Consider this Big XII

[EastStang]

We also supported UH membership into the SWC. Rice initially blackballed them and then relented from UT pressure. Baylor, TCU and Arkansas had objections, but ultimately Baylor and TCU voted to add them. Arkansas abstained. No record of SMU objecting at all. But if Big XII comes calling, I'm sure UH won't insist on them adding SMU.

[SMU Pom Mom]

...AAC current ESPN deal is $7 Million/team. Currently the Big XII is $37.7 Million per school. Take away UT and OU, probably reduces that by 50%. Still adding together $18 Million and 7 Million would make $25 Million per school...

That's not how math works, lol.

[Topper]

...AAC current ESPN deal is $7 Million/team. Currently the Big XII is $37.7 Million per school. Take away UT and OU, probably reduces that by 50%. Still adding together $18 Million and 7 Million would make $25 Million per school...

That's not how math works, lol.

Makes perfect sense to Political Science majors.

[Webmaster]

I agree. I can't think the AAC had any influence over the situation... That is puzzling to me why he would make that accusation???

I can envision reasons why ESPN might collude with SEC, UT and OU. But AAC? That makes no sense.

It would be a really strange and twisted road (no to mention several lucky rolls of the dice) that would lead to the AAC conference as a whole receiving any benefit from that move. The AAC and its member institutions aren't dealing from a position of strength, and therefore can only react to the cards they may be dealt. Far from any potential, theoretical, maybe, one-day benefit, another round of realignment has thrown the AAC and their Power6 initiative into limbo. So I just don't see any scenario that produces a smoking gun pointing to the AAC.

[JasonB]

Everyone needs to remember that in negotiations, the people that talk the most are in the worst negotiation position.

[mustangxc]

...AAC current ESPN deal is $7 Million/team. Currently the Big XII is $37.7 Million per school. Take away UT and OU, probably reduces that by 50%. Still adding together $18 Million and 7 Million would make $25 Million per school...

That's not how math works, lol.

Right, going by those numbers it would be more like [(18 x 8 ) + (7 x #of teams added)]/Total number of schools

If they decide to go with a 10 member conference, the payout would be ~$15.8 million per team.
For a 12 member conference that number would drop to $14.3 million per team. The benefit of diluting the number is the added stability in the event of more defections.

[JasonB]

Your 50% reduction isn't high enough. The market for teams that bring in 700K to 1.2M per game has been established at 7-10M per team. That is the reality of the remaining teams in the Big 12.

[mustangxc]

I have no idea what the value of those teams is to ESPN and Fox. I was simply doing the math to show that $18 million schools that add a couple $7 million schools should expect a number in between those two figures not an addition of the two.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Your 50% reduction isn't high enough. The market for teams that bring in 700K to 1.2M per game has been established at 7-10M per team. That is the reality of the remaining teams in the Big 12.

I have seen estimates of a 75% reduction which is definitely more realistic.

No difference really to The American and maybe even a bit worse with all of the miniscule markets.