Blame is squarely on a multitude of presidents over 2 decades that have sat on their thumbs through 3 feckless commissioners. Hansen, Scott, and Kliavkoff are the symptoms not the root cause.
His bosses gave him a YEAR to fumble around in this fugue, to have it end like this. Blaming him is losing plot, which is higher ed governance, and is much bigger than sports.
Even if everyone had said 'yes' to what he wanted, the conference would have been permanently weakened, and chained to a partner who views them as disposable.
This is a commissioner problem. Iowa State and Kansas State which bring no more to the table than OSU and WSU are still fine. They need to watch their backs though, Nebraska also to certain extent. Rabid Beaver fan since 1978- Feels like losing a best friend. Oregon saying they will prioritize OOC games with OSU ticks me off. We will likely have accept for financial reasons but it wont be a fair fight.
He doesn't get a pass, but it's utterly pointless to talk about him further. His career in college athletics is over.
We need to worry about what remains, and how we fix the governance model that allowed him to single-handedly destroy billions of dollars in value that belong to public institutions.
I understand you're just venting, but I'm pointing out a broader systemic failure in higher education that's bigger than the P12.
Yeeting a commissioner (or two) into the sun won't fix anything unless everyone involved re-thinks their role in overseeing the enterprise of college athletics.
And, yes, if there is to be a next iteration of the P12 at all, someone at Cal or Stanford probably needs to step up very quickly. Both institutions have plenty of leaders around to pick from, whether admin or trustees, but timing is of the essence.
As a Duck fan, sad to see Oregon leave Oregon State behind. Disappointing how college football is becoming NFL lite and devaluing regional rivalries all to chase the almighty dollar.
Save your tears. Just go collect your reduced share of money from the BigXX. Enjoy finishing 5th or 6th at best every year and never having a shot at the CFP. Now that media cartel member's none too obscured conspiracy to push the Pac-? over a cliff has worked like a champ, I will be giving the ESPN and FOX owned supe-rconferences not a shred of my viewing time. They are right down there with golf's LIV /Saudi PIF human rights abusing funded PGA tour for me. I won't watch either.
As Canzano mentioned, and I agree, there's certainly a great case to be made that there was active collusion by the handful of powerful media organizations to destroy the Pac-12 by not offering a substantive deal. Too bad the federal government hasn't effectively gone after blatant Anti-trust actions like this and worse for over 40 years.
I just got a lot of free time back and ESPN and Fox and all the college teams they've bought can KMA.
This is still a bit raw for me. Just another thing that a bunch of money grubbing, rent seeking, billionaire CEO's have stolen from ordinary Americans. But now it's time to turn from bread and circuses and focus on what matters, i.e., making sure that our form of government isn't turned into dictatorship for life.
Well USC is certainly a better program than Oregon. And I know a die hard USC fan who has “tears” that the Trojans will no longer play Cal and Stanford on an annual basis because he enjoyed those rivalry games. I probably will stop following Oregon anyway in 2024 once the move is finalized. Bottom line is that these moves have angered all PAC 12 fan bases from USC to Cal.
I was really hoping that they would work it out. This hurts. It feels personal. I hope someday all of this gets corrected. This much greed and chasing of revenue will prove to have been the downfall of college sports, and perhaps some professional ones ( I'm looking at you, golf...).
I heard one of the radio guys say yesterday that the NFL eventually will start playing more games on Saturday. When that happens that might make college football regret the NFL lite model they’re implementing.
USC, UCLA, Fox and Larry Scott started this mess but UW and UO put the final nail in the coffin. They have coveted Big X entry since the day the LA schools announced. They showed no real interest or leadership keeping the conference together the last 13 months. They just didn’t want blood on their hands. The way they’ve screwed OSU and WSU leaves me embarrassed to be a Duck alum today. It’s a sad day for sure.
Highly doubt you're "a Duck alum." Secondly, you left out a few people with dirty hands - Kliavkoff, the chancellors and presidents, ESPN - they all could have shown some leadership and avoided this mess. They looked like F Troop. You did get this right - all these people, along with USC, UCLA and now the rest of the sheeple schools, have really screwed Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford. In fact, you can add San Diego State and SMU to the list of those that just got the shaft, too.
Well “Real Rich”, I agree with most of what you said other than I don’t care about potential entrants getting the hypothetical shaft. And I am actually real. Jon Cook. BS Accounting 1989. And I’m a 25 year season ticket holder. Hopefully you’re “real” too and I’m not replying to some Russian bot.
Jon, you just proved you are, in fact, a Ducks alum...you gave me your major and grad date...plus, like a lot of other people in that neighborhood you believe in Russian collusion mythology.
At any rate, we can disagree with Oregon's decision, but they, by no means, created this frickin' mess. You and I agree on that...I think.
In USC’s defense (it’s really hard for a Bruin fan/SDSU alum to take the stance), the writing has been on the wall. We all saw SEC/B1G moves and the chess pieces moving. While I’m pissed they lit the fire in blowing up
P12, they’re looking much wiser today. But there’s no joy in Mudville or in the health of D1 athletics.
