The Sicatoka

With the new scoreboards, where exactly would said windows go?

Welcome to Saturday Morning Philosophy, with coffee. I'm your host: The Sicatoka. Today's topic is: Bet on yourself or take the money? Media deals in the 2020s. UND went for infrastructure investments and "goodwill" (programming and air time) in lieu of a big media check. Then UND took advertising in house. Both of those moves say UND needs the tooling, not the cash flow, to keep "betting on self" and they found a way to get it. UND also has skin in the game -- UND needs to keep the value high, and raise it, to keep advertising returns high. NDSU took the check, the cash flow. If the value of what NDSU sold drops over the length of the deal, NDSU is out nothing. That's not betting on self. So who made the smartest move? And yes, that is smartest, not smarter. It's not two entities in play here but four. So let's explore. Midco: They lay out some capital and make some improvements to UND facilities. They guarantee some air time. But they're getting programming for their cable channels and subscription service. If UND is awesome they come out great, viewers; if UND teams slide, well, they still have programming. WDAY/ForumComm: They're writing big checks betting that NDSU stays a valuable quantity. Should NDSU get bigger, great bet for 'DAY. Should NDSU stumble, not so great of a bet. NDSU: They are locked in. Win or lose they cash the check. If they stumble, genius!, because the same check comes. If they explode and go even bigger, they shorted themselves. UND: They are getting exposure and a tangible improvements to facilities. And they are getting the exposure to announce what they are doing. If UND stumbles, they still have the stuff and the exposure. If they explode and go bigger, they have the returns of better ad revenue. Thinking about these from least to greatest risk, I'd say NDSU made the lowest risk move. They can "Amber Heard" the bed and still get the same check. That said, I'd say UND made a bold, risky, move. In lieu of cash today they are betting on future success. Midco is right there with them. Each have made moves that look forward and depend on improvements. Forum Comm is in the riskiest position. Should the value of the entity they've pre-paid for drop, for whatever reason, they're still on the hook. That said, if NDSU goes big, ForumComm reaps all the media reward, and NDSU shorted itself. I hope you've enjoyed the rambling stream of thoughts and finished your coffee. I'm The SIcatoka and this has been Saturday Morning Philosophy, with coffee.

What's the contracted structure? It could be flat fee from media to school but no slice of the ad revenues. <- low risk to school; high risk to media Another way is a media partner for broadcast and the school does all the ad sales and keeps all ad revenues. <- risk switches to school and what they can get for ad returns Those scenarios would be very different up front fiscal numbers from media company to athletic department.

Why which? Why not announced? We knew Midco won before the official statements. They were working out details. Same here I'd guess. Why did I want Tioga and Grand Rapids? Why not?

The MVFC commish on the changing landscape ... https://www.chicagonow.com/prairie-state-pigskin/2022/08/veteran-missouri-valley-commissioner-i-have-never-witnessed-so-much-uncertainty-in-the-collegiate-landscape/

https://twitter.com/The_BrakeDown/status/1553037512771239942

Missed FG, season: O/U 3.5 Missed EP, season: O/U 1.5 Blocked kicks by UND (punt or FG or EP), season: O/U 3.5

Wins -- O/U 7.5

Point of order: Your "CUSA school" announcer has never announced a conference CUSA game and his CUSA school isn't CUSA until 2023. Details matter. Meanwhile our television announcer gets stolen away to do national broadcasts for CBS Sports.

I wonder if Tommy will ever publicly allude to his ability to illude defenders to allow him to elude sacks. I wonder if Tommy will ever publicly hint at his ability to trick defenders to allow him to escape sacks. (That's what happens when mom had an English degree.)

The pick lists: 2022: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/143p8uRk2ajt4YCZ_Xx1z3rdKeNcOXj-KK4cirID5rro/edit#gid=1466169803 2023: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w4Zo5azvRWMiuN4Puxj5aRRhwOGmt-DENEsRapKxmfI/edit#gid=1466169803 I doubt any 2022 inbounds are going to change this late (unless they have USHL options). The 2023's however ...

... but I believe they did not get the Fargo bid ...

We'd be guessing by perceptions. I'd love to be able to ask Maag and Zavalney.

Brian Shawn was NDSU's TV voice from 2012-2021. I'd be OK if he brought that kind of run with him.

Are there any categories besides "blue chippahs" and "grindaz"?

Josh Billings, an American humorist of the nineteenth century, warned us about gfhockey ... "It ain't ignorance causes so much trouble; it's folks knowing so much that ain't so."

Fargo radio is figured out, just not announced. I'd hoped for a solution that would get UND on radio towers in Tioga and Grand Rapids, MN*, also, but alas, the more things change the more they stay the same. *One Fargo radio group has that.

More, including the actual findings report, on the Michigan situation. https://www.therinklive.com/mens-division-1/big-10/myers-for-those-who-know-mel-pearson-the-michigan-hockey-report-makes-one-wonder-why-and-how-we-got-here

I want to win the toss at Nebraska. Go from there. First things first; win the next play.

That was tough ... https://www.bek.tv/overtheair

Well, if we're doing the random guess the lines thing ... my theory is always "getter-setter-shooter", but start with centers. And when I say getter-setter-shooter no player is 100% any one of those, they all have a little of each but are better at some things than other. So, centers: Jamernik, Schmaltz, Costantini, McLaughlin, Ness. Yes, I put Matteo back to his natural center. Compared to a year ago that's an embarrassment of riches at center (because Senden can play it also). Now start surrounding them (and what they are) with what they are not, meaning ... Jam with Senden and Hain (Senden gets, Jam sets, and I hear Hain likes to shoot ...) Schmaltz (setter) with Gaber (shooter) and Caulfield (decent getter) Costantini with James and Portz <-- lots of speed in that group McLaughlin with Blake and Kunz <-- not a fan of two freshmen on a line, not at start of season Ness with Albrecht and Stinden/Mongomery <-- last year's third/fourth line this year's fifth? Probably won't see those right away. True freshmen at center in October is not common. There are going to be battles for ice. My biggest concern: Jam and Schmaltz need to get even better at draws.

Yes, but that's not in the same realm as a "We need to start paying out NIL ..." statement.

With the addition of a GF license, BEK's OTA coverage of ND is pretty solid. I wonder if Midco and BEK could swing a deal.