Terrible News About the New Media Deal

[Side Show Joe]

According to this article from the Charleston Gazette, Fox didn't even put in a bid for the new C-USA contract. Cord cutters are forcing sports networks like Fox and ESPN to tighten their belts. It appears C-USA's contract is up for renewal at the worst possible time. I guess we better get ready for more game on the ASN and streamed over the C-USA Digital Network.

"The number of bidders is dwindling. Fox didn’t even bid on Conference USA football. Fox 1 has been a marginal success. Fox 2 is a disaster. ESPN is looking for every way to contain costs."

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20160308/GZ02/160309501#sthash.VnawFEdB.dpuf

Edited March 14, 2016 by Side Show Joe

[UNT90]

Welcome to Sun Belt 2.0. I've said for a long time we should have been doing everything possible to get into the AAC or the MWC. Have we? I think we all know the answer to that question.

It would require a ton of work, after all.

[meangreenbob]

RV along with some fools and their money are leading us into what was once known as D1AA. Better accept it and get used to it or just walk away. Fifteen years of mismanagement and lack of business acumen has all but destroyed any hope this program had of being included in the upper division of College Athletics. It is what it is. Apogee was designed as a nice D1AA stadium just a step up from many high school stadiums in this day and age. Accept it or move on.

Edited March 14, 2016 by meangreenbob

[oldguystudent]

3 minutes ago, meangreenbob said:

Apogee was designed as a nice D1AA stadium just a step up from many high school stadiums in this day and age.

I mean, I know it's the fashion du jour to violently hate everything and everyone with such a white hot burning passion that our collective blood pressure could power a relaunch of the space program, but on Apogee being one step above a high school stadium, I will politely disagree with you, good sir.

[Army of Dad]

27 minutes ago, oldguystudent said:

I mean, I know it's the fashion du jour to violently hate everything and everyone with such a white hot burning passion that our collective blood pressure could power a relaunch of the space program, but on Apogee being one step above a high school stadium, I will politely disagree with you, good sir.

Allen, McKinney (proposed), and I'm sure a few others are certainly below Apogee, but just how far?

[Side Show Joe]

43 minutes ago, meangreenbob said:

RV along with some fools and their money are leading us into what was once known as D1AA. Better accept it and get used to it or just walk away. Fifteen years of mismanagement and lack of business acumen has all but destroyed any hope this program had of being included in the upper division of College Athletics. It is what it is. Apogee was designed as a nice D1AA stadium just a step up from many high school stadiums in this day and age. Accept it or move on.

If that is true, and it isn't, then most programs outside of the P5 conferences are playing in glorified high school stadiums, including SMU. Apogee is one of the nicest football venues outside of the power conferences.

As for the responses to the topic... what is the best possible solution to our current situation? Is conferencing in a C-USA that earns no media money the best option for North Texas? Is there a better option right now?

[oldguystudent]

14 minutes ago, Army of Dad said:

Allen, McKinney (proposed), and I'm sure a few others are certainly below Apogee, but just how far?

I don't know.  I go to Lewisville, and it ain't no Apogee.  Neither are any of the FBS Sunbelt/CUSA/AAC stadiums I've been to.  Allen cost about the same as Apogee, and still doesn't win a head to head battle.  

Even if it means giving the slightest, most undetectable nod in the general direction of RV, upwind where nobody will every see it, Apogee is a very good stadium.  

I won't say the same of the Super Pit, I certainly wouldn't have said the same of Fouts.  I don't feel that way about the softball field (Although I heard they finally got bathrooms).

But Apogee is done right.

[Ben Gooding]

#vision *slow clap* 

[VideoEagle]

Back to the original thread before the attempt at a hijack, yes this is the start of a bad time for most conference TV contracts. I don't know the details on the AAC, but the Mountain West TV dollars are NOT worth changing conferences for. To keep Boise in the fold, the MWC changed their distribution structure. Boise gets more than anyone else and after that it's based on number of appearances and NOT an equal distribution. Those that aren't on TV often - Wyoming, New Mexico - get very few TV dollars under the deal. 

I still think both the conference and NT should explore setting up their own streaming systems. It's not very hard nor expensive to use CloudFront from Amazon Web services. That's how Netflix started and ran till just the last year or so. Today there are so many ways to get web content on your TV set it shouldn't be a serious barrier. Sell annual subscriptions plus adds. It wouldn't take a lot of those to exceed the anticipated TV dollars and you're not limited to ESPN coverage or areas. 

[GTWT]

I gave a +1 to Video Eagle not because I agree with everything in his post - I don't, there are other reasons to pursue the Mountain West - but at least he's trying to find innovative solutions, and not just farting in the general direction of RV.

[oldguystudent]

This television bubble thing had to burst eventually.  Not just for CUSA either.  I kinda wonder how many programs are gonna get hung out to dry over financial liabilities accrued in the days of easy TV contract money.  

[MeanGreenDan]

1 hour ago, Army of Dad said:

Allen, McKinney (proposed), and I'm sure a few others are certainly below Apogee, but just how far?

I had heard a lot of talk about Allen stadium, but upon my visit there last year I realized it's not even close to Apogee. I think that contractor who didn't know how to pour concrete ripped them off in more ways than one!

[VideoEagle]

12 minutes ago, GTWT said:

I gave a +1 to Video Eagle not because I agree with everything in his post - I don't, there are other reasons to pursue the Mountain West - but at least he's trying to find innovative solutions, and not just farting in the general direction of RV.

I intended to write we shouldn't join the Mountain West based on TV dollars alone as those just aren't that good. 

By the way, if you watch anything from Vimeo, they use CloudFront for their distribution. 

