Is Homogeneity Of Membership Good Or Bad?

[Bill Marsh]

In reference to: Growing the Brand.

As for Val and growing the Brand. There are a couple of things the readily come to mind, which I and others have mentioned before.

1) Grow the BEDN. The league's digital network needs to grow ASAP. Yes, I know that the BE Office is doing so, but more is needed. This will take advantage of the so-called shifting viewership from cable to online streaming platforms.

Put all sports games on the BEDN as an alternative to merely watching on the telly. Improve the output on mobile platforms (Android, iOS, tablets, etc.). Improve access by partnering with online hosts, develop our own isp-type online broadcast capability, and provide multi-language support for wider audience capture. Develop non-game programming (talking heads shows, sports instruction, HOF and coaching shows, BE history & re-run the classic contests, interactive fan input formats, interactive sports games, community outreach, BE Int'l. outreach-when promoted and tied to our overseas summer trips, etc.) to augment live game outputs, increase ad space, and to promote the BE and trumpet what the conference achieves in sports and the community, across the network. Instead of fighting in China, the BE should be teaching, partnering, promoting with potential international organizations and teams.

Growing the BEDN has major potentials in becoming the conferences' primary income stream, as it has a worldwide reach and the possiblity of becoming an multi-language online international sports brand.

2) Most of our schools are small as many frequently point out. Only a few have the cache and name recognition to garner individual Rights Marketing/Signage marketing packages...Georgetown, Marquette, Nova, etc. Therefore the Big East should negotiate with marketing corporations to field a Big East sports marketing package (similar to what they have with MSG).

Such a package deal would not only include a conference marketing plan, but also include the remaining universities in the conference that don't have such plans in place. That way, rather than say a Creighton or other school not having a marketing plan getting "lowballed" by marketing companies, when coupled with the conference and other individual schools, would be able to get fair market value for their properties and the BE negotiates along with the schools for additional leverage. The conference and the individuals bundled together negotiate a fair split.

These 2 ideas have long legs - as such can be contributors to the growth of the brand, have potential to become major income streams, and place the conference amongst the forward thinking leadership within the major conferences.

Gtmo, those are great ideas! They should find a position for you at BR HQ.

[Bill Marsh]

2. Gonzaga

I will presume/accept that they were interested when the Big East initially reformed. Are they still interested now? There are compelling reasons for them to stay where they are and there are compelling reasons for them to join the Big East. We can continue to babble about it through the rest of the summer, but what do they really want to do from here?

As recently as a year ago in Bill Rhoden's NY Times article, Mark Few made it very clear that Gonzaga was interested in moving to the Big East. What wasn't so clear was whether they would make such a move by themselves or as part of a new western wing of the conference.

[gtmoBlue]

Thanks Bill. Sent a copy to Stu Jackson, just in case.

You see, the thing is, is that basketball is a fast growing world sport. In Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa basketball (NBA/FIBA) follows only Futbol (Soccer) on the world stage. Basketball has a large and growing following down here - NBA, and college versions...The Big East has a great opportunity to grow, strengthen, and promote the Brand internationally, especially in 20 or so countries that are growing in Olympic basketball, plus other areas where the sport is burgeoning at the primary/secondary school levels. We already see the growth in the numbers of foreign players migrating to college ball as preparation for the pro level- whether our pros or in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Caribbean/Latin America. Whether as teachers, sponsors, or promoters of individual Camps, Workshops, & exhibitions, or Team and Coaches/Referee training, etc. The BE can be instrumental in ensuring the next generations are learning the game correctly at both the fundamental and the advanced levels.



The NBA and FIBA is on Fox and ESPN down here (Central/South America), but no college ball. I recently emailed Fox to encourage them to work to add NCAA hoops to their cable providers down here in Latin America, as the basketball market is strong. We shall see.

[Bill Marsh]

Another great idea, Gtmo!

Where are you and why? Did you retire to Latin America?

[BEXU]

He's working for Gm in Venezuela....oh

[gtmoBlue]

Retired. Do a little writing and traveling. Spend time in Panama and Colombia (spouse is a local).

[H.U.S.T.L.E.]

I don't know about you guys, but I never watch Big Ten games. I have enough trouble keeping up with Big East games and still having a life. I assume that Big Ten fans are the same with regard to their league. So, I don"t know why the move of 50 Big Ten games to Fox is going to turn Big Ten fans into Big East watchers. Big Ten fans are still going to watch Big Ten games regardless of who broadcasts them.

Hey Bill, I'm like you in that watching Big East games consumes most of my sports-viewing hours in the winter. But the only conference i won't watch is the ACC cuz they're a-holes. I often will keep a Pac-12 FS1 game on late on a weeknight while I'm doing some other activity, work or whatever.

I think the key with Big Ten games on FS1 is to continue to build FS1 into typical fans' channel surfing rotations.

Aw, billyjack, that stings me a bit. Fair enough, the UNCs and UVAs of the world can be pretentious, but you can get on the ground floor with me to watch Virginia Tech's rise to the top of college basketball! We don't play much defense, but we shoot a lot of 3s and are pretty fun to watch!

(Sorry, Marquette fans...)

In all seriousness, the question on how the Big East grows its brand is tough to answer. The sports landscape is increasingly fractured and niche, as many here have pointed out, and that makes it extremely tough to gain a foothold in an ever-shifting marketplace. The rise of RSNs has really put a damper on a lot of the national TV contracts in various sports, especially those like hockey, baseball and college basketball. I don't know where things go from here, but it's a conundrum that various entities will have to navigate if they want to be relevant long-term.

[DudeAnon]

The Big East's strength are two-fold

1) Basketball schools. Every program owes its reputation to basketball. Even DePaul was once a basketball power.

2) Metropolitan. Most schools are located in or near large cities.

How you capitalize on this is questionable, but these are the strengths.


Btw Gtmo, we have something in common, my wife is also from Colombia.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Retired. Do a little writing and traveling. Spend time in Panama and Colombia (spouse is a local).

Mr. & Mrs. GTMO:




Sorry, GTMO it just popped in my head when you said you were retired and your wife Colombian.

[DeltaV]

Retired. Do a little writing and traveling. Spend time in Panama and Colombia (spouse is a local).

Mr. & Mrs. GTMO:




Sorry, GTMO it just popped in my head when you said you were retired and your wife Colombian.

There are a LOT of Catholics south of the Rio Grande...Think we could get His Holiness the Pope on board?