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July 2, 2010

Frustrated with the Big East? Feel like the suits in Providence are morons that only look out for the basketball schools? Pining for the ACC or Big 10/12? Just wish the conference would get its act together and make more money on a TV deal? Or start up their own channel? Want the conference to expand in football, but hate the choices?

I’ve been thinking a little bit about this. As much as Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, UConn, etc. are stuck right now with the Big East. There are no good choices.

Apologies in advance if this seems a little disjointed. Every time I’ve been about to wrap this up and post, there has been one more link and one more thing that I wanted to add.

The conference expansion spinning has come to an abrupt stop. As far as the Big East is concerned, nothing happened. If anything, things have solidified and stabilized for at least a few years — for good and bad.

The Big 12/10 is now at 10 teams, and may look to expand eventually. But, it will likely take a few years before they do anything, and their choices aren’t that great as far as football and media markets are concerned. They could stretch the geography to grab Louisville, but that really doesn’t move the football needle. BYU remains doubtful with their insistence on not doing anything on Sunday. TCU? Houston? Southern Miss? No.

Texas wants its own channel. Now that it has put the rest of the Big 12 in its place, it will probably focus on putting it’s own channel into action without having to worry about the conference situation. A good case could be made that the long-term Texas plan is to have its own channel in place so that when expansion happens next, they can better stake their claim to retaining control over more of their media rights. That or force whatever conference they might join to actually pay them a huge buyout for it.

The Big 10/12 has stopped for. While Jim Delany may still be thinking of adding more pieces, the chaos seems to have spooked the presidents of the schools. The only way that changes is if Notre Dame finally changed its mind. Not happening. The Irish didn’t break down when it looked like all hell was happening. They won’t do it now. So, everyone is saying the Big 10/12 is done with expansion — unless they can land a big fish like ND or Texas.

The SEC and ACC aren’t likely to go beyond 12 teams. The SEC, especially wouldn’t expand unless it is a voyage into a new market like Texas (A&M). The one thing the Big East basketball side of things has shown is that, too many teams really diminishes the amount of money each school gets. So that will keep things in check. The ACC isn’t going to stage another raid unless they lose teams of their own.

Then there is Pac-10/12 expansion. I think the other conferences will watch how their expansion goes regarding the money. The first issue: how much do they really increase their media rights?

But the response from media-rights consultants to Pac-10 expansion has ranged from lukewarm to chilly.

“On a per-school basis, it’s not a massive increase,” said AJ Maestas, president of Navigate Sports and Entertainment Marketing, “but there’s a net benefit to adding Utah and Colorado.”

Maestas projects the league’s per-school revenue to jump from $8 million-$9 million to $13 million-$14 million based on the new TV deals and a football championship game.

But a significant portion of that increase, he said, comes from “an inflation accelerator and catching up to their fair market price.” (The league, which has a $43 million annual deal with Fox Sports Net, has been undervalued for years.)

How much of the new revenue is a direct result of adding Colorado and Utah, which bring the Denver and Salt Lake City television markets, respectively?

“Gaining Colorado is absolutely meaningless for TV purposes,” said a consultant who has negotiated TV deals for college conferences. “And gaining Utah is close to meaningless.”

Of course, no one expected the ACC to get the money it just got.

The second issue is whether the Pac-10/12 gets its own network going.

If it struggles to find a niche and barely exceeds “The Mtn” then the ardor by other conferences for their own network fades. The Big Ten Network would be seen as the exception.

But if a Pac-10/12 network succeeds then it changes a lot. You would have two conferences successfully having control of their own properties and establishes that the Big Ten Network is not just an aberration. Without a doubt you would see the SEC and ACC plan for their own networks at the end of their TV deals. Even the Big 12/10 would have to look for someway to pull it off with Texas’ blessing. There doesn’t appear to be any shortage of media partners interested in teaming with the Pac-10 on its own network.

ESPN recently sent word to the conference that it is interested in discussing a possible channel partnership, sources say. The move is a significant one for ESPN, which in the past has tried to keep conferences like the SEC from launching such a channel, and it shows that ESPN will be a serious bidder.

Fox has had preliminary conversations with the conference about a partnership on a channel that would be similar to the Big Ten Network, which, in the college world, is considered a runaway success. Fox owns slightly less than half of the channel.

