Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives

• ECU 2021-22 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2022 Baseball Schedule
• ECU 2022 Football Schedule
• Recruiting: Football • Hoops

Insights from Brett
TV deal marks milestone for ECU’s finances

March 25, 2019 By Brett Friedlander 2 Comments

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Nobody hit all the winning numbers in Saturday’s PowerBall drawing, meaning that the staggering sum of $750 million will roll over to next week.

But that doesn’t mean someone didn’t hit the jackpot.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN have reached an agreement that will net the league a $1 billion windfall over the next dozen years. Split evenly, that comes to be about a $7 million annual payment to each of the AAC’s 12 members through the 2031-32 academic year for their broadcast and digital rights.

That kind of money will help pay a lot of training table meals, facility upgrades and other necessities. In the process, it will go a long way toward keeping ECU’s once cash-strapped athletic department in the black for the foreseeable future.

It’s the most significant financial development involving the Pirates perhaps since their decision to move up to Division I in 1976.

Think that’s an exaggeration?

Then consider that the new contract will virtually triple the amount of money AAC schools are receiving for their media rights under the current deal.

While it doesn’t come close to raising the conference to the level of the Power Five schools — no matter how much commissioner Mike Aresco tries to convince the world otherwise — the new pact does unequivocally establish it as the best of the rest.

By contrast, the Mountain West Conference pays out only about $1 million to its members. The Mid-American Conference pays out only about $830,000 per school while Conference USA and the Sun Belt check in at only about a half-million annually.

In addition to the money, the AAC’s new deal will also increase the amount of exposure the league will get, including network broadcast coverage for some football games on ABC with other football games and basketball games running on one of ESPN’s many cable platforms. Other sports will be available on ESPN-plus, a subscription digital service, with more than 1,000 AAC events scheduled to be broadcast by the third year of the deal.

That could end up paying even greater dividends in the areas of recruiting, fundraising and brand recognition.

The Sports Business Journal report also indicated that CBS Sports will retain rights to some Navy football games and will negotiate an agreement for a package of AAC basketball games.

Although ECU still has a long way to go before being able to compete on even terms with its rivals in its two most visible and money generating sports — football and men’s basketball — this new television deal will at least start the process of evening the playing field when it comes to resources.

More money coming in means more money to hire and keep better assistant coaches in football and perhaps, even an indoor practice facility. It means a greater recruiting budget for Joe Dooley and his staff to go out and surround All-AAC freshman basketball star Jayden Gardner with more talent. It means going ahead with plans for further improvements to Clark-LeClair Stadium so coach Cliff Godwin’s team can make an even stronger push for a College World Series appearance.

It also means stability for a conference whose success leaves it vulnerable to poaching by other leagues — especially the Big 12, which has long been rumored to be eying AAC members Cincinnati, Memphis and Houston.

It has yet to be announced whether the new contract will require member schools to sign a grant of rights, a document that makes it all but impossible for anyone to leave for the length of the contract. But even if it doesn’t the new TV deal gives ECU and its conference cousins seven million reasons a year to stay right where they are.

Big-time college athletics has turned into an arms race centered around super sized coaching contracts, modern facilities and high-tech marketing campaigns. It’s a phenomenon that takes increasingly larger amounts of cash to fund and shows no signs of slowing down.

While the money generated by the AAC’s reported new television deal still doesn’t match that of the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and even the ACC, for schools such as ECU it sure makes it seem as if they’ve hit the jackpot.

TV DEAL MARKS MILESTONE FOR ECU’S FINANCES
PIRATES POWER TO SWEEP OF UCF
PIRATES RALLY TO TAKE SERIES
PIRATES TAKE AAC OPENER
KUCHMANER BECOMES MOUND FORCE
STRONG LEADERS FUEL LOFTY HOPES AT ECU
ENJOYING PERFECTION THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY
HOUSTON PUTTING HIS EXPERIENCE TO WORK
KUCHMANER PITCHES PERFECT GAME
ECU 2019 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
ECU 2018-19 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
ECU 2019 BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Comments

  1. Steve Reaves says

    March 25, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    “Power Five” (hate that term)

