A-10 TV contract

[Muskie]

With the ACC signing a deal with ESPN, it seems one of the side stories to the conference expansion game will be which conference locks up tv deals. Assuming X is in the A-10, does anyone have any insight on how the A-10 can improve their TV presence. Right now, X is by far the most available team to watch on TV out of the A-10. That's through the hard work of X and Leerfield. What can be done to improve the exposure of the league?

[waggy]

No easy solution. Not a lot of options. The presidents should contract with a entity such as Learfield to figure this out. My opinion is that the best the A10 could hope for would be a channel such as Versus.

[drudy23]

As long as Xavier is on every game, I don't care what the rest of the league gets.

[MADXSTER]

To better the A10 TV contract may be to do a joint venture with 1 or 2 other leagues. Say the A10 and CUSA under one contract. That's the only thing I could think of doing that could benefit both leagues.

[PMI]

Just a thought, but doesn't CBS Sports have a contract with the A10? I would imagine the CBS powerhouse owns several other stations, much like ABC owns ESPN, so maybe they could pick an appropriate one to feature a day or two a week to show games on. I know they show games on the CBS Sports channel already but perhaps there's a more recognizable cable channel that would reach more homes. Of course, I have no idea if that is possible or not, just thinking out loud.

[Muskie1000]

This has been my complaint since the beginning - I really think the only reason CBS signed the A-10 was mainly for Xavier and the A-10 tourney because I hardly ever saw an random A-10 game on their station (again, unless it was X). For the A-10, Fox sports had much better coverage.

[muskiefan82]

What about TruTV since they are now going to be a partner in broadcasting the tournament? Seems like an option

[rworkman09]

Versus seems like the most logical choice to me. They are headquartered in Philly and have signed on for some MWC basketball games, so they are definitely looking to get into college basketball broadcasting. They are also on the standard cable tier in many markets, so it would have good penetration unlike the CBS College Sports network which is mostly on a premium sports tier.

I feel the cellar dwellers in this league (DU, SBU, LSU, FU) really hurt this leagues chances of getting a tv contract. Few people nationally have even heard of these programs. Nobody is going to tune into a SBU vs Fordham game.

The rest of the teams in the league at least have respectable facilities and programs with reasonably large fanbases. Fairweather fans maybe, but a good draw when the programs are successful.
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[sirthought]

I remember seeing several other A-10 games on CBS College Sports. I don't know if it's an A-10 contract or with those specific schools.

ESPN is pretty loaded now with Big East and ACC. But thinking about it, even when the Big East has games on ESPN 360 they are probably getting more positive exposure than what the A-10 has now. With the way things are moving more and more online, I wonder what it could hurt for A-10 to do sports channel online? Probably beyond their reach.

As much as I hate their productions compared to others, I think something bigger with Fox Sports could really help the A-10. It always bothers me to turn on Fox Sports Ohio and find more UCLA and Arizona games on than Dayton, OU, Miami and the like. I don't know if Fox has network stations in St. Louis, Philly, etc. but that would strengthen their cable presence.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Dayton would love to be on FS-Ohio several times a year, and constantly try. The problem is ad-revenue. Just not enough ad dollars from Dayton businesses to support UD hoops on a regional channel. Casano's Pizza, AAbel and 1-800-got-junk is about it. Those businesses won't go to cable, they'll stay with over-the-air regardless of what the station shows. Ratings would be there, probably better than Xavier or UC games, but no ad money, no dice. Cincy business won't pay to advertise to people 45 minutes away.

From what I hear, Xavier games barely get enough from Cincy businesses to make that many games feasible, which is why they've been jerked around for Cavs and Blue Jackets games recently. College hoops just isn't a draw, poker re-runs make better business sense considering the costs of a live production.

[MADXSTER]

From what I hear, Xavier games barely get enough from Cincy businesses to make that many games feasible, which is why they've been jerked around for Cavs and Blue Jackets games recently.

I'm not sure what you're talking about. Last year they never jerked around Xavier games for Cavs or Blue Jacket games. Fox sports Ohio or Fox sports Cincinnati. Every game. Unless it was on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, or CBS.

[X-band '01]

Dayton would love to be on FS-Ohio several times a year, and constantly try. The problem is ad-revenue. Just not enough ad dollars from Dayton businesses to support UD hoops on a regional channel. Casano's Pizza, AAbel and 1-800-got-junk is about it. Those businesses won't go to cable, they'll stay with over-the-air regardless of what the station shows. Ratings would be there, probably better than Xavier or UC games, but no ad money, no dice. Cincy business won't pay to advertise to people 45 minutes away.

From what I hear, Xavier games barely get enough from Cincy businesses to make that many games feasible, which is why they've been jerked around for Cavs and Blue Jackets games recently. College hoops just isn't a draw, poker re-runs make better business sense considering the costs of a live production.

Come on Adam, you know that Jeff Schmitt Auto can use the regional exposure that would come with UD being on FSOhio. Did I hear someone say something about buying a car?

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs184.snc3/19144_269628668263_58674448263_3423732_2074086_n.j pg

[sirthought]

I'm not sure what you're talking about. Last year they never jerked around Xavier games for Cavs or Blue Jacket games. Fox sports Ohio or Fox sports Cincinnati. Every game. Unless it was on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, or CBS.

Sure they did. Although all those games ran, at least three or four were bumped to alternate channels, which cause difficulty for many to view them.

[MADXSTER]

LOL :D Xavier had what 28/29 regular season games. 3 or 4 were moved to other channels. First, it doesn't mean it was because of advertising. Second, if that's being jerked around, big deal. Only one game was not on TV and that was Sacred Heart.

