Expansion talk totally a money grab?

http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-and-fox-angry-with-big-12-expansion-080116



Just someone's take on the unprecedented move by ESPN/Fox today to both come out publicly as opposed to B12 expansion.



Suddenly this expansion turn around where we were certain there was not going to be any expansion and suddenly, out of the blue the B12 was going to add 2-4 teams and everything went crazy in the non-P5 world. Someone realized they had it in a contract where the B12 could legally rob the cookie jar by expansion in a way that they could not otherwise obtain the levels of cash.



After reading this article I'm more convinced than before that BYU to the B12 won't happen. I believe there are going to be a lot of disappointed Cougar fans--AGAIN! I hope we can weather another stroll through FBS hell by not being allowed into the club.

I figure this knocks expansion by 4 teams back down to just 2.

I think it is funny that ESPN and Fox are mad. Dude...you agreed to the clause, and now you are going to be mad if they utilize it?! Come on now.



I still think they are going to expand, and honestly I think it makes it more likely BYU will be included because they are the most palatable team to ESPN and Fox. I just think that ESPN and Fox are angling to renegotiate the deal to soften the blow.

It seems to me that a BYU selection would somewhat nullify the objections of the TV partners. Because BYU is the only candidate that is expected to immediately improve the Big 12's value. At the same time, these objections from Fox and ESPN should produce some discouragement regarding any purely political candidate selections.

I heard that ESPN wants an annual BYU-Teas grudge match.

To continue the above line of thought:



If the Big 12 is actually not interested in BYU, then there might not be any expansion. The TV partners resistance to selections that would not increase the league's value, might leave the Big 12 without any options that are palatable to 8 of 10 members.

While it's well within their prerogative to tell their contractual partner that they don't want them to exercise their contractual rights, ESPN and FOX should have stopped there.



Going beyond that in either joint or conveniently timed statements that they would punish the conference down the road and refuse to negotiate with them might bite the TV networks on the hind-end. The #1 and #2 sports broadcast networks issuing a joint threat of exclusion after the contract runs its course if they don't get their way is just begging for an anti-trust lawsuit under the Sherman Act.



I suspect they know that and the Big XII knows that, so I pass this off (and the underhanded way it's all been deliberately leaked through the media) as an indication that this is all just toothless posturing.

Some of you apparently have never negotiated a serious contract. I think the B12 exactly wanted this "sort" of reaction. They legally hold the upper hand if ESPN/Fox signed that contract, but as the article points out, if the networks were forced to ante up what the clause stipulates, there would be dire consequences.



Now if the B12 can get to a situation where ESPN/Fox will write a new contract, more favorable to both sides, and B12 doesn't need to expand and still make more money--duuhhhh. Maybe Pickens gave the commissioner some lessons. This is all making more sense.



Boy I sure hope I'm wrong. People out there were starting to get me to melt my defenses once again. The last time I "only" threw in to the belief because Greg Wrubell finally had said that inclusion to the B12 looked like a done deal to him. That pushed me off the fence and I believed, only to be left in a crumpled heap of despair.

I think the Big XII is smart enough to realize that if they remain at 10, it makes them the weak P5 and ripe for other conferences to raid for their own expansion.

The BXII was already the weakest remaining P5. When other conferences went to expand, they picked schools off of the BXII (and the Big East). When the BXII goes to expand, they off non-P5 and the Big East. Big East football isn't around to cherry pick any more. How does adding G5 schools strengthen the BXII, besides as insurance against the future departures of others?

I think that the Big XII is in the middle of trying to renegotiate and extend their TV coverage. I think they came to an impasse with the TV networks, and that led to the vote and announcement that they would be evaluating teams for expansion--a public leverage move to try and get some concessions out of the networks. This is just the return fire from the networks to push back.



I think we'll hear about a new Big XII tv agreement at the same time we hear about expansion. One doesn't happen without the other.