Then they are utter r****ds for not realizing that the LHN contract would be lucrative - what did they think it would be payable in ESPN-branded fleece pullovers and some magazine subscriptions??? Did they think DeLoss Dodds would take it easy and leave a few million on the table out of some sense of charity? According to you, Texas upset the applecart by....doing exactly what they said they were going to do in 2010? Huh?
1. Until Fox says it's cancelled or diminished, TLN hasn't done squat to the Big XII's agreement with Fox. I've never heard any report indicating that Fox was feeling slighted by TLN. The NCAA slapped back TLN, already,with respect to the high school games. Measure it in REAL dollars...if Fox cancels this agreement is the HUGE contingency that the SEC and the Texas legislature are left to question. 2. I never said that the SEC didn't want A&M. You got the wrong cat.
Having a lucrative contract is fine and having their own TV network was fine. However, it was never agreed that they would be allow to poach conference games and exclude themselves from a larger Big XII network. In fact, Texas sold it as them only having 1 non-conf game a year on the network. Then later on, after the FOIA request got the contract, they admitted agreeing with ESPN on conference games as well. Sorry, but that is breach of the agreement last year and also provides grounds for A&M to leave. That said, if the threat of having to fight a lawsuit(even one that they would likely win because it is nearly impossible to prove what they are alleging) is scary enough for the SEC to not want to deal with it, then Texas wins by default. I have to admit, the people trying to stop this move have a lot of resources and are good at what they do. If A&M doesn't go now, we'll never be allowed to leave without Texas doing what it wants first.
This is what's mind-numbing about this whole deal...everyone knew UT was going after TLN last summer. It was well understood. UT wanted to show high school games...they lost that battle with the NCAA, but there's no damage to anyone else at this point. It's over.
I didn't say Fox. I said the Tier 1 contract that is due for re-nogatiation in 3-4 years. That is the one where the conference loses money from Texas not being involved in a Big XII network. This is where Larry Scott at the Pac12 got a 3.8 billion deal or whatever it was.
If Texas' agreement with ESPN causes the Big XII to breach its agreement with Fox, then let Fox bring that....again, I've yet to hear that at all. But breaking up the Big XII's deal with Fox by walking out before the ink is dry is an entirely different matter....a $1billion matter, in fact.
Yes, but the LHN contract with ESPN states explicitly that they will also get a conference game (Texas had no authority to agree to that) and that they are excluded from any other Big XII network by requirement of the contract. The real problem is the BIG XII not enforcing these restrictions and telling them they can't do that. That is the opening A&M has to leave.
Wheels turn slowly in this kind of thing, just because LHN was in the works last year doesn't mean an Aggie jump to the SEC was going to be instant.
http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1251531 The Big 12 athletic directors - minus Texas A&M - pledged their commitment to a nine-member conference during a call Saturday afternoon if the Aggies were to bolt for the Southeastern Conference. But the Big 12 ADs are reaching out to A&M to stay in the Big 12. The ADs decided if A&M left and the league was to expand, it would be by only one school, sources said. The early candidates would include BYU, Air Force, TCU and Houston, sources said. But the Aggies will not go off to the SEC without some questions directed at both Texas A&M and Mike Slive, the commissioner of the SEC. There appear to be real legal questions from the Big 12 about the SEC's role in A&M's apparent decision to leave the Big 12 and if tortious interference is involved in possibly breaking the Aggies' contracts with their current television partners. Multiple sources said the 13-year Fox television deal signed by the Big 12 in April for $1.17 billion can be voided if Texas A&M leaves. The sources said if the SEC, which has had ongoing conversations with Texas A&M since Mike Slive was on the College Station campus during last summer's realignment, could be seen as the instigator in A&M's actions, it could constitute a $1 billion lawsuit against the SEC as well as a lawsuit for damages against individuals involved. A&M's lawyers have also been looking at the legal ramifications of a move to the SEC, a source close to A&M said. The Big 12 engaged in a high-dollar ad campaign earlier this year to promote the new, 10-member conference that will roll out during football season. And officials across the Big 12 are wondering if Texas A&M knew even then that it would try to relocate to the SEC. Sources close to the situation say Sunday morning's meeting of the SEC presidents - believed to be in Atlanta, according to one source - has become the most important moment of this year's college realignment drama. SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who has said, "I can get to 16 schools in 15 minutes," now needs to convince his presidents that he knows what he's doing. According to sources close to the situation, only Florida president Bernie Machen and Georgia president Michael Adams have been in contact with Slive about the SEC's current expansion plans. The other 10 presidents will apparently be getting a whole lot of critical information from Slive on Sunday. If those presidents, who heard a report of the SEC possibly adding schools such as Missouri, Clemson and Florida State from ESPN's Doug Gottlieb Saturday, are not on board, this story could take a serious left turn. The New York Times quoted an SEC official who said there's a 30 to 40 percent chance the SEC presidents could reject Texas A&M. An official at a school in the Big 12 said, "If you asked me last night, I would have said it was 90 to 95 percent that Texas A&M was gone to the SEC. Now, I would say either 50 percent or less. The SEC meeting on Sunday is huge. If they hit the pause button, I don't think it happens." Several sources said if Texas A&M was to stay in the Big 12, it would take a lot to rebuild the relationship between Texas A&M and Texas but that it was doable. House Higher Education Committee chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, told Orangebloods.com Saturday he has received assurances from A&M that the Aggies' regents board won't be finalizing a move to the SEC on Monday. Branch on Thursday set a