The wild card is Comcast. By the time the Pac-10 begins to accept bids, regulators will have approved of Comcast’s NBC acquisition, which should put Comcast at the table for any future rights negotiation. Having been out of the public eye for the year since the acquisition has been under regulatory review, Comcast almost certainly will covet the conference’s media rights, both for Versus and its family of regional sports networks.

While most industry observers view the Pac-10’s additions of Colorado and Utah as poor substitutes for Texas and Oklahoma, Comcast executives see the Pac-10 as a perfect fit. It operates cable systems throughout Colorado and Utah; it’s not the dominant cable operator in either Texas or Oklahoma. As it currently stands, Comcast is the dominant cable operator in markets covering eight of the Pac-10’s 12 schools.

Comcast likes to own programming in areas where it operates cable systems. I’d look for Comcast not only to bid on the media rights, but also to look into partnering on a channel.

The Big East conference and Big East football schools find themselves in a tough situation. Time and money are against them.

The football schools need at least one other football school. Just for scheduling. Yes, we can all agree the choices suck. When hoping Villanova makes the move to 1-A seems like the best option, you know it is bad.

The basketball schools don’t want any other members. They don’t want to lose an equal say over the conference. They certainly don’t want to start splitting the Big East basketball revenue with yet another program. DePaul, Seton Hall or Providence isn’t getting kicked out. The other basketball schools wouldn’t support it, there would be lawsuits, and even if the Big East wanted to they would have to give notice and time to improve like they did for Temple.

The conference is unlikely to bring in a football only member. No program would likely be interested without at least a long-term agreement that they would become full members.

Here, I know, is where people start tossing out the idea of Army and Navy joining as football-only members. That doesn’t interest the service academies. They left a conference to go independent in football so they could schedule nationally. They can get bowl bids without being part of a conference, and there is no aspiration for their programs to challenge for a national title — just being respectable and representative of their military branch. There is no real benefit for them to be part of the Big East in football.

As for the ‘Nova solution, here’s the problem for them. Even if they can secure use of the Linc or somehow get a decent-sized facility to operate or use in the area, how can they risk committing to 1-A football? How can they when it is very clear that any of the Big East football schools would bolt for another BCS conference in a nanosecond? If Big East football conference did implode, they would still be on the hook for the costs of upgrading their program, while being forced to consider dropping to something like C-USA. From a Villanova perspective, it is hard to see the possible benefits outweigh some very significant risks.

Almost casually and without thought — is the idea of a Big East Network.

There are three years remaining on the six-year deal with ESPN worth about $33 million annually, so a little more than $4.1 million goes to each of the eight football schools. By comparison, the Big Ten, which has its own network, is raking in around $240 million a year — about $22 million for each of its 11 members.

“That’s where we’re focusing with [special adviser Paul Tagliabue],” Marinatto said. “We’re trying to ascertain what our value is in the marketplace so that when we get to the point where it’s our turn to renegotiate, we are prepared and we can optimize and maximize our revenue for membership.”

The main question for the Big East: Does it simply renegotiate with ESPN or try to create its own network for your viewing pleasure?

It would be difficult for the league to put the brakes on its relationship with ESPN. The Big East and ESPN have been partners since 1979, when both organizations got off the ground.

“We obviously have to honor the three remaining years on our respective contracts with ESPN [football and basketball],” Marinatto said. “We have to honor the terms of our existing agreements, which we fully intend to do, but at the same time we need to be smart in terms of how we determine our value before we get into the negotiating period.”

The SEC and ACC have contracts that keep their money competitive and gives them time to see what happens with the Big Ten Network over the longer term and what a Pac-10/12 network might do. The Big East isn’t making much money right now, and they don’t have the time between contracts to wait and see.

The Big East media contract comes up in 2013. Seemingly too long with the present revenue gaps. Yet it is too short to watch and see what happens with the Pac-10/12 and if they do their own network.

Even considering a Big East Network would require the expansion to 9 or more likely 10 football schools. Why? Inventory for games.

With 8 teams, once you get into the conference slate there are no more than 4 Big East games in a weekend. That is not even accounting for byes.

