Big 12 punches back at Pac-12 by exploring new TV rights deal early with ESPN, Fox
.JPG "Incoming Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speaks during a news conference opening the NCAA college football Big 12 media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)")
The Big 12 is at the center of the latest development in conference realignment.
Conference commissioner Brett Yormark announced Wednesday that the league will begin exploring a new TV rights deal with its media partners ahead of schedule.
“It is an exciting time for college athletics and given the changing landscape we welcome the opportunity to engage with our partners to determine if an early extension is in the best interest of all parties,” Yormark said in a statement. “The Big 12 has enjoyed a fantastic relationship with its multi-media rights holders, and I look forward to having these conversations.”
An aggressive negotiating schedule could be interpreted as a punch back at the Pac-12, which deployed a similar tactic earlier this summer after UCLA and USC announced their intentions to leave for the Big Ten. The Pac-12 could have gained an advantage over the Big 12 by becoming the latest power conference to sign a new lucrative deal with its TV partners. But now it appears the Big 12 is trying to beat the Pac-12 to market.
Fox and ESPN currently share TV rights on all Big 12 content. Both networks televise football games each Saturday during the fall. ESPN broadcasts basketball games on its channels. Fans can also stream Big 12 games on ESPN+.
The Big 12’s current deal with Fox and ESPN is not scheduled to expire until the end of the 2024-25 athletics season. By negotiating a possible extension early, the conference could gain an edge on other conferences as it works to navigate the shifting landscape of college sports.
There is no formal window for these negotiations to take place, but they are expected to begin soon. A deal could be reached as early as next month. Or all parties could decide to re-think things a new contract through the original timeline.
The Big 12 has been battling with the ACC and Pac-12 in recent weeks to determine which conference will emerge as the nation’s most prominent league behind the Big Ten and the SEC. There has been talk of the Big 12 looking to poach schools away from the Pac-12 and vice versa.
Emotions got heated at conference media days when Yormark announced that the Big 12 was “open for business” and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkhoff fired back by saying “I appreciate that. We haven’t decided if we’re going shopping there or not yet.”
It will also be interesting to see if a new TV deal impacts the departure dates for outgoing Big 12 teams Oklahoma and Texas. They are not scheduled to join the SEC until 2025. Meanwhile a group of four new schools (BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF) will join the Big 12 in 2023.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Big 12 punches back at Pac-12 by exploring new TV rights deal early with ESPN, Fox."