SEC, CBS come to terms

Solid points all, mustard, but here's the thing: If you want your program to be recognized nationally, you have to do two things. 1.) Recruit nationally. 2.) Play these intersectional games. Georgia's quarterback is from Dallas and its top running back is from New Jersey. If it plays games closer to those places, perhaps that opens recruiting opportunities for more players there.

EDIT: Dammit, Slappy, you beat me to it.

Ahem, back on topic ... It would appear, to me at least, this deal with CBS damages the chances that the conference will launch its own network.

 

Or solidifies it by locking in a broadcast partner down the road once it figures out how to avoid the problems that happened to the Big Ten/Fox collaboration...

 

I'd agree with this. CBS has already taken over CSTV completely, rebranding it as CBS College Sports.

It's only a matter of time before these two partner for an SEC Network.

 

But, realistically, how many teams really envision themselves as a national player on a yearly basis? Yeah, those teams should be playing these kind of games every few years. I just really don't see it as being in the best interests of your garden-variety BCS school.

Back to the Chickens ... they can play an ACC foe and have massive interest in the region. Aren't they kidding themselves if they think playing a similar nonregion foe is going to grab the nation's attention? And if they schedule up, they risk being made to look stupid and losing the recruiting edge they hoped to gain.

Two examples (again from here):

South Carolina's opening with N.C. State on ESPN. There's huge interest here and in North Carolina, from what I gather. Would South Carolina-Iowa State really do anything more for the Chickens?

Clemson is opening at the Georgia Dome with Alabama. Another SEC-ACC game. Another national TV game. And said to be the fastest sellout in the Dome's history. Alabama has the cache to recruit nationally, but I'm not sure Clemson could find another game that would do more for it.

 

Was sitting behind the west EZ for that Florida game.

Saw Emmitt, a lot.

 

i heard the sec was talking to comcast about its network. if that's the case, i doubt cable clearance would be as much of an issue.

 

But they'd have to partner with CBS to look like something more professional than Wayne's World. CSS broadcasts are to professional quality as 8-track tapes are to mp3s.

They'd also have to convince other cable systems to go in. In Birmingham, it's Charter and Time-Warner. How much do you think Comcast would charge to do an SECTV....

 

Much too awesome to be ignored.

As for the larger argument, Georgia and Florida face a special problem that the rest of the SEC doesn't. Both are losing a home conference game every other year thanks to playing the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. And the years when they do have four home SEC games, they are locked into a road game to end the year at their in-state ACC rival (Tech/FSU). Throw in another road non-conference game (as UGA is doing this fall at Arizona State) and you are limited to six home games in an age when power teams need seven to make the money work.

 

No sympathy here.
Even Michigan and Notre Dame took a couple year break occasionally.
They can work out an alternate home-and-home with someone different; when at GT or FSU, play that tougher game at home and it still leave two full cupcakes to mangle for the sake of money games.

 

Not that simple. For example, Georgia hosts Georgia Tech this year. But it plays only three SEC games at Sanford Stadium (and none after October 18).

 

Again. No sympathy here.
Next year, it gets seven home games -- including a return game with ASU as well as LSU and Auburn -- three of its last four games at home and Florida the game after it's open date.

 

And it's still traveling to Oklahoma State.