I have read a lot about markets, and expansion. I thought I would take a look at it myself. I am not sure how these TV deals are made, but here is what I found when I compared the markets.
Right now the Mountain West has 8 of the top 60 markets in the country. The ACC, B1G, and PAC12 only have 7. The SEC, and BIG XII only have 5. And yet, the Mountain West is only getting $18 million a year. That is less than some conferences get per school.
Here is what I was able to find for the other conferences.
ACC
First-, second- and third-tier rights: $3.6 billion, ESPN, 15 years through 2026-27
Per-year average: $240 million
Per-school, per-year average: $17.1 million
BIG TEN
First-tier rights: $1 billion, ESPN, 10 years through 2016-17
Second-tier rights: $2.8 billion, Big Ten Network, 25 years through 2031-32
Select basketball rights: (minimum of 24 games, men’s tournament semifinal and championship games): $72 million, CBS, six years through 2016-17
Football championship game: $145 million, FOX, six years through 2016
Per-year average: $248.2 million
Per-school, per-pear average: $20.7 million
BIG 12
First- and second-tier rights: $2.6 billion, ESPN/FOX, 13 years through 2024-25
Per-year average: $200 million
Per-school, per-year average: $20 million
PAC-12
First- and second-tier rights: $3 billion, ESPN/FOX, 12 years through 2023-24
Per-year average: $250 million
Per-school, per-year average: $20.8 million
SEC
First-tier rights: $825 million, CBS, 15 years through 2023-24 (negotiations ongoing)
Second-tier rights: $2.25 billion, ESPN, 15 years through 2023-24 (negotiations ongoing)
Per-year average: $205 million (negotiations ongoing)
Per-school, per-year average: $14.6 million (negotiations ongoing)
If the Mountain West were to expand to 14 and bring in some of the up and coming Texas Schools like North Texas, UT San Antonia, Houston or Rice, we would add at least two more of the top 36 markets. I have also included Tulsa and UT El Paso in my chart for back up schools.
Hawaii is in the 76th market. So we give them the chance to join for all sports or drop out of the conference. At that point we could add three of the schools, and then we would own 11 of the top 60 schools. If the conference does not have the nuggets to do what is best for the conference as a whole and drop Hawaii, then they could explore the Gonzaga option.
How could we not gain on the next TV deal? The p5 conferences will not have the markets we have. And, If we can build our football programs up over the next four years we could really be in the drivers seat.
Below is the breakdown of the conferences, and the markets.
ACC - 7 of the top 60 / 8 of the top 100
B1G - 7 of the top 60 / 11 of the top 100
BIGXII - 5 of the top 60 / 7 of the top 100
PAC12 - 7 of the top 60 /9 of top 100
SEC - 5 of the top 60 / 9 of top 100
Mountain West - 8 of top 60 / 9 of top 100
If at least two of these schools join The Mountain West, that would give us 10 of the top 60 / 11 top 100 markets
Below is the breakdown by conference, TV households per market, the school in that market, and the market ranking,
ACC
7 Boston 2,366,690 Boston College
9 Atlanta 2,326,840 Georgia Tech
16 Miami 1,621,130 University of Miami
23 Pittsburgh 1,165,740 University of Pittsburg
24 Raleigh-Durham 1,150,350 Duke University / North Carolina State / Univ. of North Carolina
37 Greenvll 846,030 Clemson University
46 Greensboro 695,100 Wake Forest University
48 Louisville 670,880 University of Louisville
68 Roanoke 445,470 Virginia Tech
84 Syracuse 377,550 Syracuse University
106 Tallahassee 273,120 Florida State
183 Charlottesville 74,340 University of Virginia
B1G
1 New York 7,384,340 Rutgers University
3 Chicago 3,484,800 Northwestern University
8 Washington, DC 2,359,160 University of Maryland
11 Detroit 1,845,920 University of Michigan
15 Minneapolis 1,728,050 University of Minnesota
26 Indianapolis 1,089,700 University of Indiana / Purdue University
32 Columbus, OH 930,460 Ohio State
75 Omaha 414,060 University of Nebraska
83 Champaign 378,720 University of Illinois
85 Madison 376,670 University of Wisconsin
90 Cedar Rapids 342,610 University of Iowa
102 Johnstown 288,100 Pennsylvania State
115 Lansing 251,140 Michigan State
BIGXII
5 Dallas-Ft. Worth 2,588,020 Texas Christian University
23 Pittsburgh 1,165,740 West Virginia University
31 Kansas City 931,320 University of Kansas / Kansas State
41 Oklahoma City 718,770 University of Oklahoma / Oklahoma State
45 Austin 705,280 University of Texas
72 Des Moines-Ames 427,860 Iowa State
88 Waco 349,540 Baylor University
142 Lubbock 159,840 Texas Tech
PAC12
2 Los Angeles 5,613,460 UCLA/USC
6 Frisco-Oak-San Jose 2,502,030 Cal/Stanford
12 Seattle-Tacoma 1,818,900 University of Washington
13 Phoenix (Prescott) 1,812,040 University of Arizona
17 Denver 1,566,460 University of Colorado
22 Portland, OR 1,182,180 Oregon State
33 Salt Lake City 917,370 University of Utah
70 Tucson (Sierra Vista) 438,440 Arizona State
73 Spokane 420,640 Washington State
121 Eugene 235,570 University of Oregon
SEC
9 Atlanta 2,326,840 University of Georgia
10 Houston 2,215,650 Texas A&M
29 Nashville 1,014,910 Vanderbilt University
42 Birmingham (Tusc) 717,530 University of Alabama
49 Memphis 662,830 University of Mississippi
61 Knoxville 520,890 University of Tennessee
64 Lexington 485,630 University of Kentucky
65 Charleston 455,490 University of South Carolina
94 Baton Rouge 329,620 Louisiana State University
101 Ft. Smith 297,590 University of Arkansas
118 Montgomery 241,930 Auburn University
133 Columbus 184,990 Mississippi State
138 Columbia 173,640 University of Missouri
163 Gainesville 123,430 University of Florida
Mountain West
5 Dallas-Ft. Worth 2,588,020 University of North Texas
6 Frisco-Oak-San Jose 2,502,030 San Jose State
10 Houston 2,215,650 University of Houston or Rice University
17 Denver 1,566,460 Colorado State
28 San Diego 1,075,120 San Diego State
33 Salt Lake City 917,370 Utah State
36 San Antonio 881,050 University of Texas San Antonio
40 Las Vegas 718,990 University of Nevada Las Vegas
47 Albu.-Santa Fe 691,450 University of New Mexico
55 Fresno-Visalia 576,820 Fresno State
59 Tulsa 526,960 University of Tulsa
71 Honolulu 437,790 University of Hawai’i
89 Col. Spr-Pueblo 343,990 United States Air Force Academy + National Following
91 El Paso (Las Cruces) 339,130 University of Texas El Paso
108 Reno 265,600 University of Nevada Reno
111 Boise 259,090 Boise State
195 Cheyenne 56,350 University of Wyoming