There is no doubt that even if the Big East starts its own network, they would still have  a deal with ESPN/ABC (or god help us, FoxSports) that would have the Mouse Monopoly picking 1-2 games each week for Thursday/Friday/Saturday games. That wouldn’t leave the Big East with much to fill the two Saturday slots on its own network.

Regardless of the fact that the Big East is a basketball conference, football is the moneymaker. The plight of Kansas demonstrated that more than any other example. and how can a Big East Network sell itself when it doesn’t have any games to showcase?

So, yeah, UCF can probably be a little cocky that their time will come. They are likely right. No matter how much USF tries to pretend otherwise.

The biggest complaint in the Big East comes from the football coaches who want a ninth team so they can have four home and four away games. There have been talks about adding a ninth school just for football, and UCF has been mentioned, but Woolard doesn’t see that happening in the foreseeable future.

“ESPN values both the basketball and football in this conference,” Woolard said. “The league feels if there is somebody out there that is an automatic and would bring us instant recognition we would go for it. We would have to cross that path if it happened, but right now it appears things have slowed down and there might be stability.

“I think this league has been good for everyone in it. We manage to do alright with eight football teams. Most of us play six or seven home games in a season and having that year when you play only three conference games at home hasn’t been that bad.”

Sure. Just keep making that argument while scheduling two 1-AA teams per year. I’m sure the other schools buy it.

I play this out in my head and no good, proactive option is out there for the Big East and Big East football schools. There are options. Choices. But none of them feel like a clear path.





I think the TV channel is the best option. It doesn’t have to be all Big East. Maybe the NHL and MLS would like a little more exposure than Versus.

Comment by Chris 07.02.10 @ 11:45 am

i think a BE channel is a no brainer. have they been pursuing better options? does the deal with ESPN pay more than our own channel would pay?

Comment by johnnyrocket 07.02.10 @ 1:04 pm

So we can conclude that not much has changed since 2003. Virginia Tech, Miami, and BC were right in their complaints about conference management. Despite the best of intention Tranghese established a disjointed league stalemated by the additions of Marquette and DePaul. He was way too quick to strike a deal with ESPN. The Big East appears to be the only conference not renegotiating contract terms at this point. And Marinnato can go back to doing nothing after thanking Delany and Beebe for not causing him more stress. Proactive is out; reactive is all the league has.

Comment by TonyinHouston 07.02.10 @ 1:53 pm

Honestly, I’m resigned to the fact that the best we can hope for is expansion to go into high gear and we get invited by the Big 10/12 or the ACC. Otherwise, we will just have to live with things the way they are. As long as the decision makers in our league are from BB only schools, it’s a moot issue. And let’s face it, there really isn’t anybody out there to invite that will add much to the conference anyways.
On a separate subject, I am catching a lot of crap from my PSU buddies that are claiming that they backed away from Marquise Wright because he is an academic problem. Sounds like PSU spin for getting beat on a recruit. Anybody know whether there’s any truth to that?
I need football season to start soon…………

Comment by Fear The Mustache 07.02.10 @ 2:33 pm

Why exactly would our history make it hard (in any way whatsoever) to walk away from ESPN?

Comment by Patrick 07.02.10 @ 4:27 pm

Hot off the presses:

link to pittscript.wordpress.com

Comment by Steve 07.02.10 @ 7:49 pm

Kick Depaul out and Add UCF in all sports.

Comment by POLE 07.02.10 @ 7:55 pm

I think televising the Big East Game of the Week in HD would be a good start…

Comment by Mark 07.03.10 @ 10:27 am

I have seen it written many times that Providence [and the Catholic] runs the BE. Not one time did I see or read any type of proof. Nordy and his gang of seven runs the BE and the Catholic schools are part of the BE because the gang of eight wants it that way.

On a different subject, Texas’s only reason for saving the B-12 was to stay as the top dog. If they bolted to the SEC or the P-10 they would never be the top dog. Their schedule makes it easy for then to have 0-1 losses every year and fat bowl games that go with it. They in a way remind me of ups.

Comment by joel 07.03.10 @ 10:36 am

In my old age, I am morphing into a slow learner, so someone will have to write slowly to explain it to me again. What is wrong with the status quo when it comes to the BE? Does anybody’s concerns extend beyond football and men’s basketball (say, into baseball)? My concerns do not, so I’ll confine my comments to FB and BB.

