The PAC basically has an entire year to drag this out and almost no reason to hurry up and sign a deal. We may be talking about this next Spring.
The delay may be in part because of the emergence of a new potential partner. Two sources indicated there have been recent discussions between the Pac-12 and The CW, a national over-the-air broadcast network better known for scripted shows like “Gossip Girl,” “Supernatural” and “Riverdale.” Since purchasing The CW Network last year, parent company Nexstar Media Group has expressed interest in procuring live sports rights, announcing in January a deal with LIV Golf. Here’s where those discussions stand, based on conversations with seven industry sources. • The protracted process indicates Kliavkoff is not overly concerned about any of the Four Corners schools — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah — defecting just yet. However, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has recently met with multiple presidents of Pac-12 schools looking to explore their options, a person briefed on the meetings said. • Despite significant cost-cutting measures underway at parent company Disney, ESPN remains interested in Pac-12 rights, but not likely at a price the conference is seeking. It’s unclear whether the network would land a similar inventory to what it has now or a more narrow package, perhaps primarily in the 10:30 p.m. ET window. • Even before USC and UCLA left, Klivakoff had said the next deal would include a heavy streaming component, in part because the 11-year-old Pac-12 Network has such limited distribution. Both Amazon and Apple have been widely reported as potential partners. The person with knowledge of the discussions said the streaming companies’ lack of experience negotiating a college sports rights deal has contributed to the slow pace of the negotiations. • Kliavkoff himself has remained mostly quiet about the negotiations and kept his circle tight. Even the schools’ athletic directors are being kept in the dark. But the presidents have been regularly briefed, and some of their mixed messaging over the past several months has contributed to a sense of disarray within the conference. Washington State president Kirk Schultz told the Mercury News’ Jon Wilner in February: “My sense is we need to get it done in March — in mid-March, hopefully.” Oregon State’s Jayathi Murthy expressed much of the same in an interview with John Canzano. Then came Arizona State’s Crow and Arizona’s Robbins, both making a deal sound imminent by late March. • The person familiar with the discussions indicated there’s a divide in the room between those, like Schultz, eager to get a deal done as soon as possible to quiet the “noise,” and others, like Randall, who are willing to be patient if it means getting a better deal. “There’s been a lot of comments from the media about how this is taking a long time,” said Randall, “but it’s really that we started a year earlier than expected.” And then there’s Robbins, who, in the same March 15 interview in which he predicted an imminent deal that would be “better” than the Big 12’s, described himself as leading the charge to pump the brakes. “I said at one point, why don’t we just go out and say we’re going to take a 90-day moratorium on this topic?” he said. “We’re going to join Aaron Rodgers in his dark (room) and we’re just going to contemplate this. And then we’ll come out and make our decision.” He may have gotten his wish. By March 30, Robbins had done a 180, telling CBS Sports: “I have heard nothing to suggest [a deal is] imminent.” The presidents, who last met on March 23, are scheduled to hold their next meeting on April 10. At this rate, they may hold several more before there is a deal for them to approve.
The simplest outcome, the PAC staying together, is always going to be the most likely outcome... just less moving parts to fart with. That being said, Colorado has the least brand loyalty to the PAC. I think if you can pry one loose, a few may follow. Arizona and Colorado would make great additions. ASU would not want to be left behind, so they'd almost assuredly go. And that point you give Utah a call and if they say no, you can just move right on to San Diego State and let Utah be king of the ashes if they are that stubborn about it.
I think the ONLY way Colorado ends up in the Big 12 is if Oregon and Washington leave for the Big 10 and Colorado knows for sure that the big 10 won't be adding 4 teams and only the 2. Otherwise, I just don't see any appeal for them in the Big 12.
Heard Oregon/Washington are just waiting for the Big 10 and unwilling to lock themselves into a long term PAC deal. If true, the appeal would be security and games on ESPN/Fox vs streaming or whatever the PAC can get.
The B1G deal renews in 2030 yeah? Seems obvious that UO/UW wouldn't put anything on paper beyond that. But hey, 5-7 years is better than nothing. I think the real problem is that they simply cannot cobble together a deal that affords them both A) better money than the Big 12 and B) traditional linear cable exposure. They have to choose between being firmly behind the Big 12 in revenue, or being on the CW/UPN/TRUtv/Apple/Amazon.
I assume the tv partners would gladly add them at anytime if/when it makes sense for everyone involved. Based on that video I posted a while back, sounds like they don’t want to lock themselves into a deal short or long term although they’ll have to make a decision at some point.
https://www.heartlandcollegesports....d-and-cleared-to-join-big-ten-brett-mcmurphy/ If McMurphy is to be believed, then that means all that remains is for the timing to get worked out. Seems like either wash/ore join the B1G in Summer 2025 or in 2030.
Don’t think they’d move earlier than that? If it’s been cleared, seems like a one big move with the others would make sense.
