Welcome to The Holy Land of Hoops

Great article for everyone interested in the C7 / Big East breakup. Lots of information obtained from a public records request. My first impression is that Aresco knows the Big East is in trouble.

Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco was not immediately available for comment but said in a Jan. 14 interview about the divorce: “We want to sit down and amicably hash it out.”

A sample of questions the agreement asks of the Catholic 7:

“Would you be amenable to an earlier separation date?”

”If so, what is the earliest date you would consider?”

“Would you be amenable to allowing the other group of schools to retain the Big East name under appropriate conditions?”

“Would you consider a change in format that might allow both groups to hold a shorter tournament at (Madison Square Garden), or would you consider other potential alternatives (such as alternating years with the other group at MSG)?”

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... ment-funds

admin wrote:Great article for everyone interested in the C7 / Big East breakup. Lots of information obtained from a public records request. My first impression is that Aresco knows the Big East is in trouble.

Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco was not immediately available for comment but said in a Jan. 14 interview about the divorce: “We want to sit down and amicably hash it out.”

A sample of questions the agreement asks of the Catholic 7:

“Would you be amenable to an earlier separation date?”

”If so, what is the earliest date you would consider?”

“Would you be amenable to allowing the other group of schools to retain the Big East name under appropriate conditions?”

“Would you consider a change in format that might allow both groups to hold a shorter tournament at (Madison Square Garden), or would you consider other potential alternatives (such as alternating years with the other group at MSG)?”

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... ment-funds

Thanks! nice bit of information after some dry spells. I like this a lot and will post on the ND thread

In a text message, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said the email “reflects our interest in understanding what the Catholic 7 are thinking in terms of a timetable. Risk we are trying to manage is the possibility that they leave earlier than expected.”

Here's the key phrase as far as fans are concerned- The “Mutual Commitment Agreement – Initial Separation Issues List,” sent by Big East attorney Peter Zern to commissioner Mike Aresco and three Big East presidents on Dec. 21, highlights ground rules for a departure that one Big East source says could take all of 2013 to finalize.

cmon already.

xman wrote:Here's the key phrase as far as fans are concerned- The “Mutual Commitment Agreement – Initial Separation Issues List,” sent by Big East attorney Peter Zern to commissioner Mike Aresco and three Big East presidents on Dec. 21, highlights ground rules for a departure that one Big East source says could take all of 2013 to finalize.

cmon already.

That's journalism speak trying to explain lawyer speak

This is being hashed out NOW and will be agreed upon shortly after March Madness, IMHO.

xman wrote:Here's the key phrase as far as fans are concerned- The “Mutual Commitment Agreement – Initial Separation Issues List,” sent by Big East attorney Peter Zern to commissioner Mike Aresco and three Big East presidents on Dec. 21, highlights ground rules for a departure that one Big East source says could take all of 2013 to finalize.

cmon already.

If true, that would be disappointing.

xman wrote:Here's the key phrase as far as fans are concerned- The “Mutual Commitment Agreement – Initial Separation Issues List,” sent by Big East attorney Peter Zern to commissioner Mike Aresco and three Big East presidents on Dec. 21, highlights ground rules for a departure that one Big East source says could take all of 2013 to finalize
cmon already.

Finally some one who gets it ! All this talk about what teams are going to be added etc. is premature. The process is going to be long and torturous when millions of dollars are involved

This is the exact reason I'll be surprised if any public schools are invited. Private institutions aren't bound by these information disclosure/public records laws that public schools are. Privates only disclose what they want known. That seems to fit this group's behavior on the split well to this point. From the horse's mouth has only come what they want known. Everything else has been speculation and unnamed/unverifiable sources.

The taking all of 2013 seems to me to be legal posturing. The BE TV deal expires this year. So they're going to negotiate a new deal that involves teams leaving? Who wants to pay for that uncertainty? Only at a discount if I'm the networks. The remaining BE needs their long-term plan to be able to negotiate their best possible deal.

And the C7 teams know what they could get on their own. Good luck trying to get them to agree to a short-term split that involves less than what they'd get on their own. And those staying in the BE aren't going to want to share anything more than the minimum possible...and if their share doesn't work out to what the C7 would get on their own....just seems like it'll be easier to negotiate the split so everyone can do their thing now than to negotiate a short-term coexistence.

Add that FOX is starting in the fall...they don't want to wait a year for their programming. If the C7 can't provide it, then their deal goes down in price as another conference provides them their startup inventory. Those things tell me this is a game of legal chicken. Nobody blinks...then everybody loses. So they'll play as long as possible, but at some point one or the other will blink and an amicable split will happen quickly at the deadline for the network negotiations. 2014 is a losing proposition for both sides.

Yeah, this ain't ending soon it would seem. I agree with the poster who said if you read between the lines it sure seems like Aresco knows the C7 have the power in the deal.

JohnT wrote:Yeah, this ain't ending soon it would seem. I agree with the poster who said if you read between the lines it sure seems like Aresco knows the C7 have the power in the deal.

Aresco's questions certainly make it sound like he wants to pursue an early break if possible.

After thinking about it, 2014 as the start up year wouldn't be totally outside the realm of possibility. Waiting another year allows the BE 7 to get a share of the exit fees to be paid by Syracuse and Pitt.