One argument for leaving the BE is that Pitt stands to make a helluva lot more money. As a fan, it currently is not my concern. Heinz Field is great. The Pete is great. The facilities are great. With Pitt’s current budget, they are able to pay the salaries of DW, his assistants, Jamie and his assistants. They are able to recruit the likes of Dion Lewis, Ray Graham, Jonathan Baldwin and players that enable them to be a top 15 team (or perhaps higher) in FB and a top 10 team in BB. We still have the opportunity to play a BCS bowl, perhaps for the national championship.

I like the rivalries in FB (WVU, Syracuse, Rutgers – because I live in Jersey – and now Cincinnati and UConn). Enough games are televised where I live. Is it really the wish of any BB fan to leave the BE and not play UConn, Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, even ND and lose a game (or perhaps two) with WVU? As fans, what do we really gain by going into, say, the Big 10?

Comment by BigGuy 07.03.10 @ 2:54 pm

I can’t say I’m happy about being in the Big East, but does does open up an opportunity for Pitt that joining another conference would not. Pitt FB has a chance to be the KING of BE Football. As long as the BE has the automatic BCS bid, Pitt needs to take advantage of the relatively easy path to respectability and/or prominence. IF (and I mean IF) Pitt can win a conference championship (or 2 or 3) and a BCS game (or 2), we will be all that more attractive when (not if) the next round of expansion talks take place. The BE cannot continue in its current format forever, we need to seize this chance and run with it. WINNING will take care of all our problems, one way or another.

Comment by ME2001 07.03.10 @ 2:54 pm

I have to comment to agree with both BigGuy and ME2001. Being in the Big East is not so bad. Right now we are “on top of the food chain” in the conference. Plus the conference has the largest TV markets in the Country. Please be nice to Rutgers, we need them!

I like the local competitors. The only thing lacking is additional money.

I will write more later when I have more time.

Comment by Old Pitt Grad 07.03.10 @ 7:57 pm

There’s something to be said for being at (or near, at least) the top of the food chain, but the rest of the conference is so mediocre, it’s kind of like being the smartest kid in a special ed class. Rutgers, UConn, USF…if you lose to any of them, it’s a kick in the nuts, but if you win, it’s a little unsatisfying ’cause you feel like you should win, nine times out of ten.

Throw in what’s left of Syracuse University and the post-15 minutes Louisville Cardinals, and that’s 5/8 of the conference that really isn’t worth playing.

Comment by Jeff 07.03.10 @ 10:11 pm

Agree with BigGuy 100%…I’m not saying that playing in the BE FB conference is the best situation you could have, but it is also far from the worst and has the several positives to it that BigGuy mentioned…As for BE basketball, you could not have a better situation for Pitt BB, not even close. Even if we went to the ACC, after Duke and NC, the fun stops there

Comment by HbgFrank 07.03.10 @ 10:44 pm

Pitt’s biggest problem is geography. There are not many good football programs in the Northeast. Penn State had the best FB program and they…well, they left, so to speak.

I have long believed that the best alternative is to separate the FB schools from the BB schools and go their own way but the FB schools are unwilling. I think Pitt fears losing Notre Dame as an opponent if this were to happen.

Pitt will stay right where they are until and unless the SEC raids the ACC and the remaining ACC schools seek to merge with some of the BE FB schools. A Big Can’t Count invitation is unlikely at best despite the fact that Pitt would be the best fit for them.

Comment by Penguins Fan 07.04.10 @ 8:54 am

I want to see us in the ACC, to later be named “TAC,” the Atlantic Conference, after Syracuse, Pitt and WVU join.

Living in NJ, even the local match-ups are not enticing.

I live 3 miles from RU. Going to any Pitt v. RU sporting event is painful, their fans so boorish.

Watching Pitt play SHU or SJU at large, unfilled and antiseptic city arenas is almost as bad. Give me even lo def on the tube and I’m happy.

(However, I’ll go to the Garden to watch us play Duke any time.)

