ACC and Pac-12 officials are discussing a broadcast partnership with ESPN that would bring the two Power 5 leagues of opposite sides together for a mutually beneficial relationship, sources told Sports Illustrated.
The proposal, still in its infancy, largely involves the ACC network owned by ESPN. Under the plan, the ACC network, or a renamed entity that combines the two leagues, will have exclusive rights to broadcast Pac-12 games to homes on the west coast via ESPN cable providers. The agreement is not a merger or consolidation of the leagues, but is based on a media rights agreement with the world leader in sports, an effort to applaud the loss of USC and UCLA by the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
While the joint move could include non-conference clashes on the west and east coasts, think Clemson-Washington or Miami-Oregon, the association’s main reason is ownership of the television. This would replace the failed Pac-12 network with a reliable provider that can reach millions of homes in the west.
The potential deal could benefit everyone involved: the ACC is expected to receive much-sought-after additional television revenue; ESPN gets a piece of the Pac-12 inventory; and the Pac-12 is likely to remain intact, with its remaining 10 members getting an attractive TV arrangement. It could also be a more desirable alternative for Pac-12 schools than seeking to join the Big 12. At least one Pac-12 source disputed reports of “serious” talks between some remaining schools and the Big 12.
Scott Taetsch, Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports
However, those briefed on the ACC-Pac-12 proposal believe it has many hurdles to erase and details that need to be resolved before it becomes a reality. This should be a more long-term and deliberate decision that could take weeks, if not months, to rectify, says an administrator. The key question: Does the agreement generate enough additional revenue to make it worthwhile?
An administrator who is aware of the discussions said ACC sports directors first heard the idea during a conference call on Friday. “It’s something that’s been considered worth exploring, but there’s no detail behind it,” the administrator said. “The general response has been, ‘Give us more [specificity].'”
In a way, the proposal is an extension of the Pac-12 and the so-called ACC alliance with the Big Ten, a non-binding agreement announced last year whose goal was believed to be to prevent further expansion. among the Power 5. It was a response to the SEC’s acquisition of Texas and Oklahoma in 2021, but exploded dramatically when the Big Ten attacked the Pac-12.
In response to this, the ACC and Pac-12 are struggling to maintain relevance in a market that has seen the value of its two major competition leagues, which are already the richest in college sports, significantly increase. Relatively new to their job, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff have a good working relationship, according to sources, and are exploring ways to work together.
For the Pac-12, the partnership may be the best possible solution to retain its remaining members, but is it worth it for the ACC? It is unclear exactly how much additional revenue the league would generate with this move. But any extra dollars is an advantage, given the limbo of the ACC’s long-term television contract. ACC members are estimated to receive much less in revenue from media rights than their competitors ’new offerings in Big Ten and SEC. The ACC is subject to the agreement until 2036.
The new partnership with the Pac-12 may not reopen the contract, but it will change the end result. This could be the best option for the ACC, because a complete renegotiation of the contract could pave the way for the league’s most valuable properties (North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Virginia) to explore leaving. As it stands, escaping the ACC grant agreement could be costly and complicated.
ESPN would be achieved on the west coast, ensuring that it has substantial rights to three of the five Power 5 leagues following Fox’s dominance of the Big Ten (the network is believed to have at least a 60% share of the Big Ten) . new television deal). ESPN is expected to feature prominently in the Pac-12 negotiations for a new media rights deal, but the product was diminished by the loss of the Los Angeles market. This deal could be a way for ESPN to pull more than one deal with the Pac-12.
Meanwhile, Kliavkoff is working to prevent his 10 schools from being stolen by a new colleague. Big 12 curator Brett Yormark, new to the job, has been aggressive in his search for the remaining Pac-12 programs. The Big 12 is specifically aimed at the remaining four of the Pac-12 South: Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado. The nature of this research is unclear, as is the level of interest these schools make in making a move. With sources indicating that Oregon and Washington do not have a clear and imminent path to the Big Ten, these schools may prefer to stay in the Pac-12, which in turn could improve the chances that Arizona, the state of ‘Arizona, Colorado and Utah stay there. the league.
For Kliavkoff, the possible partnership with the ACC would project strength at a time when the Pac-12 is weak and guarantees something the Big 12 cannot: a regional television partner. The Pac-12 would take an ACC lifeline at a time when the Big 12 is attacking its members.
In an ironic twist, it comes almost a year after the Pac-12 and ACC decided not to take teams from the Big 12, which at the time was fighting after the loss of its two biggest brands, Oklahoma and Texas, to the SEC. The Pac-12 and ACC also declined a partnership with the Big 12s a year ago, prompting the conference to add four new members to Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF, and causing more domino games in the United States. Group of 5 would fall into a wave of conference readjustment. The next wave is here, sparked by the startling news last week that USC and UCLA are moving to the Big Ten.
Meanwhile, the eyes of many within college athletics are training at independent Notre Dame. Will the Irish finally move to join a full-time league? And will this conference be the Big Ten? A source familiar with Notre Dame’s thought recently told SI: “Independence remains the preference and the leader in the clubhouse.” Washington and Oregon also remain attractive brands for the Big Ten, but their fate can be determined based on Notre Dame’s decision, and the Fighting Irish don’t feel compelled to rush it.
