Tournament expansion decision coming soon

[kappy96]

Interesting article from the Sports Business Daily...sounds like a decision is coming soon.

NCAA close to decisions on rights, tourney

Print This Story

By MICHAEL SMITH & JOHN OURAND

Staff writers

Published April 12, 2010 : Page 01

Interim NCAA President Jim Isch is expected to reveal his decisions on tournament expansion and media rights at an executive committee meeting April 29.

Isch could come to a decision as early as this week on whether the NCAA should opt out of the last three years of its 11-year, $6 billion media contract with CBS. Several NCAA and media executives expect Isch to recommend that the association opt out of the deal and expand the tournament from 65 to 96 teams. That would likely mean that either CBS will partner with Turner Sports to carry the games, or ESPN would pick up the tournament on its own.

The executive committee, which is chaired by Oregon State President Ed Ray, already has met twice regarding the NCAA’s media negotiations around the men’s basketball tournament.

Some sources have cautioned that the decision is not final. The NCAA believes that keeping the tournament as it is remains a viable option.

CBS could partner with Turner Sports to carry the NCAA tournament, or ESPN could acquire the rights on its own. CBS has carried the event since the early 1980s.

There is a financial problem, however, with not opting out of the media deal. Because of the heavy escalators in the contract, the deal’s final three years are worth $2.13 billion, which is more than a third of the total value of the deal. Industry sources say that CBS wants relief from a $710 million average rights fee over the next three years.

CBS is contractually obligated to share its business results with the NCAA each year, and the network has showed that it didn’t turn a profit on the tournament this year, sources said. “It’s pretty clear that an over-the-air network can’t afford this event by itself,” said one executive with knowledge of the discussions.

By teaming with Turner, CBS would have a partner that would help pay that rights fee, which isn’t expected to grow much beyond the current deal. If the NCAA goes that route, the Final Four would alternate from over-the-air to cable each year.

The consensus among NCAA and media executives interviewed for this story is that CBS carries an advantage as the longtime incumbent broadcaster. CBS has carried the NCAA tournament since the early 1980s.

But another reason the NCAA has warmed to a joint CBS/Turner bid is due to Turner’s work in the digital space, according to industry insiders. The NCAA is especially intrigued by Turner’s strategy of operating NBA.com and NASCAR.com. Adam Silver, the NBA’s deputy commissioner, attended the Final Four in Indianapolis, and sources said he has met with NCAA executive Greg Shaheen to discuss Turner’s work on NBA.com.

ESPN also has a robust digital platform, but all of its content falls under the ESPN brand. The NCAA likes Turner’s strategy because it highlights the brands of each property. ESPN is basing its bid to acquire the tournament’s rights on its position as college basketball’s dominant network. With ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, it also has the shelf space to show each game nationally, rather than the current regional schedule used by CBS.

The tournament is critically important to the NCAA, which derives 98 percent of all revenue from March Madness. The NCAA distributes nearly all of that money to its member schools.

[billikenfan05]

Does it bother anyone that an "interim" president is making the final decision?

[MUTGR]

Good news, Billikens! Your dream of playing in another NCAA tournament after all these years just improved exponentially!

[TheA_Bomb]

A large part of this article is focusing on the fact that Turner Sports runs some websites? Who goes to NBA.com or the other site? If they want to upgrade their websites maybe they should hire a few of those NCAA athletes that are going pro in something besides sports.

Oregon St. President on the board and they have been out of the tourney the last few years.

I'm against expansion, tournament is great right now. It is just a feat to make it now and just when SLU is poised to start making it on those existing requirements they will let nearly everyone in. It also destroys the NIT which is a longstanding tradition.

[ACE]

Good news, Billikens! Your dream of playing in another NCAA tournament after all these years just improved exponentially!

Haha! Yet another stalking Mizzou troll weighs in on BILLIKENS.com. You guys could have used this when you had a 6-7 year drought from the tournament while enduring scandal after scandal.

[kshoe]

Good news, Billikens! Your dream of playing in another NCAA tournament after all these years just improved exponentially!

and people wonder why some Billiken fans hate Mizzou. Get lost.

[MUTGR]

and people wonder why some Billiken fans hate Mizzou. Get lost.

Surely you will be in the top 96 or whatever next year, and Rick won't have to cry to every media outlet in the Country about how his poor little Billikens were mistreated. Will you still be the youngest team in America? I hope not, I really got tired of hearing that lame excuse every time he opened his mouth.

Although expansion does cheapen the accomplishment somewhat, don't you think? Maybe you'll even get your dream matchup with Mizzou.

[slufanskip]

Surely you will be in the top 96 or whatever next year, and Rick won't have to cry to every media outlet in the Country about how his poor little Billikens were mistreated. Will you still be the youngest team in America? I hope not, I really got tired of hearing that lame excuse every time he opened his mouth.

Although expansion does cheapen the accomplishment somewhat, don't you think? Maybe you'll even get your dream matchup with Mizzou.

only if Mizzou grows some balls. Think there's any chance?

[MUTGR]

only if Mizzou grows some balls. Think there's any chance?

I'm sure Mike Anderson lays awake at night wondering how long he can manage to avoid a game with that powerhouse SLU.

[kshoe]

What I've been wondering about but have not seen any articles on is how the revenue sharing will work with a 96 team tourney.

As most know, teams are paid by the number of games played with each game you play being worth ~$1.2mm (dished out over 6 years). The revenues are typically sent to the teams' conferences.

