AP: Big East football keeps $100m in split

[Harry]

NEW YORK (AP) — Big East football schools will get almost all of a $110
million pot in a deal that will allow seven departing basketball schools
to keep the name Big East and start playing in their own conference
next season, a person familiar with the negotiations says.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity
because the separation agreement has not yet been finalized. That is
likely to happen by the end of the week. The football schools will
receive approximately $100 million under the agreement, most of which
will go to holdover members Connecticut, South Florida and Cincinnati.

The basketball schools will receive $10 million, the Big East name and
the right to play their conference tournament at Madison Square Garden.

The Big East's stash of cash has built up in recent years through a
combination of exit fees, entry fees and money the league's members
earned in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Since 2011, the Big East
has lost 16 schools that were either members or dropped out before
playing a game. That figure includes the seven Catholic basketball
schools.

The so-called Catholic 7, which is expected to add at least two more
members before it begins competition in the 2013-14 school year, is made
up of Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova, Seton Hall, Providence,
Marquette and DePaul. The new Big East has a television deal from Fox
waiting for it, though it still needs to hire a commissioner and set up a
league office.

Joining South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Temple, which
rejoined the Big East last year for football, in the to-be-named-later
conference in 2013 will be Memphis, Central Florida, SMU and Houston.
East Carolina and Tulane are set to join in 2014 and Navy is scheduled
to join for football in 2015. Commissioner Mike Aresco has said the
conference is looking at adding another member to give it an even 12. It
would then break into two divisions of six and play a football
championship game.

The Big East football schools recently agreed to a seven-year deal worth
about $130 million with ESPN, though the first year of the deal is
expected to be adjusted down with the departure of the seven basketball
schools. The Big East will receive about $20 million per year for the
final six years of the deal, or about $2 million per school.

Read more: http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/ap-source-big-east-football-keeps-100m-split

[Harry]

I gotta jump in here and say, wow -- the basketball schools came out like bandits on this deal, bigger TV contract and the biggest thing is they get to keep the name...

I don't care what name the football schools come up with --- it will take years to get name recognition with whatever they choose and frankly C-USA will have much more name recognition in the masses...

The big question I have is what keeps the C7 from going after the premier basketball programs at UConn, Cincy and Memphis?

If I was Banowsky -- I would be on the horn with some of these schools to discuss options... especially the ones who haven't officially left yet.

[letsgiveacheer]

Agreed, the C7 schools really did make out in tis deal!

My guess is that the new C7 conference woud want its schools to be full members in everything as well as share a common footprint such as being private and Catholic, expensive, etc.

But then, if the Pope can retire, then anything is possible.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Agreed, the C7 schools really did make out in tis deal!

My guess is that the new C7 conference woud want its schools to be full members in everything as well as share a common footprint such as being private and Catholic, expensive, etc.

But then, if the Pope can retire, then anything is possible.

As far as being Catholic, haven't they already invited Butler? Otherwise, I think you're right on.

[outoftown]

Still 100 mio for the football schools... that almost doubles their income. It is just that the new memebers won't be getting their hands on the lions share. But for Connecticut south florida and Cincy there is at least a bit of money to get over the divorces.

I still think Tulane should reconsider leaving. I also am less and less sure that this noname conference really is more attractive to tulsa than the current C-USA is

[Stan R]

W H O A. NONAME CONFERENCE. shocked!!! Congrats SMU!

[VideoEagle]

Don't discount the C7 keep the MSG tournament. That's a huge asset going forward.

Interesting that the Last 3 would treat the newcomers so badly. I would think they would split SOME of the money just to thank them for not bailing. Of course if the Last 3 intend to leave as soon as the checks clear then I guess they don't need to be reasonable.

[shaft]

We now know why its been so quiet of the "Big East" 12th team/Tulsa talk.

The soon to be former "Big East" football schools didn't want to split the $100 million pie more ways.

[NM Green]

CUSA is every bit as good as the noname conference with more upside. The noname conference is going to be stuck with the small privates and meanwhile markets will rule the new CUSA. Bring on Miami, Fort Lauderdale Palm Beach, Nashville, San Antonio, DFW - still have Houston, El Paso. Add Charlotte and ODU and this brand is looking like it is ready to roll. The teams need to go out and win but big markets established brand equals major step up and leg up on SMU in the Dallas market. Time to push forward and leave the stangs in our rearview mirror.

GMG