State of the Pac-12 in football

[How_did_this_happen?]

ICYMI...

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ng-in-the-power-five-college-football-playoff

"A couple of years ago, the Pac-12 was returning the lowest percentage of revenue back to its members of any Power Five league (less than 70 percent). Part of that was blamed on opening new, glitzy conference studios and offices in San Francisco."

Why on earth would you locate your studios and offices in the most expensive city in the nation??

I'd love to see the financials of this decision and its impact on revenues available to return to conference members.

 

[Coug95man2]

I will say from my perspective, San Fran has several things going for it.

First off, the pool of employee's is large and the tech market is doing well there. The Pac 12 Network is VERY tech savvy. The technology they are using is ground breaking and only now is ESPN and the like starting to utilize the technology P12N has been using for several years. So to have employees that are coming from that world, living there already and ready to jump in, is huge.

Second, the infrastructure. While Seattle or… don't know where else you'd consider, maybe Denver?... and others have some very impressive infrastructure, it doesn't hold a candle to S.F.. Part of Silicon Valley being so close means they have all the tech infrastructure needed.

So other than those basic foundational issues, they could have picked just about anywhere, I guess.

 

[Coug95man2]

I will say from my perspective, San Fran has several things going for it.

First off, the pool of employee's is large and the tech market is doing well there. The Pac 12 Network is VERY tech savvy. The technology they are using is ground breaking and only now is ESPN and the like starting to utilize the technology P12N has been using for several years. So to have employees that are coming from that world, living there already and ready to jump in, is huge.

Second, the infrastructure. While Seattle or… don't know where else you'd consider, maybe Denver?... and others have some very impressive infrastructure, it doesn't hold a candle to S.F.. Part of Silicon Valley being so close means they have all the tech infrastructure needed.

So other than those basic foundational issues, they could have picked just about anywhere, I guess.

EDIT: I'll also add… Aren't the conferences offices there, already?

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

I will say from my perspective, San Fran has several things going for it.

First off, the pool of employee's is large and the tech market is doing well there. The Pac 12 Network is VERY tech savvy. The technology they are using is ground breaking and only now is ESPN and the like starting to utilize the technology P12N has been using for several years. So to have employees that are coming from that world, living there already and ready to jump in, is huge.

Second, the infrastructure. While Seattle or… don't know where else you'd consider, maybe Denver?... and others have some very impressive infrastructure, it doesn't hold a candle to S.F.. Part of Silicon Valley being so close means they have all the tech infrastructure needed.

So other than those basic foundational issues, they could have picked just about anywhere, I guess.

I understand your point.
There are two issues
1. Location in the highest cost area in the nation
2. "Glitzy" offices

I don't know exactly what #2 means, but I think we'd be stunned to see how "glitzy" it is.

 

[wazzubruce]

I guess they could have put it in San Jose! That's still pretty close to the Silicon Valley & techies. Kind of lacks the 'punch' of SF and coolness.

 

[kayak15]

Everybody is right. The Bay Area is centrally located and has access to infrastructure and employees. That said, downtown San Francisco? God awful expensive. The conference headquarters were formerly in Walnut Creek which surely must be cheaper. If I were commissioner for a year I would move it back or to San Jose, Fremont, or one of the other suburbs of S.F. The Bay Area makes perfect sense but why pick the most expensive spot you can find? Downtown San Francisco would be my last choice. How many conference supporters actually know where the headquarters are and, if they do, do they give a rat's ass about "punch" and coolness?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that expenses gradually approach revenues in most situations. This is a good example.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Everybody is right. The Bay Area is centrally located and has access to infrastructure and employees. That said, downtown San Francisco? God awful expensive. The conference headquarters were formerly in Walnut Creek which surely must be cheaper. If I were commissioner for a year I would move it back or to San Jose, Fremont, or one of the other suburbs of S.F. The Bay Area makes perfect sense but why pick the most expensive spot you can find? Downtown San Francisco would be my last choice. How many conference supporters actually know where the headquarters are and, if they do, do they give a rat's ass about "punch" and coolness?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that expenses gradually approach revenues in most situations. This is a good example.

I'd put the offices in Bakersfield.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I'd put them in Mabton if they can't get UCLA to vote right.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

I will say from my perspective, San Fran has several things going for it.

First off, the pool of employee's is large and the tech market is doing well there. The Pac 12 Network is VERY tech savvy. The technology they are using is ground breaking and only now is ESPN and the like starting to utilize the technology P12N has been using for several years. So to have employees that are coming from that world, living there already and ready to jump in, is huge.

Second, the infrastructure. While Seattle or… don't know where else you'd consider, maybe Denver?... and others have some very impressive infrastructure, it doesn't hold a candle to S.F.. Part of Silicon Valley being so close means they have all the tech infrastructure needed.

So other than those basic foundational issues, they could have picked just about anywhere, I guess.

When I toured the facilities after they opened, I seem to recall them having some satellite help in the Denver market. I know they wanted to move everything to the SF office eventually, but don't know where that ended up.