I'm already tired of Yormark's act. Can't believe anything he says. I also think it's unseemly to take some subtle swipes at his predecessor, Bob Bowslby, by always talking about how he wants to re-energize the conference, how it had grown static or stale, how he's going to rebuild the Big 12's image. As if media tours are going to make a difference. Bob Bowlsby was one of the most knowledgable, capable and classy people in college athletics. So far, all Yormark has done is play P.T. Barnum.
In the end, he's selling a conference anchored by Oklahoma State, Baylor, and TCU. He's selling a conference that lives in states already owned by the Big10, SEC, or Pac-12 (West Virginia and Kansas are the only Big12 states not overlapping with major conferences). It's a conference with no football blue bloods and no notable success in the modern era. It seems inevitable that TV ratings for this group will dwindle significantly when UT and OU are gone.
All the flashy lights and music in the world can't change the actual product here.
Of course, Kliavkoff is selling a flawed product as well. But the Pac-12 has two things in its favor: (1) late night inventory and (2) untapped potential in large markets. If Houston is ever top 10 good, they will still be playing 3rd fiddle to A&M and UT in Texas markets. If UW is ever top 10 good, they will deliver all of Seattle, which is a large market. Ditto for ASU, CU, and Cal with Phoenix, Denver, and San Fran.
If I had to pour money into one of these, I'd go for the one that could actually pay off big.
Sounds like Yormark is turning the Big-12 into a circus.... not thanks, we've got enough clown shows in college sports. I guess he's just a barker at heart and trying to create shiny objects to look at (since the B12 no longer has any with Texas & OU leaving).
John, you mention that you'd like both the Big12 and the Pac-10 to survive this. What do ESPN and Fox want (since they are calling the shots)? Does ESPN want the Big12 to fail so that they can extract OU and UT faster? Or do they not care about that timeline? Does Fox want the Pac to fail so that they own the only piece of the west worth owning?
I floated this theory in your comments once before (and it’s just a theory, I am no insider). I think Amazon sees live sports as a platform for gambling. They have made it very easy to order a jersey while watching Thursday Night Football. Nobody buys THAT many jerseys. But some people will keep placing bets week after week as long as they can draw breath.
The corollary to this theory is that they will pay a premium for a mid-marquee matchup in the 11PM Eastern time slot. It won’t get all that many eyeballs, but those eyeballs will be disproportionately attached to the sort of mega fan who can be enticed to place that $50 bet with just a few clicks of the remote (or even through Alexa voice assist). If I’m right, it won’t be long before Amazon buys one of the many online gambling houses and they will push hard to get at least Tier 2 in the PAC-12.
Note: I don’t actually like this. I just see it coming.
John, I want to believe in Kliavkoff. I really do. I keep waiting for him to do something positive. Anything. So far everything is wait and see. Wait and see got us a defection of LA schools. Nothing proactive to ask them how they were feeling in the PAC12. The Big12 lost two schools but quickly turned it around (I know, a net loss, but still, a positive action) and got 4 new schools to bolster them up. Is our wait and be quiet approach going to lose more? I am starting to wonder if Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal would do better taking a lesser cut and forming a western division of the Big10 with the LA schools. I don't want that at all because I think the road to the playoffs will be easier in the PAC... 10 or 11 or whatever it will be. I just have not seen ANYTHING from Kliavkoff yet aside from him wanting the trust of the school presidents. I am glad they are trusting him but I don't really know what he has done to earn that trust. Time to show something.
Thanks for the update John. Not only is the B12 commish selling his conference but CBS Dennis Dodd seems to be in his corner with constant updates on the B12 and crickets when it comes to the Pac-10.
Possibly it is simply my post LA departing paranoia but I do wish GK would be more vocal about the future of the Pac-10 including possible CFB expansion and I think it would behoove the Pac-10 to add Gonzaga as a CBB member only?
Frankly, as a Ducks fan the B1G $ would be nice but I do not want to stiff arm Oregon State and see our non-rev sport athletes exposed to ridiculous travel.
Chumming the waters... there’s an image. 🤢 Mr. Thompson is a great source for these conference television rights stories--think you might owe him a lunch. Keep them coming, John.
Yormark is a snake oil peddler....It's only a matter of time before he embarrasses the Big 12 conference. What's strange is that he's already has embarrassed himself and doesn't even notice. Sadly the media (ESPN & FOX) don't care a whit that they are hurting their own product...Providing a fair & equitable (not lavish) market share to all of their business partners, only enhances their own target viewing audience which in turn puts more ad money in their pockets.
Meh. Bottom like is this is all rabble rousing. Nothing to talk about until there is something to talk about.
Dorkmark can make all the noise he wants, but I for one trust nothing he says until it is signed and delivered. For that matter, is Houston going to big 12?
I'm already tired of Yormark's act. Can't believe anything he says. I also think it's unseemly to take some subtle swipes at his predecessor, Bob Bowslby, by always talking about how he wants to re-energize the conference, how it had grown static or stale, how he's going to rebuild the Big 12's image. As if media tours are going to make a difference. Bob Bowlsby was one of the most knowledgable, capable and classy people in college athletics. So far, all Yormark has done is play P.T. Barnum.
