ACC Network Dead Last?

 

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/acc-network-last-in-viewership.417712/

https://floridastate.rivals.com/news/clark-what-in-the-world-is-the-acc-network-doing-

The Acc network was last in viewership in the year ending in 2021. This is super sad and an embarrassment to the conference and FSU. These numbers are not published to the public to hide the ineptness of the conference and to spare embarrassment to its members. Here is a link to a story warchant did last year on the network. SAD!

And yet, here was the guest lineup for the Packer and Durham Show on Monday morning. Keep in mind, this is the FIRST show after the NFL Draft. A draft in which the ACC had the No. 1 overall pick in Trevor Lawrence and finished second in the country in players selected.

The first interview was with UNC women's lacrosse goalkeeper Taylor Moreno. The second interview was with Notre Dame men's lacrosse midfielder Tommy McNamara. The third interview was with UNC men's lacrosse goalkeeper Collin Krieg (man, two UNC lacrosse goalkeepers in one day! Has that ever been done in the history of television?!?). And then finally, the last interview was with studio host Dalen Cuff to talk about the upcoming NCAA women's soccer tournament games.

This is the flagship show for the ACC Network. The Monday after the NFL Draft. And the guests were: Lacrosse player, lacrosse player, lacrosse player, studio host to talk about soccer.

What in the world are we doing here?

*ALSO SEE: Schoffel: NFL Draft yet another reminder of how FSU Football lost its way

I'm not sure the SEC Network's Finebaum has ever done a lacrosse interview in his life. And I'm darn sure many in his audience can't spell the word. And yet, when it comes to this particular subject, they appear to be the smart ones. Because, other than a small, small, small percentage of people in this country ... nobody is tuning in to watch college lacrosse!

So, why then, are Packer and Durham devoting three full interviews to it? On the Monday after the NFL Draft?

I can't fathom that this is a decision Mark Packer and Wes Durham are making for themselves. They don't book the show. But why are the people who do book the show so dedicated to not interviewing people associated with the sport that pays ALL the bills?

Is this an edict from above?

"Be sure to get those lacrosse interviews in today, guys! And let's not forget soccer. Maybe sprinkle in some college tennis as well."

"What about the NFL Draft, though?"

"I said I want lacrosse interviews, dammit! Now make it happen!"

Phillips has only been in charge of the ACC for a few months, and I don't know the man at all. But I can't imagine he's OK with the content on his new conference channel. Not when he's trying to play catch-up to the SEC Network, which actually makes a habit of providing shows and interviews that their audience is interested in.

Last week, in leading up to the NFL Draft, Finebaum had these guests on his show: Mel Kiper Jr., college football writer Bruce Feldman, College Football Playoff Committee chairman Bill Hancock, Nick Saban, NFL Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema, Kirby Smart, college football writer Andy Staples, NFL CIO Michelle McKenna, Mark Stoops, ESPN draft analyst Field Yates, Danny Wuerffel, college football writer Tony Barnhardt and Tuscaloosa columnist Cecil Hurt.

Are we sensing a theme with these guests?

Here's who Packer and Durham had on their show: ESPN lacrosse analyst Dana Boyle, Louisville field hockey coach Justine Sowry, UNC lacrosse player Cam Macri (are there any lacrosse players at UNC that HAVEN'T been on the show at this point?), Syracuse lacrosse player Jakob Phaub ... and you know what? I can't do this anymore. You get the point. Clemson's golf coach was interviewed. So was the UNC women's tennis coach.

In total, in the week of the NFL Draft, the ACC Network's flagship show interviewed zero ACC football players and one ACC head coach, Dino Babers, and that was mainly about dealing with the pandemic. They talked to one college football writer, Andrea Adelson, who talked about name, image and likeness.

Not a single guest on to talk about the NFL Draft. Not. One.

For a quick perspective on the popularity and production of the two channels: The ACC Network has 70,800 followers on Twitter. The SEC Network has 1 million.

