LA Ute
11-30-2013, 08:10 AM
On this Thanksgiving weekend I am thankful that Utah is in the PAC-12. This fascinating New York Times article tells the story:
Television Revenue Fuels a Construction Boom in the Pac-12 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/30/sports/ncaafootball/television-revenue-fuels-a-construction-boom-in-the-pac-12.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0)
This graphic from the story (http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/11/30/football-conferences/?ref=ncaafootball) is interesting too.
The article is pretty wide-ranging. Utah-related excerpts:
The possibility of a new television contract did not factor into Utah’s decision to switch conferences. The Utes stood to gain regardless, but not as much at first as the Pac-10 teams.
Like Colorado, Utah is on a three-year television contract timeline. It received a half share in 2012-13 (about $8 million) and a three-quarters share this year (about $12 million). It will receive a full share for 2014-15.
Even half a share dwarfed the $2 million in TV money Utah received from the Mountain West Conference. Chris Hill, Utah’s athletic director, had to temper expectations. He tried to raise half the money for each project, attracting $16 million in donations for the $32 million football center that opened in August. He also needed to increase his operating budget, to improve infrastructure as well as take on projects.
“I had to remind everybody that the Brink’s truck was not pulling up any time soon,” Hill said. “You want your coaches to be the loudest. You want them waiting outside your door. But you have to calm everybody down.”
...
Utah hopes to break ground in March on a new basketball practice facility. Its operating budget increased more than $11 million in the past two and a half years. The Brink’s truck, Hill joked, is en route.
“We’re on our credit card,” Hill said. “But we’re getting stuff done, and we’re going to pay it off at the end of the month.”
Television Revenue Fuels a Construction Boom in the Pac-12 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/30/sports/ncaafootball/television-revenue-fuels-a-construction-boom-in-the-pac-12.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0)
This graphic from the story (http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/11/30/football-conferences/?ref=ncaafootball) is interesting too.
The article is pretty wide-ranging. Utah-related excerpts:
The possibility of a new television contract did not factor into Utah’s decision to switch conferences. The Utes stood to gain regardless, but not as much at first as the Pac-10 teams.
Like Colorado, Utah is on a three-year television contract timeline. It received a half share in 2012-13 (about $8 million) and a three-quarters share this year (about $12 million). It will receive a full share for 2014-15.
Even half a share dwarfed the $2 million in TV money Utah received from the Mountain West Conference. Chris Hill, Utah’s athletic director, had to temper expectations. He tried to raise half the money for each project, attracting $16 million in donations for the $32 million football center that opened in August. He also needed to increase his operating budget, to improve infrastructure as well as take on projects.
“I had to remind everybody that the Brink’s truck was not pulling up any time soon,” Hill said. “You want your coaches to be the loudest. You want them waiting outside your door. But you have to calm everybody down.”
...
Utah hopes to break ground in March on a new basketball practice facility. Its operating budget increased more than $11 million in the past two and a half years. The Brink’s truck, Hill joked, is en route.
“We’re on our credit card,” Hill said. “But we’re getting stuff done, and we’re going to pay it off at the end of the month.”