The Big 12 is playing a waiting game on multiple Pac-12 teams. Pete Mundo talks about the state of conference realignment with GoPowercat’s Tim Fitzgerald. Plus, what should the K-State expectations be going into the 2023 college football season.
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Fitz is awesome
Fitz is the man
Good stuff
I wonder if anyone has looked at the financials for each of the schools in PAC 12 through the different state budget and finance departments. After all, the documents should be in the public domain. Perhaps, we could also have a look at the IRS documentation for the PAC 12 since it is a public charitable organization.
2 of my favorite people! 😊
PAC 12 Is in trouble
2:45 " If you had a good deal you'd throw it in every one's face"
Doh! It's an ongoing negotiation, how stupid would it be to celebrate and thus yield leverage before it's done? Also, that June 30th deadline is in 2024. We're still 3 or 4 months from it being an issue. You B12 fools have bought into your conferences pathetically insecure PR blitz.
Most of the impatience and anxiety is coming from Big12 centric outlets, 90% of the talk is coming from Big12 land. The PAC is not that concerned. Even on the Wasatch Front (Ogden-SLC-Provo) it's only a big story to the BYU centric outlets.The U of U people are barely talking about this, let alone stressing. Utah is talking about Florida, and Cam Rising's knee.
edit: The more I watch, the more you get wrong.
-"The PAC12 is talking about things that mattered 10 years ago"
No they're not, the negotiations are slower because there are new partners and innovations to media contracts being hammered out.
-" A Utah fan tweeted out Colorado was their rival"
Do 1 minute of investigation and you'd know that fan is an extreme outlier, and I'd suspect an intellectually challenged one at that.
-"Utah's been clear about not wanting to have anything to do with the Big12"
An extremely gross misinterpretation of the situation. Utah's position has nothing to do with the Big12, it's based on their desire to be in the PAC(or B1G if we're talking pipe dreams). Are you just going to ignore the Utah vs Baylor game in week 2, and Utah's many contractual ties to BYU?
Step out of the Big12 bubble and you'll see how embarrassingly wrong your takes are regarding the PAC.
I think we are all tired of the PAC 12 drama. I love it too but I'm getting over it.
It will be interesting to see how UH fairs against K-State Oct. 28th. This conversation will certainly come to mind. Go Coogs!
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I believe this gives enough time for Colorado and Arizona to find out that they have nowhere to go except East.
Just had a new, crazy thought.
IF UW/UO say "NO EXIT FEE" then CU/UA could sign the deal and exit in 2025.
The pro-rata doesn't kick in until 2025 so if they come in 2024 the XII has to pay them for that year, not ESPN/FOX.
PLUS, if SDSU joins, they would be a P5 for a year and pro-rata eligible.
I think the Big 12 should move on from Pac drama and welcome in the 4 schools who wanted to join the conference, not 4 who want to be begged. The new schools should be getting the attention, not Pac schools seem more loyal to staying than leaving.
This round is driving me nuts as well. I feel as though I am Bart Simpson on a road trip,”Are we there yet?” “Are we there yet?”repeated every 2 seconds.
Sad thing is, after the PAC 12 implosion, most PAC 12 discussions will all be past tense. PAC 12 die hards singing “Glory Days” by Bruce Springstein
KU fan here. Fitz is a great guest. Very thoughtful and cuts right to the chase in his answers.
I love it too.
Interesting interview. But he has Utah’s position wrong. Utah has nothing against the Big 12. They think because of academic ties with several members of the PAC-12 it would be better to stay. In fact Utah’s President has been the one trying to keep all 10 together. If that is not possible, they will join either The Big 12 or the Big 10. But to say that Utah has made it clear that Utah has no interest in the Big 12 is just plain wrong. Utah wants to play. They have worked to hard to just let it go. Think about it.
Media Dollars: Where are they? What has been tapped? What is still available?
Big XII Mexico: What purpose is going to Mexico? Are there any Mexican athletes we are craving? Are there any Mexican universities that the XII would consider adding to its ranks? Why Mexico?