meeting of his committee for Tuesday and invited Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin and Texas A&M regents chair Richard Box along with Big 12 and SEC officials to discuss the Aggies' plans. Then on Friday, A&M's regents moved an Aug. 22 meeting to Monday, one day ahead of Branch's committee hearing in what looked like a maneuver to out-flank lawmakers. But an A&M source said the regents were likely to vote on Monday to empower Loftin, the school's president, with the ability to make any decision in the matter on behalf of Texas A&M. "It's my understanding the regents meeting on Monday is to begin negotiations, not complete them - assuming the SEC extends an offer," Branch told Orangebloods.com. "It would be important to the Legislature that the regents not complete anything before lawmakers get to ask some questions. "It's my understanding from talking to A&M officials that it may take a week or two weeks to finalize any conference realignment anyway." An administrator at a Big 12 school told Orangebloods.com that the Atlantic Coast Conference has a meeting planned for Monday with its 12 schools to reaffirm their commitment to each other. ACC commissioner John Swofford released a statement Friday that said, "As I've said previously, we'll continue to be mindful of the collegiate landscape and what's best for the ACC and its member institutions. With that said, I've received no indication from any of our 12 Presidents that they have any intention of being affiliated with any conference other than the ACC." Gottlieb reported Saturday that Missouri, Clemson and Florida State could be joining Texas A&M in the SEC. Missouri athletic director Mike Alden denied any contact between the Tigers and the SEC to several media outlets, including PowerMizzou.com. Behind the scenes, Missouri is also telling the rest of the Big 12 that any contact with the SEC hasn't happened. But a source close to the situation said Missouri may be able to deny everything right now because talks between Mizzou and the SEC haven't started yet. However, for the SEC to avoid any legal liability in terms of tampering or interfering with the Big 12's contracts, sources have said the SEC needs schools to approach them and apply for membership. Important semantics as the maneuvering unfolds. A Big 12 official told me that Oklahoma continues to tell the rest of the Big 12 that it is not interested in joining the SEC. The SEC definitely reached out to OU during its courtship of Texas A&M, the source said. The source said Bob Stoops has indicated to OU officials that the best path to win championships is in the Big 12, not the SEC, in part because the Big 12 no longer has a championship game. The Houston Chronicle reported Friday that Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe told an unnamed A&M official that Texas was the key to the Big 12 and that the league would survive without Texas A&M. Big 12 associate commissioner Bob Burda told Orangebloods.com Saturday, "That's patently untrue misinformation from an unnamed source."
Also don't forget that Fat Ketch (or was it Chip Brown) and a Texas Tech reporter both reported that ESPN told Tech they were going to keep all Tech games off of ESPN if they didn't agree to put their game on the LHN in non-conf. Sorry, but that hurts the conference's TV potential in the future.
No, I'm saying they knew LHN was coming when they all agreed to say together last summer....when they inked a 13 year deal with Fox that A&M benefitted from big time...and when they got their penalty money from CU and Nebraska that A&M was EXTREMELY vocal about getting IMMEDIATELY.
Great...sue ESPN for that. Tell them they're tortiously interfering with a deal...that's the claim of the TV company to bring. Go get 'em! I have no problem with that. But signing this deal with Fox and gearing up the "new" Big XII....only to leave 12 months later?? If Fox cancels that deal because of that, someone is going to pay for that.
Or we can just leave for the SEC as they have no proof of Tortiously Interfering. It will NEVER be proved in court. The only way this works for Texas/Big XII is if the SEC doesn't even want to bother with having to deal with the rest of the crybabies in the Big XII Again ... great tactic by the crybabies to get what they want. Don't really blame them for trying, and if it works, its on the SEC for not having the fortitude to see this through.
why would it never be proved? how could you possibly make that comment having ZERO idea what the evidence is either way? you can prove up tortious interference with circumstantial evidence; this is civil standard (preponderance) not criminal. emails; Outlook calendar entries showing SEC reps in College Station since deal was inked; witness testimony; travel agendas, etc. we're not convicting them of murder, here. just get 12 Wal Mart shoppers to think it's more likely than not that the SEC interferred with the deal. by the way...crybabies? for BU, IA St., etc...this current deal with Fox is killer and may not be able to be replicated for them. they may lose out in participating in a deal they agreed to less than a year ago that they may not be able to match elsewhere.
Everyone has stated that A&M went to the SEC and asked for an invite this year not the other way around .. gonna be virtually impossible to prove otherwise without some real damning evidence that the Big 12 would have let surfaced by now. Yeah sorry .. the fact that those schools have no other options is not our problem. Is this a charity case? Horns had no problem with that when trying to leave last year
Oh and from other rumors I've heard, A&M is determined to leave the Big XII and will seek out other conferences if the SEC gets scared away ... Not sure how viable that is
Big 12 wouldn't have that evidence yet...you get that in discovery. Charity case? No, it's a business deal. They signed a deal with Fox as members of the Big XII. They stand to make money off that deal. If someone else gets in the way of that, that's the very definition of tortious interference. Nothing charitable about it...just business. Horns had not problem trying to leave because they weren't bound to a brand new 13 year deal with Fox at that point for in excess of $1 billion....that came later.
umm...so if it's not enforceable then it shouldn't mattter. Anyway,even if it weren't, I can't imagine why Texas A&M would give a rat's ass if Texas v. Baylor is on LHN instead of Fox Sports . . . OMG A DEALBREAKER, WE MUST LEAVE THE CONFERENCE.....really?
Simple ... the tier 1 tv contract goes down if texas wants more of their games on lhn .... lost money for everyone other than texas
