Big East TV deal might be small
Tampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, May 31, 2012
The "most conservative estimate" for a new Big East TV deal is $6.4 million per school annually, San Diego State president Elliot Hirschman said Wednesday.
The Aztecs get only $1.2 million this year, its last in the Mountain West before becoming a football-only member of the Big East. But last year, the Big East turned down ESPN's offer of $1.17 billion over nine years — or $13.8 million per school annually.
Since then, West Virginia and TCU left for the Big 12 and Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they will leave for the ACC. In 2013, the league also adds Boise State from the Mountain West as a football-only member and Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and SMU from Conference USA as all-sports members. (Navy, an independent, joins for football in 2015).
C-USA's current deal nets each school about $1.3 million.
Last week, CBSSports.com reported the league could earn as little as $4 million for each of the 10 full members, including USF, $3 million for each football-only member and $1 million for each non-football member.
Under the current deal with ESPN, the Big East's eight full members get about $3.125 million annually while the eight non-football schools get about $1.5 million.
ESPN's exclusive negotiation rights begin Sept. 1 and last for 60 days. If no deal is reached, CBSSports.com reported the conference likely would talk to NBC/Comcast and Fox.