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Jack Bird's avatar

Given the importance of major college football to the remaining Pac 12 Universities, I am surprised that the states involved and major businesses in those states are not stepping up to the plate to develop a gameplan to assure the financial survival and success of this Conference.

So far, I've only heard from Governor Newsome of California, a true leader and visionary.

Several years ago, I served on the Board of Visitors for the U of O Law School for 8 years, during an era when Dave Frohnmayer was the Dean and then the President of U of O.

He emphasized that the success of the football program stemming from the 1994 Rose Bowl changed UO's world, both in terms of interest by students around the Country and alumni involvement and pride in the University. The money followed, in a big way, and not just for sports.

And this started before the rise to ongoing national prominence by the sports programs.

There is a lot at stake for these Universities that goes far beyond their football programs and as a result, a lot is at stake for the states of Oregon, Washington, California (to some extent), Utah, Colorado and Arizona.

I would expect alumni to be all over this, or encouraged to do so.

I would expect state political leaders to be paying attention.

Ironically, the amount necessary per year to assure these schools succeed at the highest level athletically ($80 million or so per school, including TV revenue) is a paltry sum compared to the potential harm if the conference fails.

In other words, if the TV deal from ESPN, etc. is really only $35 million a year, raising another $45 million per year per school is likely going to assure considerably more cash flow for the University from other sources over times, is going to increase visibility of the University, increase alumni interest and involvement and attract students around the Country.

Where is Kate Brown on this issue?

Or the Governor of Washington?

This goes far beyond athletics.

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Donnie Roberts's avatar

The pac-12 is doomed and it is their own fault. This new leader they got a year ago has done nothing, and now that the two LA schools will be in the Big-10 in football in two years, the pac-10 will slide further into oblivion. I will say it again: TV money rules all sports. ESPN is worth more in billions, than ALL pro teams in all sports combined. The only way ESPN would want the -pac-12 for football is if they decided to show west coast games starting at 10 or 10:30 pm est. when there is nothing much on, to compete for the advertising dollars. Check out how many times the Pac-12 has been in the final four of the college football play-offs compared to the SEC and the Big-10. Pac-12 has two. It will take at least five years for this league to catch the big boys in football and basketball, the only two sports that bring in revenue to the schools. I say five if they get a new tv contract now, which does not appear to be happening yet. UCLA and USC will get around $30 million more per year than if they stayed in the Pac-12. Do the math; and maybe you will get it. Do you think any team in the Pac-12 could improve their football team or their facilities with 30 million more dollars per year? That they could pay their players more, or get better new players coming in? I am sure they could. They could pay their coaches more, and do many other things too. USC and UCLA were smart to leave the Pac-12. Huge money rules the world, and controls sports on tv. Without ESPN the Pac-12 is going nowhere. This new commisch of the Pac-12 claims he was caught unaware that the two LA schools were leaving. Baloney to this I say. It should have been his number one priority when he got the job to start trying to get a new tv deal for the major sports. So what if their current tv deal is a bad joke, and is still valid? He did nothing and now he claims he had no idea what could happen if any schools left. I am a long-time Duck fan and I love the Pac-12. Am sad that the only way the Pac-12 will ever be a major conference, which they currently are not, is to get a big tv deal with ESPN. With the two LA schools, and all their millions of tv sets, gone, each remaining school stands to make a lot less per year. The rich, like the SEC, get richer and the others get poorer. Clock is ticking loudly on the Pac-12 and their current tv deal. Is now or never, and please miss me with the idea of the Pac-12 adding more schools. No school in the country can match the LA tv market. GO DUCKS

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