Plainly the foolish season by no means actually goes away. Simply after I thought we have been going to take a little bit of a lull in our talks about convention realignment, we had two huge items of stories drop right this moment that would have ramifications on how realignment finally shakes out. And each are associated to developments that would have an effect on how a lot the Large 12 would possibly be capable to get for his or her media rights after the present contract expires.

We’ll depart the information of the place the Large 12 won’t be turning to companion on media rights for an additional day, however right this moment we’ll

Large 12 Allying with … Notre Dame?

The primary piece of stories got here out this afternoon, with Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports activities exploring among the artistic ways in which Notre Dame is seeking to keep their soccer independence.

At first look, you would possibly marvel why Notre Dame would forgo a reported $100 million from the Large Ten to remain impartial, and the numbers which might be being talked about listed below are a giant motive why. As a partial member of the ACC, Notre Dame is receiving a good quantity for all of its different sports activities moreover soccer. The final reported quantity reveals that ACC faculties are getting a median of $36 million per college from the convention’s media rights deal. Whereas I feel it is honest to say that Notre Dame’s share might be decrease than different faculties as a result of their soccer program is not included, their scheduling settlement most likely implies that it’s nonetheless fairly near that quantity.

So if Notre Dame can preserve wherever near that quantity coming in, after which add a $75 million per yr soccer media contract with NBC, then they rapidly meet the reported quantity from the Large Ten and have an opportunity to exceed it.

However Why the Large 12?

So how may the Large 12 be concerned in such a approach that NBC may give Notre Dame that a lot cash and nonetheless make it worthwhile for the Large 12? The easy reply is stock. Proper now, NBC’s solely school soccer broadcast is those they do for Notre Dame residence video games. Meaning there isn’t a studio present, no lead-in from different video games or strategy to preserve school soccer followers watching after. And there’s no school athletics stock to assist prop up their streaming service Peacock. And that is the place the Large 12 is available in.

Merely put, the Large 12 has numerous stock. The Large 12 Now that’s presently housed on ESPN+ was an enlargement on the prior media rights settlement that the convention had with ESPN. Which means when the media rights deal expires, all of that content material is on the market for a brand new residence. With the potential of Peacock on the lookout for sports activities stock, on the very least this creates a chance for the Large 12 to drive up the value for his or her Tier 3 rights.

And naturally Large 12 soccer can be the primary attract this type of deal. If NBC is severe about making an attempt to carry on to Notre Dame and create a top quality soccer product, they’ll want further video games that they will televise to maintain eyeballs on their sports activities programming all through the day. A studio present is approach too costly to supply if it is only one residence sport, however if in case you have a full convention slate of video games, then you possibly can put soccer on all day lengthy. Particularly if the convention is in three (and probably 4 with enlargement) time zones that would help all kinds of begin occasions.

Does this imply Notre Dame would “be a part of” the Large 12?

Some have speculated that to ensure that one thing like this to work, Notre Dame would want to enter a scheduling settlement with the Large 12. I disagree. One, it could be tough (and costly) for Notre Dame to get out of the scheduling settlement they’ve with the ACC. Meaning a multiple-game per yr settlement would not work.

However the Large 12 and Notre Dame may theoretically stage one marquee matchup per yr, and the additional stock for NBC implies that the community is not recouping broadcast prices with solely the income generated from a single group. And the primary objective of this type of settlement can be to keep up the established order of soccer independence for so long as attainable.

So may this all work?

Bringing collectively the Large 12, Notre Dame and NBC provides a uncommon alternative for all three events to profit and discover further worth. NBC will get an enormous infusion of stock within the type of Large 12 contests. Notre Dame will get an opportunity to extend their income whereas sustaining their independence. The Large 12 will get an opportunity to drive up costs for his or her content material in a bid to try to decrease the hole that’s positive to emerge between the Large Ten/SEC and the Large 12. On the very least, it might’t damage to have one other bidder to assist increase the final word worth as soon as the contract is signed.

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