Yesterday I posted the following: "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Go Ducks! C'mon Uncle Phil. Save our conference!"
When I said "Go Ducks" I did not mean "Go to the Big Ten, Ducks." I recant my previous statement. FTD.
In all seriousness, what a sad ending to 100 years of tradition. It's easy to blame certain schools or TV network executives or throw commissioners and chancellors under the bus, but this realignment might be inevitable. It's like water rolling down a hill. Money and television contracts now rule the day in college football, and while certain actors and schools can try to build a dam to keep rivalries and tradition together, water is eventually going to roll down hill and dams will be breached.
TV (and its advertisers) has decades of data to bolster their confidence that fans will find games that matter, and consume them. Those of us who thought we were smart by escaping the cable bundle are now spending far more trying to replicate it.
Just like every industry, TV is thinking about how to get more of your disposable income, not give you more value for the same coin. Higher education leaders have failed consumers by putting up far too little resistance.
Well, it may just be urinating into the wind, but I won't be consuming any of the ESPN/Fox cartel's content. They can kiss these eyeballs goodbye. Of course they won't give a rip because there are enough people who support the teams who have benefited from the TV money spigot. My life won't be any worse for not having to watch the conferences and teams whose "fans" and corporate media owners were so eager and deviously joyous to push the Pac-12 over a cliff. Much as my Sunday's are a lot better used not watching a Saudi funded PGA Tour. Screw the rentier class pirates, I wish them the worst.
Oh, you're correct TV is not thinking about the consumer other than doing their best to empty the consumers pockets by packaging content in a way that will make you pay the maximum they can extract from your wallet.
I hear you. I had a cup of coffee in the media industry early in my career and couldn't get far enough away, fast enough. Just not the sort of folks who should have ever been afforded so much influence over public institutions whose mission is far bigger than athletics.
I'm surprised that Governors Kotek and Inslee and state legislators in OR and WA seem to be silent. Dan Rayfield, the Speaker of the Oregon House, represents Corvallis. There are some real economic and social impacts on the states of Oregon and Washington from this.
Inslee is a Husky and climate change advocate...but in this case, the carbon impact of UW's increased travel will be an afterthought...he'll sweep it under the rug.
The OR legislature tried to pass a bill saying that schools would have to get state permission to move conferences. It died in committee. As it should have. They stick their noses into way more places than they belong already.
Disagree. Except for Stanford, these are public institutions. What Oregon does affects OSU. In this case, that means the taxpayers and citizens of the state are negatively affected.
There will be lost opportunities for young people, and probably more need for subsidies to OSU to keep necessary programs going because of the loss of revenue. That, in turn, means reduced funding for other programs in the state budget.
Very likely that UO will have to cut some minor sports because they won't "pencil out" given the additional travel expenses. The added stress of the travel will make them less appealing to some young people who would benefit from them. UO doesn't operate in a vacuum.
I'm a fan of another school that's vulnerable to the mega conference consolidation wave, and there have been multiple plans developed and ready on the shelf for years, just in case. Lawmakers/public officials were involved in that process, and they revisit them at least annually. It's very surprising to me that this didn't happen in either WA or OR given this scenario has been entirely foreseeable for the past year.
after thought. Money, hubris and wanting to be in the "elite" conference is ALL UW boosters care about. This has been UW for years. This move and news comes with ZERO shock from this Coug.
Dont blame UW fans Kewg. Plenty of blame to go around. Starting with the LA schools, then Colorado and Neon Deon, Then the Bay Area schools for ignoring football over the years. the Pac presidents for empowering Scott even when it was clear it wasn't working, , the Quacks for finally blowing at all up and the UW president for going along with it. Gerberding destroyed Don James legacy, Cauce one upped him if that is even possible and destroyed our league for a half Big 10 share. How they are going to pay for all those women's sports to fly back East on a half Big 10 share will be interesting to see. I would have rather dropped all the other sports and had mens football and basketball, womens basketball and volleyball. Everything else a club sport. Those other sports could have been added back when the revenue allows. Horrible horrible day when the higher education presidents prostitute themselves out to FOX.
Ironically, one could argue Oregon's decision was better for fans, in that it avoids having to force a new Apple product down their throats.
I believe that this desire to not become a glorified affiliate for Apple - whose expectations have been skewed if not warped by the deal with Messi, the world's most valuable athlete - is absolutely part of why both Oregon and UW pulled the ripcord.
I am totally with you about not having an Apple product forced down my throat. My kids make fun of my distaste (hate?) for Apple and their business model. I simply will not subscribe to Apple TV or any other Apple product as long as their business model is so focused on absolute control, limitations on user options and gouging the business partners who choose to work with them.
Yeah, I don't think fans have a feel for what life would have been like had the conference stayed unified and proceeded with that deal. It would have been annoying AF, and even if you bought the product you'd still be flooded with appeals designed to grow subscribers. There's a good reason no one has done one of these affiliate-style deals yet. It works for niche sports with a concentrated following, but it'd be a nightmare in something as broad as college football.
