(07-29-2021 08:45 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:15 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:54 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:36 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(07-28-2021 11:33 PM)MUther Wrote:  It's sticky either way. Most of the kids you're trying to recruit are not watching facebook or stadium, for that matter. They are watching ESPN. Our lack of being on there is telling them we don't matter. But it's definitely making a deal with the devil. I think the G5 will struggle without them and their money, as we are.

These days they are not watching ESPN, they are watching Tik TOk, IG, You Tube, Snap Face or Twitter and playing with fidget toys...

Correct.

If you look at 247 rankings on recruiting you will usually see 5 or 6 CUSA schools then 1 or 2 SBC schools and then 2 or 3 CUSA schools. Kids today just dont watch TV and they are not watching college football...

3 hours is a lifetime for them to have their nose out of their phones. Even kids that plays sports are not watching...they watch clips and the finial score. That's if they care at all. People are all caught up on their feelings and base opinions off that.

For the last 10 years the youth have chosen a new way to view the content they watch and that includes a group age going into their early to mid 30s.. Anyone with kids 30 or under should be able to see that. They only care about now or whats next....

its why ancient history dont mean crap to these kids and in 'ancient history' I mean even 10 years ago is pushing it

I love sports and watch most of anything except NBA. IF Bassey gets drafted and plays I will watch him but most other sports I watch on old school TV. My kids are 11 and 9 and neither one cares anything about watching sports. One is into gaming and other watches you tube and plays with fidget toys. I am telling you in 20 years most of these stadiums are going to be empty. My age and above is probably the cut off going to stadiums and watching sports. Just wait and see what it looks like in 20 years. Football is in trouble and baseball maybe extinct by then, so ESPN and all the major networks are double in trouble..

My oldest son's step kids are 10 and 8 and they are just like that. Hell even my son who travels or I should say traveled with me to most of Western's road (home)games will just keep up with the score if he cant attend.

I'm a person that has a TV in every room in my home and garage and patio and over the past few years if its not college football or basketball. I hardly watch TV. If you asked me 3 years ago would I ever be without cable/Directv I would bet the farm...no. I dropped it all 6 months ago and dont miss it. Now I will pick up a streaming service end of Aug.

The world is changing and changing fast and like you said...20 years from now, maybe sooner. Those of us 40 or over will be left behind unless we change with it. Fight it all we want...

its going to change. Already happening

I cut the cable two years ago, and last year I realized that sports don't mean as much to me as I thought. I didn't miss the MLB or the NFL. I watched Marshall every chance I could, but other than that not much at all. I realized I'd rather spend my weekends with my family instead of on the couch watching a Millionaire complain about social injustice.

(07-29-2021 08:38 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:36 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:12 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 05:33 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  All this shows just how disastrous the spurning of ESPN was for CUSA. The ESPN-affiliated G5 leagues in our footprint have prospered (AAC and SBC) while we have declined. This league committed ritual conference suicide and has never recovered.

I think this ends badly for the Big 12.

End badly for the Big 12? You don't think OU and Texas leaving is bad for the Big 12?

ESPN with the assistance of Texas has screwed the Big 12 at every turn and Bowlsby allowed it to happen. Now Bowlsby is growing a nutsack which is probably too little too late.

As for the AAC and SBC prospering under ESPN, the reason those two conferences are prospering is because they are winning games against good to great P5 teams which bring them national attention while CUSA teams has struggle to beat average P5 teams.

Hard to recruit without media exposure. Hard to win without good recruits. ESPN is the king maker. They could make Tx State the next Boise State if they wanted to. All they have to do is air every game on a linear outlet and pay them.

But Tx St. would have to do their part as well.

(07-29-2021 08:29 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:15 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  My kids are 11 and 9 and neither one cares anything about watching sports. One is into gaming and other watches you tube and plays with fidget toys.

11 and 7 here, and it’s the same basic story. Pro sports and college sports are essentially non-existent in their lives. My wife is into the Olympics, so they have watched some of that the past few days. But that’s it.

Quote:I am telling you in 20 years most of these stadiums are going to be empty. My age and above is probably the cut off going to stadiums and watching sports. Just wait and see what it looks like in 20 years. Football is in trouble and baseball maybe extinct by then, so ESPN and all the major networks are double in trouble.

We’ll see. But I think you’re right.

