Some valid concerns raised here.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ally-about-to-fall-far-behind-big-ten-and-sec
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ally-about-to-fall-far-behind-big-ten-and-sec
Financial trouble ahead for the Pac-12?
- Thread starter CougPatrol
- Start date
Thanks. Good article. From the beginning, the conference has been playing the long game. It is why they started their own network instead of partnering like the Big 10 and SEC did.
I still like the position that the Pac 12 is in right now. I think that 5-10 years from now, articles will be written on the financial stability of the conference.
The pac-12 faces competitive challenges due to our time zone, and the fact that the majority of our teams don't generate national tv excitement.
Even though I don't like the idea, adding Texas and Oklahoma would solidify our league in terms of National TV appeal. The big 10 added Nebraska and Penn State to join Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan. The SEC was already strong, and they added Texas A&M to bolster their already dominant tv market. The ACC scored big when they scooped up Florida State and Miami, plus they are one of the few big profit hoops leagues.
Colorado and Utah didn't create so much as a ripple in the grand scheme of things. We need Oklahoma and Texas to avoid becoming invisible where it counts. National TV appeal.
Even though I don't like the idea, adding Texas and Oklahoma would solidify our league in terms of National TV appeal. The big 10 added Nebraska and Penn State to join Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan. The SEC was already strong, and they added Texas A&M to bolster their already dominant tv market. The ACC scored big when they scooped up Florida State and Miami, plus they are one of the few big profit hoops leagues.
Colorado and Utah didn't create so much as a ripple in the grand scheme of things. We need Oklahoma and Texas to avoid becoming invisible where it counts. National TV appeal.
Colorado actually added TV sets, as it is a relatively big market. Utah did not, but another school was needed to get to 12 for the conference championship game. It is why Boise State never made sense, as they do not bring TV sets.
The Pac-12 is actually in very good shape. You can always partner up with a network just like the others if need be, but it will almost be impossible to go independent considering the contract lengths.
By having and owning the network ourselves there is so much flexibility we have that the other conferences don't.
Texas will be hard to get because of the Longhorn Network. For those that don't know Texas has their own Network that is partially owned by ESPN. This kind of throws a whole problem because the contract is till 2031..Yup a 20 year contract.
Texas coming to the Pac-12 totally would get messy because of that issue and pretty much until that contract is up Texas isn't going anywhere.
Honestly I think our sites should be set on BYU. They are independent and have a big audience to bring, and would fit in nicely to be a rivalry game for Utah.
Boise which is I know people don't like...and yes I agree with all the things people don't like about Boise would actually be another good geographic fit and would capture some more market share.
Those two would gives us a nice little boost until we wait for Texas to be free.
Texas getting free will be an absolute mad house though. The SEC would want them to pair with A&M. But what happens to Oklahoma? The B1G I am sure would go after Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State (to pair with Iowa)...
But then that leaves TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech? West Virginia? Probably West Virginia will be with the ACC,
It's going to be a GIANT mess.
Really we will be fine and owning our own network will allow us to do a lot of positive things.
If we were to sell part to ESPN for example and then pair it with Texas' Longhorn Network as a package deal for Oklahoma, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma State
That would make us the PAC-18. We are one of the only conferences that could pull that off.
Add Boise and BYU and we are the PAC-20. Two 10 team divisions.
North
WSU/UW
Oregon/ Oregon State
BYU/Utah
Boise (Could be Nevada) / Colorado
Cal / Stanford
South
USC / UCLA
Arizona / ASU
Texas / Texas Tech
TCU / Baylor
Oklahoma / Oklahoma State
9 games play everyone in your conference one time
1 N vs S rotational game
2 Non Conference games
1 Championship Game
That would be pretty Insane.
By having and owning the network ourselves there is so much flexibility we have that the other conferences don't.
Texas will be hard to get because of the Longhorn Network. For those that don't know Texas has their own Network that is partially owned by ESPN. This kind of throws a whole problem because the contract is till 2031..Yup a 20 year contract.
