Independent

[IslandHerd1]

I know most are going to jump all over this, but IF MU was to go Independent in football and shove our other sports into a solid home conference, why couldn't it be beneficial for our program?

Could we not match the TV dollars by selling our 12 games?

I believe we could make the same money as we do now if not MORE.

Scheduling would be wide open.

In fact IF it were possible to do, schedules for MU could look like this:

Ohio (every year)
ECU (every year)
Iowa
Navy
Kansas State
Army
Southern Miss
BYU
Virginia
Tennessee
Maryland
Boise State

Shoemaker what is the reality of MU being Independent in Football? It seems highly feasible, but what's the inside look on something like that?

Thoughts everyone else?

 

[jocktalker]

Not Dan Shoemaker, but there isn't a chance in hell that Marshall could survive as an independent.

No TV market
No curb appeal for scheduling
Increased travel expenses would further tax a deficit spending athletic department.
No guaranteed TV or bowl revenue money.

It would be a gigantic disaster.

 

[-CarlHungus-]

I'm far from an expert on this (so I may be way off here), but this is my take....

Money - specifically TV contract money - rules the show in college football. I just don't see it being feasible for 95% of college football programs to survive or thrive without that TV money, which all flows from the conference contracts.

With that said, I think in the next 10, maybe 15 years, there could be some seismic shifts in the way entertainment and streaming options go which could render some shake ups in these previously very lucrative conference TV deals. The idea of Marshall (or whatever school) having their own Apple TV/Roku/Fire app with a monthly subscription service and having rights to stream games is not likely, but not impossible in the next 10-15 years. This could have major implications on conference TV revenue and lessen the restrictive chains that teams have to their conferences.

It sounds crazy, but shifts in internet service providers, cable TV subscribers, streaming services, things like fiber internet, etc will have the biggest impact on college football and conference affiliation more than any on the field product or team scheduling. Right now live sporting events are keeping cable TV subscriptions afloat, but "cord cutting" is a real phenomenon and if the live sporting events start bleeding into a streaming/internet market under a different paradigm than we have now at a higher percentage then everyone has to re-evaluate conference money and affiliation.

Mike Casazza had a good article on this earlier this year - Conferences should be worried about future TV deals.

 

[jocktalker]

I'm far from an expert on this (so I may be way off here), but this is my take....

Money - specifically TV contract money - rules the show in college football. I just don't see it being feasible for 95% of college football programs to survive or thrive without that TV money, which all flows from the conference contracts.

With that said, I think in the next 10, maybe 15 years, there could be some seismic shifts in the way entertainment and streaming options go which could render some shake ups in these previously very lucrative conference TV deals. The idea of Marshall (or whatever school) having their own Apple TV/Roku/Fire app with a monthly subscription service and having rights to stream games is not likely, but not impossible in the next 10-15 years. This could have major implications on conference TV revenue and lessen the restrictive chains that teams have to their conferences.

It sounds crazy, but shifts in internet service providers, cable TV subscribers, streaming services, things like fiber internet, etc will have the biggest impact on college football and conference affiliation more than any on the field product or team scheduling. Right now live sporting events are keeping cable TV subscriptions afloat, but "cord cutting" is a real phenomenon and if the live sporting events start bleeding into a streaming/internet market under a different paradigm than we have now at a higher percentage then everyone has to re-evaluate conference money and affiliation.

Mike Casazza had a good article on this earlier this year - Conferences should be worried about future TV deals.

You make a great point which leads to a totally different dynamic and discussion. I probably should have noted that in my post. I cannot envision a scenario where a independent Marshall could maximize revenues from the new platforms that will become available in the future. Marshall's fan base, while passionate, is limited both in number and those with sufficient disposable incomes to offer much financial benefit.

 

[MARSHALL77]

LOL - Running the programs as an independent - wow- a hoops program that can not make post season or if so has its been a buy in tournament, football that ends up playing in a basically an also ran bowl game that pays zip when it comes to bowl game payouts - baseball that still has to drive 100+ miles round trip to play a home game , where exactly is all the money supposedly going to come from to accomplish this? TV revenues from playing the likes of CUSA and a few OOC games ( not inclusive of MAC teams) until the schedule could be altered. Please get real and realize that Marshall is what Marshall is and accept that.

Have to agree with Jocktalker with regards to basically limited finances and number of the overall fan base of Marshall.

No what Marshall needs to do is find a way out of CUSA first and foremost and into if nothing else the AAC..you know , a conference that actually has games televised on the major sports networks.

We are not nor will we ever be a school that can dictate what we will or will not do a la Notre Dame.

 

[jeremycriss]

There's only a handful of programs in the country that could survive as an Independent and we're not one of them.

 

[IslandHerd1]

There's only a handful of programs in the country that could survive as an Independent and we're not one of them.

Why is that?

Also 77, I said independent in football only, other sports have a home.

We wouldn't need a Herd network we could get a deal for our games without the conference affiliation, we got on TV in the MAC days, because of ourselves not because of the storied MAC. I watched EVERY game on TV this year, because we are Marshall not bc of CUSA.

You guys seriously think we can't make 2 million on games against prime opponents like I listed above, or that FS1/ ESPN wouldn't cut us a deal to match our current TV revenue???? No way we can't get that number. Plus keep our Bowl revenue, and if UT and K State are ever in Hton that's a sellout crowd and more $.

