JMU needs to look in the mirror on this deal. Your own reports tout the ability of several schools(namely JMU), to maintain their ability to have regionally televised games in this deal. The deal breaker for ESPN+ was that several schools(namely JMU), would lose the ability to have regionally televised games.
I know many JMU fans see their school as superior to all other CAA schools, but this one is on JMU as much as any other CAA schools. This was a nod to JMU, not an anchor on JMU.
https://jamesmadison.rivals.com/news/und...-flosports
“There are a lot of different wants and needs for our member institutions when we’re dealing with 17 schools,” D’Antonio said. “Some institutions heavily value their [regional sports network] relationships and JMU is one of them. And we wanted to try to find a partner that was going to allow us to create a comprehensive media package. With Flo, we’ve found a partner that’s allowed us to do that.”
The only exclusivity FloSports is concerned with comes on the digital side.
For instance, if FloSports has the rights to a JMU football game at Bridgeforth Stadium, the school’s digital production, MadiZONE, will not be allowed stream that same game. But if the school partnered with a traditional television network such as NBC Sports Washington or MASN like Bourne’s department often does for Saturdays in the fall, that network can broadcast the same game.
“We love MadiZONE and what it brings to us,” Bourne said. “We feel like we’ve been a frontrunner for our digital broadcasts with that for a long time. The unfortunate part is that you can’t do both. And in order to have one, you have to make a concession for the other. And for right now, we believe firmly moving forward with this enhanced FloSports package will help us long term, and for all those contests Flo does not elect to take advantage of, we will make sure that MadiZONE does.”