The reverberations of USC and UCLA at the Pac-12 exit for the Big Ten continue. The Big 12 intends to position itself to pick up the most desirable Pac-12 members left, flipping through how things were a year ago. The Pac-12 will enact its own plan, but perhaps most importantly, can it stay in Oregon and Washington? Meanwhile, questions are being raised at the national level. While all eyes are on what Notre Dame will do, what’s up with North Carolina? Athletic staff are delving into the latest readjustment advances.
The big 12 on the offensive?
The Big 12 has had an unexpected opportunity to bolster its position between the Power 5 conferences. Its new commissioner doesn’t want to waste it.
The league is holding “serious” talks with six Pac-12 schools (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington) and is determined to move quickly, sources told The Athletic. The commissioner of the 12 greats, Brett Yormark, hired last week, has been described as “super aggressive” by a source and has the support of the presidents and chancellors of the 12 greats to get the incorporation of Pac-12 members.
It’s unclear how quickly the Big 12 could reach an agreement on its expansion efforts, but those sources expressed optimism that Yormark could get it. CBS Sports first reported that the Big 12 was in discussions about the addition of several Pac-12 schools.
Arizona and the state of Arizona have long been considered a logical fit for the Big 12 if these schools ever had an interest in leaving the Pac-12. But USC and UCLA approaching the Big Ten make the Big 12 dream bigger. He also looks at Utah, the 2021 Pac-12 football champion, and Colorado, a member of the Big Eight and Big 12 until 2011.
Oregon and Washington’s aspirations are harder to predict right now. For both of you, it probably makes sense to keep your options open and wait for the chance to join the Big Ten or the SEC. The Big 12 would carry those first four, but it’s worth trying to make an effort to incorporate them into all six.
“(Yormark) has talked about making sure we’ll be aggressive, we won’t get out of hand,” a Big 12 athletics director told The Athletic. “I’ve talked to some ADs and we think we’re in a position of strength.”
Yormark first saw its announcements last Friday at a Zoom meeting, and several said it was impressive in its debut. He was firm in his belief that the Big 12 can thrive in this changing climate and seems to have the right connections to help it. It was supposed to officially not go to work until August 1, but Yormark is taking this opportunity to interrupt and knows that the Big 12 can’t afford to sit back and watch this latest saga unfold. realignment. – Max Olson and Chris Vannini
What could the Big 12 gain by adding these particular Pac-12 programs
When any league has a chance to be an aggressor in a round of conference readjustment, it usually needs it. Beyond the obvious appeal of Oregon and Washington, Arizona schools would lead the Phoenix media market, the 11th largest in the country. Colorado would lead Denver (No. 16) and Utah would solidify Salt Lake City (No. 30) along with incoming Big 12 BYU member.
It also makes sense from the point of view of programming and travel, especially with BYU already in the fold from 2023. It would preserve the Holy War and while maintaining or reactivating rivalries is not usually a major driver in any movement. like this one, but it would be a great byproduct.
A source from one of the target schools noted that many Pac-12 fans don’t travel well, and the Big 12’s solid fan base is another factor that makes the conference intriguing. The idea of having Iowa, BYU, or Kansas State fans visit more regularly than several current Pac-12 schools might be appealing.
A Big 12 source noted that Colorado was “very splashed” in 2010 when it fled the Big 12 for the Pac-12, seeking stability as well as possible exposure / inscription from the west coast. Perhaps this calculation seems a little different in the current college athletic landscape, and a Pac-12 that doesn’t include LA schools.
“I think a lot of things are possible,” said the source of Big 12. – Nicole Auerbach and Vannini
How does the Pac-12 respond?
Less than a week after the league lost its flagship schools, a Pac-12 source said the conference works with a sense of urgency, but “don’t panic.” If one of the remaining Pac-12 schools suddenly received a call from the Big Ten or the SEC, the source said it would be reason enough for the rest to press a panic button. But the big 12? The source said the current iteration of the Big 12 is not an obvious yes. Perhaps it would make more sense for the Arizona / Colorado / Utah contingent to wait a bit and consider all options, including what the Pac-12 is able to muster as a counter-offer.
