The long and winding Pac-12 media deal saga may finally be coming to an end.
Or, perhaps more likely, we are about to learn new information that will inform which direction this long and winding saga will continue forward in.
According to reports from various insiders and reporters, including Wildcat Authority’s Jason Scheer, Pac-12 insider John Canzano, and The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff is expected to present information related to a media rights deal to the league’s nine remaining members by Tuesday. The meeting will reportedly be attended by presidents and chancellors, along with athletic directors, from the member schools.
Specifics on what the commissioner might present remain scant, though Scheer noted that his “sources indicate that there is very little linear aspect to the deal that will be presented tomorrow” and that there is speculation he “could present escalators of sorts if certain ratings numbers hit.”
Sources indicate that there is very little linear aspect to the deal that will be presented tomorrow. Nobody knows where it is coming from, but there is also speculation Kliavkoff could present escalators of sorts if certain ratings numbers hit.
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) July 31, 2023
This meeting comes on the heels of a hectic week for the conference. As expected, Kliavkoff stood in front of reporters at media day and said that there would be no discussion of a media deal, adding that “the longer we wait, the better our options get.” That message was not received by the University of Colorado, which officially decided to leave the conference and return to the Big 12.
Now that some critics are administering the conference’s last rites, it seems like Kliavkoff is in a do-or-die situation where he has to present…something, lest more member schools decide to jump ship.
Many eyes are going to be on the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, both of which are overseen by the Arizona Board of Regents. That’s worth noting because that group has scheduled an impromptu meeting for Tuesday, leading to speculation that it could be the first step in one or both schools exploring its options. However, not everyone is convinced that’s the case.
The Arizona Board of Regents (UA, ASU, NAU) has a special meeting tomorrow.
The agenda is one vague item. But the code (3) says the board may go into executive session for "Discussion or consultation for legal advice with the attorney or attorneys of the public body."
🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/SmT4heEAYW
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) July 31, 2023
As of now, this is the agenda and that implies it is not realignment related https://t.co/joy6kgFra6
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) July 31, 2023
Speculation around the Pac-12’s next media deal, and future as a Power Five conference, has been raised ever since USC and UCLA announced they would leave for the Big Ten. Whatever the conference is able to cobble together, it will be measured against the Big 12’s recently re-upped deal with ESPN and Fox, which will next each school around $31-32 million per year.