The BE as currently configured has as much allure as the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Comment by Steve 07.04.10 @ 1:00 pm

“Watching Pitt play SHU or SJU at large, unfilled and antiseptic city arenas is almost as bad”

C’mon, steve. You and the Pitt NY/NJ Alumni Chapter do a great job in planning and hosting affairs before Pitt-SHU BB games and Pitt-RU football games. Nobody enjoys those events more than you (and I) do. You’re hoping that that is taken away from us????

Comment by GigGuy 07.04.10 @ 2:56 pm

Hey, in case you are interested. GigGuy is a distant cousin (on my mother’s side); however, we think alike.

Comment by BigGuy 07.04.10 @ 2:59 pm

Does anyone know where I can buy an autographed Marino Pitt jersey?

Comment by m24romano 07.04.10 @ 3:39 pm

m24, try EBay.

Gig/Big, yes, I would miss those events. But I’d give ’em up to watch Miami, FSU, VA Tech, NC, Duke et al on the tube.

Comment by Steve 07.04.10 @ 4:50 pm

And, one more thing, Big: At a local Fox & Hound last fall at least 100 VA Tech alumni gathered to watch their team play. Yes, over 100 in Joisey!

I was the only one there watching an ESPNU-televised Pitt game. If we were in a real league I’m guessing many more would’ve shown up.

Comment by Steve 07.04.10 @ 5:44 pm

Joel:
Your opinion of Nordy and the football schools running the Big East is counter to every other opinion on the subject. Where did you get your information and, if true, why is Nordy doing such a poor job?

Comment by TonyinHouston 07.04.10 @ 9:07 pm

Steve – strange post.

Did you call anyone to arrange a get together to watch the PITT game? If not, of course you were the only one there… everyone else was sitting on their couch watching it.

Or do you think that 100 VA Tech fans just spontaneously showed up at the same place??

Comment by Reed 07.05.10 @ 6:36 am

Reed, I’ve given up trying to gather NJ Pitt fans to see televised games, even those on pay-for-view channels.

Two years ago I had the Alumni Association send out a mass communication inviting them out for the Pitt Nova tourney game.

How many came? 2. Pitt-iful.

Comment by Steve 07.05.10 @ 7:29 am

So, everyone is telling us that football drives revenues, but someone please explain to me how a Big East network that would showcase THE BEST baseketball for 5 months out of the year, and throughout the week, does NOT at least equal the value of a Big Ten network that shows football games (some with Indiana, NW, Purdue, etc…) for 3 months of the year. We’re talking about some of the most storied b-ball college programs in Syracuse, Georgetown, Pitt, Louisville, Villanova, UConn, ND etc…These are markets in NYC, Philly, Chicago, Pittsburgh, etc. I know that b-ball lovers on the East Coast would pay as much if not more for a BE channel that would showcase East Coast b-ball than the Big Ten channel. Wouldn’t that drive as much $$ into the BE programs as the 20 mill it does for Big Ten teams? Maybe I am being narrow-minded here?

Comment by bgPitt 07.05.10 @ 10:04 am

bgPitt, you read my mind.
That’s why spinning off the football programs into a separate conference is a bad idea – the b-ball-only schools give us the excuse to be on tv in the biggest markets (Philly, NYC, Chicago).

Comment by Patrick 07.05.10 @ 11:40 am

bgPitt, Patrick, right-on

(BTW, we used to use the “right-on” phrase 40 years ago. Is it still in vogue? I’m a few decades behind the times. A few years ago, however, my wife did have me get rid of all of my leisure suits.)

Comment by BigGuy 07.05.10 @ 12:27 pm

Glad to hear I am not the only one thinking the Big East conf needs to leverage our weight in b-ball a lot more than it has. Yes, football stadiums hold 50 – 100k, while b-ball arenas are significantly less…but that is not where we need to focus. We need to talk about TV revenue generating streams…and I think people will pay for the best b-ball in the country. Certainly on the East Coast in cities like NYC, Philly, DC, etc… The only concerning thing I’ve read in all of this realignment BS is the fact that the revenue gap between the BE and the other major conferences is getting larger and larger. Leveraging the fact that we have the BEST b-ball conf in the nation and the fact that the East Coast (and BE markets) are b-ball crazy, we should be able to generate a ton of money on a BE channel. In that aspect, football would take a back-seat…HOWEVER our football schools will benefit revenue-wise and we wouldn’t have to expand to places like Memphis or ECU. How can we let people (fans, media, etc) put the BE on the same level as the Mountain West or CUSA, when we clearly are SUPERIOR when it comes to b-ball not only to them but to all these other football conferences like the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, SEC….BE offices need to start throwing their weight around….Lets take advantage of this.