Sad but the debacle created by Presidents and Commissioners (Larry & George) sewed this fate. Of course, with a gun to their head Oregon chose long-term guaranteed financial stability. For Oregon it makes total sense because now Phil Knight can return to being a mega donor and life after Phil is secure. He can fill the gaps for extra money on travel expenses, ensure facilities are top notch, and make sure the Coaching staff is elite. He will also certainly bridge any revenue gaps until the Ducks are getting a full share.
Oregon and Washington are not to blame. The presidents were not equipped to manage this process. USC and UCLA conspired and that was the first table leg to fall.
After the underwhelming television deal was presented this week it was every school for themselves.
Plenty of blame to go around for the parties you mention, but none of this goes down this way if ESPN and Fox don't decide that they can torch they Pac-12 and grab the parts they like cheaper, by not negotiating a deal in good faith with the Pac-12. They analysts and commentators employed by these two companies also kept putting a bunch of snide jabs into the media cesspool to accelerate the fire and make this day a self fulfilling prophecy. Paul Finebaum, Dennis Dowd, and the rest of the arsonists who predicted the fire they set would burn it down, should all end up in the media shills 9th circle of hell.
They are all too blame. Mismanagement by commissioners hired by all 12 schools. But USC gets credit for starting the beginning of the end. And it sure appears as if Oregon Gaga’s a chance to buy us 5 more years.
Once that crapapple deal was on the table it was every man for himself and my Ducks did what they needed to do. Oregon State athletics just got a death sentence regardless of where they end up.
As a Duck fan do I love it? No. Did I expect this to most likely happen? Yes. It appears the media deal actually ended it plus the LA schools started it all over a year ago🤷🏻♀️
I’m a Beaver fan, but I’m not holding this against Oregon/UW at all. They did what makes sense, and any other school would have done. I hope the Beavs can figure out something here though, maybe an invite to the BIG-12 or salvage the PAC with major expansion.
Stanford has been trying to shrink the influence of athletics on campus, and today - rightly or wrongly - will be celebrated by many on campus who were upset Muir's COVID era contraction ploy failed. I say that with no joy (and as someone who was involved in beating back that effort, and keeping it from spreading elsewhere).
But Stanford's place atop higher education in the US is secure no matter what becomes of the athletic department. We'll see if one of the trustees decides to step up, or just let the chips fall where they may.
As a WSU alum and fan, my heart is broken and I'm literally sitting here at work, in front of my computer, feeling disillusioned and trying to make sense of anything. I don't blame UW nor Oregon because they gotta do with what they gotta do for self-preservation. Honestly, if Wazzu or the Beavs were in their position, we all know we'd make the same decisions.
At this point, I'm totally okay with no longer having the Apple Cup. If it continues, it won't ever be the same nor will it have any type of meaning or implication. It will simply disguise itself as a September UW "pay to play" out-of-conference body-bag matchup. It's the sobering reality.
In the end, Fox Sports got what it wants. It got the west coast television markets that it wanted without having to deal with a conference filled with other schools that it didn't want. Is it fair that Rutgers, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Mizzou gets to be in elite conferences while us Cougs and the Beavs get relegated?
As a fan of a school for whom a similar fate is well within the realm of possibility, my heart goes out to you. My other school also got pulled "up" into a more lucrative conference, but one where we'll never have the chance to win anything of note. It's all become so technocratic and devoid of meaning that I'm no longer convinced that the bubble will never pop.
Linda from a family of 6 Beaver grads: regroup with Utah, OSU, Cal, Stanford. SMU & San Diego State. I can't wait till the losses mount for the quarkers, et al
I'm a Ducks fan but I completely understand your point; I also would like the Pac-12 to reformulate, beginning with your schools. If so, don't make the mistake of offering Kliavkoff anything more than emptying wastebaskets.
You have made the most cogent comment in this thread. Sure the UW UO defections are fresh excreta, but If I was a leader of any of the schools that have not yet defected, I'd gather the presidents of those schools to meet ASAP, and request that they sign a letter of commitment to remain in the conference, or leave the meeting. Those that affirm their commitment should then immediately put together a negotiating team to go out and do their damnedest to get commitments from some or all of the teams you mention to join a newly constituted Conference.
The boat sank, either swim away with vigor or get sucked down in the whirlpool.
An y statements from OSU, WSU administration other than glub, glub, glub? Buehler? Anyone?
I like the plan to fight for a rebuild rather than circle the drain. But no Kliavkoff. No way. They have to find another leader of the negotiation team.
Agreed. But the "CEO Group" was absolutely complicit by selecting the wrong person as commissioner and dithering endlessly. Whoever takes any job working for these people needs to first establish that they have to have the authority to act as needed instead of conducting glacial process with no deviations allowed from the plan despite the dynamics of the environment.
Not really clear the MWC could adopt the PAC12 logos / marketing. They are copyrighted but who know who owns those copyrights going forward? Kliavkoff can have them as a going away present. If there is any justice, it is that a-hole gets his salary cut off. Hopefully, his pension too
And you don't think that guarantee will be rescinded when it is only Stanford, Cal, OSU and WSU who are left? ASU, UA and Utah will now bolt to the Big12, which had already made them that offer.
