College Hockey Realignment: Notre Dame Hockey May Already Have TV Contract With NBC Sports Network
by Brian Favat on Oct 4, 2011 12:02 PM EDT
in Boston College Hockey
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If this is true, then my excitement level for Notre Dame hockey moving to Hockey East just got taken down a notch. From the Eagle-Tribune's Mike McMahon:
"Notre Dame's decision was based largely on television. Soon, each conference in the country will announce its own television deal with NBC Sports Network (what Versus will turn into in January) to air college hockey games nationally. Notre Dame has reached its own agreement with NBC Sports to air its games, separately from the conference contract.
The NCHC, according to sources, was reluctant to go along with Notre Dame's television wishes."
Bertagna extending an invite to the Irish along with its own new, shiny TV contract wouldn't exactly be the best thing for Hockey East in the long run. This would create a Texas Longhorn Network-like set of circumstances that was in no small part responsible for the temporary destabilization of the Big 12.
The thing is ... Notre Dame hockey isn't Texas football, and hasn't exactly earned the right on the ice to deserve such preferential treatment. This is nothing more than the Irish cashing in on its football history and national popularity and extending that brand to its men's ice hockey program. While I respect the move from a business standpoint, I can't imagine programs like Boston University (5 National titles), Boston College (4), Maine (2) and New Hampshire (...) can be too thrilled about Notre Dame landing its own TV contract on the network formerly known as Versus.
If Bertagna doesn't get anything in return in negotations with Notre Dame, and all Irish games are televised on NBC Sports Network while only a select number of other HEA games are televised, I'd just as soon watch Hockey East let Notre Dame hockey twist in the wind. The Irish would then have to either pursue hockey independence, try to rebuild the CCHA, join the WCHA or swallow its pride and become an all-sports member of the Big Ten.
Knowing how Hockey East operates, however, I'm sure they'd just as soon cater to Notre Dame to get the Irish into the fold and get just a few of the league's games on NBC Sports Network.
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agreed completely
Hockey East does not need to debase itself to attract Notre Dame. Notre Dame needs a conference, but Hockey East is just fine the way it is now. IF this is true, Hockey East better have received something else really valuable from Notre Dame.
just wondering
Why would Hockey East schools alllow Bertagna to proceed on this basis?
No idea
The only semi-rational explanation I can think of is that TV rights are so new to Hockey East that Bertagna doesn’t have the first clue on how to handle this situation.
If he looked at college football, a sport where TV media rights contracts are much more mature, he’d note that the Big 12 has since corrected its mistake and will now move to an equal revenue distribution model for its Tier 1 and 2 media rights. Tier 3 stays with the schools. This is the only revenue model that makes sense for a conference.
I don’t even know what Tier 3 media rights would be for college hockey … exhibitions? warm-ups? Ice Jam?
Editor, BC Interruption
Notre Dame does not have a deal with NBCSN … The person who wrote that article said that information was faulty, and has amended it.
Still doesn't add up
What non-TV related reason does the NCHC have in shutting the door on Notre Dame? That they blew a deadline? Are they that hell-bent on keeping the league an even number of teams? Do they hate Bowling Green that much that they wouldn’t make the Falcons program #10?
Questions I’d like answers to.
Editor, BC Interruption
I had heard that the Irish were leaning NCHC due to the better geographic fit. Not sure how valid that report is/was.
Editor, BC Interruption
With the NCHC saying no, ND has lost a lot of leverage in the process. Right now, Notre Dame needs Hockey East more than Hockey East needs Notre Dame.
If HEA decided they wanted to stay at 10 because adding ND would mean they’d have to add another program of little/no value, where does Notre Dame go? WCHA? Two trips to Alaska a year? CCHA with … Bowling Green? They literally have nowhere else to go, other than to once again flirt with the Big Ten with zero intentions of actually hooking up.
Editor, BC Interruption
Nevermind
Bowling Green just accepted an invite to the WCHA. There’s literally no more CCHA after Notre Dame leaves.
Editor, BC Interruption
Presser
Looks like a done deal
http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/pres1112/201110/oct4hea.php
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