We keep being told that the conference understands how important football is and how the mindset in Greensboro, N.C., has changed to reflect that. And yet, if I was tuning in to Monday's Packer and Durham (which would mean I likely live somewhere other than Tallahassee since it's still not available on cable here), I saw the hosts chat about the draft for a bit, and then I got an avalanche of lacrosse interviews.

Most networks are interested in ratings. In making money. In getting lucrative sponsorships. The ACC is apparently cool with hawking night-vision binoculars for the rest of time.

It makes no sense.

Untangling the Raycom Deal

 

Untangling the Raycom Deal

For those of you who still think of John Swofford as "The Ninja", here's a piece of his legacy that still sticks in the craw of many ACC fans: the Raycom side deal.

Untangling the leftover threads of the ACC’s 2010 TV deal with Raycom has been one of new commissioner Jim Phillips’ trickier tasks.

“It’s a one-sided deal. I can’t yell at them,” Phillips said. “They signed the deal. They got the deal. Congratulations.”https://t.co/KsfFfuiowJ

— Luke DeCock (@LukeDeCock) August 22, 2022

Luke DeCock, in his article in the News and Observer, quoted new ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips with the above statement. However, there is some good news in his post:

...the leftover threads of that deal with Raycom... will eventually come off the books in 2027 — at which point each ACC school will get an immediate bump of about $3 million more per year from the ACC.

So, at least they have that going for them.

Why do they have to wait until 2027, you ask? The OP answers that, too:

Other rights still held by Raycom included a package of one football game and two men’s basketball games a week as well as the women’s basketball and baseball tournament games. Raycom had resold those to Fox and other RSNs in a deal so profitable that it proved prohibitively expensive for ESPN to reacquire the rights in 2016. The additional football and basketball inventory doesn’t offer enough additional value to justify the cost to reacquire it.

In other words, the ACC gave a package of games to Raycom, but rather than producing those games themselves (as, I'm sure, was the original intention), Raycom sold those rights to Fox - who ultimately resold them to Bally Sports. Now, after Raycom and Fox have already turned a profit (and Bally would want to do the same in any sale), there just isn't enough margin left to make it worthwhile.

Not even thinking ahead enough to make the media rights "non-transferrable" really highlights the ineptitude of the previous ACC regime when it comes to negotiating television contracts!Untangling the Raycom Deal

Games with 2+ Million Viewers

 

Games with 2+ Million Viewers

David Teel posted an article on Richmond.com titled "TV Ratings Database Shows Value of Top ACC Football Brands". I'd like to discuss a few points from the article by presenting it to you in table form:

Team	#games	Bar chart	Percent
Clemson	33	ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo	44.6%
Florida State	29	ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo	39.2%
Miami	15	ooooooooooooooo	20.3%
Virginia Tech	12	oooooooooooo	16.2%
N.C. State	10	oooooooooo	13.5%
Syracuse	9	ooooooooo	12.2%
Louisville	7	ooooooo	9.5%
North Carolina	6	oooooo	8.1%
Georgia Tech	6	oooooo	8.1%
Virginia	5	ooooo	6.8%
Pitt	5	ooooo	6.8%
Wake Forest	5	ooooo	6.8%
Boston College	4	oooo	5.4%
Duke	1	o	1.4%
Maryland*	1	o	1.4%

FSU’s new Student Union opens as cutting-edge ‘centerpiece of our campus’

 

FSU’s new Student Union opens as cutting-edge ‘centerpiece of our campus’

Four restaurants, a 12-lane bowling alley, a sports bar and a ballroom so big it’s measured in acreage: Welcome to your new Student Union, Florida State University.  

And behold a formidable four-story facility devoted to taste, play, study, relaxation and community.

At about 300,000 square feet and rising 80 feet from the heart of campus, the Student Union features a red-brick façade and soaring windows, ensuring that it both fits in and stands out. Inside, the whiff of fresh paint fills the air, and so does the buzz of people who already have flocked in. 