SMU, Tulane, and Memphis won't work in a conference where the revenues per school will be as low as they will be in that "New Pac-XX." The travel costs would be too burdensome. Remember that football is only one of many sports, and most don't generate enough revenue to pay for themselves in a normal, geographically tighter league.
That was in an attempt to maintain a Pac-XX with Oregon and Washington that would have resulted in much larger media payouts to each school. Even then, SMU by itself was a dicey addition because of its distant location.
I would essentially merge the four remaining Pac schools with the Mountain West. I'm assuming that Utah will go to the Big 12. Hawaii is football only in the MW. That would be a 16-school conference for football, 15 for everything else. Break sit up into two 8-team divisions. A "West" with Hawaii, SDSU, Cal, Stanford, San Jose State, Fresno State, OSU, WSU, An "East" with the remaining schools -- UNLV, Nevada-Reno, Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State, Air Force, and Wyoming.
Tight enough geographically, schools playing at about the same level in an NIL world, might generate some nice rivalries over time, and no pretentions about competing for anything beyond a conference championship..
Nothing (obviously) is forever, or is even likely to last a long time. If parts of it don't work, teams will rearrange themselves.
Great idea. But fold the MWC into what’s left of the PAC 12. Call it the PAC 12. Why? PAC 12 will have an automatic berth into the first two years of the expanded college football playoffs. Wouldn’t that be something if the Beavs are in and University of Phil Knight Ducks are out?
Good idea. I kind of left open what it would be called. In two years, it might just prove itself to be competitive with the Big 12 (or 17, or whatever they're going to call it).
It would be a howl if OSU won that conference -- which it very well could. I think UO will really struggle in the Big 10 (18??).
Welcome to the party, Ducks! I’m glad we’ll have some games in driving distance. I do feel empathy for Oregon State though…. that school punches above its weight class…
"...punches above its weight class..." Unlike USC, who has a tradition of underachieving.
BTW - it was Carol Folt and Mike Bohn (another laughingstock hire who has since been fired) who told the Big Ten, no Oregon. Do not allow Oregon into the conference or we're not coming. Karma baby!
Before we all get too crazy about this, let's look at the big picture. For Oregon, and U-Dub as well, let's list all the academic benefits of this move: #1. (Oh, that's right, there are none). The conferences are all about sports marketing, and have virtually nothing to do with academics.
So true. And there is nothing we can do about what we have been seeing coming for months. Given the quality of the people involved. It’s done. Now I want to see how it’s rebuilt. If it is.
Kliavkoff one of the most disastrous hires in modern business history
Yes. Others to blame
But Kliavkoff had plenty of time to get a deal done. He slow played himself into
A corner then had no rabbit to pull
So very very sad
Blame is squarely on a multitude of presidents over 2 decades that have sat on their thumbs through 3 feckless commissioners. Hansen, Scott, and Kliavkoff are the symptoms not the root cause.
His bosses gave him a YEAR to fumble around in this fugue, to have it end like this. Blaming him is losing plot, which is higher ed governance, and is much bigger than sports.
Even if everyone had said 'yes' to what he wanted, the conference would have been permanently weakened, and chained to a partner who views them as disposable.
No
Sorry
He took the job he knew what the shot was and he FAILED MISERABLY
MY GOD STOP GIVING THIS GUY A PASS
Wrong commish for the moment
This is a commissioner problem. Iowa State and Kansas State which bring no more to the table than OSU and WSU are still fine. They need to watch their backs though, Nebraska also to certain extent. Rabid Beaver fan since 1978- Feels like losing a best friend. Oregon saying they will prioritize OOC games with OSU ticks me off. We will likely have accept for financial reasons but it wont be a fair fight.
He doesn't get a pass, but it's utterly pointless to talk about him further. His career in college athletics is over.
We need to worry about what remains, and how we fix the governance model that allowed him to single-handedly destroy billions of dollars in value that belong to public institutions.
What remains?
StanU is catatonic at all levels
Cal? Are they even alive?
I mean…Stanford would need to lead here with OU, UW, USC, UCLA gone
And there is nobody at Stanford to lead
I understand you're just venting, but I'm pointing out a broader systemic failure in higher education that's bigger than the P12.
Yeeting a commissioner (or two) into the sun won't fix anything unless everyone involved re-thinks their role in overseeing the enterprise of college athletics.
And, yes, if there is to be a next iteration of the P12 at all, someone at Cal or Stanford probably needs to step up very quickly. Both institutions have plenty of leaders around to pick from, whether admin or trustees, but timing is of the essence.
Sorry
I can’t say “plenty of smart people at Stanford to pick from”
Muir isn’t smart and has zero courage
Drell is poison
There is no President
Really the question is: can Jerry Yang step up
If not him…than who?
Listened to you on KJR-FM earlier. My sentiments range from outrage to disappointment...
Time to get my mind right for the upcoming season and pray for the future
A lot more I could say, but what’s the point
Horribly bummed
GO DAWGS
I'm with you, David! Couldn't have said it better. We still have 2023 to look forward to.
