It appears more and more likely that the Big East is moving toward a television deal with the NBC Sports Network that will pay members between $20 million to $23 million per year.
Those number first appeared in an ESPN report on Feb. 9, but has since gained traction in other blogs and finally with an Associated Press report late Tuesday night. According to the AP report, the Big East still must wait for ESPN to match the offer.
The Associated Press report says the deal may be announced within two weeks.
This number is obviously far less than the nine-year, $1.17 billion the Big East turned down just two years ago from ESPN, an average of $130 million annually, and in fact is less than the conference?s current six-year deal that is worth $3.12 million per year.
The framework of the deal, and whether there remain options on second- and third-tier games is not yet clear.
For UCF, it?s an especially disappointing revelation. The program was hoping to take a major step in its growth, especially financially, from moving to the Big East. Now, they will be making only a small amount more than what they earned in Conference USA.
According to most reports, the C-USA deal paid an average of $1.17 million to member schools.
Rubbing more dirt in the wound is the fact that the Catholic Seven, which is breaking off from the Big East, is reportedly set to earn between $30 and $40 million annually from Fox Sports for a basketball-only conference.
A column on ajerseyguy.com attempts to spin a positive out of the Big East-NBC Sports arrangement, arguing that the conference is hoping the network provides prime time exposure for its product. That report also says that the deal may contain ??look in?s? clauses ?every couple of years,? and that if it ?takes off, the deal will be re-done for more money.?
So, what does this mean for UCF?
Mainly that the school will have to find other sources to increase revenue, something which they have already actively been trying to do.
What got UCF most excited about this move was not just national exposure, but the potential to accelerate its growth through the financial incentives tied to the move. Now, it appears that increase is all but gone.
While that?s a blow to UCF, many inside the program and school feel it?s still a step forward, it will still be a financial increase and the university and athletics departments is still growing in many ways. Clearly, though, the program will have to continue to rely on increasing fundraising and other sources to try to maintain the level of growth they initially had planned ? a rate that seems increasingly unattainable at this point.
What are your thoughts on the news? What are your biggest concerns for the school? Leave them in the comments section so we can try to address some of those issues as this story unfolds.
E-mail Paul Tenorio at ptenorio@orlandosentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @OSKnights.
mega millions winner holy thursday chris stewart evo 4g lte marlins new stadium arnold palmer augusta national
No comments:
Post a Comment