Will NBC Sports Vie For Big East TV Deal?
by CardiacHill on Aug 12, 2025 6:00 PM EDT
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PrintWe've got little idea what type of TV the deal the Big East will be able to net once the conference is officially on the market. But Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News says 'sources' claim NBC Sports may be willing to go in for up to $14 million for basketball and football-playing members.
That's a pretty staggering sum for a conference that reportedly turned down a deal for $11 - $13 million from ESPN when it was actually a bit stronger.
A bit stronger, you say? Well, I don't necessarily think so, anyway. Weiss? He thinks the conference may actually be in better shape than it was before.
More specifically, Weiss says the league has a chance to be better:
Now, ironically, with West Virgiina leaving for the Big 12 and Pitt and Syracuse dpearting for the ACC, the Big East has a chance to become a better conference than it was in the past. The league has rebranded itself as a national conference with South Florida, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Connecticut, Louisville, Temple, Boise State, San Diego State, SMU, Houston, Memphis, Central Florida and Navy, all arriving by 2015, giving it teams in all four time zones.
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Weiss is a noted
Big East homer and has taken a concerted effort to run Pitt, SU, BC, et al through the mud during this process and the previous one in 2003. While I don’t doubt there’s some truth to what he’s putting out there, I’ll take it with a grain of salt.
If there is a bidding war and this price comes to fruition, however, it’ll really highlight some of the issues with our new leadership. John Swofford didn’t negotiate with anyone but ESPN, so our price grew conservatively compared to the market, and in return, we may not be that much further ahead of the Big East. Considering the markets the ACC is in, it’s hard to imagine — given what the Big East may get — that we’re only worth $17M per school.
All of these stories are missing two points, though: playoff payouts and the Orange Bowl. Without those, the Big East still lags significantly behind the ACC and the other big four leagues. Yes, we may be fifth in line now at the ACC, but we’re still firmly entrenched in that position.
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by JohnCassillo on Aug 10, 2025 2:56 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree with a lot of what you said,
particularly about Weiss, who seems to trade access for positive spin for the Big East.
The problem with the ACC’s deal is that it was only a “look in.” The contract was already signed before the Pac-12 blew everything up and adding Pitt/Cuse was the only way to be able to renegotiate the deal. From what I understand, there was no option of taking the conference’s rights over the NBC, which I think would have increased the bidding considerably.
by PittScript Bryan on Aug 10, 2025 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
And you can see the spiral of conference alignment
that can be caused from all of this. As soon as the TV rights go up big, the only want for conference X to increase their payout is to get a new member, because the contract is long-term. So, if TV payouts increase considerably in 5 years and the Big 12 wants to re-negotiate, , well, you can see where this is going….. This is why I think Swofford right NOW needs to be doing everything in his power to decrease the financial gap between the two conferences, but instead, he is just (in his words) “trusting” his school presidents and ADs. We’ll see how long that trust lasts.
The difference in TV payouts in college football this year compared to even just 3 years ago is staggering. And with NBC wanting to get into the fray now, this pushes the potential payout even bigger. Who knows what will happen in another 3 years, especially with the new playoff system.
by PittGuy on Aug 10, 2025 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Playoff payouts
How will those be split, though? I know it’s not been determined, but is that really money that can be counted on? I’m guessing it’s between the conferences with participating teams.
You’re right about the Orange Bowl, though -
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by CardiacHill on Aug 11, 2025 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm skeptical
But who the hell is going to watch? And who the hell is going to care with no BCS Bowl (I have no clue what to call them now, but hopefully you know what I mean)?
And how interesting is the basketball going to be without SU, WVU and Pitt? Georgetown, UConn (whenever they can get someone to graduate), Louisville….and I hear crickets.
NBC is nuts, but I guess that’s how it works.
Or it’s all BS.
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by LeftCoastMan on Aug 11, 2025 6:23 PM EDT reply actions
Markets
I think part of it is that they’re counting on the big TV markets to help with viewership. Those will help, but like I said, many of those major markets have more things to do/watch than mediocre programs like Temple, Rutgers, and South Florida. No offense intended to those programs, but they’re just not that great. In Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Tampa, there’s just a lot more to do.
With more teams, they’ll have more to offer networks in terms of viewers. But with more teams, the per-team revenue split is also less.
The Big East is a bit down from basketball, but they’ve still got some great programs and are pretty deep with other programs like Marquette, Notre Dame, and Cincinnati that have been ranked recently.
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by CardiacHill on Aug 11, 2025 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Big East Quagmire
It. t
This is all, pretty much, thanks to the little aCc rapers…..A conference that never was, but always thought it was big time(NC/Duke) A conference that will do anything to try to become relevant. That means continuing as the wolf in the chicken coop…..
by foreverwhalerfan on Aug 12, 2025 8:59 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
a conference that never was?
A decade ago, the ACC was the best conference in college football. Yes, better than the SEC. They were the first to strike up a big television deal, way more than any other conference. No doubt they’ve fallen off in the last 10 years, but you might want to fact check next time.
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by FearTheStache on Aug 12, 2025 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
The ACC was never the best...
Let’s now get to over your head now. Clemson and FSU were the driving force of the conference with Maryland playing a bit role. Oh you must also be counting then Big East schools VT and Miami, which since joining the ACC along with BC have done nothing. So if you want to dig into the whole “back in the day” deal go for it. But the fact remains the ACC is an inferior product on the football field. And the additions of Pitt and Cuse does nothing.
by Vinnie Giordano on Aug 12, 2025 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions
ACC
With all due respect, the ACC is hardly to blame here. If you want to blame anyone, you should be focusing your anger towards the individual schools. They weren’t forced to leave - they made a choice (and one which they perceive will improve their schools and athletic programs). The ACC simply did what they tried to do to better their conference.