A small ray of hope. I have 13 & 15 year old boys. My 15 year old wants nothing to do with sports. My 13 year old loves sports especially college football. He attends every home game with me and we are making a tradition to attend at least one road game a year (this year UAB). Outside of sports he watches zero tv, everything is tik tok etc. It's dying but it's not dead yet.

(07-28-2021 09:00 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  So if it's true that espn, which has contracts with both the Big 12 and the AAC, actually conspired with one to scuttle the other then that sounds like it could be very expensive for espn. I hope so anyway.

This works for ESPN in a lot of ways - until they got caught at it. This could get very messy in court.

First, if the Big 12 folds, UT and OU don't have to each pay $80m in exit fees. If ESPN helps make that happen as well as greasing the skids to the SEC, they earn a lot of good will from those two powers.

Second, if the B12 folds, it's a big blow to ESPN's competitor Fox and their CFB programming.

Third, if the AAC raids the Big 12, the AAC gets stronger and more likely to ease into the B12's second tier P5 slot instead of being "P6"... and the AAC is ESPN's. B12 alleges that ESPN has been offering incentives to the AAC to do this.


The other side of this is that the Big 12 also alleges that UT/OU have been plotting this move for a year, and that during that time they have had access to insider information which they fed to ESPN and the SEC. The SEC commish was on the three man committee that came up with the new 12 team playoff format, but he was the only one that knew that this move was in the works. Did anyone else think that the SEC went for that deal a little too easily? I know I was surprised that there wasn't more resistance.

When asked about the realignment shifts, and the Big 12's charges that ESPN is colluding to destabilize their conference, NCAA President Mark Emmert said "What's going on?"

Well the events of this week shows 3 things:

1. What side of ESPN you want to be on.

2. The difference in CUSA's leadership and the AAC

3. Even though the Conference Headquarters of the AAC, Big 12 and CUSA
are just a few miles apart CUSA is light years behind...

(07-29-2021 10:28 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  Well the events of this week shows 3 things:

1. What side of ESPN you want to be on.

2. The difference in CUSA's leadership and the AAC

3. Even though the Conference Headquarters of the AAC, Big 12 and CUSA
are just a few miles apart CUSA is light years behind...

ESPN has no sides. If pressed, they will throw those American schools under the bus.

It was always absolutely delusional to think that they could grab the remaining eight powerschools and absorb them into that conference. I've always said, if anything, the Big 12 will live on and just add BYU, Boise State, and two of their choosing of those American or Mountain West schools.

It will be a suppressed media contract for the Big 12 remnants, but best believe that ESPN will still pay for those services. It's a business.

(07-29-2021 10:14 AM)Nugget49er Wrote:  When asked about the realignment shifts, and the Big 12's charges that ESPN is colluding to destabilize their conference, NCAA President Mark Emmert said "What's going on?"

Sad and true.

(07-29-2021 09:04 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:45 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:15 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:54 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:36 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  These days they are not watching ESPN, they are watching Tik TOk, IG, You Tube, Snap Face or Twitter and playing with fidget toys...

Correct.

If you look at 247 rankings on recruiting you will usually see 5 or 6 CUSA schools then 1 or 2 SBC schools and then 2 or 3 CUSA schools. Kids today just dont watch TV and they are not watching college football...

3 hours is a lifetime for them to have their nose out of their phones. Even kids that plays sports are not watching...they watch clips and the finial score. That's if they care at all. People are all caught up on their feelings and base opinions off that.

For the last 10 years the youth have chosen a new way to view the content they watch and that includes a group age going into their early to mid 30s.. Anyone with kids 30 or under should be able to see that. They only care about now or whats next....

its why ancient history dont mean crap to these kids and in 'ancient history' I mean even 10 years ago is pushing it

I love sports and watch most of anything except NBA. IF Bassey gets drafted and plays I will watch him but most other sports I watch on old school TV. My kids are 11 and 9 and neither one cares anything about watching sports. One is into gaming and other watches you tube and plays with fidget toys. I am telling you in 20 years most of these stadiums are going to be empty. My age and above is probably the cut off going to stadiums and watching sports. Just wait and see what it looks like in 20 years. Football is in trouble and baseball maybe extinct by then, so ESPN and all the major networks are double in trouble..

My oldest son's step kids are 10 and 8 and they are just like that. Hell even my son who travels or I should say traveled with me to most of Western's road (home)games will just keep up with the score if he cant attend.

