Six Pac-12 Schools in Talks with Big 12

In today’s edition of the Front Office Sports newsletter, we’re taking a look at one college conference whose future is up in the air.

Existential Threat

Four schools could follow USC and UCLA out of the Pac-12 as the college football landscape reshapes in real time.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah are reportedly in?discussions?to join the?Big 12. Oregon and Washington could also follow the same path. With USC and UCLA leaving for the?Big Ten?in 2024,?a prospective mass exodus presents a dire scenario for the Pac-12.

• If all six schools depart, the Pac-12 would have only four full members remaining.
• 10 schools?have reportedly?reached?out to Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren since Thursday.
• The Pac-12 is reportedly exploring its options, which could include bringing in more teams or seeking a?merger with the Big 12.

TV Ties

Conference realignment in the coming months will prove an especially high-stakes question for the Pac-12, whose deals with?Fox?and?ESPN?expire in 2024.

In fiscal 2020, which reflects the last college football season unaffected by the pandemic, the Pac-12 distributed an average of?$33.6 million?to its member schools. The Big Ten, meanwhile, gave out?$54.3 million?to each of its members except Maryland and Rutgers, which joined in 2014.

The Big Ten’s next set of media deals were?expected?to top?$1 billion?prior to USC and UCLA joining the conference.

Conversation Starters

• NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock booked $1 billion in upfront ad revenue this year, doubling its 2021 total of $500 million.
• Hear about the day’s most important business of sports stories in five minutes or less by listening to our daily podcast The Leadoff .
• The U.S. Department of Justice announced that an additional $92 million would be distributed for losses suffered from global corruption schemes by soccer’s governing officials.
• Australia’s Channel Seven has filed court proceedings in an effort to terminate its $310 million broadcasting rights deal with Cricket Australia.
• Mike Grier is set to be announced as the new General Manager of the San Jose Sharks , making him the first black GM in NHL history, per ESPN.

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