 

[houston_herd_fan]

The only reason I still have cable TV is due to the difficulty of watching sports without it. If something online that would maximize that ability I would drop cable in a heart beat.

 

[HuntersvilleHerd]

That proposed schedule is not even slightly realistic. ECU has no interest in playing us every year, they have OOC contracts with UNC, NCSU, Vt, and other teams they'd rather play. We can't even get Ohio every single year now... they are dropping off for 4 years.

Mike has the hardest job in America scheduling 4 OOC games a year, you want him to fill12... Against all name teams...You don't even show a 1-AA game. (and I'm sure you'd like 6 home games too, meaning all contracts would have to be home & home)

Not realistic at all.

 

[Maiku]

As inviting and appealing as being an independent in football may sound, there is NO WAY Marshall could ever survive. First of all, you have a great schedule lined up there. But honestly, how easy to you think it will be to line up such a schedule on a YEARLY basis? Do you honestly believe that Tennessee, Iowa, Maryland, Kansas State, etc will actually schedule a game in Huntington on a regular basis? If so, I applaud your enthusiasm. While it may be nice to look at that schedule and drool at the possibilities, the fact of the matter is, like it or not, the P5 conference teams are headed to scheduling only other P5 teams out of conference.

Secondly, at least in my opinion, it would be financial (and football) suicide to be an independent. Look at the three schools currently with independent status in football; Army, BYU, and Notre Dame. You may jump right out and pick out Army from that group saying "if they can make it so can we". But look a bit closer. Does Army really need the revenue from football games as much as schools such as Marshall? Of course not. All of their academics are funded by the federal government. And as far as I know, most if not all of their athletic funding is provided by private sources.

Notre Dame? Well, simply put they are Notre Dame. Compare the dollars flowing through that school as compared to Marshall. They have a mega TV contract as we all know. What about BYU? Well, I dare say that they have a much larger following than the Herd does..a worldwide following at that. Their current contract with ESPN gives anywhere from $800K to $1.2 million per home game. Do you really think Marshall could command such a payday? And I've watched some of BYU's games on their BYU Channel and they are top notch broadcasts. Check one out sometime..

And to touch on the bowl revenue, not sure it would be enough to cover expenses involved. But taking it a step further, how do you propose that Marshall University invite itself into the mix? What bargaining power does the university have?

While I do like the enthusiasm from your IslanHerd1, I think you are in the midst of a great daydream. Simply put, there is no way at all that being an independent in football would produce anything positive for Marshall, the university, or perhaps more importantly, Herd fans.

 

[jocktalker]

Why is that?

Also 77, I said independent in football only, other sports have a home.

We wouldn't need a Herd network we could get a deal for our games without the conference affiliation, we got on TV in the MAC days, because of ourselves not because of the storied MAC. I watched EVERY game on TV this year, because we are Marshall not bc of CUSA.

You guys seriously think we can't make 2 million on games against prime opponents like I listed above, or that FS1/ ESPN wouldn't cut us a deal to match our current TV revenue???? No way we can't get that number. Plus keep our Bowl revenue, and if UT and K State are ever in Hton that's a sellout crowd and more $.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but neither Fox or ESPN would provide a special TV contract for Marshall. I suspect the inventory is pretty full now. You think ESPN is going to reduce Big 10 games so they can squeeze in the nationally popular Herd games?

Or do you like playing mid week games? How about midnight on Tuesday and Thursday?

As mentioned in previous posts, Mike Hamrick struggles to book 4 OOC games--how do you expect him to book 12? Hello? Tennessee and Virgina..we'do like to book home and home games with you. The games will be on TV but either on tape delay, On Demand, or through some digital platform to be named later.

Marshall was on TV during the MAC days because of the MAC's TV contract with ESPN and the helping hand of Dan Shoemaker. Marshall was the best product the MAC had to sell at the time.

Despite it's crappy TV contract, Marshall games were televised under rights agreements with CUSA.

CUSA would not allow other Marshall Sports programs to remain without football. They made that plain when it looked like UAB was going to drop the sport. What other conference would accept other Marshall Sports programs? Some craptastic far away conference would be my guess if you could find one.

Sorry, going Independent just doesn'the work for 99% of all colleges.

 

[beefcake0520]

We are a regional program, which restricts us in the money department. Yes we do have a national name..........but not a national following. It takes a national following to be an independent. Look at the 3 that are currently independent, Army, ND, BYU. All those programs have a national following that demands attention. Navy opted out of this scenario for a reason, a chance at the access bowl. Other than ND, those programs are not going to have a chance at that or the playoff system. BYU would have to schedule nothing but P5 programs to have a chance and as you can see, it isn't working out like that for them. When they split from the MWC, of course this was before the requirement of a conference champion, they had no clue that criteria was coming down the pipe and neither them or Army has P5 status like ND does. It would be interesting to hear if their choice to be independent has really brought in more money as they predicted. The best thing they could do is get off their high horse and join the Big 12, very stupid that they did not when it was being pursued a few years ago. Best thing for Army would be to align with the AAC or CUSA, unless they are happy not having access to the big bowls.

Scheduling for us would be a nightmare, and lose the chance at the access bowl. Those two make this conversation senseless.