And if the idea of poaching schools from other conferences makes you uneasy, does that mean you hold the same anger against the Big East for going after C-USA or the MWC?
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by CardiacHill on Aug 12, 2025 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions
And how is the ACC better?
Miami and VT looked good but have crapped the bed since going to the ACC. And lets not talk about BC. And the Pitt and Cuse additions are basketball moves which make no sense since the market is football driven. That is what a school gets 10-12 million for football and 3-4 for basketball.
And as for your “the Big East is as much to blame” for conference alignment you need to get over yourself there. Not once has the Big East been the aggressor in conference alignment, which probably according to you was a bad thing as well. So essentially its a catch 22 in your world. The fact is the ACC started this, followed by the Big 12. In your world the Big East should just sit there and say “sorry we need to take the higher ground.” I call BS on that. Fact is the BE would never have asked Boise State to join if it were not for the two other conferences being aggressive and going after established school in the conference.
by Vinnie Giordano on Aug 12, 2025 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
ACC
Miami and VT looked good but have crapped the bed since going to the ACC.
Um, you do realize that VT has won the ACC’s BCS bid five times since being in the ACC and been the league’s most dominant team since then, right? Not trying to be rude, but that’s a preposterous statement.
And the Pitt and Cuse additions are basketball moves which make no sense since the market is football driven.
Market, yes. But the ACC (like the Big East is) is a huge basketball conference. As I’ve said over and over, the move is about far more than football.
Fact is the BE would never have asked Boise State to join if it were not for the two other conferences being aggressive and going after established school in the conference.
That might be easy to say since Boise State was never really considered a viable option for the Big East before. But are you seriously saying the Big East would not add a national power in football and steal them away from a non-BCS conference if they could have? That’s really short-sighted and I have a hard time believing the Big East would stand pat and do nothing if they had the chance to significantly improve their conference.
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by CardiacHill on Aug 13, 2025 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
One fact to note
Three schools left the Big East (Miami, BC, and VT) and have done nothing in the ACC since they joined. Three schools joined the Big East (S. Florida, Cincinnati, and Louisville), and have done much better. That is why two of these schools have been mentioned in a possible move up to the Big 12, unlike Pitt and Cuse which simply made a lateral move and will still do nothing!
by Vinnie Giordano on Aug 12, 2025 11:54 PM EDT reply actions
I won't get into all of your BS on our blog
because it is all wrong. To say that VT is equal to those three schools is ridiculous. VT is the winning-est program in the last 8 years in CF.
But look dude, the larger picture: conference re-alignment is just part of the business of college football. I know you don’t like it, but it’s something you just have to accept if you are going to follow the sport and/or your favorite team. A school (and even coach) has every right to jump ship to another conference or team if they want. No more than you have the right to jump to another job in your personal life if you ever want for higher pay/better environment/etc. Heck, we Pitt fans have experienced this first hand in the last year with Todd Graham. Sure, we didn’t like him leaving after just 1 year, but I think every Pitt fan realizes his right to do it if he wants. We just hate the manner in which he left.
The fact of the matter is there is not a school in the BE that would not have taken the ACC invite if it was on the table back in September. You can’t blame someone for doing something in life that you would have done yourself in the same situation. No more than you can blame a guy for going pro early - I sure as hell would do it. Same thing with FSU or Miami to the Big 12. If they want to make the move, they have the right to - as much as we Pitt fans obviously wouldn’t like it.
Just know this: Pitt EARNED that invite to the ACC. Pitt would not have gotten that invite if they had not gotten to the top 60 in the USNAWR all the way from being out of the top #100 just as recently as 1995. To get into the ACC, you at-least have to be top 80 USNAWR. As an alum of the school, I am very proud of this accomplishment academically - more than anything on the football or basketball court could offer. The Big 12 doesn’t care about academics which is why the ACC is a better fit for Pitt.
Point being: all of this is just part of following college football. Some of us follow teams (or in conferences) which are lower in the pecking order of CF and that is just how it is. For whatever reason, CF fans put a-lot of identify on the conference you are a member of. You just gotta deal with it if you want to follow your team in college football.
by PittGuy on Aug 13, 2025 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Va Tech has been the marquee ACC team since the move
BC was a perennial double digit win team in the ACC until the Jagodzinski fiasco. Even with the rough patch these last few years (and by “few years” I’m being nice to you, this past season was the first time they missed a bowl game in a long time) their 7 year (or whatever it is) stretch in the ACC has been better than anyone that’s been in the Big East with the exception of WV and Cincy. And they’ve averaged more wins per year in that span than Florida State, who you said was the ACC’s best team a month or so ago on that Big East blog.
A lateral move? Are you freaking kidding me? We’re making how much more money in the ACC than we were in the Big East? We managed to find a life raft off of the Titanic and we’re in the same position as those who chose to stay on the ship? Yeah, that makes sense. Every single Big East football school has been praying to get out of the conference for some time now, but I’m sure you know more than the administrators at all of those schools.
I know you’ve been upset over this realignment thing, but, good God, get over it. Your posts just reek of bitterness. I guarantee you weren’t this upset when USF had the chance to ditch those CUSA teams.
by cuse2012 on Aug 13, 2025 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions
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