GO BEAVS!
Agree 1000%...except for the Go Dawgs part ;-) Go Ducks!
As a Duck fan, sad to see Oregon leave Oregon State behind. Disappointing how college football is becoming NFL lite and devaluing regional rivalries all to chase the almighty dollar.
Save your tears. Just go collect your reduced share of money from the BigXX. Enjoy finishing 5th or 6th at best every year and never having a shot at the CFP. Now that media cartel member's none too obscured conspiracy to push the Pac-? over a cliff has worked like a champ, I will be giving the ESPN and FOX owned supe-rconferences not a shred of my viewing time. They are right down there with golf's LIV /Saudi PIF human rights abusing funded PGA tour for me. I won't watch either.
As Canzano mentioned, and I agree, there's certainly a great case to be made that there was active collusion by the handful of powerful media organizations to destroy the Pac-12 by not offering a substantive deal. Too bad the federal government hasn't effectively gone after blatant Anti-trust actions like this and worse for over 40 years.
I just got a lot of free time back and ESPN and Fox and all the college teams they've bought can KMA.
This is still a bit raw for me. Just another thing that a bunch of money grubbing, rent seeking, billionaire CEO's have stolen from ordinary Americans. But now it's time to turn from bread and circuses and focus on what matters, i.e., making sure that our form of government isn't turned into dictatorship for life.
Well USC is certainly a better program than Oregon. And I know a die hard USC fan who has “tears” that the Trojans will no longer play Cal and Stanford on an annual basis because he enjoyed those rivalry games. I probably will stop following Oregon anyway in 2024 once the move is finalized. Bottom line is that these moves have angered all PAC 12 fan bases from USC to Cal.
I was really hoping that they would work it out. This hurts. It feels personal. I hope someday all of this gets corrected. This much greed and chasing of revenue will prove to have been the downfall of college sports, and perhaps some professional ones ( I'm looking at you, golf...).
I heard one of the radio guys say yesterday that the NFL eventually will start playing more games on Saturday. When that happens that might make college football regret the NFL lite model they’re implementing.
USC, UCLA, Fox and Larry Scott started this mess but UW and UO put the final nail in the coffin. They have coveted Big X entry since the day the LA schools announced. They showed no real interest or leadership keeping the conference together the last 13 months. They just didn’t want blood on their hands. The way they’ve screwed OSU and WSU leaves me embarrassed to be a Duck alum today. It’s a sad day for sure.
Highly doubt you're "a Duck alum." Secondly, you left out a few people with dirty hands - Kliavkoff, the chancellors and presidents, ESPN - they all could have shown some leadership and avoided this mess. They looked like F Troop. You did get this right - all these people, along with USC, UCLA and now the rest of the sheeple schools, have really screwed Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford. In fact, you can add San Diego State and SMU to the list of those that just got the shaft, too.
Well “Real Rich”, I agree with most of what you said other than I don’t care about potential entrants getting the hypothetical shaft. And I am actually real. Jon Cook. BS Accounting 1989. And I’m a 25 year season ticket holder. Hopefully you’re “real” too and I’m not replying to some Russian bot.
Jon, you just proved you are, in fact, a Ducks alum...you gave me your major and grad date...plus, like a lot of other people in that neighborhood you believe in Russian collusion mythology.
At any rate, we can disagree with Oregon's decision, but they, by no means, created this frickin' mess. You and I agree on that...I think.
I have had a problem with Real Rich, think he is from the Richie Rich comics of old :)
Ask Archie, Betty or Veronica.
In USC’s defense (it’s really hard for a Bruin fan/SDSU alum to take the stance), the writing has been on the wall. We all saw SEC/B1G moves and the chess pieces moving. While I’m pissed they lit the fire in blowing up
P12, they’re looking much wiser today. But there’s no joy in Mudville or in the health of D1 athletics.
If I can be serious for a minute:
Yesterday I posted the following: "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Go Ducks! C'mon Uncle Phil. Save our conference!"
When I said "Go Ducks" I did not mean "Go to the Big Ten, Ducks." I recant my previous statement. FTD.
In all seriousness, what a sad ending to 100 years of tradition. It's easy to blame certain schools or TV network executives or throw commissioners and chancellors under the bus, but this realignment might be inevitable. It's like water rolling down a hill. Money and television contracts now rule the day in college football, and while certain actors and schools can try to build a dam to keep rivalries and tradition together, water is eventually going to roll down hill and dams will be breached.
Go Beavers!
looks like I just became a Wolverine, Cornhusker, Nitty Lion, Buckeye, and Badger fan!
Seen almost no coverage about concerns for the fans from the powers to be? Is that even considered or are we just an afterthought?
You are not an afterthought. Not to me. I just don't think TV is thinking about you.
TV (and its advertisers) has decades of data to bolster their confidence that fans will find games that matter, and consume them. Those of us who thought we were smart by escaping the cable bundle are now spending far more trying to replicate it.
