Not only will the shifts lead to a change in the format of conference championships, but also potentially how fans watch teams compete for the title. “I’ve received a lot of phone calls (with) a lot of interest, and we’re exploring those levels of interest.”Īdded Bowlsby: “The seismic shifts are continuing in collegiate athletics.” “I was excited by (the news of USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12) because I saw there was opportunity,” Yormack said last week. Quite the introduction to his new job, Yormack said he was excited about the news. On June 30, two days after the Big 12 announced Yormack as the new commissioner, USC and UCLA announced they will leave the Pac-12 conference for the Big Ten. The Big 12 managed to weather the departure of Texas and the University of Oklahoma to the SEC late last summer when outgoing Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced that BYU, Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston will join the conference on July 1, 2023. The latest development puts a dent in Yormack’s expansion plans, at least for now. Both sides determined a deal would not have returned revenue or value, according to the report. Discussions about a partnership between the Big 12 and Pac-12 came to an end this week “for a multitude of reasons,” ESPN reports. “All in an effort to position the conference in a way that not only grows the Big 12 brand and business, but makes us a bit more contemporary.”Īt the time, Yormack’s declaration signaled that the conference realignment dominoes were likely to continue falling, but speculation surrounding a new potential superconference ended as swiftly as it started. “We will leave no stone unturned to drive value for the conference,” Yormack said during the recent Big 12 Media Days. The tit-for-tat between the Big 12 and Pac-12 has been a major storyline in recent weeks since UCLA and USC bolted the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, and the Big 12 has been at the forefront of potentially landing several Pac-12 teams if the conference falls apart.PHOENIX – Asked about possible expansion from the addition of Pac-12 schools recently, incoming Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormack left “no doubt” that his conference is “open for business.” However, nothing has come of those conversations thus far. The Pac-12 only has two years remaining on its television contract, and the league announced last month that it was beginning negotiations for its next media rights agreement. The fact that ESPN and FOX are willing to negotiate early takes away a big advantage of the Pac-12’s, as their commissioner George Kliavkoff said his league was in “the enviable position of being next to market” after the Big Ten. It should be noted that former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby tried to open early negotiations with ESPN and FOX last year, but was rejected, and then the bombshell of Oklahoma and Texas leaving the league came to fruition. This is a key time for the league’s future, as Oklahoma and Texas will be gone after that year, at the latest, while Houston, UCF, BYU, and Cincinnati are set to join for the 2023 football season. Thamel reports that any deal would likely be for a short-term extension that gives the league clarity after the current deal expires following the 2024-25 academic year.
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