One option worth exploring, the source said, is a kind of partnership between the Pac-12 and the ACC. (Please don’t call it an “alliance.”) The two leagues need a boost, because both are about to fall far behind the SEC and the Big Ten in terms of annual revenue. The ACC is stuck in a media rights agreement that essentially depreciates in value and does not expire until 2036: would an agreement with the Pac-12 allow the ACC to renegotiate such a (bad) agreement? It’s a question that administrators across the country are asking. – Auerbach
Could the Pac-12 end up regretting its inaction in 2021?
Less than a year ago, the Pac-12 could have made a move. New Commissioner George Kliavkoff received a lot of interest from Big 12 school leaders looking to jump ship. It would have been too easy to catch its most attractive members, plant a flag in the state of Texas, and potentially end the Big 12.
But for the Pac-12, these schools were not attractive enough.
Kliavkoff, on the other hand, pursued the option that his conference believed would bring the most value at the time, partnering with the ACC and Big Ten for their unfortunate Alliance. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said at the time that they hoped the pact would “allow a conference like the Big 12 to figure out its way forward.” Calling him merciful seems a bit generous, but inaction in the expansion of the Pac-12 helped the Big 12 unite and agree to incorporate four new members.
The Big 12 survived because no Power 5 league wanted the remaining eight schools. Maybe the Pac-12 isn’t so lucky.
“It’s a shame the big 12 if they don’t do what the Pac-12 wasn’t willing to do last year,” a 5 AD group told The Athletic.
This is not to say that the Pac-12 would have avoided its current problems by attacking the Big 12. Even if USC and UCLA had supported the expansion (and sources believe not), this move would not have. prevented. to get a better deal on the Big Ten.
But there was a time in time when the Pac-12 could have eliminated a competitor from the market and established a Power 4.
The Big 12 can do the same right now, though it won’t be that easy to pull off. No one is wondering if Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah add enough value to the Big 12 to make it worthwhile. Their leaders want to be aggressive. They have lived through this exact cycle of panic, fear, and uncertainty, so they know how vulnerable Pac-12 presidents are right now and what disposition they should be to offer a good solution.
The wildcard, of course, is Yormark. You have a lot to learn about this landscape, and you need to do it as quickly as possible. Yormark brings more than 30 years of experience in professional, non-college sports. He has no long-term relationship with these commissioners. Maybe that helps. They should not be collegiate. The Big 12 has happened long enough to know that doing nothing can be costly. “Olson.”
Why is the Pac-12 now opening its negotiations on media rights?
The Pac-12 announced on Tuesday that its Board of Directors had “authorized the conference to immediately begin negotiations for its next media rights agreements.” The moment drew attention, but sources inside and outside the Pac-12 seemed to think it made sense. The Pac-12, with its current agreement in place in 2024, must do everything possible to preserve its existence, and believes that going to the media and getting its valuation will help.
Or maybe you can play a fusion or a partnership.
If you’re Arizona or Colorado, wouldn’t you want to know all the facts and figures before you decide to jump into another league? It is useful information that may cause current Pac-12 members to re-engage with each other. At least, that is the optimistic view of the situation.
A more pessimistic view: getting the numbers doesn’t change the numbers. The value of the Pac-12 for potential media partners has been a significant success, whether or not you can put a specific dollar figure on it. – Auerbach
So what about the best of the rest?
A former Pac-12 manager said it on Tuesday in simple terms: Oregon and Washington outperform anything the Big 12 can offer.
It’s worth remembering all of this, as the Big 12 and its uninhibited new commissioner seek to hit first and annex a portion of what’s left of the Pac-12. While it’s unclear what the Ducks and Huskies can do, and what real options they have right now, it’s safe to say that these two programs, more than anyone else, have control over the fate of the Pac-12 right now.
Undoubtedly, the Pac-12 is trying to get ahead of matters in itself; why but make a statement saying that he will immediately begin his negotiations on media rights? – but this statement probably has little effect on the current situation.
It also distracts from the biggest issues at stake nationally.
What will Notre Dame do?
And, perhaps just as importantly, what will North Carolina do?
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