Texas coming to the Pac-12 totally would get messy because of that issue and pretty much until that contract is up Texas isn't going anywhere.
Honestly I think our sites should be set on BYU. They are independent and have a big audience to bring, and would fit in nicely to be a rivalry game for Utah.
Boise which is I know people don't like...and yes I agree with all the things people don't like about Boise would actually be another good geographic fit and would capture some more market share.
Those two would gives us a nice little boost until we wait for Texas to be free.
Texas getting free will be an absolute mad house though. The SEC would want them to pair with A&M. But what happens to Oklahoma? The B1G I am sure would go after Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State (to pair with Iowa)...
But then that leaves TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech? West Virginia? Probably West Virginia will be with the ACC,
It's going to be a GIANT mess.
Really we will be fine and owning our own network will allow us to do a lot of positive things.
If we were to sell part to ESPN for example and then pair it with Texas' Longhorn Network as a package deal for Oklahoma, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma State
That would make us the PAC-18. We are one of the only conferences that could pull that off.
Add Boise and BYU and we are the PAC-20. Two 10 team divisions.
North
WSU/UW
Oregon/ Oregon State
BYU/Utah
Boise (Could be Nevada) / Colorado
Cal / Stanford
South
USC / UCLA
Arizona / ASU
Texas / Texas Tech
TCU / Baylor
Oklahoma / Oklahoma State
9 games play everyone in your conference one time
1 N vs S rotational game
2 Non Conference games
1 Championship Game
That would be pretty Insane.
A lot would have to change before you would see BYU or Boise in the Pac, primarily for academic reasons. Even if they're local and big in sports, that's a cultural hurdle of some significance that would have to be jumped.
Given his areas of expertise, I would especially like to see/read 95's views on this, especially on the article's points about the conference network and technology, future, etc.
Boise and the surrounding area do not have many TV's. Idaho itself is the 39th state regarding population with around 1.6 milliion. Colorado was 22nd and Utah is 33rd, but has twice the population of Idaho and is growing faster. BSU really does not add much.
I see Boise State and BYU as nonstarters. Neither Boise State or BYU are tier 1 research facilities as far as I know and that is a requirement for inclusion in the PAC at the current time. Boise doesn't bring the television numbers as others have pointed out. BYU apparently won't play on Sundays and this is a scheduling problem for soccer, where half the games are on Sunday, and also volleyball, basketball, baseball and possibly others.
Texas, with their Longhorn Network, is a major stumbling block. Moos and other AD's were able to get USC and UCLA to agree to an even split of TV revenue but I cannot foresee this happening with the UT. If you know Texans then you know that they regard their state as the "big dog" of the fifty. And the UT is the collegiate "big dog" of the "big dog" state. The idea that the UT would accept equality with the plebeian likes of the rest of us just ain't going to happen. I doubt that even the mighty SEC could pull that off.
I suspect that four conferences of sixteen schools is going to happen eventually but quite how is certainly complicated. Yes, factoring viewer numbers, academics, travel times, time zone differences and previous commitments would be a major mess. (West Virginia? Good Lord, we may as well erase Pacific from our title.)
Texas, with their Longhorn Network, is a major stumbling block. Moos and other AD's were able to get USC and UCLA to agree to an even split of TV revenue but I cannot foresee this happening with the UT. If you know Texans then you know that they regard their state as the "big dog" of the fifty. And the UT is the collegiate "big dog" of the "big dog" state. The idea that the UT would accept equality with the plebeian likes of the rest of us just ain't going to happen. I doubt that even the mighty SEC could pull that off.
I suspect that four conferences of sixteen schools is going to happen eventually but quite how is certainly complicated. Yes, factoring viewer numbers, academics, travel times, time zone differences and previous commitments would be a major mess. (West Virginia? Good Lord, we may as well erase Pacific from our title.)