Just like every industry, TV is thinking about how to get more of your disposable income, not give you more value for the same coin. Higher education leaders have failed consumers by putting up far too little resistance.
Well, it may just be urinating into the wind, but I won't be consuming any of the ESPN/Fox cartel's content. They can kiss these eyeballs goodbye. Of course they won't give a rip because there are enough people who support the teams who have benefited from the TV money spigot. My life won't be any worse for not having to watch the conferences and teams whose "fans" and corporate media owners were so eager and deviously joyous to push the Pac-12 over a cliff. Much as my Sunday's are a lot better used not watching a Saudi funded PGA Tour. Screw the rentier class pirates, I wish them the worst.
Oh, you're correct TV is not thinking about the consumer other than doing their best to empty the consumers pockets by packaging content in a way that will make you pay the maximum they can extract from your wallet.
I hear you. I had a cup of coffee in the media industry early in my career and couldn't get far enough away, fast enough. Just not the sort of folks who should have ever been afforded so much influence over public institutions whose mission is far bigger than athletics.
I'm surprised that Governors Kotek and Inslee and state legislators in OR and WA seem to be silent. Dan Rayfield, the Speaker of the Oregon House, represents Corvallis. There are some real economic and social impacts on the states of Oregon and Washington from this.
Leadership seems to be missing here.
Inslee is a Husky and climate change advocate...but in this case, the carbon impact of UW's increased travel will be an afterthought...he'll sweep it under the rug.
More Calimony coming? Sigh
The OR legislature tried to pass a bill saying that schools would have to get state permission to move conferences. It died in committee. As it should have. They stick their noses into way more places than they belong already.
Disagree. Except for Stanford, these are public institutions. What Oregon does affects OSU. In this case, that means the taxpayers and citizens of the state are negatively affected.
There will be lost opportunities for young people, and probably more need for subsidies to OSU to keep necessary programs going because of the loss of revenue. That, in turn, means reduced funding for other programs in the state budget.
Very likely that UO will have to cut some minor sports because they won't "pencil out" given the additional travel expenses. The added stress of the travel will make them less appealing to some young people who would benefit from them. UO doesn't operate in a vacuum.
I'm a fan of another school that's vulnerable to the mega conference consolidation wave, and there have been multiple plans developed and ready on the shelf for years, just in case. Lawmakers/public officials were involved in that process, and they revisit them at least annually. It's very surprising to me that this didn't happen in either WA or OR given this scenario has been entirely foreseeable for the past year.
I’m willing to bet those two don’t spend their Saturdays switching between channels to keep up on all the games.
We’re an afterthought right after our checks clear for the season tickets we’ve purchased.
after thought. Money, hubris and wanting to be in the "elite" conference is ALL UW boosters care about. This has been UW for years. This move and news comes with ZERO shock from this Coug.
Well Oregon is beautiful in the Fall, so maybe I should be out hiking on Saturdays instead of watching “NFL Light”
Linfield football is looking better every day. Willamette and others, too.
I'm a Griswold Stadium guy, L/C. But spot on, as a former Oregonian, i miss the fall colors. Go easy on the Pios please.
SOU in Ashland, on a fall afternoon, is actually a helluva setting. Go Raiders!
Dont blame UW fans Kewg. Plenty of blame to go around. Starting with the LA schools, then Colorado and Neon Deon, Then the Bay Area schools for ignoring football over the years. the Pac presidents for empowering Scott even when it was clear it wasn't working, , the Quacks for finally blowing at all up and the UW president for going along with it. Gerberding destroyed Don James legacy, Cauce one upped him if that is even possible and destroyed our league for a half Big 10 share. How they are going to pay for all those women's sports to fly back East on a half Big 10 share will be interesting to see. I would have rather dropped all the other sports and had mens football and basketball, womens basketball and volleyball. Everything else a club sport. Those other sports could have been added back when the revenue allows. Horrible horrible day when the higher education presidents prostitute themselves out to FOX.
Ironically, one could argue Oregon's decision was better for fans, in that it avoids having to force a new Apple product down their throats.
I believe that this desire to not become a glorified affiliate for Apple - whose expectations have been skewed if not warped by the deal with Messi, the world's most valuable athlete - is absolutely part of why both Oregon and UW pulled the ripcord.
I am totally with you about not having an Apple product forced down my throat. My kids make fun of my distaste (hate?) for Apple and their business model. I simply will not subscribe to Apple TV or any other Apple product as long as their business model is so focused on absolute control, limitations on user options and gouging the business partners who choose to work with them.
Yeah, I don't think fans have a feel for what life would have been like had the conference stayed unified and proceeded with that deal. It would have been annoying AF, and even if you bought the product you'd still be flooded with appeals designed to grow subscribers. There's a good reason no one has done one of these affiliate-style deals yet. It works for niche sports with a concentrated following, but it'd be a nightmare in something as broad as college football.
Sad but the debacle created by Presidents and Commissioners (Larry & George) sewed this fate. Of course, with a gun to their head Oregon chose long-term guaranteed financial stability. For Oregon it makes total sense because now Phil Knight can return to being a mega donor and life after Phil is secure. He can fill the gaps for extra money on travel expenses, ensure facilities are top notch, and make sure the Coaching staff is elite. He will also certainly bridge any revenue gaps until the Ducks are getting a full share.