I like Adam, but in this case he can cry me a river while I watch every Xavier game on TV. In terms of TV, Xavier is in the infancy of becoming a Notre Dame in basketball. Xavier's personal TV package is better than whatever the A10 conference could offer.

Getting back on topic, I still believe that the A10 needs to pull it's resources, or better yet get five top teams in the A10 to partner up with five top teams in say C-USA and work out a TV deal. This would get more A10 teams on TV. Then piggy back on whatever the A10 conference can add.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Sure they did. Although all those games ran, at least three or four were bumped to alternate channels, which cause difficulty for many to view them.

Exactly. I didn't say the games weren't shown, but at least a few were bumped to alternate channels. It was a topic here and on the A10 board at times. It happened because FSOhio gets more money from Jackets and the Cavs. Xavier has a great deal with FSOhio to show the 10 or 11 games not picked up by ESPN or CBS-Regional (which FSOhio picks up because they're dirt cheap), but it's still college hoops, not much money in it outside of the NCAA tourney. Without football, a conference or school's TV deal is constantly on thin ice.

I wouldn't say Xavier is in the infancy of becoming the ND of college hoops. In basketball, they've pretty much hit the ceiling of what a program not in a football based league can get. A dozen or so national games, and the rest on a station you need to purchase a sports tier to get if you live more than 75 miles from Cincy. It's awesome, better than probably 75% of BCS schools even, but it'll never get better. Even if Xavier were to upgrade leagues to one that had an ESPN deal, they'd lose all of the FSOhio produced (the games Brad Johansen calls) games and they might even lose some ESPN national games. More money, but actually less exposure.

I guess if LeBron leaves, X won't have to worry about conflicting with Cavs games anymore, because the Cavs will be irrelevant again.

[SixFig]

I wouldn't say Xavier is in the infancy of becoming the ND of college hoops.



You're right...we are past our infancy in becoming the ND of college hoops. Probably in the stage psychologist Erik Erikson referred to as "School Age"...between 6 and 12. However, we did get our first chin hair...which is nice.

[waggy]

Getting back on topic, I still believe that the A10 needs to pull it's resources, or better yet get five top teams in the A10 to partner up with five top teams in say C-USA and work out a TV deal. This would get more A10 teams on TV. Then piggy back on whatever the A10 conference can add.

During or prior to the start of conference play?

[rworkman09]

Getting back on topic, I still believe that the A10 needs to pull it's resources, or better yet get five top teams in the A10 to partner up with five top teams in say C-USA and work out a TV deal. This would get more A10 teams on TV. Then piggy back on whatever the A10 conference can add.
This is probably the best idea. Xavier, Dayton, URI, Temple, SLU, and Charlotte would be the top 5 in my opinion (and the attendance figures back that up) from the A10. SJU and UMass would probably be worth working with as well.

From CUSA pull in Memphis, UAB, UTEP, Houston, and Central Florida. Maybe Marshall as well, but for now we'll leave them off. That'd give a network like Versus a decent starting point to launch into college basketball coverage, although I'd rather be on Fox Sports. It'd give you some successful programs and some pretty big markets. It'd cover Cinci, Providence, Philly, St. Louis, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, El Paso, Birmingham, and Memphis. Those are all large and attractive markets. A C-USA/A10 challenge could possibly help something like this happen.
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[drudy23]

A-10 / Conference USA showdown? Please no. That would be retarded.

I'm sure the country would thrilled with that UAB / St Louis matchup. Or wait...maybe Houston/Dayton? NOT!!

The ONLY intriguing matchup would be Xavier/Memphis...and even that isn't all that great now that Memphis won't be Memphis without Calipari.

[D-West & PO-Z]

A-10 / Conference USA showdown? Please no. That would be retarded.

I'm sure the country would thrilled with that UAB / St Louis matchup. Or wait...maybe Houston/Dayton? NOT!!

The ONLY intriguing matchup would be Xavier/Memphis...and even that isn't all that great now that Memphis won't be Memphis without Calipari.

I dont think he was saying to do a showdown but for those teams to get a TV deal for their respective games to be shown.

[rworkman09]

Memphis has one of the best recruiting classes in the nation coming in this year. I wouldn't write them off just yet. If Xavier can survive coaching losses every few season, why can't Memphis? That probably have a greater pool of resources than Xavier has.
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[MADXSTER]

A-10 / Conference USA showdown? Please no. That would be retarded.

I'm sure the country would thrilled with that UAB / St Louis matchup. Or wait...maybe Houston/Dayton? NOT!!

The ONLY intriguing matchup would be Xavier/Memphis...and even that isn't all that great now that Memphis won't be Memphis without Calipari.

The country may not be thrilled, but the cities of St Louis and Alabama Birmingham may.

Memphis without Calipari??? Drudy you're better than this...Have you been following Pastner and Memphis at all.

2010 recruits are
5 star Will Barton
5 star Joe Jackson
5 star Jelan Kendrick
4 star Tarik Black
4 star Chris Crawford
and two 3 stars

2011 they have 4 star Anthony Norris

I think Memphis will be just fine without Calipari

[drudy23]

All I'm saying is that every conference has to have some "showdown" with another. ACC/Big Ten makes some sense because the matchups are interesting....for everyone.

Conference showdowns between lower level conferences like the A-10 and CUSA would be nothing but a gimmick. And yes, I know that Xavier and Memphis aren't lower level, but overall, the conferences are not Top 6.

It would just be dumb.

[MADXSTER]

Well Drudy what are your ideas.

[waggy]

You guys are actually off-topic. Which is fine. But you're debating OOC games vs. a TV contract for the conference. I know there are some exceptions, but most conferences start play after January 1.