big ten network

still FOX, still Charles Woodson [Patrick Barron]

As was rumored for weeks, the Big Ten has signed a landmark new rights deal with FOX, CBS, and NBC. Let's break out the bullets.

Money. The full deal takes a little bit to kick in, and the numbers are somewhat fuzzy because some people appear to be talking about just the money coming from the three networks mentioned above and some people are including CFP, NCAA tournament, and other rights. This is the discrepancy between 75 million (deal-related money) and 100 million (expected per-school conference distribution in a few years).

This is a lot of money. Please do not accept any requests for understanding when and if the school serves up another nonconference schedule like this one.

Oh God, the commercials. There was a time way back in the long ago when this site was enthused about exploding rights fees. It's hard to remember why, but it was probably some combination of tribalism and hilariously naïve beliefs that some of this money would result in positive changes for anyone other than the people drawing salaries from the athletic department.

After years of bludgeoning in the courts of public opinion and, you know, actual courts, the NCAA has budged on some things—cost of living stipends, free food—but these athlete-supporting changes are peripheral. The money is still going to the coaching/administrator class. I see no reason that would change, so the main takeaway here for people who watch the sports is to prepare for an even heavier inundation of ads. I would expect the powers that be to push for more NFL style rules to reduce the number of plays, literally replacing football with ads.

[After THE JUMP: mandatory streaming service, Notre Dame status.]
[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

Charity Bowl time. Well, folks, time to liberate 42.27 plus processing fees from your wallets:

Or you could be like Ethan Stark and drop approximately 7k by moving the decimal. I want to see a historic blowout this year. I expect it, really.

In or out. Hunter Dickinson announced a return yesterday; Moussa Diabate has now announced he's going through the draft process:

Diabate will retain his eligibility. That's the smart move for a guy with all the physical potential in the world but little presence on mock drafts or even top 100 lists. He could easily catch someone's eye and get a first round guarantee; or he could get told if he does X and Y next year he'd be a clear lottery pick. I can't remember a stay or go decision more contingent on camp performances. Anonymous NBA scout:

“He is all over the board,” the scout said with a laugh. “The variance with him is crazy.”

SI's draft guy:

Caleb Houstan has announced nothing despite the NBA draft entry deadline passing at midnight last night. The NBA releases the list tomorrow at noon, so we won't have to wait long to find out whether he's also going through the process. I remain skeptical that Houstan is draft viable since last year he only did one thing well—stand-still shooting—and was very much a work in progress as a defender. It's frankly bizarre to me that draft rankings like CBS's have Houstan 37th and no Diabate.

If I had to bet I'd say that at least one team is willing to give Diabate a late first guarantee and that Houstan ends up returning. But [gestures in freezing cold Jordan Poole take].

[Hit THE JUMP for rescue one Aidan Hutchinson from the Lions]

Freaks. Bruce Feldman's annual list of people who should not be that size and be able to dance like that leads off with Rashan Gary. These lists always have combine porn:

The 6-foot-5 Gary is at the same weight he was at this time last year — 287 pounds — and his 40-yard dash time is the same at 4.57 seconds. His 3-cone drill at 6.79 was a touch behind last year’s 6.70, although his time this year still would beat every defensive lineman at this year’s NFL scouting combine. His 4.22 pro agility shuttle time also would top every D-lineman at the combine. Next best was 4.32. Another really impressive feat: his 10-4 broad jump, which was 8 inches better than what he did a year ago.

Incoming freshman Julius Welschof is #37 because he's very flippy. Three different Badgers (Olive Sagapolu, Jonathan Taylor, and D'Cota Dixon) make the list as well. If Hornibrook stops throwing so many picks, could be a breakthrough for the Badgers.

(Probably) nothing to see here. The Big Ten Network is up for renewal on the Comcast, and as is standard practice there is now a dual-sided PR campaign going on. BTN's like "dang!" and Fox is like "I mean cumong," and that's what's going on right now in these streets. Wetzel:

...cable giant Comcast is threatening to pull the Big Ten Network (as well as FS1, which shows league games) off basic cable packages. It already did outside the league footprint on second-tier packages. Now it is saying BTN will no longer be on basic cable in communities in the league area as of September 1.

Hence, Silverman’s alarm.

“BTN is now facing our biggest challenge since the launch of the network,” Silverman said at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “Our 10-year agreement with Comcast expires at the end of August. A few months ago, BTN was removed from out-of-market cable systems on Comcast, which is the leading cable provider in the country. … It’s extremely concerning.”

This strikes me as much ado about nothing. While Wetzel points out that cable's monopoly is mercifully crumbling and there's pressure to keep bills down, I have a hard time believing Comcast is going to send a significant section of its Big Ten footprint subscribers into a contemplation of cord-cutting. A deal will be reached at the last minute, both sides will claim victory, and the slow bleed of cable subscribers to over the top services will not get a sudden kick in the pants.

[After the JUMP: employees, monkeys... really too long spent talking about monkeys]