With 96 games being played will they still use that formula? Will teams that get a bye get paid as if they still played an opening roung game or would it actually be more advantageous from a financial standpoint to be seeded 33rd, get an easy first round game and the cash that goes with it?

If teams that are granted a bye are given a unit from the pool, the total number of units will increase from 128 (64 games x 2 teams) to 256. Since we know revenues aren't going to double or even get close to doubling from the extra round teams that only play one game (i.e. the smaller conferences) are going to see a significant drop in revenue.

The big conferences, however, will find a larger revenue pool due to larger t.v. rights, meanwhile they will be be dishing out a smaller piece of the pie to the small schools.

Yeah, we know this expansion is all about the $$$, but my best guess is that the small schools will end up with less (both as a percent of the whole pie and in net dollars) while the big boys will get even more.

[ACE]

Surely you will be in the top 96 or whatever next year, and Rick won't have to cry to every media outlet in the Country about how his poor little Billikens were mistreated. Will you still be the youngest team in America? I hope not, I really got tired of hearing that lame excuse every time he opened his mouth.

Although expansion does cheapen the accomplishment somewhat, don't you think? Maybe you'll even get your dream matchup with Mizzou.

I don't think playing an unranked team like Mizzou is exactly our dream match-up. We already proved we could compete and beat SPUMAC last time they agreed to play a series. Apparently now, they prefer to play nonconference games in front of 5,000 people.

[ACE]

I'm sure Mike Anderson lays awake at night wondering how long he can manage to avoid a game with that powerhouse SLU.

He probably lays awake at night worrying about which player will get in trouble with the law next. Or maybe he worries about his own son. Zero tolerance.

[MUTGR]

I don't think playing an unranked team like Mizzou is exactly our dream match-up. We already proved we could compete and beat SPUMAC last time they agreed to play a series. Apparently now, they prefer to play nonconference games in front of 5,000 people.

As much as you guys write about it on this forum, I assumed Mizzou was the dream matchup. My bad. I am going to go out on a limb here and declare that both Mizzou and SLU will be in the field of whatever number they decide. So, congratulations in advance, the drought has ended.

[MUTGR]

He probably lays awake at night worrying about which player will get in trouble with the law next. Or maybe he worries about his own son. Zero tolerance.

Wow, classy.

[kshoe]

Surely you will be in the top 96 or whatever next year, and Rick won't have to cry to every media outlet in the Country about how his poor little Billikens were mistreated. Will you still be the youngest team in America? I hope not, I really got tired of hearing that lame excuse every time he opened his mouth.

Although expansion does cheapen the accomplishment somewhat, don't you think? Maybe you'll even get your dream matchup with Mizzou.

Given that you have been posting on this board for close to a decade, I suspect you realize that SLU is going to be damn good next year and this is your chance to "put us in our place."

As long as we are one of the top 48 seeds, and we will be one of the top 48, then the accomplishment won't be diminished.

[kshoe]

Wow, classy.

Yeah, your posting in this thread is the definition of classy

[MUTGR]

Given that you have been posting on this board for close to a decade, I suspect you realize that SLU is going to be damn good next year and this is your chance to "put us in our place."

As long as we are one of the top 48 seeds, and we will be one of the top 48, then the accomplishment won't be diminished.

Actually, I just thought I would rile you guys up a little after all the nastiness directed towards Mizzou in a previous thread. In all seriousness, I would expect you guys to be very good this year. I would think this would be a tournament team without expansion.

At this point, I wish Mizzou and SLU would play. I think I've said that before. I've not been a big fan of the nonconference schedules. They have some good teams but way too many directional schools.

[DirtyRican]

National Championships Mizzou 0 - SLU 0. We are tied.

[JMM28]

National Championships Mizzou 0 - SLU 0. We are tied.

Although SLU does have an NIT title when it was actually THE championship...

But they do have a significant lead in felony arrests, Boone County plea bargains, suspensions, fired presidents, amongst others. It will be very hard to close that gap.

Don't worry though Mizzou, you'll still get the kids that were rejected by Illinois, Iowa, KU, etc.

[Quality Is Job 1]

Given that you have been posting on this board for close to a decade, I suspect you realize that SLU is going to be damn good next year and this is your chance to "put us in our place."

As long as we are one of the top 48 seeds, and we will be one of the top 48, then the accomplishment won't be diminished.

Wouldn't the top 32, not 48, teams get a bye?

[billiken_roy]

Wouldn't the top 32, not 48, teams get a bye?

abf, i believe that the intent is a two tier buy. i.e. the nit 32 teams will play then the 16 winners of that will play the 13-16 seeds of the existing 64 teams. so it will actually be the top 48 that will get byes.

go look at how the big east conference tourney was set up. that set up would be the feed into each regional.

[Quality Is Job 1]

abf, i believe that the intent is a two tier buy. i.e. the nit 32 teams will play then the 16 winners of that will play the 13-16 seeds of the existing 64 teams. so it will actually be the top 48 that will get byes.

go look at how the big east conference tourney was set up. that set up would be the feed into each regional.

I haven't seen anything that would suggest the NCAA has been considering such a plan. When would they play those games?

[kshoe]

Wouldn't the top 32, not 48, teams get a bye?

Thicks, top 48 means you would have been in the 65 team tourney anyway. Its well known the 12 seeds in the dance are the last of the at large teams.

Roy, I'm fairly certain the structure of the tourney will give 32 first round byes. The other 64 will play 1 game to get it back to the usual bracket of 64.