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Lifelong Frog
ESPN: Q&A with John Marinatto
By Andrea Adelson
The Big East has had an eventful 12 months, but the league is not done making headlines. Potential expansion still looms, and so does a new media rights deal. I had a chance to catch up with commissioner John Marinatto for his thoughts on these topics, and where the league stands from a national perspective.
AA: You have often said it is a benefit to be the last conference to go when it comes to negotiating a new media rights deal. What will the next 12 months entail in terms of making sure you maximize this opportunity?
JM: We are indeed very well positioned for our upcoming media rights negotiations, Andrea. In addition to being the last major conference to enter the market, we are also first in terms of TV households and media markets. Eight of our schools are located in the top 14 media markets of the country and 13 are in the top 35. In addition, college football is now firmly second only to the NFL in terms of popularity in America and Big East Conference basketball is unmatched in quality with a postseason tournament at historic Madison Square Garden that delivers drama and ratings year-in and year-out. ...
By Andrea Adelson
The Big East has had an eventful 12 months, but the league is not done making headlines. Potential expansion still looms, and so does a new media rights deal. I had a chance to catch up with commissioner John Marinatto for his thoughts on these topics, and where the league stands from a national perspective.
AA: You have often said it is a benefit to be the last conference to go when it comes to negotiating a new media rights deal. What will the next 12 months entail in terms of making sure you maximize this opportunity?
JM: We are indeed very well positioned for our upcoming media rights negotiations, Andrea. In addition to being the last major conference to enter the market, we are also first in terms of TV households and media markets. Eight of our schools are located in the top 14 media markets of the country and 13 are in the top 35. In addition, college football is now firmly second only to the NFL in terms of popularity in America and Big East Conference basketball is unmatched in quality with a postseason tournament at historic Madison Square Garden that delivers drama and ratings year-in and year-out. ...
