Don’t forget to take a moment to remember those who’ve sacrificed everything they had in the name of our country.
- From the department of wishful thinking: “The Big 12’s contract with FOX is up for re-negatiation (sic) and if the league can also renegotiate its arrangement with ESPN-ABC, it could have a situation at least equal to what the SEC has.” Sure it can.
- From the same department: “But the NCAA apparently misjudged the value of a 96-team event before it accepted formal bids from the networks.” Jim Delany smirks.
- The next big thing at Georgia Tech.
- Gee, I wonder what the 800-pound gorilla in the room will be this week at the SEC spring meetings.
- Now we know what Lew Perkins needs that big salary for. (h/t The Wiz of Odds)
- Forget about the school – this is a pretty cool online application. (h/t Oversigning.com)
Get The Picture 
Here’s the really important part from the article on hoops expansion. (People who want to replace the BCS with a playoff – take notes!)
**The root of the NCAA’s problem isn’t the size of the basketball tournament but the structure of football finances.
The Bowl Championship Series television contract was worth $142 million last season — and not a dime went to the NCAA. Instead, it was distributed to the 11 conferences that play major college football, plus Notre Dame.
Without that revenue stream, the 200-plus schools in basketball-only leagues are wholly dependent upon the March Madness contract, which accounts for 96 percent of the NCAA’s revenue.**
Somehow I think certain members of Congress, ostensibly acting on behalf of schools in their state(s), are eyeballing that too.
Jim
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Socialism, baby!
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After hearing all the blather about big 11 expansion, I think it all comes down to notre dame. Don’t see how the expanded conference can have that 800 lb gorilla not included. And if ND is included, they’ll want all the extra $$ the new TV, etc. contracts bring in anyway. They’re not going to lower their august football program to the level of Indiana or Minnesota just to be in a conference. I’d say ND has Delaney by the you-know-what. ND can sit back and entertain offers until they get everything they want, they are in no rush whatsoever.
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You may be right JC but there is also a scenario where 4 “superconferences” form and if ND isn’t in one of them they may get frozen out of any meaningful (read: commercial) TV games. Try getting a big TV contract if all you play are the service academies, the bottom tier of the Big 10 plus a few MAC teams. If USC dropped them (and in the new superconference world who knows what the future would bring) ND wouldn’t even register in the TV ratings. Tell me all of Chicago would watch ND play Miami of Ohio or Ohio U.
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I am interested in seeing how much the Big 12 gets and whether they team up with the Pac-10 for a deal
I just can’t imagine those 2 conferences wanting to share money through THAT many teams
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