Entering the lobby, you find it immediately clear the union’s architects and designers delivered on the university’s mandate to factor natural light into the plans. Even from the basement floor, the sky is visible, and from the Student Government Association’s Senate chambers — located in the center of the third floor — you can still enjoy a view of Doak Campbell Stadium.

Throughout the building, high-top tables, lounge chairs, couches and cushioned serpentine-shaped benches wind their way through open space. These seating options and meeting spaces provide a spectrum of choice for those looking to catch up with friends — or quietly catch up on classwork.   

Brandon Bowden, associate vice president for Student Affairs and part of a team of administrators, faculty members and students who charted the Student Union’s path from concept to completion, trumpeted the new facility as a cutting-edge achievement for the FSU community. 

“It’s one thing to see it on paper, but to see it leaping off the pages into reality, that’s exciting,” he said, noting that more than four years have passed since the closing of the union’s predecessor, Oglesby Union. “This is something that’s a long-time coming for our students and our faculty and staff. The union is the centerpiece of our campus, and I think it’s one that everyone will want to show off.”

---

Here’s a closer look:

Restaurants

When the Student Union was still in its idea phase, students made it clear they wanted food choices; that’s what they got in the form of a four-restaurant roundabout located off the main lobby. Pollo Tropical offers food inspired by Latin-Caribbean cuisine. Panera Bread has an assortment of bakery café fare, including soup, salads and sandwiches. Panda Express offers American-Chinese food, and famished visitors hoping for a hot slice of pizza will find it at Brooklyn Pizza, which, despite its name, is a Tallahassee-based business. And, of course, there is a Starbucks ready to fill all your caffeinated needs.  

Bookstore

An expanded FSU bookstore offers students more space for perusing and congregating. Visitors to the old location will notice a host of updates including tables and seats in the books section, yet more meeting and study space for students.

Rooms with a view

Those looking for panoramic views of campus now have no shortage of options thanks to second- and third-floor balconies. With the 100-year-old oaks of Legacy Walk in the foreground and a sea of green unfolding all the way to Doak Campbell Stadium, onlookers will see campus in a whole new way. The university plans to add furniture to some of the balcony space to entice people to stick around for a while.  

Bowling and billiards

In the basement, a 12-lane bowling alley awaits. Complete with an array of funky, atmospheric lighting options, the lanes also feature some familiar elements, including photos of campus iconography. The ends of the lanes have been labeled with language evocative of FSU, including “vires,” “artes” and “mores,” from FSU’s motto. Student Union Assistant Director Michael Fine pointed out that the eight seemingly brand-new billiards tables have been at FSU since 1964. They’ve been balanced, and they retain their original charm with the help of new pockets, bumpers and felt.   

Ballroom(s)

No space in the entire union expresses itself through sheer size like the ballroom. At about 15,000 square feet, or a third of an acre, it’s bigger than three basketball courts. That swath can be spliced into five separate rooms by a set of air walls, lightweight partitions stretching almost 30 feet from the floor to the ceiling. The space will accommodate an array of large events, and it already has hosted several student events of more than 600 people.  

Sports bar

Those looking to enjoy FSU sports will find an ideal space on the basement floor: The C3 Sports Bar will soon be open and offer an assortment of barroom menu favorites, plus a selection of beer and wine. The game-watching experience will be heightened by the addition of a massive screen that is awaiting installation this fall. 

Club Downunder

Events are already booked for the new music and dance venue. The club features a dance floor and cutting-edge technology to ensure that the atmosphere engages clubgoers and supports the acts on stage. Ample dressing-room space and the latest audio-visual technology are set to lure and accommodate acts.

Art studios

The basement is also home to an art center, which includes space devoted to painting and, next door, a studio for clay works. Works produced by FSU students will be available next to the studio space in the art retail center.   

Trees, grass and greens

Outside the Union, new sod is taking root, and a series of paths and walkways connect the facility to the adjacent Moore Auditorium and Legacy Walk. The property is dotted with newly planted trees, including 12 tall palms greeting those who pass through the building’s main west-side entrance. 