Oregon and Washington are not to blame. The presidents were not equipped to manage this process. USC and UCLA conspired and that was the first table leg to fall.
After the underwhelming television deal was presented this week it was every school for themselves.
RIP Pac 8/10/12
Plenty of blame to go around for the parties you mention, but none of this goes down this way if ESPN and Fox don't decide that they can torch they Pac-12 and grab the parts they like cheaper, by not negotiating a deal in good faith with the Pac-12. They analysts and commentators employed by these two companies also kept putting a bunch of snide jabs into the media cesspool to accelerate the fire and make this day a self fulfilling prophecy. Paul Finebaum, Dennis Dowd, and the rest of the arsonists who predicted the fire they set would burn it down, should all end up in the media shills 9th circle of hell.
They are all too blame. Mismanagement by commissioners hired by all 12 schools. But USC gets credit for starting the beginning of the end. And it sure appears as if Oregon Gaga’s a chance to buy us 5 more years.
Once that crapapple deal was on the table it was every man for himself and my Ducks did what they needed to do. Oregon State athletics just got a death sentence regardless of where they end up.
Broken hearted and relegated, this is a bad day for Beaver Nation. I hated the Ducks before. Now I loathe them.
Why? None of the ducks are happy with how this turned out. I’d reserve the hate for USC/Fox. Once the LA schools left it was over.
Hate the Ducks all ya want but they didn’t start this.
No, but they ended it.
Again, you can blame Oregon but when the ship is sinking do you go down with it or jump in the life boat? This sucks.
As a Duck fan do I love it? No. Did I expect this to most likely happen? Yes. It appears the media deal actually ended it plus the LA schools started it all over a year ago🤷🏻♀️
I’m a Beaver fan, but I’m not holding this against Oregon/UW at all. They did what makes sense, and any other school would have done. I hope the Beavs can figure out something here though, maybe an invite to the BIG-12 or salvage the PAC with major expansion.
You will be aghast at all the OSU signees who will renounce and players hitting the portal to hopefully get picked up elsewhere with more exposure.
It's just fun to hate the Ducks. Now it will be even sweeter to beat them at Autzen this season.
You may be onto something with the antitrust and Fox.
If Cal, Stanford, WSU, OSU and perhaps Utah are standing, who takes the lead to poach 5 others? Don’t have faith GK can pull it off.
The day the music died...
Stanford is a mess at this point
Incompetent AD, no President, BoT just asleep at the wheel
Sad times for Stanford
Stanford has been trying to shrink the influence of athletics on campus, and today - rightly or wrongly - will be celebrated by many on campus who were upset Muir's COVID era contraction ploy failed. I say that with no joy (and as someone who was involved in beating back that effort, and keeping it from spreading elsewhere).
But Stanford's place atop higher education in the US is secure no matter what becomes of the athletic department. We'll see if one of the trustees decides to step up, or just let the chips fall where they may.
Muir is out of the room now btw
Condi and Yang are in the room
And God bless that
As a WSU alum and fan, my heart is broken and I'm literally sitting here at work, in front of my computer, feeling disillusioned and trying to make sense of anything. I don't blame UW nor Oregon because they gotta do with what they gotta do for self-preservation. Honestly, if Wazzu or the Beavs were in their position, we all know we'd make the same decisions.
At this point, I'm totally okay with no longer having the Apple Cup. If it continues, it won't ever be the same nor will it have any type of meaning or implication. It will simply disguise itself as a September UW "pay to play" out-of-conference body-bag matchup. It's the sobering reality.
In the end, Fox Sports got what it wants. It got the west coast television markets that it wanted without having to deal with a conference filled with other schools that it didn't want. Is it fair that Rutgers, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Mizzou gets to be in elite conferences while us Cougs and the Beavs get relegated?
As a fan of a school for whom a similar fate is well within the realm of possibility, my heart goes out to you. My other school also got pulled "up" into a more lucrative conference, but one where we'll never have the chance to win anything of note. It's all become so technocratic and devoid of meaning that I'm no longer convinced that the bubble will never pop.
My feelings exactly. The world isn't fair, but this is insanity.
Such a bummer.... all the way around.
Linda from a family of 6 Beaver grads: regroup with Utah, OSU, Cal, Stanford. SMU & San Diego State. I can't wait till the losses mount for the quarkers, et al
I'm a Ducks fan but I completely understand your point; I also would like the Pac-12 to reformulate, beginning with your schools. If so, don't make the mistake of offering Kliavkoff anything more than emptying wastebaskets.
good to see a positive attitude amongst all this doom and gloom.
Ok so here we are, “stranded on a melting ice berg”
How and who would get a new conference started?
OSU, WSU, STANFORD, CAL, SDS, SMU, FRESNO STATE, TULANE, MEMPHIS, BOSIE STATE, UNLV, and others to get to at least 12, or even 14.
