STrib: Major revenue source of Gophers athletics faces an uncertain future

BleedGopher

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per Joe:

When Mark Coyle finished his first stint at the University of Minnesota, leaving to become associate athletic director at Kentucky in 2005, the Gophers were collecting $10.7 million each year in Big Ten revenue.

That was two years before the Big Ten Network launched, revamping the college sports television landscape. By the time Coyle returned to take the Gophers’ AD job last year, Minnesota’s share of Big Ten revenue had spiked to $36.3 million.

By next year, that number will skyrocket again, to $51.1 million, according to University of Michigan projections, as reported by the Detroit News.

But after inheriting a budget deficit at Minnesota and making an expensive football coaching change — from Tracy Claeys to P.J. Fleck last winter — Coyle needs the added Big Ten revenue to balance the books.

A former AD at Boise State and Syracuse, Coyle preaches caution, knowing the college sports landscape could shift again, as droves of consumers move away from cable TV.

“I think everyone’s mindful of what’s happened across the country with cord-cutting,” Coyle said. “I think we’re foolish if we don’t think there will be an impact on us, so how do we prepare for that?”

The latest Big Ten windfall arrives as the conference begins new media rights deals with Fox and ESPN. Commissioner Jim Delany made a calculated gamble, agreeing to six-year contracts this time around. The SEC and ACC, for comparison, have deals that run through 2033-34 and 2035-36, respectively.

What happens to Big Ten media revenue after 2023 is anybody’s guess. ESPN reportedly has lost 12 million subscribers over the past six years, costing $1.2 billion in annual revenue, and recently made high-profile layoffs.

“Eventually, you have to wonder, will this money be coming in to conferences like the Big Ten forever?” said Dave Ridpath, an associate professor at Ohio University and oft-cited expert on college sports business. “Considering what’s recently happened at ESPN, I still think there’s a bubble, but when that bubble bursts, who knows?”

http://www.startribune.com/major-re...thletics-faces-an-uncertain-future/433362643/

Go Gophers!!
 

The Big Ten footprint extends into three of the six largest markets. I would think it should be solid for the foreseeable future.
 

Uncertain future.... after a big payout... that's gotta make it easier.
 

I thought the headline was misleading. Yes, there is a possibility that TV rights fees from the major networks could go down in the future due to cord-cutting, but - as the article points out - new sources of revenue will also be created from streaming video services that carry sports.

As long as people watch sports, somebody will be paying someone in order to have those games available on their TV, monitor, laptop, virtual reality goggles, or some new gadget that hasn't been invented yet.

It's possible we may be at the peak of the TV revenue boom - but it's not going to go from 100% to zero. There may be a decline, but it will be a gradual decline, giving schools time to adjust.

So, I thought the story made some interesting points, but the headline was overly apocalyptic. The Gopher athletic department is not going to wake up in a month or a year, and have no revenue.

Also, credit to the story for pointing out that Teague's "fee" increase hurt attendance.
 

So put out an entertaining sports product, like Fleck vs. Harbaugh.
 


Bear with me for just a second, and believe me this is just a hypothetical, but what if, and I'm just spitballing here, we double or triple seat donation prices? Would that do anything for you?
 

Well that sucks.

According to this article, it will affect the University of Minnesota and no other schools.
 

Bear with me for just a second, and believe me this is just a hypothetical, but what if, and I'm just spitballing here, we double or triple seat "donation" prices? Would that do anything for you?

FIFY


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Money and greed will ruin college football, and most likely GOpher sports revenue. Many folks that I know are bailing out of Comcast cable TV. They just raised some of their rates in exchange for package deals full of garbage TV shows like the Kardashians and the Housewifes of Hell.

The only thing that's keeping me subscribed are the sports channels, and my loves the cooking channels. Other than these and news and a couple of other channels I have no interest in cable anymore. They made it difficult for you to register your true opinion of the programming other than that robotic survey.
 



This isn't a Gopher problem. It's a sports in America problem.

I personally hope the sports bubble bursts, and I can't wait to see it happen. Although maybe burst is the wrong word. It'll probably be more like a slow leak and it will start with the Monday Night Football contract renewal in 2021 IMO. The best thing that could happen is ESPN losing it. 2020-2030 will see TV revenue come back down to earth. Sports are still sustainable without the ridiculous TV contracts they have now. It'll just look different.
 

This isn't a Gopher problem. It's a sports in America problem.

I personally hope the sports bubble bursts, and I can't wait to see it happen. Although maybe burst is the wrong word. It'll probably be more like a slow leak and it will start with the Monday Night Football contract renewal in 2021 IMO. The best thing that could happen is ESPN losing it. 2020-2030 will see TV revenue come back down to earth. Sports are still sustainable without the ridiculous TV contracts they have now. It'll just look different.

You are all wrong! Trump is going to have professional wrestling replace football as America's sport. It is going to be great!:clap::clap::clap:
 

Yeah, there is plenty of room for belt tightening amongst power five programs. It has sort of gotten to a Brewster's Millions level of absurdity with coaching salaries, administrator salaries, facilities.

I'm not certain the revenue will fall much in real terms unless fans are turned off en masse. The rate of increase may slow. There is a huge bolus of the population that is not comfortable using new technology or cutting the cord. Inertia is powerful. Is it possible the cord cutting will slow down after the early adopters sign up? Regardless of what happens with tv the programs with deep pocketed donors will retain an edge, similar to today.
 

It cost over $7,000,000 this year to replace a coach that won 9 games.
Coaching salaries in the future will also be much higher due the changes.
Don't whine about budget problems!

