It was just a couple of days ago we wrote, if the Pac 12 breaks up, is that good or bad for the ACC?
We didn’t expect some news so quickly, and it’s sent pro and anti-Pac 12 supporters into a frenzy, because what’s real and what’s not?
This was first reported by John Canzano.
“Over the last few months,” a member of the Pac-12 CEO Group told me, “we have negotiated all of these issues and the Grant of Rights is ready to go.”
Pac-12 members are aligned on grant of rights — need a satisfactory media-rights deal to sign.
Read: https://t.co/Jb66unHB8z pic.twitter.com/siFkM3LBPA
— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) June 7, 2023
Now is this a notable announcement?
Some media and industry insiders think yes…
Let preempt critics – Considerable movement by @pac12 members in the quest to get a media deal done – IS NOT A DONE DEAL- It is moment toward a POSSIBLE DEAL – I want to make that clear.
— Jim Williams (@JWMediaDC) June 7, 2023
And some think no…
Sources tell me the GOR was done before the Pac-12 Meetings. It will include performance/merit based revenue sharing.
As of now, there is no deal to sign, which makes the above irrelevant.
There are multiple reporters that knew about this. Nobody reported it because of that.
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) June 7, 2023
From the President at the University of Arizona –
More Robbins: “My prediction is that we’re all going to stay together as a Pac-12. There’s 10 of us right now. I’m hopeful that the deal is going to be good enough to keep us together. I think that’s the best thing for our students and alumni. That’s what we’re hoping for.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 7, 2023
The consistent part is nobody is disagreeing with the announcement, and all say it depends on the final numbers of the media rights deal.
There also seems to be a continued buzz about the Pac-12 and ACC doing something together, that has picked up recent steam.
Robbins says a Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 merger was never seriously discussed but… “That would have been cool. But it was complicated.”
He says a Pac-12/ACC scheduling alliance remains in the discussion.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 7, 2023
Spoke to a couple of @theACC AD’s and they remain in conversation with the @pac12 about a partnership. Here’s on AD’s take. “We along with the Pac watching the @bigten@Big12Conference @sec have our members on some sort of wish list. Well I can tell you that we are going to be…
— Jim Williams (@JWMediaDC) June 6, 2023
My prediction is if it is no more than 5 Million less than the Big 12 deal, the Pac 12 stays together. I think they will get it too. Remember as well the Pac12 Network component, that’s a level of flexibility the Pac 12 may still have. Even with poor distribution, it was making 3 Million a year per school. There is a chance there could be synergies with the ACC Network, but I consider that less likely than a scheduling agreement. Until that deal is done – nothing can get seriously discussed.
At the of the day – everybody with an interest in college athletics is looking at the Pac-12 as nothing is official.
We all are waiting on you Pac 12.
