Reports are saying the Big East and NBC are on the verge of a TV deal worth 20 million per year. This would be for basketball and football. This is a better opportunity for exposure I would have to believe. If the conference plays at it's strengths with current teams and the additions, they could brand itself as a SEC 2.0. Lord knows the "Mighty" ACC is slipping. My only question is, how does the money stack up and is it good enough to make ECU a prime player for eventual re-alignment into Super Conferences.
How does money stack up? Pathetic! Right now under the media contract with C-USA we are making 1.5 million a season. With this proposed contract with NuBE we will be making 1.66 million a season. That's right all the new stadiums and renovations of the current facilities for a whopping $166K pay raise. IMO we are going to see a new subdivision of D-1 and unfortunately we will not have a seat at the big boy table. I can't see the BE surviving on this, it might collapse before we even join, and if it dies good riddence.
If I am reading this correctly the answers are No and No. The TV package will only pay roughly 2 million per school which is a cut to those that were in the BE prior to us joining.
IMHO what we have entered is a business venture. NBC does not want to pay due to the lack of stability within the league and the pending playoff system. That being said the deal is short only 6 years and they have many networks to create hype with the thought of putting this league on the map.
Its kind of sad prior to the C7, Rutgers, Louisville, and Boise leaving you were hearing numbers sniffing 20 million per season likely landing in the 12-16 million range. With the other departures its was 6-12 million. Today its CUSA money.
That being said its a fresh start with greater exposure and in the end is a better deal than CUSA. The big question is can we hold it together and I see that as a big if.
I think you can sit here and make a case for Houston and SMU moving out west or a long shot into the Big 12. UConn and Cincy have said from day 1 they would like to move out. Navy as a national brand makes more money now than with this deal, and I could see the Florida schools walking someplace hand in hand. Not saying this is going to happen but more likely than us moving on.
This leaves us and I dont see us with an out other than a league with Temple ODU, JMU, UMass, App State Memphis, and maybe a MAC school or two.
So this is hardly our road to instant riches but perhaps a pathway to one day get there. I think the BE name will now carry more weight than before and I would fight tooth and nail to keep it.
