Agree in part that basketball, especially the tournament renegotiation could be huge. Regular season basketball just doesn’t have the ratings numbers at this point. Breaking into football requires years of planning and resources, basketball is much easier to make an immediate impact in the form of NIL or transfers.
Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
- Start date
It seems like we’re at the point where everyone is just waiting around for that first school to jump.
As I reflect on it, I’m really beginning to think that Colorado may be the first mover.
There’s obviously already established relationships with the Big 12 and Colorado is making bold, forward thinking moves to develop themselves into a household brand. It just seems like their goals and personalities align with Yormark really well.
I also find it interesting that their administration has gone radio silent. Usually these moves don’t happen in public and CU is the only of one of the corner schools to not be talking over the past couple months.
Not to mention the fact that we already know the Board of Regents are keeping close tabs on the situation in their meetings…
Anybody think I’m off base here?
As I reflect on it, I’m really beginning to think that Colorado may be the first mover.
There’s obviously already established relationships with the Big 12 and Colorado is making bold, forward thinking moves to develop themselves into a household brand. It just seems like their goals and personalities align with Yormark really well.
I also find it interesting that their administration has gone radio silent. Usually these moves don’t happen in public and CU is the only of one of the corner schools to not be talking over the past couple months.
Not to mention the fact that we already know the Board of Regents are keeping close tabs on the situation in their meetings…
Anybody think I’m off base here?
Does the Big 12's new TV deal with ESPN/Fox spell out exactly what a team like Colorado would receive if they made the jump? Would they get the same $32M/yr as the rest of the Big 12?
I know there were posts on this several months ago, but I don't remember reading anything specific.
I know there were posts on this several months ago, but I don't remember reading anything specific.
Yikes, I didn't realize the ratings were so low - 14.69M viewers, which is the lowest ever for a title game.
Just for comparison, the 10 previous title games: (source)
| 2022 | Kansas-UNC | 18.1M |
| 2021 | Baylor-Gonzaga | 17.081M |
| 2019 | Virginia-Texas Tech | 19.630M |
| 2018 | Villanova-Michigan | 16.5M |
| 2017 | UNC-Gonzaga | 22.998M |
| 2016 | Villanova-UNC | 17.752M |
| 2015 | Duke-Wisconsin | 28.263M |
| 2014 | UConn-Kentucky | 21.196M |
| 2013 | Louisville-Michigan | 23.426M |
| 2012 | UConn-Butler | 20.055M |
I imagine the share Colorado would receive from the Big 12 would be negotiable. I’m not sure that Colorado is desperate enough now to move for a partial share though
From what I‘ve read, the only thing that’s in the contract is that ESPN has to pay the Big 12 a pro-rated increase of their share of the media contract (roughly 2/3 if I recall) for any power 5 program that’s added. Fox does not have that clause for their third of the contract.
Not sure what it takes to get FOX to pay up too, or what the rules are for adding a third media partner.
Y’all please correct me if I was wrong anywhere.
I'm late to the party here but CW's pod from Sunday saying Yormark wants to beef up a basketball league with hoops-only schools and sell the rights separately seems like a really smart bet. The sticking point will be if we can get Big East schools to jump. The other side of that strategy is that it must be attractive to Arizona in particular. I am curious whether the Big 12 would consider an all sports membership for UConn to pry them away and get the ball rolling. I think their football has to improve a bit on viewership first though.
UConn for all sports? No-brainer to me. You get a true blue-blood both in MBB and WBB, and this football league is going to need at least 1 really bad team now that KU is on the rise. I'd rather it be UConn than us, if things don't turn around.
I don’t think adding them for all sports is ideal but agree the basketball is a no brainer. 3/4 new teams are already going to be bottom dwellers in the Big12 for football for awhile so I wouldn’t be concerned.
Especially once the $1B annual TV money from the NCAA Tournament goes to the conferences instead of the NCAA...
Remember in The Dark Knight, when the Joker gives the two guys a broken pool cue, and says he only has 1 job opening so we're gonna have "tryouts" ?
First 2 teams get a full share, next two teams get 60%.
I would imagine the Big East schools might be a tough sell due to past experiences of jumping in bed with football schools but maybe the money will be just too overwhelming this time.
I actually think the Women's title game might have hampered the the Men's ratings. Its not like Butler was that much of a bigger draw in 2012 than San Diego State was this year. Some casual folks might not have wanted to plop down on the coach two days in a row.
Another important comparison - the college football playoff games averaged right about 20M I believe. And that's a CFP that involved Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan.
UConn is a good draw, but San Diego State was a ratings killer. For fans that don't follow CBB it's not a draw, and for those that do follow it and watched the tournament closely know that SDSU's style will make your eyes bleed, and UConn was a big favorite.
Tournament money going to the conferences will be a game changer. I'm not saying basketball value is going to catch football any time soon, but that gap is already smaller than most people think, and it's going to shrink.
We've been down this road. You can't bet your team, even to win. What does that signal to people on days you don't bet?
The game also was not competitive. I think Nielsen takes the average number of viewers over the course of the game (could be wrong here). I could see a lot of viewers dropping off late in the first half/early in the second half as the lead ballooned.
Not such a big deal in CT zone, but the game tipped off around 8:15. I looked at ESPN and they show a 6:30 time for the CFB Championship game.
Would be curious if an earlier tip like 7 or 7:30p would help viewership. My guess is they are trying to accommodate PT zone viewers, but is it costing them ET zone viewers?
That's correct. The avg. viewership for the title game in both BB and FB peaked early then dropped off. The two semifinal games in FB though never dipped, as you can imagine.
Btw that is one of the major Big12 draws, the competitiveness of most games keeps the viewer engaged and tuning in.
15 months until the deal expires, but they almost certainly have to be doing budgeting for 24-25 earlier than that. Has to be hard to do major projects as well both for budgeting reasons and also for any time theyd want to finance those projects with debt