I'm a person that has a TV in every room in my home and garage and patio and over the past few years if its not college football or basketball. I hardly watch TV. If you asked me 3 years ago would I ever be without cable/Directv I would bet the farm...no. I dropped it all 6 months ago and dont miss it. Now I will pick up a streaming service end of Aug.

The world is changing and changing fast and like you said...20 years from now, maybe sooner. Those of us 40 or over will be left behind unless we change with it. Fight it all we want...

its going to change. Already happening

I cut the cable two years ago, and last year I realized that sports don't mean as much to me as I thought. I didn't miss the MLB or the NFL. I watched Marshall every chance I could, but other than that not much at all. I realized I'd rather spend my weekends with my family instead of on the couch watching a Millionaire complain about social injustice.

Honestly, I think Covid did this for a lot of people (myself included). I cut the cord and don’t really miss it. Occasionally I do but not that often. I think ESPN is in trouble and they are scrambling to find a cure. They are monopolizing college football and I hope they crash.

(07-29-2021 09:04 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:45 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:15 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:54 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:36 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  These days they are not watching ESPN, they are watching Tik TOk, IG, You Tube, Snap Face or Twitter and playing with fidget toys...

Correct.

If you look at 247 rankings on recruiting you will usually see 5 or 6 CUSA schools then 1 or 2 SBC schools and then 2 or 3 CUSA schools. Kids today just dont watch TV and they are not watching college football...

3 hours is a lifetime for them to have their nose out of their phones. Even kids that plays sports are not watching...they watch clips and the finial score. That's if they care at all. People are all caught up on their feelings and base opinions off that.

For the last 10 years the youth have chosen a new way to view the content they watch and that includes a group age going into their early to mid 30s.. Anyone with kids 30 or under should be able to see that. They only care about now or whats next....

its why ancient history dont mean crap to these kids and in 'ancient history' I mean even 10 years ago is pushing it

I love sports and watch most of anything except NBA. IF Bassey gets drafted and plays I will watch him but most other sports I watch on old school TV. My kids are 11 and 9 and neither one cares anything about watching sports. One is into gaming and other watches you tube and plays with fidget toys. I am telling you in 20 years most of these stadiums are going to be empty. My age and above is probably the cut off going to stadiums and watching sports. Just wait and see what it looks like in 20 years. Football is in trouble and baseball maybe extinct by then, so ESPN and all the major networks are double in trouble..

My oldest son's step kids are 10 and 8 and they are just like that. Hell even my son who travels or I should say traveled with me to most of Western's road (home)games will just keep up with the score if he cant attend.

I'm a person that has a TV in every room in my home and garage and patio and over the past few years if its not college football or basketball. I hardly watch TV. If you asked me 3 years ago would I ever be without cable/Directv I would bet the farm...no. I dropped it all 6 months ago and dont miss it. Now I will pick up a streaming service end of Aug.

The world is changing and changing fast and like you said...20 years from now, maybe sooner. Those of us 40 or over will be left behind unless we change with it. Fight it all we want...

its going to change. Already happening

I cut the cable two years ago, and last year I realized that sports don't mean as much to me as I thought. I didn't miss the MLB or the NFL. I watched Marshall every chance I could, but other than that not much at all. I realized I'd rather spend my weekends with my family instead of on the couch watching a Millionaire complain about social injustice.

Last season was a eye opener for a lot of people including myself. I retired early (52) so we could travel and most of that included Western football and basketball games.

Till two years ago (out of the last 9) I had only missed 1 Western football or basketball game, home or away (I have a 2 two hour round trip drive for home games)that did not interfere with each other, in person. Only a few times did I have to choose football over basketball.

We schedule major events around the Western schedule...even had surgery scheduled around the schedule. But last year and all the protest and everything going on with sports...

I'm getting close to just going fishing. That means spending Sept, Oct, and half of Nov., in PC Beach and the winter months in Ft Lauderdale

(07-29-2021 11:38 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 10:14 AM)Nugget49er Wrote:  When asked about the realignment shifts, and the Big 12's charges that ESPN is colluding to destabilize their conference, NCAA President Mark Emmert said "What's going on?"

Sad and true.

The NCAA has been replaced now by the SEC. Just wait, this is the beginning. Pretty soon SEC will change all the rules including wins to be bowl eligible and we will see 2-10 Vandy vs. 3-8 Cal in the SEC/ESPN Participation Blue Ribbon Hard Seltzer Bowl...