BigGuy….’right-on’ is just as acceptable as ‘sweet’ in my book. Is ‘word’ or ‘holla’ the right way to go now?

Comment by bgPitt 07.05.10 @ 12:48 pm

If I’m the commish of the Big East i sit down with ESPN and Comcast individually and see who is interested in partnering in a Big East network. I also see which schools can add advertising $ (Memphis and FedEx) of market coverage VA, NC, TX, more FL schools). I think there’s $ to be made and partnerships and expansion that can get us there. I just don’t hear of much effort being made by the big east to take us into the future.

Comment by dish 07.05.10 @ 2:16 pm

The Big East leadership is REactive not PROactive!
The only way change can take place is for the football schools to demand that without them there is NO Big East! Paul Tagliabue (spelling?) has been brought on board as a consultant. It will be most interesting to see what influence he will have on decision making for increased revenue streams.

Comment by Isnore 07.05.10 @ 4:46 pm

Guys, BE FB and BKB coverage exists already…anyone ever see our own Charles Smith expound on hoops goings-on?

Versus and MSG in NY/NJ and who knows where else have regular BE features including coaches’ corners.

At least some Eastern markets are therefore covered already.

The commercials on these telecasts are about your local cable provider and devices such as Super Snake (Fix slow drains fast!)

Given the ludicrously miniscule ad revenue, why would a bigtime network shovel out big bucks for an analog?

In my mind we need to belong to a serious conference.

Comment by Steve 07.05.10 @ 5:04 pm

Very interesting discussion. From a football-school perspective, I think many of the suggestions make sense. However, I’m not sure the basketball-only schools would agree. A couple of questions come to mind:

1. What do the basketball-only schools gain from leveraging the demand for basketball for more football coverage/money?

2. Assuming there is some tangible gain, is it significant enough for relatively small, private schools to take such a course of action?

3. In terms of a potential television network, should the basketball-only schools share in the startup costs (and risks)?

I honestly do not know the answers to these questions, but I would guess that the basketball-only schools have a different perspective than most of us.

Comment by Pantherman13 07.05.10 @ 6:06 pm

I think some fans are over-estimating the importance of Big East basketball in terms of money streams. Whose won the last two national BB championships? The ACC. And the new ACC contract is much more lucrative than the Big East’s because the ACC brings with it 12 football/basketball schools, a football playoff, and the last two national BB champs. Kansas’ lack of clout in the recent Big 12/PAC 10 conflict, and its need to kiss the butt of Texas to stay in a BCS conference, demonstrate that for the big leagues basketball is a mere afterthought.

Comment by TonyinHouston 07.06.10 @ 10:19 am

Look at the BS programming on the Big10 network – you see the same kinds of ads.
The revenue comes from the live events, not “Purdue Swimming Weekly” or a replay of the 1998 Minnesota-Illinois football game.

The thing is, the Ohio State-Michigan football game will always be on ABC or CBS, not primarily on the BTN – the BTN games are always the games that the other networks pass on. Well, that pretty much applies to the entire Big East football schedule, so there should be plenty of games available, even if we only have 8 teams. Throw in a few ND away games at BE member schools, that’s a pretty good start. And all of those games will be on in Chicago, Milwaukee, NYC, NJ, Philly, DC, ect.

The potential money maker is the basketball season – sure, the big games between Pitt and UConn, or Syracuse-Gtown, etc, will be on ESPN or a big network, but the rest of the games will still be available for live broadcast. College b-ball is 7 nights a week, with at least 2 games per night (as many as 4 on Saturday and Sunday).

Comment by Patrick 07.06.10 @ 10:20 am

Patrick, I don’t think I missed even I Pitt v. BE bkb telecast last year, even though it was supposed to be a down year.

These were on either ESPN, MSG or Versus. And, yes, I ordered my Super Snake during one of the telecasts.

Comment by Steve 07.06.10 @ 2:36 pm

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