Pac-12 departures could cost conference big-time on TV deal

Pac-12 conference Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Pac-12 departures could cause massive loss on next media rights deal

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 3/8/23

UCLA and USC’s impending departure from the Pac-12 for the Big Ten -- starting in 2024 -- could cost the West Coast conference a massive sum of money when they negotiate next television media rights deal.

The university decisions sent shockwaves through the conference and college athletics, in what was yet another migration of major schools to the powerhouse Big Ten and SEC outfits. It also came at a terrible time for the Pac-12, which had yet to secure a contract for their next media rights deal (their current rights deal is set to expire in 2024).

With the UCLA and USC departure cats out of the bag, it seems that the conference is finding it hard to land a rights deal anywhere near what their schools earned during their current pact.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Pac-12 may end up landing nearly $200 million less than they had originally hoped in a new television deal, due to nationally known brands like UCLA and USC leaving for other shores.

The Big Ten was able to score a new media rights deal for seven billion dollars after adding the two programs to their portfolio of schools.

Compounding matters, the Big 12 recently secured a rights deal with Fox and ESPN for well over two billion dollars, which leaves the Pac-12 as one of the few major conferences in the country still seeking a new rights deal.

Pac-12 schools, including UCLA and USC, reportedly earned between $30 million and $35 million per year from the conference's current rights deal, as well as other conference distributions.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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