With the ACC Network expected to launch in '19, the Florida State staffer in charge of the department's production capabilities believes the school is "ahead of the curve," as Seminole Productions "already handles various game-day operations and multiple shows featuring coaches," according to Jordan Culver of the TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT. FSU has "already spent" about $3M in upgrades to its control rooms in the Moore Athletic Center. FSU Exec Dir of Seminole Productions & Specialized Faculty Mark Rodin said that there is still about $3.5M more that "needs to be spent." More control rooms "need to be built and fiber optic cables need to be run from each venue." The control rooms will cost about $2M and running the cables will cost around $1.5M. Rodin: "Over the next 12 months, we’re trying to get two more control rooms built. That’s our next phase, to get our final control rooms built and the rest of the equipment we need for the network so that by next August, when ESPN wants us ready, we’re ready to train, we’re ready to go." Rodin added, "They would like us to be doing linear productions as quickly as we can. (The network is) a revenue split between ESPN and athletics. The more they can save on production costs, with being comfortable with the universities doing their own productions, then the more revenue there is to split." Culver noted students will be "key components to the success" of the ACC Net. Rodin said that a typical football game production "takes 35 to 40 people." Other events "take about 20 people." Rodin said that he has a staff of "about 14 full-time people." Students "make up the difference" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 7/16).
REAL STEEL: Pitt AD Heather Lyke said preparing for the ACC Net is a "massive undertaking, and also incredibly exciting." Lyke: "We have a major investment. There's infrastructure costs, there's infrastructure pieces to it, there's personnel pieces to it." While the channel is slated to debut in fall '19, each individual school "must be ready to go" by fall '18. Lyke said that she "doesn’t yet have an exact number in terms of the financial commitment needed." However, she said it is a "significant investment" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/15).
