Will The Last One Out of The Big 12 Please Turn Out The Lights.

No problem!

Listening to NU Chancellor Perlman explain NU’s decision right now. Brutal honesty, will be worth some discussion. Highlights:

— NU was concerned MU and CU were leaving, so NU initiated contact with the B10.

— The ultimatum was for Perlman to make a public statement that it would stay in the Big 12 through 2016.

—Perlman said that statement wouldn’t be binding, so why bother? Perlman then said the only real way to cement a commitment was for all the schools to assign their media rights to the Big 12 together at once. So he said, let’s all do that. Guess who said no?

—And then the decision to bolt was made. Too much uncertainty.

Nebraska made out in all of this. Definitely a smart move from a money perspective. I’ll be interested to see the divisional breakout of the New Big 12 now.

Perlman then said the only real way to cement a commitment was for all the schools to assign their media rights to the Big 12 together at once. So he said, let’s all do that. Guess who said no?

Horseshit and you know it. Nebraska has voted for unequal distribution every time it came up for a vote. Every time.

I think it was you, srr50, who made the post about why UT wants to start its own network. I think that the folks in Bellmont overestimate the appeal of a Longhorn Sports Network. There’s no question UT has a lot of alumni, but a lot of our fanbase are “t-shirt fans.” I don’t think said t-shirt fans would want to subscribe to an extra channel on cable/satellite. They don’t mind paying $15 for a t-shirt, but $30/month to watch rowing, tennis, etc.? I don’t think so.

IF the MAJOR issue were a Big 12 network, I think it was a big miscalculation by TPTB at UT to not go all in. The Big 12 was the 2nd-best conference in the nation, w/ the potential to get even better. The Big 12 was UT’s personal playground. If the Big 12 North division folks were mad that the conference were TX (& specifically, Dallas) centric, we’ll have the same problems in the Pac-Whatever, except the conference will be tilted towards L.A.

They don’t mind paying $15 for a t-shirt, but $30/month to watch rowing, tennis, etc.? I don’t think so.

Try $9.95

I’d like to add that I don’t think NU’s hand was forced like Perlman is trying to make it out to be. NU, taking its cue from its hero, Tom Osborne, has been unhappy w/ the Big 12 since the beginning. Was there anything about the conference that NU fans didn’t complain of? When the votes are 11-1 & you’re the sole 1, maybe there’s something wrong w/ YOU. It’s like when someone marries & then divorces a whole bunch of times. At some point, you have to consider that it wasn’t so much that there was something wrong w/ the guys/gals you married, but that there’s something wrong w/ you.

Oh well, for once in my life, I hope Texas beats a team other than OU or A&M more.

Huckleberry — no question that NU wouldn’t want to sign over revenue rights either. My sense is he was making a point that it’s ridiculous for the B12 to give him an ultimatum to commit through 2016 when things like revenue etc. remain totally unsettled.

Perlman and Osborne were extremely candid and it got pretty painful to listen to. Some things were said that probably didn’t need to be, but it’s clear that they were “beaten up pretty badly” (TO’s words) last week, so it’s not unexpected to see a little bitchiness on the way out.

NU trying to pin the blame on UT, of course:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2010-06-11-nebraska-big-ten-big-12_N.htm

Too bad their timelines don’t make sense. UT only started talking to other leagues when NU said they’d entertain an offer from the Big 10 & Mizzou said they’d jump at an offer from the Big 10.

And Perlman met w/ Big 10 officials EARLIER THIS YEAR.

I can’t stand Tom Osborne. What a sore loser.

@ FT – The Big 12’s ABC contract was set to expire in 2016, so it isn’t illogical to ask for a commitment up to that date.

Considering how the ACC, weak conference as it is, just got a big TV contract w/ ABC/ESPN, I think the Big 12 would’ve come close to matching the Big 10’s (& maybe SEC’s) revenues. Alas, we’ll never know now.

Yeah I don’t think NU’s move can be pinned on UT. I listened to the presser, though, and I didn’t get the sense that Perlman or TO were laying this at the foot of UT.

Perlman sort of did blame MU, which shouldn’t have been said.

Good for NU. They upgrade tv money and acadenic perception by association. UT needs to do the same thing include aTm and work a regional (state of texas) sport network on the side. Get the advantage of the Big Ten upgrade and leverage your brand at the time for a second bite at the apple. I, for one, will be very dissapointed if we don’t find a way to get to the Big Ten. This is a rare opportunity (unless there is another seismic conference realignment event). Hook’em.

After its expansion, the ACC had a much better TV contract than the Big 12 — and it was the equal of the SEC before the blockbuster ABC/ESPN deal.

There is no way the Big 12 — as constituted — was going to match the ACC’s new pact, much less the Big 10 or the SEC. It’s why the league was so vulnerable to poachers.

@ srr50 – Actually, the ACC was getting only $67m from its previous agreement, which was supposed to end in 2010-2011. Its new contract w/ ABC/ESPN is $155m/yr.

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2010/05/17/daily2.html

The Big 12, by contrast, distributed $139m in revenue last year.

Based on these results, I doubt that the Big 12, if it had stayed intact, wouldn’t have gotten a similar boost in revenue from new TV contracts.

The $139 million was total revenue Joetx — compared to the $162 million in total revenue that the ACC distributed. The Big 12 took in $57 million in its TV contracts.

@ srr50 – The TV contracts of the ACC & the Big 12 weren’t off by much, then. That supports my premise that the Big 12 would’ve gotten a similarly attractive TV contract(s). Alas, we’ll never know now.