    ECU and the new and improved American Athletic Conference

    Everybody else

    Reply
  2. Dwight J Flanagan says

    March 25, 2019 at 11:13 pm

    Brett thanks for all of your hard work. One thing that really bothers me is that we are in a bit of a catch 22. In conf USA we could take prop 48 kids. ECU never abused that option taking a limited number of in state players for football. Usually they were down lineman with a limit of 3-4 players each yr. Graduation rates for those players always exceeded the general school population. I know you may remember South Fla after only 4 years of having football had the first second and third players drafted in the NFL 4th round. They however took probably 15 per year. I do understand why we (AAC) are trying to mirror the P 5 and take no prop 48 kids. I truly think our conference Commissioner is outstanding. The problem is up until just now we were getting 3 mill and the power 5… 30 mill plus…..(the extra 4 mill for us really helps) I just do not believe they are going to share any of that revenue. I think if you win enough vs P 5 public pressure might rise to push an opening for our conference to be added to a power 6 with us dropping our prop 48 policy. App St and Charlotte and ODU will have plenty of prop 48’s and until a few days ago we were getting 3 mill to their 500 to 750k. now that we are 7 mill and if their TV $ stays at 750 k great. Likely they may get a bump up also. Regardless this is a big boy league and it is going to really help Basketball and all of our sports. I think the AAC could go with a limited # of prop 48’s win out and force more TV $ with more wins. Large City College institutions like Houston New Orleans Tampa etc flourish when it comes to prop 48 kids. Ours situation is not as conducive but when you take all of Eastern NC we would get our share of prop 48 candidates. Once you are in the p 5 we would wean off. Notice how South Fla raced to no 2 in the country but has not fared as well. Houston Tampa Cinn New Orleans Dallas Temple etc would be unreal for prop 48 kids.(jobs,family close). Winning outside our conf would be easier but inside would be even tougher than now. Watch the kind of athlete (especially down lineman) you will see at ODU, Charlotte, App St as the yrs go by. Still glad we are in the AAC.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Steve Reaves Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

Baseball News
Pirates walk off in 10th for sweep

Baseball News
Pirates continue roll

Baseball News
Pirates overtake Houston for 12th straight win

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates grind to success

Baseball News
ECU edges Campbell, 7-6

Baseball News
Pirates clinch AAC crown

Baseball News
ECU captures series, boosts conference lead

Baseball News
Pirates take series opener with Bulls

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates prevail at less than best

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17
Tweets by bonesville

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

ECU Recruiting News
Well stocked Pirates enter fray for O-linemen

ECU Recruiting News
ECU faces uphill battle in hunt for tight ends

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates cast wide net for wide receivers

ECU Recruiting News
Loaded Pirates still courting running backs

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets quarterbacks of the future

AAC Football Recruiting News
Transfer portal reshaping AAC football programs

Class of 2022 Defensive Report Card
ECU’s former weak link becoming big strength (updated)

Class of 2022 Offensive Report Card
Help is on the way for blocking corps (update 3)

American Athletic Conference Recruiting
Bearcats lead AAC’s early signing push

Class of 2022 In-depth Analysis
Surprises, depth highlight early recruiting haul

VIEW FROM THE EAST
‘What a difference a year makes’

Football Recruiting Report
Prolific receiver Webb may enroll early

Football Recruiting Report
Another gifted running back headed to ECU

Football Recruiting Report
ECU wins pledge from hotly recruited RB Gunn

Football Recruiting Report
Coveted lineman Sacra may enroll early

Football Recruiting Report
Pirates lure a star from DB factory

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Harrell on quest for unanimous effort

Football Recruiting Report
West Craven star Mims sticking close to home

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates ready for preseason camp

Football Recruiting Report
Lineman built his future during COVID layoff

Football Recruiting Report
Norcross star on track for early enrollment

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates pulling from portal

Football Recruiting Report
Big man Allen tapping into ‘nasty side’

Football Recruiting Report
ECU gets one of NC’s top D-line prospects

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, May 21, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, May 20, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, May 19, 2022

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, May 21, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, May 20, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, May 19, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, May 18, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, May 16, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, May 15, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday May 14, 2022

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2022 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy