After realignment in college football left the Pac-12 Conference with two teams amid the league’s struggles to sign a new media rights deal, the SiriusXM Pac-12 Radio channel is preparing to shut down. The channel covered the conference with programming tailored to fans across the country featuring news, opinion and various live games. This venture first took the air on the subscription-based satellite radio platform in 2018 and has remained a trusted outlet for fans during that time.
Mike Mayer, the lead producer of SiriusXM’s Pac-12 This Morning program, expressed his gratitude for the last four years working at the station on both Facebook and X before taking down his posts following a ton of reaction. Within the message, he thanked various on-air hosts, including Guy Haberman, Ryan Leaf and Evan Moore, along with vice president of sports programming Michael Mazvinsky.
Programming on the outlet has been under the direction of Shane Connolly, who serves as the program director for all college stations. Additionally, Mayer took time to acknowledge the work of other producers, along with sports information departments, guests and analysts over the years.
“And most importantly, I want to thank the listeners and the fans of this conference,” Mayer concluded. “It’s unfortunate that this has to end but you were a big reason we had a channel for nearly six years. The passion of College Sports fans is unlike anything in the world.”
Mayer will remain with SiriusXM covering college sports, although the exact parameters surrounding his future remain uncertain.
A representative from SiriusXM confirmed to BSM that the channel will not shut down completely on Friday. The plan moving forward is to air play-by-play, coaches shows and more until the end of the Pac-12 basketball tournaments.
SiriusXM has many channels dedicated to college sports within the Power Five (ACC; Big Ten; Big 12; SEC), along with a general college sports channel at large.
Aside from the forthcoming end of SiriusXM Pac-12 Radio, the Pac-12 Network – owned by the conference – is beginning layoffs this month with the intent to shut down as its academic year and media rights deals come to a close. The Pac-12 Conference’s 12-year, $3 billion deal with ESPN and FOX Sports is on the verge of expiring this year.