In the end, he's selling a conference anchored by Oklahoma State, Baylor, and TCU. He's selling a conference that lives in states already owned by the Big10, SEC, or Pac-12 (West Virginia and Kansas are the only Big12 states not overlapping with major conferences). It's a conference with no football blue bloods and no notable success in the modern era. It seems inevitable that TV ratings for this group will dwindle significantly when UT and OU are gone.
All the flashy lights and music in the world can't change the actual product here.
Of course, Kliavkoff is selling a flawed product as well. But the Pac-12 has two things in its favor: (1) late night inventory and (2) untapped potential in large markets. If Houston is ever top 10 good, they will still be playing 3rd fiddle to A&M and UT in Texas markets. If UW is ever top 10 good, they will deliver all of Seattle, which is a large market. Ditto for ASU, CU, and Cal with Phoenix, Denver, and San Fran.
If I had to pour money into one of these, I'd go for the one that could actually pay off big.
The Alec Baldwin line was “ABC, Always Be Closing”
"The Pac-12 is more willing than its peers to trade some distribution for a larger windfall."
That worked so well the last time they tried that, and yet we are talking about doing that very thing again.
Sounds like Yormark is turning the Big-12 into a circus.... not thanks, we've got enough clown shows in college sports. I guess he's just a barker at heart and trying to create shiny objects to look at (since the B12 no longer has any with Texas & OU leaving).
John, you mention that you'd like both the Big12 and the Pac-10 to survive this. What do ESPN and Fox want (since they are calling the shots)? Does ESPN want the Big12 to fail so that they can extract OU and UT faster? Or do they not care about that timeline? Does Fox want the Pac to fail so that they own the only piece of the west worth owning?
I hope you took it as a compliment, not a criticism 🤘
“I don’t feel, candidly, any sense of urgency at this point. No one’s going anywhere; we’re all together; we’re focused on doing this.”
He's good at not feeling any urgency.
I floated this theory in your comments once before (and it’s just a theory, I am no insider). I think Amazon sees live sports as a platform for gambling. They have made it very easy to order a jersey while watching Thursday Night Football. Nobody buys THAT many jerseys. But some people will keep placing bets week after week as long as they can draw breath.
The corollary to this theory is that they will pay a premium for a mid-marquee matchup in the 11PM Eastern time slot. It won’t get all that many eyeballs, but those eyeballs will be disproportionately attached to the sort of mega fan who can be enticed to place that $50 bet with just a few clicks of the remote (or even through Alexa voice assist). If I’m right, it won’t be long before Amazon buys one of the many online gambling houses and they will push hard to get at least Tier 2 in the PAC-12.
Note: I don’t actually like this. I just see it coming.
John, I want to believe in Kliavkoff. I really do. I keep waiting for him to do something positive. Anything. So far everything is wait and see. Wait and see got us a defection of LA schools. Nothing proactive to ask them how they were feeling in the PAC12. The Big12 lost two schools but quickly turned it around (I know, a net loss, but still, a positive action) and got 4 new schools to bolster them up. Is our wait and be quiet approach going to lose more? I am starting to wonder if Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal would do better taking a lesser cut and forming a western division of the Big10 with the LA schools. I don't want that at all because I think the road to the playoffs will be easier in the PAC... 10 or 11 or whatever it will be. I just have not seen ANYTHING from Kliavkoff yet aside from him wanting the trust of the school presidents. I am glad they are trusting him but I don't really know what he has done to earn that trust. Time to show something.
Thanks for the update John. Not only is the B12 commish selling his conference but CBS Dennis Dodd seems to be in his corner with constant updates on the B12 and crickets when it comes to the Pac-10.
Possibly it is simply my post LA departing paranoia but I do wish GK would be more vocal about the future of the Pac-10 including possible CFB expansion and I think it would behoove the Pac-10 to add Gonzaga as a CBB member only?
Frankly, as a Ducks fan the B1G $ would be nice but I do not want to stiff arm Oregon State and see our non-rev sport athletes exposed to ridiculous travel.
Chumming the waters... there’s an image. 🤢 Mr. Thompson is a great source for these conference television rights stories--think you might owe him a lunch. Keep them coming, John.
The Big 12 knew it needed a huckster to sell snake oil because they lost
their two largest viewership draws...
The Pac 12 lost two schools in big markets which is not the same thing.
Yormark is a snake oil peddler....It's only a matter of time before he embarrasses the Big 12 conference. What's strange is that he's already has embarrassed himself and doesn't even notice. Sadly the media (ESPN & FOX) don't care a whit that they are hurting their own product...Providing a fair & equitable (not lavish) market share to all of their business partners, only enhances their own target viewing audience which in turn puts more ad money in their pockets.
Meh. Bottom like is this is all rabble rousing. Nothing to talk about until there is something to talk about.
Dorkmark can make all the noise he wants, but I for one trust nothing he says until it is signed and delivered. For that matter, is Houston going to big 12?
Maybe the Pac needs a salesman . . .