“It’s all a matter of money,” says a Pac-12 official. “The SEC has made the most of it and the Big Ten has the second and the ACC is stuck in a less-than-optimal deal. And the Pac-10 – we need to start calling it the Pac-10 now – is finding out as is our new TV deal, and it looks like the Big 12 is chasing us. “
All this potential movement will be determined by money. Any expansion of the conference means handing out TV money in more ways. Therefore, each additional school must add substantial value to a league for it to be worth it financially.
Does the Big 12 really see the value of adding four or six western schools? Does the ACC believe it is valuable enough to agree on a media partnership with the Pac-12? And does Notre Dame see the value in joining a league? These questions arise in one of the most uncertain and chaotic times in the recent history of college athletics.
The gears that drive any decision are obvious, says a prominent sports administrator: “It all comes down to dollars.”
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• USC, UCLA and Big Ten have theirs, but at what price? • What does USC, the UCLA movement for college sports mean? • Brady Quinn presents the case for Notre Dame to join Big Ten
How many teams are in the Big 12?
As for the Big 12, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah match or succeed the current 12 teams remaining in the Big 12 for the start of the 2025 season.
Which 4 teams move to the Big 12? According to CBS Sports, the Big 12 is in “deep conversations” with various Pac-12 programs as a way to strengthen its members. On the same subject : The Birth, Death and Rebirth of Ballsack Games. The conference recently added BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to combat the losses of Texas and Oklahoma, both of which will leave for the SEC by 2025 at the latest.
What teams are in the Big 12?
Are there 10 teams in the Big 12?
The Big 12 will be 12 teams after Texas and Oklahoma head to the SEC and BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF join the conference. Adding up to six Pac-12 teams, according to the CBS report, could bring the Big 12 to 18 teams.
How many colleges are in the Big 12?
The Big 12 Conference is a college sports conference based in Irving, Texas, USA. Read also : Station Casinos agrees to a $ 80,000 fine for sports betting failures – The Nevada Independent. It consists of ten full member universities.
What is the Big 10 in college football?
The east includes Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, the state of Michigan, the state of Ohio, the state of Penn and Rutgers, while the west includes Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, the northwest, Purdue and Wisconsin. This may interest you : Sports betting in Texas: when it will be legalized, how to bet online, where to find picks, top promos.
Why is it called the Big 10? The conference uses the “B1G” character combination in its brand, noting that it “allows fans to see‘ BIG ’and‘ 10 ’in a single word”. Big Ten member institutions are primarily the leading research universities that have large financial endowments and are well regarded academically.
What teams are in the College Football Big Ten?
| School | School | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| East Division | ||
| State of Ohio | State of Ohio | .889 |
| State of Michigan | State of Michigan | .778 |
| Penn State | Penn State | .444 |
What does the Big 10 stand for?
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly Western Conference and Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I university sports conference in the United States, incorporated as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896, prior to the founding of the United States. its regulatory organization, the …
Does Big 12 have two divisions?
When the Big 12 was formed in 1996, it was divided into “North” and “South” divisions. This format lasted until 2010, when the conference was reduced to 10 teams with schools such as Texas A&M, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado that came out in the previous round of realignment.
The conference of the big 12 is d1? The Big 12 Conference is a ten-school college sports conference based in Irving, Texas. He is a member of Division I of the NCAA for all sports; their football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A), the higher of the two levels of NCAA Division I football competition.
How is the Big 12 split up?
Big 12 pledged to plans to split into two seven-team divisions starting in 2023 amid realignment. The Big 12 is committed to plans to split into two seven-team divisions in football starting in 2023 to be temporarily restructured as a 14-team league as the readjustment process unfolds, league sources tell CBS Sports.
What 4 schools are joining Big 12?
BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF Joining the Big 12 In September 2021, the Big 12 officially invited all four schools to join the league. Without an affiliation to the football conference, BYU was able to easily accept the invitation and said it would join the Big 12 in 2023.
Does Big 12 have divisions?
So what will the 1223 Big 12 football look like? “We were the only conference that had no divisions,” BYU sporting director Tom Holmoe said, prematurely embracing the “us,” but he has my permission to do so and I guess that’s a big one. 12 consensus.
Is the Pac-12 expanding?
As it was 11 months ago, the Pac-12 is exploring expansion. The backdrop, however, couldn’t be more different. In the summer of 2021 the conference operated from a position of stability and strength. Now, he is at risk of fracture.
UCLA abandons Pac-12? UCLA and USC will join the Big Ten in 2024. UCLA and the University of Southern California, two of the best-known powers in college sports, will leave their centennial affiliation to the Pac-12 Conference in a seismic shift toward the Great Ten, schools announced Thursday.
Is the Big 12 going to expand?
The Big 12 is already scheduled to expand to 12 members for the 2023 college football season after announcing it would add BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF. This move came after the league lost the powers of Texas and Oklahoma football, which announced they would join the SEC, probably in 2025.
Is the Pac-12 adding more teams?
The Big 12 is involved in in-depth debates to add multiple Pac-12 programs as a way to bolster its membership after USC and UCLA dropped out of the Big Ten, sources at CBS Sports say. At least four teams are being considered with the possibility of the Big 12 adding more as the readjustment continues to shake.
What is happening to Pac-12?
The Trojans and Bruins will leave the Pac-12 for their new league in 2024, as the Big Ten expands from coast to coast with a move that rivals the SEC’s poaching of Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12 last year.