(07-29-2021 10:14 AM)Nugget49er Wrote:  When asked about the realignment shifts, and the Big 12's charges that ESPN is colluding to destabilize their conference, NCAA President Mark Emmert said "What's going on?"

Oh, someone woke him up?

The main thing that we all need to pray does not happen is the SEC and ESPN parlaying this into a league of the top 25 to 40 teams, screw everyone else. That's the nuclear scenario. The rest of the P5 would be in a bind, the G5 body bag buy games would go away, and the G5 would be up the proverbial tributary without any visible means of propulsion.

(07-29-2021 12:27 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  The main thing that we all need to pray does not happen is the SEC and ESPN parlaying this into a league of the top 25 to 40 teams, screw everyone else. That's the nuclear scenario. The rest of the P5 would be in a bind, the G5 body bag buy games would go away, and the G5 would be up the proverbial tributary without any visible means of propulsion.

Then we separate and market the whole thing as the true college football instead of semi-pro. I'm not so sure this wouldn't ultimately help us.

Just my take.

(07-29-2021 09:04 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:45 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:15 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:54 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:36 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  These days they are not watching ESPN, they are watching Tik TOk, IG, You Tube, Snap Face or Twitter and playing with fidget toys...

Correct.

If you look at 247 rankings on recruiting you will usually see 5 or 6 CUSA schools then 1 or 2 SBC schools and then 2 or 3 CUSA schools. Kids today just dont watch TV and they are not watching college football...

3 hours is a lifetime for them to have their nose out of their phones. Even kids that plays sports are not watching...they watch clips and the finial score. That's if they care at all. People are all caught up on their feelings and base opinions off that.

For the last 10 years the youth have chosen a new way to view the content they watch and that includes a group age going into their early to mid 30s.. Anyone with kids 30 or under should be able to see that. They only care about now or whats next....

its why ancient history dont mean crap to these kids and in 'ancient history' I mean even 10 years ago is pushing it

I love sports and watch most of anything except NBA. IF Bassey gets drafted and plays I will watch him but most other sports I watch on old school TV. My kids are 11 and 9 and neither one cares anything about watching sports. One is into gaming and other watches you tube and plays with fidget toys. I am telling you in 20 years most of these stadiums are going to be empty. My age and above is probably the cut off going to stadiums and watching sports. Just wait and see what it looks like in 20 years. Football is in trouble and baseball maybe extinct by then, so ESPN and all the major networks are double in trouble..

My oldest son's step kids are 10 and 8 and they are just like that. Hell even my son who travels or I should say traveled with me to most of Western's road (home)games will just keep up with the score if he cant attend.

I'm a person that has a TV in every room in my home and garage and patio and over the past few years if its not college football or basketball. I hardly watch TV. If you asked me 3 years ago would I ever be without cable/Directv I would bet the farm...no. I dropped it all 6 months ago and dont miss it. Now I will pick up a streaming service end of Aug.

The world is changing and changing fast and like you said...20 years from now, maybe sooner. Those of us 40 or over will be left behind unless we change with it. Fight it all we want...

its going to change. Already happening

I cut the cable two years ago, and last year I realized that sports don't mean as much to me as I thought. I didn't miss the MLB or the NFL. I watched Marshall every chance I could, but other than that not much at all. I realized I'd rather spend my weekends with my family instead of on the couch watching a Millionaire complain about social injustice.

Amen. I haven’t had cable in around 12 years (even then it was included with my rent at the time).

I couldn’t care less about pro sports. I honestly only watch Marshall religiously. I watch other CUSA teams when I have the time and it’s convenient, and I watch the CFP. That’s it for me though.

Part of the problem with football is all of the commercials and it takes too long. I’m not spending 3 hours to watch a random game.

(07-29-2021 12:27 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  The main thing that we all need to pray does not happen is the SEC and ESPN parlaying this into a league of the top 25 to 40 teams, screw everyone else. That's the nuclear scenario. The rest of the P5 would be in a bind, the G5 body bag buy games would go away, and the G5 would be up the proverbial tributary without any visible means of propulsion.

Millions, tens of millions, of fans belong to those other 90 FBS schools. At some point those fans will not tune in to see games vs those 25 to 40 schools. If espn does not want to show anything but the top 25-40...

its not hard sitting up a streaming network and if everyone else is playing on that network. ESPN will no longer be the go to place for fans of those other 90 to 105 schools.

