You realize this is what the top P5 schools are going to do right?
Would you agree to join a P5, if they set condition like this on us? They take us, then evaluate after 5 years if we’ve met criteria for continued membership in their conference?
I would, still better than what we have now.
We have no choice but to join a P5 under the condition that THEY want. If we have to buy our way in we have to accept. No pun intended but the financial gulf is only going to get bigger.
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True, but say they offer us a reduced payout, rising gradually over 5 years. Also lay out strict conditions on stuff like attendance, facilities, ratings which if we don’t meet means we are automatically kicked out of the conference, would that be acceptable?
And what say while we may not have met those conditions, one or more of their current members is doing as bad (or maybe even worse) as we are on the same metrics, would it be fair to terminate our membership, and not the other programs?
I do agree with you that if a P5 offers us membership with conditions attached, we would still be better off accepting that than remaining in the AAC. People are talking about a $8-10 million contract as being the best we can get, well even at $10 million per team, it would be less than 30% of what the lowest paid P5 makes, and less than 25% of what each program in the Big 12 makes just for its Tier 1 and 2 revenues.
I’m pretty sure those were conditions that we were offering up before ESPN bought out the Big12 expansion.
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It is not ifs or maybes. tcu bought their way in. In case we have to do it to get into a P5, any P5 we shall do it. The clock is ticking.
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TCU and WVU worked their way up to full payout over 6 years. I don’t think there were any other terms or requirements that basically set conditions necessary to continuing their membership in the Big 12 after 5 years.
I think now any P5 looking to expand with or add G5 members, will set stringent conditions that the added programs will have to meet in order to continue their membership in the conference. The problem is that with lower payouts the added programs will already be at a disadvantage and it will be harder to meet the targets, whatever those targets happen to be.
The Big 12 could require a certain targets for UH home game attendance, TV ratings etc that UH had to meet for 5 years, if not membership is terminated. I don’t think this is a very fair or efficient way to do things, but looks like it’s the only way any G5 moves up to a P5.
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I don’t think P5s care about any stringent conditions for a G5 to meet to join them. It’s all about money. If we have learned anything from the B12 expansion scam, it’s all about money. The B12 used the expansion card to get more money out of the networks. Either the networks were going to pay the B12 $25M for each new school per year or broker a deal.
It’s up to $40 million now, and expected to be over $50 million by the time their current contract expires. The networks may have offered offered the Big 12 more money not to expand, but it was the conference that really played its cards well.
Just by threatening to expand they got more money for themselves. That’s how it works business. The conference did what was in the best interests of its members. I abhor them for treating Houston like a pawn, but I don’t hate them for getting the best deal for themselves.
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