ABC breaks off negotiations with BCS

[Jim Johnson]

Not sure if y'all saw this...

From the USA Today:

ABC breaks off negotiations with BCS

By Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY

ABC, the dominant college football network for more than three decades, announced Friday it is withdrawing its offer for the Bowl Championship Series TV rights, leaving the door open for Fox to become a prominent player in the sport.

"We have taken our BCS offer off the table," ABC Sports vice-president Mark Mandel said Friday. "There were three factors: the finances, the format and the fact that we're still very well positioned in the regular season and postseason college football with the Rose Bowl, which keeps us in the BCS and gives us the national championship game every four years."

ABC had offered less than $20 million a year for each of the four bowls in the new BCS contract starting in 2006, including the new "fifth bowl" that likely would have a previously non-BCS team.

Fox's offer probably is above $20 million per game, according to TV consultant Neal Pilson, in what could be a four-year deal for the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls plus the new "fifth bowl" that will be played at the site of the national championship game about a week prior to the title game. The Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls currently average $25.5 million a game. ABC and the other networks had indicated that the "fifth bowl" depressed the BCS rights fees.

ABC and the Rose Bowl recently announced an agreement on a new eight-year TV rights deal worth about $300 million for 10 games, including two national championship games, from 2007-2014.

"I would think Fox is in the low 20 million dollars (per game), probably $21 million-$22 million," said Pilson, who is the Rose Bowl TV consultant. "I'd be surprised if it was at a higher number."

Pilson said Fox potentially replacing ABC in the BCS "would represent a significant change in the broadcast landscape. It would be Fox's first entry into national college sports. I would think they would marry up their regional cable coverage (of the Big 12 and Pac 10 conferences on FSN) and look to extend that coverage to the regular season nationwide."

Fox, which renewed its NFL TV package and the Fox-owned DirecTV NFL deals at significant increases earlier this month, might combine NFL programming with expanded college programming on a potential new sports cable channel that News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch said this week he is considering.

"This could be the first step in a Fox effort to launch a national sports channel competitive to ESPN," Pilson said. "The second step could be Fox acquiring a second NFL package for its cable channel, more likely the new eight-game, Thursdday-Saturday package."

BCS TV consultant Kevin O'Malley and Fox officials did not immediately return phone calls.

The BCS has met with Fox and College Sports Television in recent weeks.

"We've met with the BCS more than once," said Lou D'Ermilio, senior VP of media relations for Fox Sports. "Those meeting have included a free exchange of ideas.

"We feel the BCS is a great event and it would fit well into our sports programming."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2004-11-19-abc-bcs-shakeup_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA

[WoolyBully]

It's a good deal for the network.

If you're not playing for the nat'l championship...who cares? Why should the network get stuck having to cover all of the games if there's only one that matters.

It's like the Superbowl...everyone watches that...not everyone gives a crap about the playoffs rolling up to the game.

Smart move by the network. Besides...it's not like my old drinkin' buddies down at Fox won't jump on coverage.

[smazza]

good move by abc

[Guest LOL]

Without ABC (ESPN) promoting and keeping the Bullcrap Series alive its a goner . . . .

C-YA BCS and good riddance

Win USC, Ok, Auburn and Utah and really upset the applecart.

[bulls96go]

fox should push for a playoff system with abc out of the picture

he who has the gold makes the rule

if the bcs wants fox's MONEY then go to a playoff format!

they should make more money in a playoff system anyway

if rose bowl dosn't play ball screw them

i hope auburn is undefeated and is snobbed

i hope utah is top 6,

i hope louisville is top 10

all will put pressure for playoffs of all D1-a

bye bye BCS!

no more haves and have nots

[bulls96go]

wisconsin the paper tiger undefeated to b#%$@% slapped in last two games

hope both auburn and OU win their championship games and remain undefeated

who has USC played in comparision to OU and auburn? top 30 teams ect.

just cal and asu?

[The Sheriff]

USC also beat VaTech to open the season. Who's Auburn beat out of conference? La-Monroe, La Tech, and the Citadel. Auburn's non-SEC schedule is worthless. Don't get me wrong... they looked good today against 'Bama... but playing Cal or USC will give Auburn their first loss.

[Jim Johnson]

USC also beat VaTech to open the season. Who's Auburn beat out of conference? La-Monroe, La Tech, and the Citadel. Auburn's non-SEC schedule is worthless. Don't get me wrong... they looked good today against 'Bama... but playing Cal or USC will give Auburn their first loss.

Sheriff, give me a break... USC is at best the third best team in the country... maybe fourth behind Cal...

They barely beat Cal and Va Tech... and ASU is about as overrated as they come... The PAC 10 looks a lot like the Big East - two good teams, two okay teams, and the rest are pathetic...

As for Auburn... they don't need a tough OOC schedule (and don't forget Citadel was a late addition), because the SEC includes some solid programs... Tennessee or Georgia would be at least #2 in the PAC 10... Alabama and LSU would beat most of the PAC 10 as well...

My rankings, if I had a vote:

1 - Auburn

2 - Oklahoma

3 - USC

4 - Cal

5 - Miami

6- Texas

7 - Utah

8 - Louisville

9 - Michigan

10 - Boise State

[The Sheriff]

USC and Cal would both beat Auburn this season. Cal played an almost flawless game against USC and barely lost. If you don't play perfect ball against USC, they will straight out hand you your ass. USC gets up for the big games... as does Cal. Both had close Pac-10 match-ups with the weaker teams, but so did Tenn and Vanderbilt today. If USC or Cal have a big name team on their schedule, they will be ready to play.

My poll would look like this:

1. USC

2. OU

3. Cal

4. Auburn

5. Miami

6. VaTech

7. Texas

8. Utah

9. Louisville

10. Boise (big push)

I would love to see either Utah play Cal or Auburn to shut them up and bring Urban Meyer back to reality. Utah is going to the Fiesta and they will smoke Boston College. Cal will beat Michigan in the Rose. USC will handle Oklahoma in the Orange. Miami and Auburn is a tough call. If Miami is healthy on the offensive line, they beat Auburn. If not... they lose. I'm pretty confident UM will beat a battered VaTech team in two weeks. VaTech will be sore after an emotional win against UVA next week... and UM is pissed they got manhandled by VaTech last year and will take it to the Hokies.

If somehow VaTech represents in BCS, Auburn will handle them by two TD's.

Also, RB Mike Emoh for VaTech just pulled his hammy and won't be ready to go for this week's game or the UM game. That is huge. The little guy can run.

[bulls96go]

hope someone has foxes ruport murdochs ear

to push for a playoff

this may be the best chance we will have in a long while to get a playoff

3 non bcs in the top 10 and 5 undefeated teams scream for it