A subtle memorial

On a stairway near an entrance to the bookstore on the building’s west side is a feature that could go unnoticed — unless you know what to look for. One of the union’s early architects, Ian Sommerfeldt, died unexpectedly in December 2018. In acknowledgment of his life and work, designers and craftsmen arranged a series of bricks protruding slightly from surrounding masonry to spell his first name in Morse Code.  

FSU President McCullough: University hopes to invest $1B in construction, $500M in research

 

FSU President McCullough: University hopes to invest $1B in construction, $500M in research 

Through research and development, Florida State University President Richard McCullough said the school is poised to seize its place among top rankings in the country and put more students on track to be entrepreneurs. 

As Saturday's keynote speaker at the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Conference, he shared his plans to elevate the school's impact. The university spends $350 million on research expenses that he hopes to increase to $500 million. 

Several investments, including the hiring of 155 new faculty members, tenure-track professors and a new vice president of research, will help push the university's mission. 

In addition, he touched on the university's economic impact and plans. In the next three years, McCullough said FSU is going to do $1 billion in construction.  

Some of those capital projects include an interdisciplinary research, a new business school, a football only facility, stadium renovations and a new academic medical center.  

"We need to let other people outside of Tallahassee know that this is a booming industry," McCullough said. "We can't find people to do, especially in the sub-contracting area, all the work that we're going to need to do, and we're not done. We're not even close to done."

The day's events were capped off with a discussion about innovations taking place in Tallahassee, particularly how to help the city's startup ecosystem and an effort to see the city cement and further promote its title as the Magnetic Capital of the World. 

MagCorp director Jeff Whalen, a panelist at the conference, said FSU's High Magnetic Field Laboratory, commonly referred to as the MagLab, will likely play a critical role electric cars. c

"There are so many magnets integrated into not only the motors of these vehicles, but a lot of the other components, including sensors," Whalen said. 

FSU College of Motion Picture Arts climbs in film school rankings

 

FSU College of Motion Picture Arts climbs in film school rankings

Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts has climbed to No. 14, up one spot from last year, on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the Top 25 American Film Schools. 

Recognized as one of the entertainment industry’s premier publications, The Hollywood Reporter measures film schools on the success of their alumni, reputation among film professionals and the quality of faculty, facilities and filmmaking equipment. 

Reb Braddock, dean of the College of Motion Picture Arts, said the rise in the rankings demonstrates the college’s commitment to preparing aspiring filmmakers for success in the entertainment industry. 

Top-notch production facility

The College of Motion Picture Arts is also noted as having one of the finest production facilities in the world, dedicated exclusively to motion picture education. The college functions as an industry-grade production studio, with writers’ rooms, sound stages, post-production suites, animation labs, screening rooms and more. 

As for FSU alumni, that list is getting longer, too.

In addition to Oscar winners Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski and Jonathan King, other successful graduates include Marvel Studios executive producer Stephen Broussard, who worked on “Iron Man 3,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “The Incredible Hulk”; Melissa Carter, showrunner of “Stargirl” and “Queen Sugar,” currently executive-producing the series “The Cleaning Lady; Wes Ball, director of the “Maze Runner” movies, who is working on two new projects; Allison Carter, producer of “Zola,” “American Honey” and “The Dinner”; and Ali Bell, executive producer of “Baywatch” and “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.” 

For more information about the College of Motion Picture Arts, visit film.fsu.edu. 

Breakdown of living FSU alumni in the US

 

The biggest thing I constantly see in favor of joining the SEC vs the Big 10 is the idea of fans being able to travel to away games. Here is the breakdown of living FSU alumni in the US

States 1% or more total living alums
1. FL
2. GA
3. NC
4. TX
5. CA
6. VA
7. NY pic.twitter.com/lzwtsNcTDI

— FSU Reddit (@RFSUSports) August 7, 2022