More big picture, I asked Babcock about expenses Tech and other major conference schools will incur as the NCAA approves enhanced, cost-of-attendance scholarships and reacts to the recent O’Bannon legal decision that allows athletic departments to reward football and men’s basketball players up to $5,000 per year for their names, images and likenesses (NILs).
Babcock estimated annual outlays of $1.5 million to $3 million to finance NILs, increased scholarship costs, improved food and greater insurance/medical coverage. He noted Maryland’s announcement this week of “scholarships for life” for athletes and Indiana’s recent student-athlete bill of rights.
“We’ve created a draft of something we feel is uniquely Virginia Tech,” Babcock said, describing a pledge Hokies coaches can use in recruiting, “but rather than release it (now), I want to see the breadth of all (the NCAA legislation). … We stay on top of it, but I’m just waiting for someone to tell me (after January’s NCAA convention) how the new game is supposed to be played and what the rules are.”
With the increased financial obligations, Babcock acknowledged the importance of the ACC following the Big Ten, Pacific 12 and, most recently, the Southeastern Conference, in creating a cable channel. Like the SEC’s, the ACC’s would be in concert with ESPN.
Fans often ask me when they can expect the ACC to launch such a project, and Babcock said he expects a yes-or-no decision within 18 months.
“That SEC Network is really impressive,” he said. “I believe even before they launched they had more households than ESPNU. … I think in some respects we need to root for the SEC Network to do well because ESPN will have the template and we can follow it in 2016. If the SEC Network did flop for some reason, I don’t know that ESPN would jump in and try (again).”
Babcock is right. After reaching a distribution agreement with DirecTV, the SEC Network is available in 87 million homes, 12 million more than ESPNU. Moreover, posting on Nasdaq.com, the Motley Fool theorizes that the SEC Network could net $400 million annually, about $28 million for each of the league’s 14 schools.
Virginia Tech’s share of ACC revenue in 2012-13 was $18.3 million.
“I’m envious of the SEC Network,” Babcock said, “but in some ways, maybe it’s a silver lining for the ACC moving forward.”
http://www.dailypress.com/sports/teel-blog/dp-teel-time-babcock-acc-channel,0,3594606,full.post
Babcock estimated annual outlays of $1.5 million to $3 million to finance NILs, increased scholarship costs, improved food and greater insurance/medical coverage. He noted Maryland’s announcement this week of “scholarships for life” for athletes and Indiana’s recent student-athlete bill of rights.
“We’ve created a draft of something we feel is uniquely Virginia Tech,” Babcock said, describing a pledge Hokies coaches can use in recruiting, “but rather than release it (now), I want to see the breadth of all (the NCAA legislation). … We stay on top of it, but I’m just waiting for someone to tell me (after January’s NCAA convention) how the new game is supposed to be played and what the rules are.”
With the increased financial obligations, Babcock acknowledged the importance of the ACC following the Big Ten, Pacific 12 and, most recently, the Southeastern Conference, in creating a cable channel. Like the SEC’s, the ACC’s would be in concert with ESPN.
Fans often ask me when they can expect the ACC to launch such a project, and Babcock said he expects a yes-or-no decision within 18 months.
“That SEC Network is really impressive,” he said. “I believe even before they launched they had more households than ESPNU. … I think in some respects we need to root for the SEC Network to do well because ESPN will have the template and we can follow it in 2016. If the SEC Network did flop for some reason, I don’t know that ESPN would jump in and try (again).”
Babcock is right. After reaching a distribution agreement with DirecTV, the SEC Network is available in 87 million homes, 12 million more than ESPNU. Moreover, posting on Nasdaq.com, the Motley Fool theorizes that the SEC Network could net $400 million annually, about $28 million for each of the league’s 14 schools.
Virginia Tech’s share of ACC revenue in 2012-13 was $18.3 million.
“I’m envious of the SEC Network,” Babcock said, “but in some ways, maybe it’s a silver lining for the ACC moving forward.”
http://www.dailypress.com/sports/teel-blog/dp-teel-time-babcock-acc-channel,0,3594606,full.post