Report: Proposed ACC/Pac-12 partnership talking deal with ESPN |
The ACC-Pac-12 'Alliance' could be strengthening.
Reports of a "loose partnership" between the leagues to help counter the Big Ten's expansion last week emerged on Tuesday, and Sports Illustrated added more depth to that idea on Wednesday: "The proposal, still in its infancy, heavily involves the ESPN-owned ACC Network. Under the plan, the ACC Network—or a renamed entity combining the two leagues—will have exclusive rights to broadcast Pac-12 games to West Coast households through ESPN cable providers. The agreement is not a merger or consolidation of the leagues but is instead built around a media rights agreement with the worldwide leader in sports—an effort to clap back at the Pac-12’s loss of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten." An interesting aspect of the idea is how it could skirt opening up the ACC's grant of rights deal set through 2036, which is regarded by some analysts as quite a barrier to any school leaving. The SI story posed that the ACC Network could be fashioned into a different style network to bring the Pac-12 into the fold and more revenue to all involved. "It’s unclear exactly how much additional revenue the league would generate from such a move. But any extra dollars are a plus, given the ACC’s long-term TV contract limbo," the SI report said. There are a number of factors the partnership is contingent on, including the Pac-12 being able to keep the rest of its membership together from a move to the Big 12 or Big Ten. Oregon and Washington, the Pac-12's lone Playoff entrants so far, have been thought to be in the discussion for the Big Ten, but ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported on Wednesday that their "preference is to ride with Pac-12." He indicated that could be the same mindset for the rest of the teams that the Big 12 could pursue as well. The SI report said that the ACC's athletic directors first learned of the potential ACC/Pac-12 plan last Friday. “It’s something that has been considered worth exploring, but nothing has had any detail put behind it,” an ACC administrator told SI. “The general response has been, ‘Give us more [specificity].’” As a source mentioned today, Phil Knight could see this as his chance to save Pac-12. I sense a more wait-and-see mindset among Pac-12 rather than desire to bolt to Big 12, which wants to add schools ASAP. The decision order seems Notre Dame, Oregon/Washington, everyone else.
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