and for recruiting purposes.

I'm not sure what Nebraska brings to the Big Te12n. The conference wants to be seen in NYC, and the state of Nebraska is all but irrelevant to national advertisers (Omaha is market #76 and Lincoln is #105). Nebraska qualifies academically and their football program is on its way back. They also travel to bowl games well. But do they bring more eyeballs to ESPN/ABC for their future games against Ohio State or Michigan? Some, obviously, but not anywhere near as many as Texas or one of the Big East schools would.

But the bottom line is that only 16 Division 1A athletic programs don't lose money. And cable networks get money from every subscriber on systems that take the channel, regardless of whether they're viewed or not. That's also why they want to be on the "main" tier, rather than a digital sports tier, where the money is less.

 

[landtuna]

The Pac-11 (so far) needs to be in the Central time zone, to have their (future) TV network seen in Texas, have earlier games that can be covered by ESPN, and for recruiting purposes.

The CA, OR and WA schools are able to play during daylight hours and most do except when TV schedules want them at night (after schools in the East and Midwest have completed their games). The AZ schools do not play daytime games except towards the end of the season and I don't see that changing. It is simply too hot for both players and fans to play in the normal daytime temps we have in the Southwest early in the season.