(12-18-2015 10:31 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(12-17-2015 03:21 PM)JRsec Wrote:  If you want to know whether ESPN wants schools from the Big 12 or ACC in another conference then ask yourself whether the school in question is worth $40 million a year to ESPN in the conference being considered.

Moving Texas would save them some money long term. Moving Oklahoma, North Carolina, Duke, or Florida State from a branding standpoint would be worth it.

Forget T2 & T3 inventory. In a world that is moving to streaming content is the key revenue enhancer. Brand vs brand generates the most revenue. ESPN would be happy to pay for further consolidation if they don't have to pay top dollar for filler schools that don't have brand cachet.

That is why at the end of the GOR's it is highly unlikely that the little brothers find homes.

Face it, if the SEC expanded with North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Florida State, Clemson and Oklahoma then ESPN would multiply the value of owning Kentucky in hoops, and would have 3 more brand multipliers to add to an already deep football product. Let's say each of those schools got 17 million more for moving. For not having to pay Wake Forest, Boston College, Miami, Pitt, Louisville, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, top dollar anymore ESPN saves overhead while multiplying their must see lineup which sells very well whether on prime time TV or streamed. Multiply that savings by what they no longer have to pay for half of the Big 12 properties not involved in such a move and voila they have content galore, few dogs, and a lot less mouth to feed. Even if the ESPN had to add Texas, Oklahoma State, Louisville, and Texas Tech to get it done it still comes out money ahead.

Don't think in terms of markets. That issue is fast becoming passe. Don't think in terms of who you would like to see in a conference because the conferences will have only a smidgen of input in regards to additions. Think instead of how much a network can maximize its profits without having to maintain larger inventory. That's where we are headed. And finally ask yourself for instance is a Cincinnati worth 40 million a year to ESPN. The Bearcats are nice, but not 40 million a year nice to the bottom line.

So considering the new additions to the $100 million club...

I would have to think those are brands that ESPN doesn't want to lose. I was a little surprised to see Baylor and Louisville among them, but I guess it is what it is.

Does it make more sense to break the ACC up with the emphasis being on strengthening the SEC? Follow that up with the new hybrid league of ACC/Big 12 schools that contain more $100M teams than the PAC 12?

Let's say UNC, Duke, UVA, and GT to the SEC

$100M members(10) = Alabama, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M with additional strong brands.

Then move FSU, Clemson, Louisville, NC State, and maybe a couple more to the Big 12. Now, you've got the basis for a network and you could easily convert an existing property like the LHN to cut down on start-up costs. I say that because it would be hard to put them all in one league.

$100M members(6) = Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, Baylor, Louisville, Kansas with additional strong brands.

ESPN saves cash by dropping Miami, Wake Forest, Pitt, Boston College

Virginia Tech and Syracuse probably head to the B1G in that scenario...

Or...is it possible that ESPN would try to stuff all their valuable brands in one league? That would be a huge league, but it could definitely save money.

Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas from the Big 12...

North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Florida State, Clemson, Louisville...possibly Notre Dame from the ACC.

That would be a 26 team league. Either leave off Louisville or add a couple more decent brands.

Savings from cutting...Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas State, Iowa State, West Virginia, Pitt, Boston College, NC State, Wake Forest, and Miami

That's a huge league with a lot of strong content from one opponent to another.

As to North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, and Georgia Tech, if they did join the SEC the bump in revenue would place one, possibly two, of them in the 100M club as well.

As to the creation of another P conference out of the remnants that is possible and might allow a way for B.Y.U., Cincinnati and Connecticut to find a way into the P5.