COLORADO SPRINGS — After Big East leaders recently pitched the benefits of Air Force joining the conference as a football-only member, academy officials were left to weigh the pros and cons of a major move.
A look at the biggest factors Air Force is considering in moving to the Big East or staying in the Mountain West to play football:
TV money matters
The Big East can offer significantly more money through television revenue.
The Big East receives only $42.3 million annually from its current television deals, but that’s far more than the Mountain West. And that figure should be expected to increase with the next contract.
This year, the Big East reportedly turned down a nine-year contract with ESPN worth more than $1 billion. Air Force receives about $1.2 million in television money annually from the Mountain West, and commissioner Craig Thompson admitted in July that he doesn’t have the big media markets to get a massive TV contract like other conferences.
If Air Force goes to the Big East, it would be betting on the Big East getting a TV deal that is comparable to other automatic Bowl Championship Series-qualifying leagues. If the Big East can get a TV deal that provides $8 million to $12 million annually to each member, it would be a significant boost for the Falcons’ athletic department. That would allow Air Force to better fund all 27 of its varsity sports and perhaps fund facility improvements, such as a new soccer stadium or overdue renovations to Falcon Stadium.
Big bucks in BCS
Each conference that has a team qualify for a BCS game gets $22.3 million, according to the Big East’s website, and $6 million for each additional league team that plays in a BCS game.
That money is split among conference members. The question is whether the new-look Big East will keep its automatic-qualifier status in the BCS.
The Big East will have a slot in the BCS through the length of the contract, which runs through the 2013 season, but nothing is guaranteed after that. Then again, there’s no guarantee the BCS will exist in its present format after 2013.
Although Air Force has never made the automatic-qualifier status of the Big East a priority (the Mountain West doesn’t have AQ status), if the Big East isn’t included in college football’s elite after 2013, it will be a blow financially and to the prestige of the conference.
Rivalries ruined?
Air Force fans have been upset at the potential loss of regional rivalries such as Colorado State and Wyoming in football. Air Force could schedule those schools in nonconference games, but there’s no guarantee that will happen, and the games would take on less importance.
That would go for other sports as well if Air Force goes to the Big East in football. It would mean moving other Air Force teams into another conference, creating far fewer road games local Air Force fans could drive to.
However, the rivalries Air Force wants to protect most are the football games against Army and Navy, and Navy also is being pursued by the Big East. Air Force would likely insist on keeping those rivalries if it were to change conferences.
More exposure
A couple of weeks ago, when ESPN’s influential “College GameDay” show discussed the matchups involving top-10 teams, the hosts talked at length about Air Force playing at No. 5 Boise State, which also is being courted by the Big East. ESPN doesn’t have a television contract with the Mountain West and Air Force feels more exposure on ESPN by being a Big East member would help recruiting immensely.
The Falcons feel appearances on ESPN in bowl games and appearances on CBS and NBC this season help football recruiting immensely.
Also, the academy feels being on major cable television and playing in larger Big East markets will help the academy as a whole, not just the athletic programs, and would create a larger recruiting pool for potential cadets.
