A&M wants their money

Considering it was one cancelled basketball game, this Texas A&M issue seems like it will linger around BC sports for a little while longer. According to a report out of Texas (and based on a freedom of information request), A&M wants their $100,000 cancellation fee for the BC game. Supposedly their side will decide on a course of action this week. 

I don't have any access to BC's contract, but I imagine that there is a cancellation fee on our side of the contract too. So if A&M decides to cancel their visit to Conte, BC is potentially inline to collect that money. 

In the end I imagine this will be settled between the Athletic Departments. I don't think much or any money will change hands. What's surprising is that A&M is so adamant about this. As I've pointed out many times, College Sports is a small world. Usually both sides would try to settle this behind the scenes and amicably. 

Surprise, surprise, Texas A&M won't be coming to Boston next year

Texas A&M Basketball Coach Billy Kennedy announced that his team won't be travelling to Boston next year for the scheduled home and home. Basketball coaches usually have control over their schedules, so I could see why Kennedy thinks this, but we have no official word from Texas A&M. They are under contract, so the AD might have to weigh in on if the series is actually off.  If they do cancel, I hope our penalty matches their $100,000.

What's interesting is BC and Martin Jarmond are defending their position on social media. They care what is being said and how this is being perceived. I imagine no one wants to play this series now but saving face and money is the priority.

With all this nonsense you know this means the two teams will end up playing each other in the postseason somewhere...or we will end up against Texas A&M in a bowl game soon.

The Texas A&M issue was not BC's fault

Long story short, but I've worked in the airline space and in the charter airline space. There is a bit to unpack in BC-Texas A&M's cancellation, but this is not about BC screwing up or having an inferior charter partner.

1. BC's charter company is the same one as Texas A&M's and handles the vast majority of the ACC, SEC and Big Ten. People love to complain about BC's decisions and accuse BC of going cheap, but we are using the premier company for college sports. It is the company every major basketball program uses. This could have happened to Duke, Louisville, Kentucky, etc.

2. All Travel Managers (charter brokers) use sub contractors. The charter business is all about subcontracting. Once again, all college basketball teams deal with this. The company whose plane had the mechanical issue (Elite) is a reliable and big company. The second sub contractor used and mentioned in the BC announcement (Via) is not as big but still a good operator. If their pilot didn't want to fly in the weather or was worried about the necessary refuel in the bad weather across the country, then you don't fly.

3. Texas A&M was inflexible on the reschedule. Think of how often this is done (we did it with Wake Forest football this year). We've done it outside the conference too. A&M would not play the game later on Saturday nor any time on Sunday or even Monday.

This is unfortunate since I we could have used a win. My guess is with the finger pointing, this future series won't happen.