Pac-12 Administrator ‘Optimistic’ on New TV Deal, Admits to Big 12 Conversations
The waiting game continues for the Big 12 and Pac-12 Conference. The Pac-12 is hoping to keep the 10 teams together for the foreseeable future, while the Big 12 is anxiously waiting to see if they can poach a team or two from the league.
As we approach July, the perceived deadline for much of this, there is no movement, and the leaks have been relatively limited. However, media consultant Jim Williams said he spoke to one of the Four Corners (Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado) administrators, who was optimistic about a Pac-12 TV deal coming together, but also admitted to having conversations with the Big 12 Conference.
The other pointed noted by this administrator is the question around how much linear TV they would get in the Big 12. This is a fair point to consider. Joining the Big 12 to end up on ESPN+ is not the ideal situation for any team that might be joining the conference. And how much control any team would have over that is also unknown at this point.
One of the big concerns with the Pac-12 future TV deal is the possibility of ending up on a streaming service like Apple TV+, which isn’t a destination for most sports fans. In fact, it’s basically sports purgatory, at least as of now.
There still are huge benefits to being with ESPN and FOX, even if a few games end up on ESPN+, compared to any other outlet that wants to get more involved in college football, but the question is reasonable one to ask.
But in the end, money will likely be the deciding factor. If the Pac-12 can land a TV deal close to what the Big 12 is going to get ($31 million per team per year starting in 2025), then the 10 teams will likely stay together, for now. If not, then it’s anybody’s guess on which domino falls first.