Rucker Park is 6½ hours (400 miles) from WVU. It would still be 130 miles (almost 2½ hours) from UConn should that school come to the XII. Where is St. Johns in Yormark’s Wish List? Is just bringing in NYC all that the Commissioner has up his sleeve?
What about Canada? They have several national television networks: CBC, Rogers, BellMedia… Their version of ESPN is TSN (The Sports Network). What would it take to get them interested in allocating broadcast slots to the XII? What is the closest school to Canada? WV? Iowa State? How about Gonzaga?
Would a merger with the Big East be effective in that regard?
o Marquette is 399 miles from Sault Ste. Marie
o St. Johns is 375 miles from Montreal and Ottawa
o Providence & UConn are both even closer
o Creighton would interest the central Canadian provinces
o Gonzaga, out west, is just across the border from Vancouver
…and, St. Johns becomes the host school for all those activities being planned at Rucker Park!
Granted, these universities offer zero in the way of football… but, the Commissioner is looking at extracting basketball rights and marketing them separately. Those schools would greatly amplify the power of the Conference in these negotiations. It might not happen this round, but in 2029 (when negotiations likely ramp up again for the XII)? What then? Do you invest now to be ready for then? Or, do you set it all up now then consummate everything then? I’ll bet Brett knows.
The Mexican media market is very large. There might not be as much money there as ESPN or Fox, but every dollar the Mexicans might pay is one more to put into the League’s coffers. Univision, Telemundo, MundoFOX might have an interest…
And, Mexico loves baseball. American football is gaining ground there, but they love baseball. And, the XII’s baseball prowess is strong. It took a hit when OU/T left, but it is still very strong.
Look for the XII to begin to offer soccer should Mexico become a viable option for media dollars. The only thing bigger than baseball in Mexico is soccer. Currently (July 1), only a couple of XII schools offer Men’s Soccer and they play in other conferences as the XII does not support it. I expect that to change.
The XII already has Texas schools to draw interest from Mexico. BYU has a huge LDS presence there. If we don’t get the Arizona schools, we, hopefully, already have SDSU online because they had to make a choice and June 30th was their deadline for getting out of the MWC without substantial extra penalties. We could also make a play for Fresno State (I know, I know: limited program, but they are already in the XII in Equestrian Sports so we’re familiar with them) to add to the firepower to take over Mexico broadcasting. It sets up California as a XII state and it borders Mexico. If we do get either (or both) Arizona school(s), that extends almost the entire US-Mexican border under XII influence (the exception being the black hole that is New Mexico).
Yormark is looking at adding revenue. He can add Canada and Mexico without bothering his American broadcast partners – they aren’t involved there (other than FOX, but FOX can bid on the rights in Mexico to go along with their American rights).
And, if every dollar is additive without subtracting any production costs (Canada and Mexico both fit in that category), the opportunity to grow those markets is huge. Canada and Mexico would enhance their marketing by tagging their own sports analysts over the American feed making their audience more comfortable and engaged. That cost (and, separate video feeds, if desired) would be on the broadcaster and not the League.
And, a very large market sits just off the coast of Florida. Cuba has been “no man’s (or woman’s) land” since the 1950s. It is beginning to stir as it emerges from the oppressive Castro regime. There might not be a lot of money there, yet, but as they regain the spark that made them one of the great tourist destinations of the world prior to Castro, they will (slowly, at first) come online and their interest in things American will grow. If the XII plants their flag now, the other conferences will have difficulty overtaking us. And, costs to the XII will be nil. All we need is Cuban announcers to tag onto the American (or Mexican) broadcasts.
Next goal? Brazil? Venezuela? Argentina?
Britain? Germany? France?
The more global the XII can grow, the more viable in the U.S. they will be. But, we don’t want to lose sight of where we are… there is far more money in the U.S. for us than in any foreign market. We have to stay true to where we are while we are inviting all these other friends into our party.
Adding the basketball teams now sets the conference up in the future. I see why he wants to do this now.
I loved this interview! Great job, Pete.
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