[Withers940]

2 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

I mean, I know it's the fashion du jour to violently hate everything and everyone with such a white hot burning passion that our collective blood pressure could power a relaunch of the space program, but on Apogee being one step above a high school stadium, I will politely disagree with you, good sir.

[Aldo]

1 hour ago, VideoEagle said:

I still think both the conference and NT should explore setting up their own streaming systems. It's not very hard nor expensive to use CloudFront from Amazon Web services. That's how Netflix started and ran till just the last year or so. Today there are so many ways to get web content on your TV set it shouldn't be a serious barrier. Sell annual subscriptions plus adds. It wouldn't take a lot of those to exceed the anticipated TV dollars and you're not limited to ESPN coverage or areas. 

While I agree that cable is the new landline, there is already this: http://www.conferenceusa.com/collegesportslive/ which has paid content, and I'd be curious to know if UNT is allowed to broadcast their own stuff away from this service.

[VideoEagle]

16 minutes ago, Aldo said:

While I agree that cable is the new landline, there is already this: http://www.conferenceusa.com/collegesportslive/ which has paid content, and I'd be curious to know if UNT is allowed to broadcast their own stuff away from this service.

Good questions! I followed the link and it's managed by CBSInteractive that also handles announcements and some web posts for our athletic department. The site defaults to Flash on desktops and doesn't give you a full screen option on my phone so I'm not very impressed technically. It is possible both the conference and NT already are committed to CBS Interactive to handle web broadcasts, I don't know. 

[Mean Green 93-98]

2 hours ago, Army of Dad said:

Allen, McKinney (proposed), and I'm sure a few others are certainly below Apogee, but just how far?

Rather than viewing them as examples of typical high school stadiums, I see those as college-level stadiums where ridiculously rich high school programs happen to play.

[Army of Dad]

3 hours ago, meangreenbob said:

RV along with some fools and their money are leading us into what was once known as D1AA. Better accept it and get used to it or just walk away. Fifteen years of mismanagement and lack of business acumen has all but destroyed any hope this program had of being included in the upper division of College Athletics. It is what it is. Apogee was designed as a nice D1AA stadium just a step up from many high school stadiums in this day and age. Accept it or move on.

 

17 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

Rather than viewing them as examples of typical high school stadiums, I see those as college-level stadiums where ridiculously rich high school programs happen to play.

Ok, but the oringinal statement about high school stadiums in this day and age was what I was referencing. Like it or not, those stadiums are becoming more common in HS.

[Wag Tag]

6 hours ago, Side Show Joe said:

According to this article from the Charleston Gazette, Fox didn't even put in a bid for the new C-USA contract. Cord cutters are forcing sports networks like Fox and ESPN to tighten their belts. It appears C-USA's contract is up for renewal at the worst possible time. I guess we better get ready for more game on the ASN and streamed over the C-USA Digital Network.

"The number of bidders is dwindling. Fox didn’t even bid on Conference USA football. Fox 1 has been a marginal success. Fox 2 is a disaster. ESPN is looking for every way to contain costs."

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20160308/GZ02/160309501#sthash.VnawFEdB.dpuf

There is only one way non P5 will make money and that is thru attendance! Start winning and being exciting and I hope we can see 28k plus. This is another reason regional competition is important.

[greenminer]

3 hours ago, Army of Dad said:

 

Ok, but the oringinal statement about high school stadiums in this day and age was what I was referencing. Like it or not, those stadiums are becoming more common in HS.

Honest request: name 5.

[GMG24]

Allen, McKinney, Frisco now with their attaching to Cowboys Practice facility. I think Army is saying this will become a norm in big districts.  Heck, even CH Collins is pretty nice.  Mesquite Memorial just got a brand new facelift.  Here is a link from last year on 10 biggest.   http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/

here is one where Katy ISD passed a new bond this August, http://usatodayhss.com/2015/next-mega-stadium-for-high-school-football-belongs-to-katy-texas-at-cost-of-58-million

thus isn't a game facility, but Coppell.  http://starlocalmedia.com/carrolltonleader/coppell-high-school-to-add-new-arena-upgrade-field-house/article_ca125bbe-24bd-11e4-b468-0019bb2963f4.html

[UNTexas]

8 hours ago, Army of Dad said:

Allen, McKinney (proposed), and I'm sure a few others are certainly below Apogee, but just how far?

Frisco's new stadium opens this Summer. It will be nicer than Allen, Apogee, & McKinney. Sure they are splitting it with Cowboys but that is going to be cool for the kids. 

Apogee is really nice. Much nicer than most stadiums. If we could ever sell it out I'd be thrilled. 

[Army of Dad]

2 hours ago, greenminer said:

Honest request: name 5.

I think @GMG24 and @UNTexas got the gist.

[DeepGreen]

2 hours ago, GMG24 said:

Allen, McKinney, Frisco now with their attaching to Cowboys Practice facility. I think Army is saying this will become a norm in big districts.  Heck, even CH Collins is pretty nice.  Mesquite Memorial just got a brand new facelift.  Here is a link from last year on 10 biggest.   http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/

here is one where Katy ISD passed a new bond this August, http://usatodayhss.com/2015/next-mega-stadium-for-high-school-football-belongs-to-katy-texas-at-cost-of-58-million

thus isn't a game facility, but Coppell.  http://starlocalmedia.com/carrolltonleader/coppell-high-school-to-add-new-arena-upgrade-field-house/article_ca125bbe-24bd-11e4-b468-0019bb2963f4.html

Nice when you can build these unnecessary palaces with taxpayer money.

[GMG24]

16 minutes ago, DeepGreen said:

Nice when you can build these unnecessary palaces with taxpayer money.

No doubt about it.    Sad part is Frisco ISD is fixing to be 30 million in debt come 2017 due to not getting state funding.  Interesting to see what happens here.