20 Comments
Aug 31, 2022Liked by John Canzano

I must admit. I like the drama and the fight and the trolls. I want the PAC to end up on top. Our conference is so much cooler and the West Coast is so damn nice. Of course you are talking to a 3rd generation native Californian here.

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I can handle San Diego State being added to the PAC-whatever number but UNLV, Boise, and Fresno turns my stomach.

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All I see going forward is a Pac-12 schedule dominated by even more night games than the ridiculous number we've had in recent seasons. The fan who attends games in person will get screwed by whatever t.v. deals get cut.

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Being honest I forsee a looming dumpster fire. Better for to the just soak up the games.

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SO many ‘what if’ possibilities. Hang on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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very informative John I am curious to see what ESPN thinks about locking up that late pacific widow. I do not get the impression that there is much unity of thinking in the Pac 12 about adding new members Expansion would on only come to pass if ESPN wanted it to.

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I enjoy your new format and your articles. I didn’t enjoy trying to download your podcast and haven’t yet

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I enjoy your new format and your articles. I didn’t enjoy trying to download your podcast and haven’t yet

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Guess it's understandable that the Big 12 wants to have an idea of what the value looks like to try and sell any potential expansion candidate. That makes sense, and must be the reason they've opened discussions.

On the other hand these TV deals just keep getting bigger and bigger. That's why the ACC deal is such a problem, and the Pac 12 deal was a problem. When the Pac 12 signed their 12-year deal it was hailed as the richest conference TV deal at the time, I believe. Now it's a "terrible" deal relatively. It was surpassed because rights are continuing to become more valuable. Haven't seen anything slowing that down. The Big 10 has gotten two more valuable deals in that time. The SEC has gotten a more valuable deal since that time. When the ACC signed its deal, it didn't leave them behind at the time. The brilliant thing the Big 10 has done has made these deals shorter term, thus taking advantage of the renegotiation process more frequently. I'd guess the Big 12 would get more if they cut a deal in 2024 than 2022.

Unless the networks step in, can't see any scenario currently that would encourage Big 12 members to join the Pac 12. Maybe if they got some great TV deal and Oregon & Washington committed. That's not going to happen. Going from the Pac 12 to the Big 12 is much more likely than the reverse.

One note on the BIG 10 and SEC monopolizing the playoff. ESPN's Burke Mangus spoke on that. He made it clear ESPN had no interest in that. It would just cut out a significant portion of the country's interest in college football. That doesn't make sense, for anybody. .

He also made it clear ESPN has no interest in the ACC blowing up. They are heavily invested and need to make the ACC work. That tells me they'll renegotiate if required to keep it together. He also mentioned there was no team from the ACC that would increase revenue for the SEC schools (the future 16-team league). Any additions would be dilutive financially. Found it very interesting he would publicly say that. Seems like a message to the SEC to protect ESPN's ACC investment.

If the networks really are a big driver in all of this, his statements left me feeling pretty good about ending up with at least 4 power conferences after this round of realignment.

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founding

Is it really fair to say the SEC wants to monopolize the Playoff when Greg Sankey proposed a 12 team playoff, over a year ago, only to have the PAC 12 and their “alliance” partners shoot it down?

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