“When you talk about adding value, from a media standpoint, the Boise States and the Utahs add very little”
Barry Frank, IMG Media Consultant
This statement was made in the January 25, 2010 edition of the Sports Business Journal. The article was in regards to the revenue distribution system of the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) and whether it needed to be adjusted.
The summary of the article leaves the conclusion that there will not be a playoff system in college football in the near future. Reason: There is too much money involved and potentially lost if adjustments are made. The negotiation of the BCS TV rights deal and future negotiations are at the center of the disparity debate.
“Those teams have certainly performed well, but you’re talking about adding value. The real question is whether including those conferences when you negotiate a TV contract adds to the willingness of the network to increase the bid. I don’t think we’ve seen evidence that that’s true.”
Harvey Perlman, Chancellor-University of Nebraska, Chairman-BCS Presidential Oversight Committee
The issue here is whether the WAC and Mountain West conference champions (Ex. Boise State and TCU) should get the same payout distribution preferences as the Florida’s, Alabama’s, and USC’s in BCS rankings (or rather the SEC, PAC-10, etc..). Mr. Perlman’s issue is whether ESPN would pay the NCAA $125 million a year for the BCS TV rights if these conferences are given the same consideration as the other conferences. The answer is no.
Although Boise State and TCU were both undefeated this past season, they would not draw the amount of viewers that a Florida vs. USC provide. When that happens, ESPN cannot get a competitive rate from advertisers. As a rights holder, ESPN’s goal is to make over the $125 million paid by selling advertising. Ex. Would a Coca-Cola pay $750,000 for a 40-sec. ad spot during a Boise State vs. Utah game? The answer is no. This is no reflection on those teams and its players. It has everything to do with viewership. They play no games on national TV during the regular season. Therefore no relationship is established between these conference teams and college football fans.
This leads the TSR staff to the conclusion that there will not be a playoff system in the near of distant future. Money and viewership seems to have a strong grip on the decision making process, which is not surprising.
