Since TV contracts are supposedly based upon number of television sets/eyeballs, I did a little comparison of the populations of each conference, by adding up the populations of each state in that conference... Then I compared each population of the other 3 major conferences to the Big 10. And then compared the size of each of their TV contracts with the Big 10. The Texas-to-the-Big-10 proponents keep saying that moving to the Big 10 would net us $10 Million more per year, as if these TV deals were set in stone forever. My question is... if the Big 12 has a population that is 70% the size of the Big 10, why can't we get a new TV deal, to include a Big 12 Network, that would bring us 70% of what they are getting? Instead of the current 46%? Hell, the SEC also has a smaller population than the Big 10, and they got a deal worth more what the Big 10 gets. The other question that comes to mind is, if the Big 12 is on the verge of collapse like the Texas-to-the-Big-10 proponents are saying, why isn't anyone talking about the Pac 10 collapsing? They have a larger population than the Big 12, and a TV deal that is bringing them 2/3 of what the Big 12 is getting. Anyway, I love the Big 12. I would like to see it preserved. And my hope is that if we can simply rework our TV deal in the next few years, to where we get paid per TV set on par with what the Big 10 and SEC are getting, and further, Texas gets the lion's share of that since we bring by far the most TV's to the table, there will no longer be a monetary reason to leave the Big 12.
Nice analysis but what you really need is neilsen ratings because there is 1) overlap among conferences and 2) national followings beyond those states. The Pac 10's tv deal is why I posted the thread on "why would CU go to the Pac 10?"
I would like to tell the also rans of the Big12 to take a hike - beginning with A&M. Everyone in the north hates Texas because we are the best on the field, academically, and with waaay majority of TV sets we call the shots. I like the idea of the Super Midwest Conference. Problem is the boys in the Texas legislature will threaten the puff fund if Texas dont drag lil aggy, Tek, & Baylor with them. Legislature will never let it happen as long as U of Texas system makes $ off certain oil.
How much truth is there to the rumor than Texas and Nebraska sabotaged the conference's efforts to secure an ABC/ESPN comparable in size to the SEC and Big 10.
Stability as someone said since no one wants to leave. Media market is the other part of the answer. You want people who watch TV, more than sheer numbers. top 50: Big 12 has 7, Pac 10 has 9 (7 in top 25 alone) Big 10 has 12 (9 in top 25) SEC has 9 (plus branding) source
This is called a bargaining chip. The Big XII has two horrid TV deals worth very little money relative to its peers. UT games make up a large part of the value of these contracts. The ABC contract for the best game of the week hamstrings other negotiations, and it doesn't expire until 2015. We don't want to be underpaid for 5 more years. We can't just break that agreement, but we can do things not prohibited by it which greatly reduce its value. Or, we simply can threaten to do those things. Such action is likely to cause renegotiation, in which our position is "Convince us to stay. Use dollars." rather than "Thank you sir, may I have another?". If Texas actually wound up in the Big X, it would represent a massive failure. Dodds, Powers, and possibly also Mack would (and should) be fired for that, were it to happen. Fortunately, adults are running this rather than the people who cannot see past the first layer.
......................... and the governor. Ann Richards was a Baylor grad, the speaker was TTU grad. Perry is a aggie, I believe. ..........................................
