It will be a getting to know you first date.
There will be a meeting between the Commissioners and staff members of the Big 12 and the Pac 12 college conferences and that session could pave the way for some sort of an agreement between the two starting in 2025. The Big 12 is on the ropes after two schools, Oklahoma and Texas, decided the grass was greener in the Southeastern Conference for them. Texas already had a huge TV deal and figures to make more money in the SEC. After all, the college sports business is a business. The Big 12 is looking at a depressed television deal when the present TV agreements with ESPN and FOX are done. The Pac 12 offers the nation’s #2 and #6 TV markets, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, which under normal circumstances would increase TV fees. The Pac 12 has Seattle, Denver, Phoenix as well, all major league markets.
A Texas senate committee listened to Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech officials complain about the Texas and Oklahoma move from the Big 12 in 2025 and not surprising the school officials were complaining about losing money. Fort Worth, Lubbock and Waco could take a big financial hit if the conference crumbles. Baylor president Linda Livingstone said “the livelihood” of the Big 12’s Texas communities was in danger because of ticket sales and attracting larger crowds. Baylor Athletic Director Mac Rhoades claimed the implosion of the Big 12 could impact the school’s plan to build a basketball arena. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby would like to see the eight remaining Big 12 schools stick together but knows school presidents and chancellors look out for the school’s best opportunities. In the end, it will be the school presidents and chancellors not the commissioners who will decide college sports’ next move. College sports is a business.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
