Contrary to Biggy, in college football, mo money doesn’t equate to mo problems. Often, it means the most up-to-date technology, top of the line facilities, the brightest coaching minds and, ultimately, wins. When the ACC expanded to eleven teams in 2004 –ultimately to a twelve team “super-conference” in 2005 complete with a shiny championship game– pursuing a juiced up television contract was at the heart of it all. The ploy worked. The ACC almost doubled their television money from $21 million a year to about $37.6 million. Since 2008 the ACC’s media and fans have been both envious and jealous of the SEC’s piggybank after the ink dried on the conference’s record 15-year, $3 billion contracts ($150MM/year ABC/ESPN, $55MM/year CBS).

So what about us?

The ACC’s contracts are up after the 2010-11 basketball season, and there’s been little news about what a new deal would look like and who (or whom) it would be with. In the ACC’s perfect world, ESPN would load up a dump truck full of cash –around $160MM for the first year of a fifteen year contract (SEC money plus inflation)– make the 10 hour trip from Bristol, Connecticut to Greensboro, North Carolina and deposit the loot at the front door of the conference headquarters. Continue Reading “The ACC on FOX” »