Could they use the name, PAC-12, or PAC-14?
I for got,I would Air Force and Colorado State, and get the Colorado market.
You have made the most cogent comment in this thread. Sure the UW UO defections are fresh excreta, but If I was a leader of any of the schools that have not yet defected, I'd gather the presidents of those schools to meet ASAP, and request that they sign a letter of commitment to remain in the conference, or leave the meeting. Those that affirm their commitment should then immediately put together a negotiating team to go out and do their damnedest to get commitments from some or all of the teams you mention to join a newly constituted Conference.
The boat sank, either swim away with vigor or get sucked down in the whirlpool.
An y statements from OSU, WSU administration other than glub, glub, glub? Buehler? Anyone?
I like the plan to fight for a rebuild rather than circle the drain. But no Kliavkoff. No way. They have to find another leader of the negotiation team.
Agreed. But the "CEO Group" was absolutely complicit by selecting the wrong person as commissioner and dithering endlessly. Whoever takes any job working for these people needs to first establish that they have to have the authority to act as needed instead of conducting glacial process with no deviations allowed from the plan despite the dynamics of the environment.
Not really clear the MWC could adopt the PAC12 logos / marketing. They are copyrighted but who know who owns those copyrights going forward? Kliavkoff can have them as a going away present. If there is any justice, it is that a-hole gets his salary cut off. Hopefully, his pension too
PAC 12 should continue exist, is guaranteed a playoff team, at least for the next few years.
And you don't think that guarantee will be rescinded when it is only Stanford, Cal, OSU and WSU who are left? ASU, UA and Utah will now bolt to the Big12, which had already made them that offer.
I think there’s some type of contract in place.
There’s a contract in place for the first two years of the expanded playoffs.
SMU, Tulane, and Memphis won't work in a conference where the revenues per school will be as low as they will be in that "New Pac-XX." The travel costs would be too burdensome. Remember that football is only one of many sports, and most don't generate enough revenue to pay for themselves in a normal, geographically tighter league.
SMU was being concerned along with SDS, would you leave either one of them out for a new Conference? Who would you have as your members,
Thanks
Joe M
That was in an attempt to maintain a Pac-XX with Oregon and Washington that would have resulted in much larger media payouts to each school. Even then, SMU by itself was a dicey addition because of its distant location.
I would essentially merge the four remaining Pac schools with the Mountain West. I'm assuming that Utah will go to the Big 12. Hawaii is football only in the MW. That would be a 16-school conference for football, 15 for everything else. Break sit up into two 8-team divisions. A "West" with Hawaii, SDSU, Cal, Stanford, San Jose State, Fresno State, OSU, WSU, An "East" with the remaining schools -- UNLV, Nevada-Reno, Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State, Air Force, and Wyoming.
Tight enough geographically, schools playing at about the same level in an NIL world, might generate some nice rivalries over time, and no pretentions about competing for anything beyond a conference championship..
Nothing (obviously) is forever, or is even likely to last a long time. If parts of it don't work, teams will rearrange themselves.
Great idea. But fold the MWC into what’s left of the PAC 12. Call it the PAC 12. Why? PAC 12 will have an automatic berth into the first two years of the expanded college football playoffs. Wouldn’t that be something if the Beavs are in and University of Phil Knight Ducks are out?
Good idea. I kind of left open what it would be called. In two years, it might just prove itself to be competitive with the Big 12 (or 17, or whatever they're going to call it).
It would be a howl if OSU won that conference -- which it very well could. I think UO will really struggle in the Big 10 (18??).
I like that Idea A LOT, How does Someone get this going, and who?
Who ever it is, GET ON IT QUICKLY
and Kets show the world we will kick your ass any time any place!!!
Just call and we will be there 😡😡
Welcome to the party, Ducks! I’m glad we’ll have some games in driving distance. I do feel empathy for Oregon State though…. that school punches above its weight class…
"...punches above its weight class..." Unlike USC, who has a tradition of underachieving.
BTW - it was Carol Folt and Mike Bohn (another laughingstock hire who has since been fired) who told the Big Ten, no Oregon. Do not allow Oregon into the conference or we're not coming. Karma baby!
Fake news.
Recency bias? God bless.
You're right - I didn't go back to the Reggie Bush days.
Go USC, as far away as possible. Never having to listen to that monotonous USC dirge again in my life will be a blessing.
I do not feel empathy for USC because you're gonna turn out to be mediocre as hell in the BIGXX, which is what USC was for most of the last 15 years.
As Sean Connery like to say, "Suck it Trabek" to the University of Spoiled Children.
So that is your response to my support and admiration for the Oregon State athletic program?
I wish you a good rest of your day, sir. We will be fine.
Party on Garth.
Before we all get too crazy about this, let's look at the big picture. For Oregon, and U-Dub as well, let's list all the academic benefits of this move: #1. (Oh, that's right, there are none). The conferences are all about sports marketing, and have virtually nothing to do with academics.
So true. And there is nothing we can do about what we have been seeing coming for months. Given the quality of the people involved. It’s done. Now I want to see how it’s rebuilt. If it is.