OT: USC and UCLA to Big 10

[Formula 21]

Media rights holders are among those closely watching conference realignment, and the move of Southern Cal and UCLA to the Big Ten has brought a major player back to the table.

John Ourand and Michael Smith of Sports Business Journal reported that Apple has contacted the Big Ten about re-engaging in talks after news of the move surfaced.

Soon after the news about USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten broke, an Apple exec called the conference with a simple message: It wanted to reengage in media-rights talks, report SBJ’s John Ourand and Michael Smith. That call was emblematic of a chaotic day where media companies that had spent months finalizing how much they would pay for Big Ten rights were rushing back to the drawing board to see how the addition of two high-profile schools would change their bidding strategy.

The news of the Big Ten expansion will likely stretch negotiations deep into the summer, and possibly early fall. Originally, the Big Ten had been planning to wrap up its rights negotiations at some point in July. Before the expansion, the Big Ten was expected to be the first college conference to eclipse $1 billion in media-rights fees annually.

Fox Sports already had reached a deal to carry at least half of the conference’s package, and CBS was viewed as a front-runner to take at least a package of Saturday football games in the 3:30pm ET window. That left Amazon, ESPN and NBC competing for a third package. As late as this morning, Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery were not viewed as credible bidders. That could all change.

[dmac_bolt]

As an Aztec legacy and alum, i find this very exciting. UCLA and USC were the two reason Aztecs never would ever get looked at by PAC-xx. That also choked their local recruiting as why would the best kids go to SDSU when they could go to USC or UCLA and still have mom do their laundry.

Now, if PAC-xx survives, Aztecs have to be the prime target with their upper-tier MWC football and basketball, they also are solid in baseball, golf, womens sports are good - they are credible and would have improved recruiting. Its a Big IF, but any reconstituted version of the majority of mid-level current PAC schools would still be a solid upgrade over the shit MWC.

[Formula 21]

It seems to me that the “leftover” quality teams in the ACC, PAC and Big 12 will have to unite to form a 3rd major national conference. Otherwise, they’d all be left in minor conferences. Unite and leave the dead weight behind. It’s the only way forward.

And I hope the P2 tells the NCAA to stick it. Pay the players who make the money.

[eaterfan]

I think the Pac is dead. The LA media market is huge. Losing it is a death blow. Someone suggested replacing them with SDSU and UNLV. Without even factoring in LA, Orange County and Riverside County have the same population as San Diego County and the Vegas metro area.

Plus, we could see Arizona, ASU, Colorado, and Utah leave for the Big 12 ASAP. The Pac is in real trouble. Maybe an SDSU and UNLV can hold it together for a few more years, but I don't think it can stay competitive long term without the LA schools and market.

[Formula 21]

The PAC and ACC have now become the buffet lines for the BIG and SEC to feast on. The Big 12 has already been picked clean.

[dmac_bolt]

I think the Pac is dead. The LA media market is huge. Losing it is a death blow. Someone suggested replacing them with SDSU and UNLV. Without even factoring in LA, Orange County and Riverside County have the same population as San Diego County and the Vegas metro area.

Plus, we could see Arizona, ASU, Colorado, and Utah leave for the Big 12 ASAP. The Pac is in real trouble. Maybe an SDSU and UNLV can hold it together for a few more years, but I don't think it can stay competitive long term without the LA schools and market.

I do think it might be dead, which is unfortunate for SDSU. lack of LA is huge agree. I don’t see why Big10 will want some of those schools though. ASU is consistently horrible. UAz has been sub-avg and is in a very small market. CO has been a huge MEH for a long time. Utah is the only one that has consistently good football. If BIG10 wants to compete with SEC in football, which is what it is all about - those schools aren’t much better than MWC. They are likely to look elsewhere, like Big12 or ACC. SDSU has beaten UAz, ASU and Utah in the last half decade for god’s sake.

[equivocation]

I think eventually all the big conferences will have a western pod. It gives you an extra time slot when negotiating TV deals.

[Formula 21]

With tv on demand, I’m not sure time slots are overly important any more.

[dmac_bolt]

With tv on demand, I’m not sure time slots are overly important any more.

I think a Pacific time slot for live B10 games adds $$$ and the negotiations they were finalizing just got more expensive for broadcasters. but i think more of delta$$ will be west coast eyeballs watching EST and CST games in the morning. They can get more creative and fill out the TV schedule with 3 time zones, it will add $. There still is limited viewership for PST 7pm local games outside of the west, so there are limits on the late side.

I don’t think on demand games are nearly the draw as live games. That segment narrows to the most committed fans of those exact teams, and those fans want to see their team live, not after they know the game result.

For B10 its more about a large new market than expanding time zone viewing slots though they get some of that. Remember there are only 2 PST teams in the B10, they don’t have a west coast division. The question is what does SEC do? Ignore B10 taking over LA and the west or go after a piece - and if so, who?

My Aztecs will volunteer to help SEC out for a commensurate fee . First step is SEC fund an SEC size stadium (which our Bolts could also play in )

[Boltjolt]

I think a Pacific time slot for live B10 games adds $$$ and the negotiations they were finalizing just got more expensive for broadcasters. but i think more of delta$$ will be west coast eyeballs watching EST and CST games in the morning. They can get more creative and fill out the TV schedule with 3 time zones, it will add $. There still is limited viewership for PST 7pm local games outside of the west, so there are limits on the late side.

I don’t think on demand games are nearly the draw as live games. That segment narrows to the most committed fans of those exact teams, and those fans want to see their team live, not after they know the game result.

For B10 its more about a large new market than expanding time zone viewing slots though they get some of that. Remember there are only 2 PST teams in the B10, they don’t have a west coast division. The question is what does SEC do? Ignore B10 taking over LA and the west or go after a piece - and if so, who?

My Aztecs will volunteer to help SEC out for a commensurate fee . First step is SEC fund an SEC size stadium (which our Bolts could also play in )

Keep dreaming. That ship has sailed and they arent going back.

[rikardo]

I do think its a better and cleaner format to have less conference. (Structured)
The big competition is there anyways; seems 2 SEC; 1 Big10 and 1 ACC teams go to the playoffs almost every year.

Do any of you know what is the propose championship format (playoff)?

Will it be semifinals 2 SEC each other and 2 Big10 each other
or mixed it up in the semis?