Conference Realignment

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,901
Good article on the ACC-ESPN relationship and the upcoming 'look-in' and how it has been misinterpreted by many. Basically, the ACC has a contract with ESPN that runs through 2036 and is tied in with the GoR (part of getting the ACC Network was having a GoR), and the 'look-in' is less about whether to end the relationship and more about revenue and how to modify it based on metrics and discussions. Also mentions that the industry expects the extension of the base deal to happen - which would make sense given that based on financial documents ESPN is making at least $150M a year in profit off the ACC Network.

www.nytimes.com

Why the ACC-ESPN ‘look-in’ isn’t what it seems, and the rest of Jim Phillips’ plans for the future

The February 2025 'look-in' period has been seen as an inflection point for the ACC's deal with ESPN, but a new detail changes the picture.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

To date, that “look-in” period has been viewed nationally as something of an inflection point for the ACC. Were ESPN to not pick up the option on its deal with the ACC, in theory, the league would be back on the media rights market in 2027 … or, much more likely, susceptible to a new wave of conference realignment ...that entire notion appears to be based on a misconception, or at least a misunderstanding of what February’s “look-in” period actually entails.

That’s because the ACC actually has two media rights deals with ESPN: ..its “base” deal, ...and another, signed in 2016, which deals specifically with the ACC Network.
only the “base” deal is part of February’s look-in period; the second, ACC Network-specific deal already runs through 2036 — which has not previously been reported — and overlaps with the ACC’s larger grant of rights.

Even if ESPN, for some unknown reason, opted not to finalize an extension of the “base” deal through 2036 ...then the ACC would still have a media rights deal with ESPN that runs through 2036.

Phillips and the ACC are approaching the “look-in” as a way to negotiate in the margins of its base deal and maximize value for both the league and ESPN. Phillips said that could include negotiating for (among other things) better time slots for ACC games; putting more ACC games on the network’s top channels, instead of the ACC Network; and discussing “ancillary” revenue splits regarding areas like advertising and carriage fees.

“We have had very, very, very good conversations with them,” Phillips said,

The article also talks about the lawsuits.
“There’s three paths to this,” Phillips said earlier this week. “One is, you litigate and win. One is, you litigate and lose. And the other is, you have some type of reconciliation. And so you have to continue to think about all of those avenues.”
“I expect a long-term kind of litigated battle, and so it has ebbs and turns to it,” he said, “but I’m confident in our position legally.”
 

LT 1967

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
540
Interesting USA Today article on possible scheduling arrangement between B1G and SEC. Author claims to have anonymous sources for his analysis. Interesting to note that the sources claim that one of the goals is to preserve the In State ACC-SEC games. Obviously, the main goal is to make more money!

 
Last edited:

g0lftime

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,027
The ND seed in the CFP sent a message to them that they need to be in a conference. Currently they are required to join the ACC. If ND were to join, it could really change the tv payouts per member. Lots of questions about how it could happen. Biggest hurdle IMO would be the tv rights.
 

billga99

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
849
g0lftime said:
The ND seed in the CFP sent a message to them that they need to be in a conference. Currently they are required to join the ACC. If ND were to join, it could really change the tv payouts per member. Lots of questions about how it could happen. Biggest hurdle IMO would be the tv rights.
Click to expand...
My guess is ND would want to keep their NBC football deal and get additional compensation from the league for football (for their away games). I don't know how that would be received by other ACC members unless it laid to a substantially larger payout. I don't see that happening for only 5 or 6 away games. But who knows stranger things have happened. As in the Covid year, ND will want everything to be to their advantage to even consider this. Maybe with Stanford, Boston College included in their permanent crossover opponents, it would ease the pain of not having games with all of their traditional rivals.
 
Techwood Relict

Techwood Relict

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,505
Northeast Stinger

Northeast Stinger

Helluva Engineer
Messages
11,110
RonJohn

RonJohn

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,040
slugboy said:
I guess this goes here?

FSU says “I never said we were breaking up”

www.usatoday.com

After formal ACC exit notice, Florida State now says 'we never said we wanted to leave'

With no other conference willing to take it, Florida State officials try a new stance in acrimonious lawsuit with ACC.
www.usatoday.com
Click to expand...
What???? I was told in this thread that the FSU lawsuit was air tight, and that they already had existing invitations to the Big 10 and SEC lined up.

Maybe FSU isn't even happy now with the performance incentives, since they are out of the post season. They wouldn't even be happy with the "viewership" based payments this year as they were not in the to couple of viewed teams.
 

CEB

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,760
slugboy said:
I guess this goes here?

FSU says “I never said we were breaking up”

www.usatoday.com

After formal ACC exit notice, Florida State now says 'we never said we wanted to leave'

With no other conference willing to take it, Florida State officials try a new stance in acrimonious lawsuit with ACC.
www.usatoday.com
Click to expand...
IMG_1173.gif
 

TechPhi97

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
832
Location
Davidson, NC
RamblinRed said:
Good article on the ACC-ESPN relationship and the upcoming 'look-in' and how it has been misinterpreted by many. Basically, the ACC has a contract with ESPN that runs through 2036 and is tied in with the GoR (part of getting the ACC Network was having a GoR), and the 'look-in' is less about whether to end the relationship and more about revenue and how to modify it based on metrics and discussions. Also mentions that the industry expects the extension of the base deal to happen - which would make sense given that based on financial documents ESPN is making at least $150M a year in profit off the ACC Network.

www.nytimes.com

Why the ACC-ESPN ‘look-in’ isn’t what it seems, and the rest of Jim Phillips’ plans for the future

The February 2025 'look-in' period has been seen as an inflection point for the ACC's deal with ESPN, but a new detail changes the picture.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
Click to expand...
Maybe the look-in is the perfect time for Notre Dame to join. Negotiations are already happening and I agree that never having a bye in the first round of the CFP has to go into their thinking. They would likely get more TV money than everyone so it would create unbalanced distributions for a period of time, but it would be a net positive for all the other members I think.
 

jgtengineer

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,046
RamblinRed said:
IMO, ND will never join a conference in FB unless they are locked out of the CFP without being in one.
Having the most money has not been an issue for them, having a bye hasn't been an issue yet.
I'll believe ND joining a conference when I see it.
Click to expand...

I don't think it will take bign locked out. I think if they lose first round a few times. Or get a critical injury in the first round where beign in a conference would have meant a bye they will consider it.
 
Top