How awesome would it be if we ended up in the Big 10 with Nebraska and then proceeded to continue to run roughshod over them on the business side and on the field. Where would they go 14 years from now?

Farmer, as I’m sure you know, Perlman said that the only school that said it was not willing to assign rights was the only school to answer the question, so you really don’t know how the others would have voted.

Nebraska was looking to leave, and left. Nothing more, nothing less. Probably a wise move.

$9.95 ???
That’s almost as cheap as Inside Texas and we all know they make $$million$$ every year.
We will all gladly sign up to get girl’s tennis and softball at such a bargain price.
Not.

The Texas Network Channel wouldn’t be a standalone subscriber channel like HBO. It would be part of a tiered package, that would include multiple college sports stations (ESPNU, Big X Channel, etc.). That tier would cost 10-12 a month.

In remembrance of Nebraska’s departure, I’d like to thank James Brown (the hardest working man in football…go Lamar), Derek Lewis, Major Applewhite, Mike Jones (who?), Jamal Charles, Aaron Ross, and Hunter Lawrence for their help in getting this done.

I am sure the list is much, much longer…wasn’t there a blocked field goal in 2000-2002 area in Lincoln to salvage the game.

Is it just me, or is underrated QB to TE a theme in our NU dominance?

The Texas Network Channel wouldn’t be a standalone subscriber channel like HBO. It would be part of a tiered package, that would include multiple college sports stations (ESPNU, Big X Channel, etc.). That tier would cost 10-12 a month.

It would be an added value channel on the sports tier — just like the Big 10, which is available on TWC in Austin for $6.99 a month.

“We are a sothern school I’m a college town. We belong in the SEC. "

Gawd I love this. Can ‘realignment’ last for a couple of years? The lulz are hysterical.

I think people of means will enjoy the Pac 10 road trips more than the Big XII, but I wonder if someday we might miss a conference in which we thrived. As the man said, nothing but necks on the platter in the Pac 10 (except Wazzu, last seen beating Texas in Holiday Bowl with menacing 5’8 corner blitzing). As for the money, what are we going to do with it? How nice can the locker rooms get? Will every player have a personal valet? Somebody’s nest is getting feathered, and it’s not yours, Longhorn Foundation extortion victim. I’ll be there, trying to put enough nickels together to sandwich a bay area week around the Cal or Stanford game, but I am not sold this as good for the program ON the field long term.
P.S., OU tix now $110? Up from $85 just three years ago? I better pirate that Longhorn Network – getting in the door will soon be reserved for the same people who sit in the field boxes at Yankee Stadium.

Juice,

You don’t know how to calculate the real price of an OU tix? Only season ticket holders can buy OU tix. That costs $400 plus $110 for OU. The face value of those tix is $665

Ooops. Hit the wrong button.

Anyway, the OU tix are effectively free and I still get a $45 discount off my season tickets.

I believe that we are headed to the Big 10 and that A&M will be going with us. That has been my gut feeling for quite some time.

The perception of the Big Ten with Texas, Notre Dame and Nebraska added is going to be one that will be difficult for another conference to equal.

Hook ’em!

I seriously doubt that Colorado made their move without consulting with Texas on realignment strategy.

Furthermore, I cannot imagine Texas and ND in the same conference.

Hence, my instincts tell me we are bound for the PAC16 with or without aggy.

I think A&M blinks and follows Texas.

I’m going to need all of your credit card numbers. Just email me.

JUICE – 100% correct.

Ask Arkansas how bolting their conference worked out for them. They went from arguable top 5 programs in football and basketball to “other notables.”

My guess is UNL will be of the same opinion in a few years. Basking in reflected glory only goes so far.

Here is the link to the article from ESPN, so take it for what it’s worth:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5279963

Hook ’em!

The Pac 16 is the wrong move for us. I can’t believe no one is saying it, especially on this board which is the creme de la creme of Longhorn message boards/blogs. Rather there are posts rehashing the 2008 fiasco, amusing to be sure, but it’s starting to feel like Nero playing the fiddle during the fall of Rome around here.

The whole “culture” argument – what the fuck is that? What exactly was the “culture” going on at the end of last year’s USC-UCLA game? Does anyone care about actual football? Is it really all about money? If it were, then we’d be joining the SEC, who has the most lucrative TV contract, the most passionate fan bases(who sell out their own stadiums and travel en masse), and oh by the way, it’s where the best actual football is played. And they don’t care if we develop our own network – so is this really about money? Oh but what of academics? Then it’s the Big 10, hands down, and we should be leaving OU, OSU & Tech in the dirt.

Besides Oregon, we’ll be joining a league full of lukewarm football programs. Yes that includes USC, the ultimate bandwagon team, who in a down cycle struggles to put even 50K in the Mausoleum. Dude I can’t wait for Wazzu to come to Austin. Wow. The bright side is, we still have some nice programs from the Big 12 South to go up against. But, if that’s the case, why are we even leaving the Big 12? Especially if, “Texas can do whatever it wants.”

What does the PAC 16 mean for us long term? I have a bad feeling in my gut. Mack Brown cannot POSSIBLY be OK with this. Does anybody know what he thinks? Lest anyone forget, it was Mack that awoke the sleeping giant – not Dodds, who arrogantly presided over a middling program w/a largely apathetic fanbase for the better part of 15 years. What of DKR? Man I hope somebody comes to the rescue on this. It’s a bad move, plain and simple.

God please let us beat TCU today.