The next round of negotiations for Pac-12 media rights was always bound to be interesting. Just how interesting is something we will find out much sooner than expected.
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reports that the conference’s board of directors has authorized commissioner George Kliavkof to begin exploring options for a new deal.
The Pac-12 learned last week that it would lose USC and UCLA to Big Ten as early as 2024. That puts the conference in a race, not just for a payday, but for sustainability. Dodd reported last week that the Big 12 is discussing adding six current Pac-12 schools to its roster. The Athletic had a report of its own last week that the Pac-12 board authorized the conference to explore expansion options of its own.
Networks and streaming services are currently locked in a battle to land the second half of the Big Ten’s media rights. Initially, it was expected that the Pac-12 would let that conference set the market before beginning its own search for a new deal. That, of course, was before the conference lost its two most valuable brands.
The conference’s current deals with FOX and ESPN expire in 2024. With so much uncertainty, there are some interesting possibilities at play here.
One may be to see how the market values the Pac-12 as it stands right now. Another could be to see if there is a network or streamer that misses out on the Big Ten and responds by overpaying for another power conference. The final, and most likely, explainer is that the conference wants to be able to show it is in a better position than the Big 12 as the two conferences try to attract each other’s remaining schools.
