Conference Expansion: Stanford, California and SMU Join the ACC

[Vegas Jethro]

What does the ACC GOR state about adding teams? Does the pot just get more diluted? Or does ESPN pony up more cash per team?

It's very surprising that ESPN is basically broke, but doesn't have an issue paying $120M more annually for the new Big12 teams.

 

[Vegas Jethro]

Treating missing data as zero is flat out stupid.

The ACC should publicly insist ESPN publish ACCN ratings.

Wake should release a statement only using the 3 games, since everyone is playing the numbers game to fit their narrative.

Wake averages ~2 million viewers has a nice ring to it.

 

[DemonDeke]

No military academies

No military academies, what? Even our schedule? They are already on our schedule, and it's awesome. (Especially West Point.)

If they can't add value as non-conference members in a football TV package, then forget it. But maybe they can, eyeballs say maybe. And maybe they'd welcome being football playing members of a good conference. Maybe that would make their being independent in football viable.

It would dilute our schedule relative to traditional rivals, but we play a military academy once a year anyway. There would only be three of them. If they need five conference games like ND, that's 15 games a year and there are 15 football members (excluding Stanford and Cal). So no effect on schedule or quality of schedule, and won't happen unless they add money for us to give to FSU some to shut up.

I wouldn't do this unless the ND model were built on and makes money with Stanford and Cal. (We could start with Army which is already Independent.)

I would brand this as throwing Stanford and Cal a lifeline since they are getting screwed by this mindlessly inevitable Pachinko game of money operating against random previous collections of schools trying to deal with previous machinations.

 

[thatguy2016]

by the way, looking at viewership last year, it looks to me if you want to increase your TV viewership, you should schedule games for Friday night. There are some Friday night games that clearly have viewership that is higher than it would be on Saturday (especially Saturday at noon). Far fewer college games to compete with, and still no NFL, unlike Thursday.

Friday night games suck for traveling fans, of course, except that they do allow for advance planning, unlike a Saturday game.

Looks like this year NC State has consecutive Friday night games on ESPN (at UVA 9/22, home vs. Louisville 9/29), and BC plays at Cuse on 11/3 on ESPN2

 

[thatguy2016]

The service academies bring eyeballs to TV when they play each other, not when they play a P5 team.

 

[deacdixieboy]

What does the ACC GOR state about adding teams? Does the pot just get more diluted? Or does ESPN pony up more cash per team?

It's very surprising that ESPN is basically broke, but doesn't have an issue paying $120M more annually for the new Big12 teams.

The GOR and the ESPN contract are different things. The GOR is a contract between the schools. The ESPN contract is with the ACC.

 

[deacdixieboy]

No military academies, what? Even our schedule? They are already on our schedule, and it's awesome. (Especially West Point.)

If they can't add value as non-conference members in a football TV package, then forget it. But maybe they can, eyeballs say maybe. And maybe they'd welcome being football playing members of a good conference. Maybe that would make their being independent in football viable.

It would dilute our schedule relative to traditional rivals, but we play a military academy once a year anyway. There would only be three of them. If they need five conference games like ND, that's 15 games a year and there are 15 football members (excluding Stanford and Cal). So no effect on schedule or quality of schedule, and won't happen unless they add money for us to give to FSU some to shut up.

I wouldn't do this unless the ND model were built on and makes money with Stanford and Cal. (We could start with Army which is already Independent.)

I would brand this as throwing Stanford and Cal a lifeline since they are getting screwed by this mindlessly inevitable Pachinko game of money operating against random previous collections of schools trying to deal with previous machinations.

You must be new around here. Every one despises playing the military academies for a multitude of reasons. Unless they’re in the conference and we have to play them then I never want to play any of them again.

 

[Vegas Jethro]

The GOR and the ESPN contract are different things. The GOR is a contract between the schools. The ESPN contract is with the ACC.

I understand that, my question is if the ACC adds ECU tomorrow, where does their share come from? Is it similar to the Big12's deal, where ESPN just ponies up the additional cash? Does adding teams open up a new negotiation with the networks? As ironclad as the GOT is supposed to be, I wonder how solid the ESPN contract is. The ACC should call NBC and sell them some Thursday and Friday games. Or the CW. Seems like if F$U's lawyers should look for other ways to generate revenue rather than try to brake the GOR.