I would guess no more than 7% (probably less) of a CUSA's or SBC or most G5 schools budget comes from media/football in the current context

Honestly, my favorite thing about soccer is the constant action without the TV timeouts.

monarx wrote------ "ESPN typically gets what they want. Seems they wanted TX and OK to move. They also knew they would then be paying too much for the rest of the B12, and with that money the B12 would be attractive to teams like Houston, BYU, Boise and Cincy... thereby staying alive. They want the B12 to fold so they can get out of paying them what they owe. So they reached out to the AAC and offered to help them persuade the B12 remnants to move there, and if they did, they would pay the AAC more... not nearly as much as the B12, but certainly more. So it would be a win/win for ESPN and the AAC, while screwing over the remaining members of the B12. If I were in the American, Id be thrilled at the possibility of adding higher profile members and making more money, so I can see why they would go along with the shady plan. Hopefully this all coming out will save the B12, and get them to add the teams they should, thus restoring some sense of order to this. I just want a completely reorganized G5, G4 or G6 when this is all said and done. ESPN could save face and simply tell the B12 who to add and pay the old teams what they owe for the next few years, and the new teams an adjusted rate."

Along with hurting FOX. MONARX has it absolutely right!!!

(07-29-2021 12:16 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 09:04 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:45 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 08:15 AM)WKUFan518 Wrote:  

(07-29-2021 07:54 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  Correct.

If you look at 247 rankings on recruiting you will usually see 5 or 6 CUSA schools then 1 or 2 SBC schools and then 2 or 3 CUSA schools. Kids today just dont watch TV and they are not watching college football...

3 hours is a lifetime for them to have their nose out of their phones. Even kids that plays sports are not watching...they watch clips and the finial score. That's if they care at all. People are all caught up on their feelings and base opinions off that.

For the last 10 years the youth have chosen a new way to view the content they watch and that includes a group age going into their early to mid 30s.. Anyone with kids 30 or under should be able to see that. They only care about now or whats next....

its why ancient history dont mean crap to these kids and in 'ancient history' I mean even 10 years ago is pushing it

I love sports and watch most of anything except NBA. IF Bassey gets drafted and plays I will watch him but most other sports I watch on old school TV. My kids are 11 and 9 and neither one cares anything about watching sports. One is into gaming and other watches you tube and plays with fidget toys. I am telling you in 20 years most of these stadiums are going to be empty. My age and above is probably the cut off going to stadiums and watching sports. Just wait and see what it looks like in 20 years. Football is in trouble and baseball maybe extinct by then, so ESPN and all the major networks are double in trouble..

My oldest son's step kids are 10 and 8 and they are just like that. Hell even my son who travels or I should say traveled with me to most of Western's road (home)games will just keep up with the score if he cant attend.

I'm a person that has a TV in every room in my home and garage and patio and over the past few years if its not college football or basketball. I hardly watch TV. If you asked me 3 years ago would I ever be without cable/Directv I would bet the farm...no. I dropped it all 6 months ago and dont miss it. Now I will pick up a streaming service end of Aug.

The world is changing and changing fast and like you said...20 years from now, maybe sooner. Those of us 40 or over will be left behind unless we change with it. Fight it all we want...

its going to change. Already happening

I cut the cable two years ago, and last year I realized that sports don't mean as much to me as I thought. I didn't miss the MLB or the NFL. I watched Marshall every chance I could, but other than that not much at all. I realized I'd rather spend my weekends with my family instead of on the couch watching a Millionaire complain about social injustice.

Last season was a eye opener for a lot of people including myself. I retired early (52) so we could travel and most of that included Western football and basketball games.

Till two years ago (out of the last 9) I had only missed 1 Western football or basketball game, home or away (I have a 2 two hour round trip drive for home games)that did not interfere with each other, in person. Only a few times did I have to choose football over basketball.

We schedule major events around the Western schedule...even had surgery scheduled around the schedule. But last year and all the protest and everything going on with sports...

I'm getting close to just going fishing. That means spending Sept, Oct, and half of Nov., in PC Beach and the winter months in Ft Lauderdale

Retired at 52? Amazing...you have low expenses and didn't need a lot to retire or did you have a very lucrative career? Either way, great job.

(07-29-2021 12:52 PM)herdfan129 Wrote:  Honestly, my favorite thing about soccer is the constant action without the TV timeouts.

"Action" depends greatly on your point of view.