An ACC school is currently weighing its options…
News regarding the Pac-12’s media rights negotiations seems to break by the hour.
After the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reported that Apple was interested in partnering with the conference on Tuesday, another potential partner surfaced on Friday. Or did it?
On Friday morning, the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy tweeted that ION television has emerged as an entity interested in making a deal with the Pac-12. Not even an hour later, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel refuted the report in a tweet.
Out of all of the reporting being done on the future of the Pac-12 this week, pay attention to what Arizona State vice president for university athletics Ray Anderson told Bickley & Marotta of Arizona Sports on Thursday.
He said about the impending TV deal: “It may not be the projections originally contemplated but [it] will be a solid enough financial situation to keep this conference together and then [we will] really work hard to move forward positively.”
Even though Anderson stated that the process has been “frustrating,” the fact that he mentioned the new deal will bring in enough money to “keep this conference together” is significant.
The Big 12 is reportedly interested in adding Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah and the Big Ten may look to add Washington and Oregon in the future.
What the Pac-12’s new deal looks like will determine the future of the conference.
UNREST IN FLORIDA
The ACC has a media rights deal that doesn’t expire until 2036 and Florida State isn’t happy about it.
According to TampaBay.com’s Matt Baker, at Florida State’s most recent board of trustees meeting, one member asked how much it would cost to leave the ACC.
The answer given was “roughly $120 million.”
Schools in the Pac-12 aren’t the only ones assessing their options…
