Things going from bad to worse at ATM...

[Left Seater]

Credible reports now say ATM will fire their AD in the next few weeks. If that is the case the new AD will not be involved with the hiring of the new coach which is never a good thing.

COLLEGE STATION – It’s been an ugly week around Aggieland, and one of the results might soon be the dismissal of athletic director Bill Byrne.

An A&M insider told me Friday that Byrne is expected to be fired soon, in large part because of the Internet postings of his right-hand man in the athletic department, chief financial officer and senior associate AD Jeff Toole. Toole was discovered posting under an alias on TexAgs.com and ridiculing A&M president R. Bowen Loftin, describing Loftin as a “putz,” “hopelessly underqualified puppet” and “idiot.”

Byrne also had almost nothing to do with A&M’s exit of the Big 12 – a league he helped form while at Nebraska – and entrance into the Southeastern Conference, and he also lobbied for football coach Mike Sherman all the way up until Sherman’s Thursday firing by Loftin and A&M’s regents.

Byrne became A&M’s athletic director in late 2002. His contract runs through 2013, and the insider said there is no specific timetable on Byrne’s firing, but it could come within the next several weeks.

[Left Seater]

ATM is going to be in another cash short position. A few years ago the athletic dept had to borrow $16 million from the university general fund. That was being repaid over a number of years, but in 2009 the athletic department asked the school to forgive the remaining balance. The school said no, and the athletic dept is expected to finish repaying the loan in 2013. So with that and these other items, ATM might be looking for another loan.

$3.5 Million (estimated loan repayment to university)
$8.0 Million buy out of Mike Sherman
$2.0 Million potential buy out of AD
$5.0 to 12 Million Big 12 exit fee
$2.0 Million per to a new coach

That is $20 Million due basically now if the exit fee is only $5 Million. $25 Million if the exit fee is closer to 10.

On top of that Kyle Field needs huge renovations to get to where the stadiums in Austin and Norman were 5 years ago, not to mention what they look like in Baton Rouge, Alburn, Athens, etc. The low number on that renovation is $50 Million.

Where are the Aggies going to get $75 Million?

[BSmack]

ATM is going to be in another cash short position. A few years ago the athletic dept had to borrow $16 million from the university general fund. That was being repaid over a number of years, but in 2009 the athletic department asked the school to forgive the remaining balance. The school said no, and the athletic dept is expected to finish repaying the loan in 2013. So with that and these other items, ATM might be looking for another loan.

$3.5 Million (estimated loan repayment to university)
$8.0 Million buy out of Mike Sherman
$2.0 Million potential buy out of AD
$5.0 to 12 Million Big 12 exit fee
$2.0 Million per to a new coach

That is $20 Million due basically now if the exit fee is only $5 Million. $25 Million if the exit fee is closer to 10.

On top of that Kyle Field needs huge renovations to get to where the stadiums in Austin and Norman were 5 years ago, not to mention what they look like in Baton Rouge, Alburn, Athens, etc. The low number on that renovation is $50 Million.

Where are the Aggies going to get $75 Million?

Well they did say that they were working on a "100 year plan." Maybe they meant that more literally than figuratively.

[Adelpiero]

They won't have to pay the exit fee our of their own pockets, it will come out of the money they would of received from Big12 this year. Same as they did for Colorado,Nubs, and soon to be for Missouri.

And once they head to the SEC, it will be a cash cow, especially when the SEC gets the SEC network up and running.


ESPN and CBS deals are reopened, per Contract. Now with Texas and Stl and KC markets, they get even more. Many including Darrell Rovell, expect 34-40mil per team once SEC network is up and running. A cash cow

[Left Seater]

Not in ATM's case. In part for Baylor signing off they required ATM to pay that out of pocket.

And while there is no doubt the SEC TV contract will get better, adding the College Station market doesn't mean much. Houston already is discussed in SEC contracts due to the huge number of LSU alums/fans in the area.

Can't speak to the Mizzou markets, but in Big 12 discussions I rarely saw them add STL or KC.

[Adelpiero]

Ok, so Big12 gives aTm a check, then aTm hands that check to Big12. Baylor really showed everyone

Stl and KC, are the #2 and #3 markets in Big12.(#21 and #32 markets in country),

[Left Seater]

No ATM is getting less than their full share of the TV money this season. They are going to have to come out of pocket and that is why the range is so large, anywhere from $5 to $12 Million.