FOOTBALL sports business daily article

[SpaceRaider]

Massaro quoted, excerpt:

...In CUSA’s most recent media rights negotiations last year, the conference took a staggering 80 percent haircut, with per-school revenue slipping from $1 million a year to $200,000.

With half of its members leaping to the American Athletic Conference over the last few years, CUSA found college TV stalwarts like ESPN and Fox, which have been tightening their own purse strings, showing little interest in its product. The league finally settled on deals with four different channels.

“The revenue is drying up,” ODU’s Selig said. “All the money [from TV] is going to the power five and we’re left with crumbs.”

Sun Belt schools make slightly less from media rights — about $140,000 annually.

“It’s going to take a fiscally dramatic event to get something to happen,” Middle Tennessee State AD Chris Massaro said. “I’m not sure we’ve hit that financial crisis yet. When you hit a crisis, people will put their egos aside.”

The institutional egos Massaro referenced are one of the chief impediments to geographic realignment.....



http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/11/28/In-Depth/Realignment.aspx
The fix: A common-sense solution...

 

[SpaceRaider]

I could not finish reading the whole thing. I hate this realignment stuff with a passion.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

The headline even states the problem though. Common sense. When has any of this realignment mess ever made sense? It eventually will all come crashing down.

 

[Raiderclyde]

Good article! Seeing MT from 1-AA days to now, makes one ask the question are we really better off with football being FBS vs 1-AA (FCS)? At one time, I used to quickly say FBS was much better. But, seeing a dwindling fan base in the stands and our cumulative performance over 17 years, it's getting harder to definitively say FBS is better with the mounting costs and comparing to our institutional needs. We are rapidly falling behind in football facilities and resources vs the P5 and even to some extent UL Monroe (here's their HD video board, yet they were cited in the article as being struggling--just saying!)

If we can ever get on a 3-5 year run of nine plus wins with a quality P5 win here and there, our outlook would be much better. We really need an 11-1 type of year and a AP ranking to get the needle moving again. If we continue on the 6-6, 7-5, 8-4 path with an occasional losing season every half decade or so...its going to be tough. The answer is no longer obvious. This article really presents this kind of tone and implications, even from our esteemed AD. We haven't seen the full effects of reduced television revenue hit yet, but if we have mediocre seasons or worse over the next 2-5 years, the well will run dry and decisions will have to be made, and likely will not be the ones we like. Don't want to see another UAB situation..it's not impossible. Or NMSU? Or Idaho? "Our Town, Our Team" needs to be more than a nice buzzword. It needs to reflect culture. Not just a passing slogan discontinued next year for something else like an ice cream flavor. If we're not growing...we're slowly withering into the winds of change. Lot of thought into this article.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Hard to have "Our Town, our Team" when our own fans are not willing to go see an 8-4 team because now we don't win the "right" games. I get all the headwinds, but the problem is so much more fundamental - we simply don't have enough fans that care.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

Hard to have "Our Town, our Team" when our own fans are not willing to go see an 8-4 team because now we don't win the "right" games. I get all the headwinds, but the problem is so much more fundamental - we simply don't have enough fans that care.

I was the fan who was willing to go travel long distances for 8-4 wins and less Mike. I've changed. The landscape has changed. We are heading 20 years into this...things change. Expectations should be different.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

I was the fan who was willing to go travel long distances for 8-4 wins and less Mike. I've changed. The landscape has changed. We are heading 20 years into this...things change. Expectations should be different.

Same for me, too. My perception of the transparency, communication and commitment by Univ. and Athletic Dept Admins, to moving the Blue Raider Football program forward changed drastically after 2013. For example, anyone who actually believes there were 10,227 people sitting in that stadium for Senior Day last weekend is not being honest with themselves. A problem can never be addressed and fixed as long as folks in charge refuse to admit there is a problem. That is Step One.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Yes, doubtful even if you counted the concession workers there weren't 10,000 in attendance. But, I assume that season tickets, even if not used, can be counted. What else, who knows?

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

I was the fan who was willing to go travel long distances for 8-4 wins and less Mike. I've changed. The landscape has changed. We are heading 20 years into this...things change. Expectations should be different.

The whole subject makes me sad. Not many teams cross the chasm. I don't think we can win you back. Will it take 3 10 wins seasons with bowl wins? Then what happens if we have a couple of 4-8 years?

The problem is you have other things to spend you money on, so if we don't win bigger and keep winning, you're out. Its an impossible situation. Note, I am not blaming you or others. Just stating the obvious.

It doesn't cost much to attend an MT game (the cost to go to a movie) or to give to the BRAA.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Yes, doubtful even if you counted the concession workers there weren't 10,000 in attendance. But, I assume that season tickets, even if not used, can be counted. What else, who knows?

Season ticket sales is another whole different question mark. I was told actual "purchased" season ticket packages wasn't even 5,000. Of course, we never hear the real story from CM

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Season ticket sales is another whole different question mark. I was told actual "purchased" season ticket packages wasn't even 5,000. Of course, we never hear the real story from CM

I actually think they should be brutally honest about how many season tickets they sell so that the folks that care can know and react.

But lets say its 2500 - would that make you buy them again?

 

[MTLynn]

If I find out that 2501 season tix have sold then I'm all in and buying season tix! However, I will not buy season tix if word gets to me that only 2500 season tix have been sold... better keep those numbers hidden!!!