 

[deacdixieboy]

I understand that, my question is if the ACC adds ECU tomorrow, where does their share come from? Is it similar to the Big12's deal, where ESPN just ponies up the additional cash? Does adding teams open up a new negotiation with the networks? As ironclad as the GOT is supposed to be, I wonder how solid the ESPN contract is. The ACC should call NBC and sell them some Thursday and Friday games. Or the CW. Seems like if F$U's lawyers should look for other ways to generate revenue rather than try to brake the GOR.

I’m not sure anyone has a copy of the ESPN deal. I’m sure there is a provision for adding additional teams.

 

[Deaconblue]

I’m not sure anyone has a copy of the ESPN deal. I’m sure there is a provision for adding additional teams.

If the ACC adds teams, they simply have to sign on to the GoR for the remaining years. The ESPN contract isn't available, to the best of my knowledge. So no clue whether they agreed to up the payout if teams are added. Apparently the Big XII included a specific clause to do that in their ESPN deal.

 

[Complacent Deac]

No military academies.

Clawson has said even though their blocking is legal, it's going to lead to injuries. We don't have depth on defense to withstand busted legs.

 

[Vegas Jethro]

If the ACC adds teams, they simply have to sign on to the GoR for the remaining years. The ESPN contract isn't available, to the best of my knowledge. So no clue whether they agreed to up the payout if teams are added. Apparently the Big XII included a specific clause to do that in their ESPN deal.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports...year-rights-deal-lead-2019-launch-acc-network

This is the best I could find. Interesting that the GOR states that a team leaving also has to forfeit all home game revenue, as well all media rights. And if Notre Dame decides to join a conference in football, it has to be the ACC until the GOR expires.

 

[WakeForestRanger]

 

[Deaconblue]

https://www.espn.com/college-sports...year-rights-deal-lead-2019-launch-acc-network

This is the best I could find. Interesting that the GOR states that a team leaving also has to forfeit all home game revenue, as well all media rights. And if Notre Dame decides to join a conference in football, it has to be the ACC until the GOR expires.

The forfeiture of all home game revenue from media is the kicker over and above the conference exit fee. Also, any broadcast from former ACC schools venues requires permission from the ACC. That is why leaving the ACC in the next few years will cost a school in excess of $500 million, and could reach $1 billion, not $130 million or so.

 

[thatguy2016]

Pat Forde's daughter swam for Stanford and in the 2020 Olympics.

Here is some more TV viewership data of note:

In 2021 FSU played Clemson and UNC in televised football games watched by a total of 2.956 million viewers. In 2021 WF played Clemson and UNC in televised football games watched by a total of 3.753 million viewers - that's 27% more than the number who watched FSU.

FSU fans love to rip on LOWF's TV numbers. Over the past two seasons FSU has played their bitter arch rival Miami twice in front of 3.03 million TV viewers. Meanwhile the FSU-WF games have been watched by...3.17 million viewers. Hmm.

 

[morrison2951]

I’m not sure anyone has a copy of the ESPN deal. I’m sure there is a provision for adding additional teams.

It would be interesting to see if there's any provision in the ESPN contract that would prevent the ACC from pursuing the Apple streaming deal that the pac4 had proposed.

 

[uncaboref]

It would be interesting to see if there's any provision in the ESPN contract that would prevent the ACC from pursuing the Apple streaming deal that the pac4 had proposed.

Offering them what inventory? ESPN owns all the broadcast inventory other than the Bally's (now CW) third tier games that just became available.

 

[morrison2951]

Offering them what inventory? ESPN owns all the broadcast inventory other than the Bally's (now CW) third tier games that just became available.

Does it have to be all about football?

In Wake's case we now have one helluva baseball team.

 

[Wild bill]

What does the ACC GOR state about adding teams? Does the pot just get more diluted? Or does ESPN pony up more cash per team?

It's very surprising that ESPN is basically broke, but doesn't have an issue paying $120M more annually for the new Big12 teams.

ESPN isn't broke, not by a long shot, but it is not as profitable as it was only a short time ago.

 

[OldGoldBeard]

Big XII will get more than ACC starting in 2025 when their new (post TX and OK) deal kicks in. ESPN contract agreed to match per school payout for added P5 schools. ESPN is 2/3. Fox is 1/3. Fox deal doesn't require match. Supposedly they will do so.