SBC Media Deal

[anhil8tor]

Does this help us move forward with the stadium at all?

[Cajunsmike]

Not sure I agree with the math of that.

Let’s say we achieve max success and put 30K in the stadium every game. At an average price of…what?…$50/ticket?

30K people x $50/ticket x 6 games/year = $9 million

That’s ticket price only, not concessions. So the real number is more. But for the purposes of discussion, let’s use the $9 million. So if instead we average 15K, that revenue drops to $4.5 million.

$2 million from ESPN doesn’t make up for that. It helps, but it doesn’t cover it at all.

Our average ticket price is more like 30 bucks and perhaps less. Students would take up about 6000 tickets as well when we are having success. If we could sell 20000 tickets at 30 bucks we would get 3.6 million for a season. Now could we get there without ESPN plus allowing people to watch at home, I don't know. However, if we sell 15000 tickets per game at 30 bucks it is 2.7 million. Add the 2 million from TV and you are ahead of not having the contract. Ideally we increase attendance and still get TV money. I will say the 500 grand we used to get was not enough to cover the attendance loss. Going to 2 million is great news. However the contract is for all conference schools. Schools like Georgia State, Texas State, and ULM definitely come out ahead with TV money. Interesting discussion but moot as the TV deal is done and will not change for years to come. It does help keep out of town fans connected. Ideally those folks would become low level RCAF contributors.

[LouisianaB]

Schools are already paying $3 million for guarantee games.

When Super Conference TV money rolls in $4 million appearance fees will be the norm for any school that plays a tough schedule.

When super conferences roll around they won’t be playing guarantee games. 20-24 team conferences will produce a full schedule

And playing six guarantee games would be suicidal.

Still trying to understand if obsession with independence is trolling or legit.

[BabbForHeisman]

Our average ticket price is more like 30 bucks and perhaps less. Students would take up about 6000 tickets as well when we are having success. If we could sell 20000 tickets at 30 bucks we would get 3.6 million for a season. Now could we get there without ESPN plus allowing people to watch at home, I don't know. However, if we sell 15000 tickets per game at 30 bucks it is 2.7 million. Add the 2 million from TV and you are ahead of not having the contract. Ideally we increase attendance and still get TV money. I will say the 500 grand we used to get was not enough to cover the attendance loss. Going to 2 million is great news. However the contract is for all conference schools. Schools like Georgia State, Texas State, and ULM definitely come out ahead with TV money. Interesting discussion but moot as the TV deal is done and will not change for years to come. It does help keep out of town fans connected. Ideally those folks would become low level RCAF contributors.

Yep, all depends on what assumptions you make about how many people don’t show up.

Doesn’t matter in the end, because even if we shut off the ESPN feed tomorrow, it’s not like attendance is going to change in a significant way.

[Cajunsmike]

Yep, all depends on what assumptions you make about how many people don’t show up.

Doesn’t matter in the end, because even if we shut off the ESPN feed tomorrow, it’s not like attendance is going to change in a significant way.

If that happened you would lose support from many out of town fans. Now you may get some folks from Houston, New Orleans. And north Louisiana coming to more games. Not enough to offset the TV revenue loss in my opinion. Overall, the original poster is correct in that the increase in revenue is great news for us.

[Turbine]

When super conferences roll around they won’t be playing guarantee games. 20-24 team conferences will produce a full schedule.

Full Super Conference scheduling is their achilles heel. The P5 learned this decades ago.

As soon as the Super Conferences realize that their image is taking a disasterous hit because half their members are sub .500 they will resort to what they are doing now. Namely trying to pad their overall record with out of SC scheduling.

[Turbine]

... playing six guarantee games would be suicidal...

No silly, not 6 guarantee games.

Being they are stuck in a $2 mil conference with only 6 independent options, they can do 2 guarantee games in any given year. It would involve playing four P5 level games each year.

Three on the road one at home. Two road money games, one non payday road game, one P5 level team at Louisiana every year.

That is doable as a member of the SBC. double it as an independent.

[Duggie35]

Turbine,

I respect your opinion and everything you do to maintain this site, but I think your position on going Independent is just flawed. As much as G5 schools are searching for money, I would think if going Independent were a viable option, it would have been done by other schools by now. The only reason New Mexico State is Independent is because they got kicked out of the SBC, not because they wanted to become an Independent. All schools are looking to do what is in there best interest, and so far only Notre Dame has been able to benefit by being Independent. BYU tried it, but they have now jumped back into a Conference, deciding it is a better path forward.

Love you brother, but I can't find a way to agree with you on this topic.

[cajun_lannister]

Yep, all depends on what assumptions you make about how many people don’t show up.

Doesn’t matter in the end, because even if we shut off the ESPN feed tomorrow, it’s not like attendance is going to change in a significant way.

Why someone suggested we would gain 15k more fans if the games were blackout is wild ... maybe 500 more people would come tops

[Turbine]

...BYU tried it, but they have now jumped back into a Conference, deciding it is a better path forward.

BYU's stock never diminished as an independent.

If BYU's options were to go back to the WAC or Mountain West, they would have adamantly stayed independent.

As an independent they became extremely attractive to the Big 12.

Sometimes you need to step away to step back in.