Why are Coyle and Kaler still employed at the University?
 



The fan doesn't care about the budget. The fan was still there when coaches were making six figures and the games were on the radio.

The money streaming into sports has been a boon to coaches (HUGE salaries) and players (INSANE facilities) but the fan experience hasn't really changed.

If the money stops, the coaches and players will feel the pain. The fan will not.
 


I disagree, I think the fan experience has gotten worse.

Relative to what time frame? I think it is an order of magnitude better than the post Holtz dome days. I'm more excited about Fleck's energy going into this season than Claeys lack of it going into last season. As far as game day experience, I miss the old Sally's, but reopening the new sally's and Stub and Herb's doing more outdoor events has made things better than they were. Attendance affects game day experience for me, last year was a low point in recent history, the year before that was a highpoint. I think this year will be somewhere in between.
 

Relative to what time frame? I think it is an order of magnitude better than the post Holtz dome days. I'm more excited about Fleck's energy going into this season than Claeys lack of it going into last season. As far as game day experience, I miss the old Sally's, but reopening the new sally's and Stub and Herb's doing more outdoor events has made things better than they were. Attendance affects game day experience for me, last year was a low point in recent history, the year before that was a highpoint. I think this year will be somewhere in between.
Kind of talking for College football as a whole. Gophers are a bit of an outlier since the new stadium really changed things in a positive way, but there is still lots that detracts from the experience. Tickets are less affordable then ever, stadiums are not full, constant barrage of advertisements from the PA announcer, "donation" seating moving passionate but less wealthy fans to the marginal seats or their couches at home, games take FOREVER because of commercial breaks (NFL is even worse of course).
 

Kind of talking for College football as a whole. Gophers are a bit of an outlier since the new stadium really changed things in a positive way, but there is still lots that detracts from the experience. Tickets are less affordable then ever, stadiums are not full, constant barrage of advertisements from the PA announcer, "donation" seating moving passionate but less wealthy fans to the marginal seats or their couches at home, games take FOREVER because of commercial breaks (NFL is even worse of course).

For the Gophs, it has only gotten better, IMHO. Most of the folks in my section have fun with the announcer promos. I'll gladly put up with those if they're are part of the reason I can now sit in the Sun at the Bank on a beautiful Saturday in the Fall. In the 30ish years I've attended, I really don't think the games are longer.

I think almost all of us can agree that the U screwed up with the aggressiveness of the seat donation plan. Coyle did the right thing freezing it.
 

Coyle did the right thing freezing it.

He did, but that was also kind of a freebie handed to him. It was basicly do the right thing kinda late.... or massively **** up and let it go on another year. I have trouble giving him much credit for that one.
 

He did, but that was also kind of a freebie handed to him. It was basicly do the right thing kinda late.... or massively **** up and let it go on another year. I have trouble giving him much credit for that one.

Oh for sure, it was a no-brainer and I'm not a fan of MC by any stretch, but he did what the previous would or could not.
 

I actually wish he had reversed last year's increase, but since that was a huge admission, I do hope they do some things to promote games and fill the stadium.
 

As far as major sources of revenue goes, there are a lot of things in change mode at the moment and there will be a lot more things that look differently by 2023. I don't think it is a reasonable assumption that the revenue the B1G generates from broadcasting rights is completely dependent on the current structure of sports broadcasting. The broadcast rights for professional sports are still going up ESPN financial issues or not.
Personally, if the money has to go to someone, I would just as soon see it go to the schools as the broadcast personalities.
 

Kind of talking for College football as a whole. Gophers are a bit of an outlier since the new stadium really changed things in a positive way, but there is still lots that detracts from the experience. Tickets are less affordable then ever, stadiums are not full, constant barrage of advertisements from the PA announcer, "donation" seating moving passionate but less wealthy fans to the marginal seats or their couches at home, games take FOREVER because of commercial breaks (NFL is even worse of course).

I agree with most everything you said, but the NFL has one thing right. You can count on an NFL game last three hours. College football can last anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. I don't know if a certain level has more or less commercials, to me they appear to be the same, but the NFL knows and understands that fans can't last more than 3 hours.
 

I agree with most everything you said, but the NFL has one thing right. You can count on an NFL game last three hours. College football can last anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. I don't know if a certain level has more or less commercials, to me they appear to be the same, but the NFL knows and understands that fans can't last more than 3 hours.

Last seasons Gopher game lengths:

At TCF Bank Stadium:

3:13 Northwestern
3:14 Iowa
3:16 Colorado State
3:16 Indiana State
3:22 Oregon State
3:25 Rutgers
3:42 Purdue


Road Games:

2:57 Nebraska
3:10 Maryland
3:23 Illinois
3:28 Wisconsin
3:42 Washington State
3:51 Penn State (Overtime)
 

Last seasons Gopher game lengths:

At TCF Bank Stadium:

3:13 Northwestern
3:14 Iowa
3:16 Colorado State
3:16 Indiana State
3:22 Oregon State
3:25 Rutgers
3:42 Purdue


Road Games:

2:57 Nebraska
3:10 Maryland
3:23 Illinois
3:28 Wisconsin
3:42 Washington State
3:51 Penn State (Overtime)

Maybe it just feels like it takes forever.
 



In the scheme of the total length of the game, I wouldn't call an 8 minute difference much longer.....

I agree; but...sometimes they don't start the college clock until after the teams clear the field and sometimes they stretch the time before the start of the 3rd quarter. It's easy to add an extra five.
 




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