How ESPN Became the AAC’s New Best Friend

[MustangStealth]

On a semi-related note, the MAC just signed a 13 year deal with ESPN. It does not give specifics, but says it pays more than their old contract, which was about $1 million per year. For the entire conference. Football and basketball.

The MAC and Sunbelt get virtually nothing and CUSA is heading in that direction.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11372218/mid-american-conference-espn-agree-new-13-year-media-rights-deal

[fifty]

That is epically terrible. 1 million for the entire conference. Power 5 conferences get 200million+. Welcome to the bargain basement. We run this.

[Water Pony]

My question (hope) is that BYU feels it may now be important to affiliate with a conference and the American is tailored made to take their FB only. Forget SDSU or Fresno State. If Boise State wants back in ... maybe, along with BYU.

[MustangStealth]

That is epically terrible. 1 million for the entire conference. Power 5 conferences get 200million+. Welcome to the bargain basement. We run this.

The MAC deal works out to about $80,000 per school annually. That's less than our ticket revenue from a single home game. It's more realistic at this point to say that (at least in terms of revenue) there are 3 groups of conferences. There's the P5, the AAC and MWC in the middle, and the three minnows (MAC, Sunbelt, and CUSA).