tute79 wrote:
Apparently FOX wants 12.
Fox is largely calling the shots, since they are the source of the C7 - 10? -12? going forward.
Mark Blaudschein mentined initially 10, then 12 at a later date, which sounded like an attempt to perhaps limit how much money was being shared during 2014 which might have been
some transitional year with ESPN, OR perhaps it would let the last 2 teams stay in the A-10 one more year and reduce their exit fee payments,
since they would be giving the A-10 the required advance notice.
It sounds now like perhaps the C7 wants to make a quick break of it in 2013 (sort of "cold turkey").
I think they will go to 12 with 6 midwest and 6 east, like the one writer stated.
And know it looks like the C7 is pursuing the Big East name, as they should.
This is all up in the air, and maybe in another week or so, the BE parties will annnounce the full details of their settlement.
That pile of cash seems awfully enticing. I'm thinking the FB schools can't be too nasty in the negotitations, or the C7 may vote to dissolve the confernece and split up the money,
rather than exit the conference and leave a big pile of money behind for the FB schools.
I'm pretty sure that it was established a couple months ago that the Catholic 7 doesn't have the power to dissolve the conference without the vote of one football school and I don't see that vote from USF, UConn, or Cincinnati being forthcoming.
The Catholic 7 also have to realize that their clock to get a deal done is ticking. If they don't get a deal done by July 1st then Temple, Houston, SMU, Memphis, and UCF will all get to vote in the process and I'm sure these incoming members will push to keep as much of the Big East's assets with the football faction.
I am a huge fan of the idea of staggering the exit dates for the 5 new members of the Catholic 7. This is a real win-win in that for 2013-2014 there are fewer schools to divide the FOX pot among and the schools that wait a year will save on exit fees. I imagine they'd work out an arrangement for some OOC games between the Catholic 7 schools and the soon-to-be Catholic 7 schools to help ease the Catholic 7's scheduling woes. They could probably get away with bringing in Xavier this year for an 8 member conference and then waiting on the rest.