Close to 70,000 people packed Husky Stadium on September 17, 2022 for Washington’s 39-28 victory over the Michigan State Spartans from the BIG10
Like a death, there’s still a numbness around the fall of the once mighty Pacific 12 Conference.
“For a while the conference appeared like it was ready to save itself” sources told Portland Sports Radio host John Canzano early Friday morning “The bulk of the conference was told that if Arizona and Arizona State were staying that Oregon was likely to stay.”
The presidents gathered for a 7am conference call where most thought the schools were going to sign a media rights deal with Apple TV.
But the Ducks were considered the tipping point; and when the presidents from Washington and Oregon were no-shows for the conference call, the harsh reality came crashing down.
“You might know then, the conference was no longer viable” Arizona State president Michael Crow told reporters on Saturday according to the Oregonian “Once Oregon and Washington decided to go to the Big Ten, the (Pac-12) conference was no longer viable. You can’t be in a non-viable position for more than a few hours in our minds.”
The Apple TV offer was reportedly 5 years with a base rate of $25 million per year; and incentives — based on projected subscribers — that might bump that up to almost $32 million. According to the Athletic that would’ve match the amount BIG12 schools are getting from ESPN.
“Robert Robbins, the president at Arizona, during the meeting said Arizona is willing to stay” Canzano says.
Arizona State Athletic Director Ray Anderson says the stalwarts bought into the vision of the Apple TV deal “We were trying to save it and stayed in the trenches as long as we could until it became clear that it was no longer an option.”
On Saturday, Washington president Ana Mari Cauce told reporters the proposed media deal from Apple was not viable “In the end, we looked at the deal that we had, the only deal that we had, and it was clear that it was not giving us what we thought.” Cauce explained “It was not the deal we had been discussing just days before, and it was not going to secure (the conference).”
Stability then became the buzz word that defined the moment “When you have a deal where people are saying one of the best aspects of it is that you can get out of it in two years, that tells you a lot.”
A lot? Maybe, maybe not? But it was enough to take the money and run! Cauce then leaned on the student athletes to support her decision “We really needed to have the stability for our players, for our coaches, for our teams.”
But Washington and Oregon latched onto a version of the future that doesn’t look a lot different than their present.
The two schools will join the BIG10 with half shares: $30 million in the first year and $1 million dollar a year after that through 2030. The other BIG10 schools, including USC and UCLA, will receive roughly $60 million a year. But UW and Oregon can borrow up to $10 million a year for travel and other expenses.
Sounds like a wash, right? For now maybe, but the version of the future the Huskies and Ducks embraced doesn’t kick-in until the BIG10’s next media rights deal in 2031. Sources say the two schools will be in line for full shares and they could be worth double or even triple the $30 to $35 million the schools are receiving over the next 6 years.
“TV networks, TV executives are running this thing” says Dan Wetzel from Yahoo Sports “And all they care about is getting one brand playing another brand and they don’t really care about tradition.”
Cal and Stanford (#10 Television Market: San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland) were also considered for bids to the BIG10. Within hours of the news Arizona, Arizona State and Utah accepted invitations to join the BIG12 joining the University of Colorado.
Governor Jay Inslee reacted to the stunning news with this statement “Regardless of which conference the Huskies play in, UW remains committed to permanently continuing the Apple Cup with Washington State.”
A 2nd meeting of the PAC12 CEO group was scheduled for late Friday “I’m told San Diego State and SMU have been alerted” says John Canzano of Portland’s ‘750 The Game’ a PAC12 President (told me) ‘We need to come up with something very quickly’.” On Sunday Canzano reported “The plan is adding (schools), not merging with another conference.” Cal, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State are the lone remaining members.
But, conference realignment isn’t the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow many expected “Very few schools have realigned and been happy” says Yahoo’s Wetzel “Let’s take Nebraska: Nebraska was a credible football program for a long time, very good in the BIG12, still competing for championships. They move to the BIG10, they get more money and they haven’t won since.”
