TV Revenue Helps Big Ten Budgets

CHICAGO —  The college football explosion onto television has helped the Big Ten just about as much as any conference in the nation.

The Big Ten has been burned, however, by not getting all of its money for earlier TV deals. So, to cope more effectively in the competitive world of bidding and advertising, the conference has created its own office to handle TV affairs.

Jeff Elliott, the former service bureau director, heads the office. He warns, however, that it will not always be smooth sailing for the Big Ten and other conferences in tapping the networks and cable systems for television revenue.

Revenue from telecasts of major sports helps sustain lesser sports in the overall program.

“Five years ago it didn’t exist as far as a need for this office,” Elliott said. “We didn’t have TV concerns. If the schools did anything on TV it was a tape-delay basis or an educational program that was done on campus. There was a need in basketball, not in football.”

If the number of games drops for NCAA schools or specifically the Big Ten, the number of extra dollars into the budgets of the schools will drop. This could lead to cutbacks, some even on a major sport basis.

“It’s (TV revenue) very important. This has been emphasized in recent years when in essence we had three contracts go sour on us. Football two years ago, basketball the last two seasons,” he said. “We weren’t the only conference that felt it. We lost a lot of money; all 10 schools that had budgeted TV dollars found them gone. There was a shortfall.”

Where are these cutbacks leading?

“You schedule games a bus ride away because it’s cheaper. You cut out spring training trips. Equipment, things like that,” he said. “If we don’t produce TV dollars for the schools, the schools come back and say if we can’t produce it, they will start cutting. It’s already begun. Gymnastics has been cut back, fencing across the board. Otherwise, you can see them drop swimming, baseball, wrestling. Not yet in the Big Ten, but if the dollars aren’t there it is a real possibility.”

Elliott was busy holding separate sessions with the two networks regarding future contracts for the league. Earlier in September, it resulted in the Big Ten switching from CBS to ABC beginning next year.

“It’s common knowledge we talked to CBS and ABC for Big Ten football for the future,” he said. “They both know that. It was business and you go for the highest bidder.”

The Big Ten currently has contracts with Turner Broadcasting and CBS for this year but will make the switch to ABC next year. It expects to continue with Turner’s network on its Superstation, which is carried by a large share of cable systems and local independents.

As is the case with the lucrative Rose Bowl contract with NBC, Elliott said there was a tie-in with CBS and the Pac-10.

“The current CBS contract doesn’t have a specific number of games attached to it,” he said. “With CBS we have a joint venture with the Pac-10 conference. CBS signed a deal that allows the money to be split equally among the two conferences.”