Mornin Mates...
Today's Topic = Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick...
The sound of the PAC clock ticking may imitate that of 60 Minutes fame but, in this case, it's the clock ticking related to the PAC's media deal and whether it will be enough to stave off teams leaving for other conferences like the Big 12, in the near future...
These are the best figures I came up with based on the way money was distributed for each P-5 conference in 2021 (USA Today)...
SEC = $54.6 million per team
Big Ten = $46.1 million per team
ACC = $36.6 million per team
Big 12 = $35.6 million per team
PAC 12 = $19.6 million per team
It should be noted that PAC figure relates to the Covid season when the PAC chose not to play as many games as the other conferences...
The season before the Covid restrictions took place, the PAC averaged $33.6 million per team...
And, I think they are on track to be in that same neighborhood now post Covid restrictions...
But, in the meantime, the Big Ten has poached both USC and UCLA away from the PAC and is offering them, when they join the Big 10 in another year, probably somewhere between $70 and $100 million per team, annually, since the Big Ten signed a $7 billion media rights deal, with multiple networks, so that the conference will be able to distribute at least one billion a year, split between their teams for the next seven years...
So, at the very least, both USC and UCLA will make double what they would make in the PAC and, maybe, more than that, depending on what the PAC deal ends up being...
Keep in mind that all this money isn't tied exclusively to the media deal since other variables are involved regarding how conferences do in tournaments and national play-offs, etc...
But, the media are only interested in football and basketball eyes on their products, with football at around 90% of importance and basketball around 10%, from what I've been able to gather...
These media brokers don't care about Olympic Sports since hardly anybody watches them, so since they don't generate any income, they aren't important to them from that point of view...
Right now, the PAC does not have a deal that goes beyond another year and they are, therefore, chasing the other conferences from a very disadvantageous spot...
This has led to talk about the PAC having to rely on streaming services for much of their income, related to any negotiated media deal, and the clock has been ticking, more loudly, the longer it has taken to get a viable deal in place...
This raises questions such as who is going to watch PAC games on Prime Video or Apple TV when their subscriber base pales in comparison to the linear networks like ESPN, Fox, NBC, etc...
Plus, most will have to pay a premium for the streaming service and jump through the related hoops associated with streaming services just to be able to watch a PAC game...
While the rest of the other conference viewers can just turn on their televisions, as always, and turn to ESPN or CBS or NBC or Fox to watch their favorite teams play, without any of the hassle and added expense related to streaming the games, as is being envisioned now by our PAC brass...
It's a nightmare scenario and leading to talk of teams leaving the PAC for other conference destinations, in order to have a more viable financial model, with which to hang their respective hats on...
Who can blame the Trojans and Bruins for taking the lead on this by leaving the PAC for much greener financial pastures, where money talks, while doing nothing or dithering means heading in the opposite direction, as we are all finding out under our new commissioner...
When I attended ASU, we were in the WAC that consisted of ASU, AU, BYU, Colorado St, New Mexico, Utah, UTEP, and Wyoming...
We dominated the WAC back then and I was a very happy camper and, although I liked the move to the PAC since it meant more prestige, etc, I got tired of the wine and cheese diet inflicted on us by the conference over the years, that has now lead to this very dire situation we find ourselves in these days...
So, I would welcome a move to the Big 12 since we are a part of the Southwest, as much or more, than we are a part of the West Coast that doesn't even have the LA schools involved any more...
The move, for me, would be a welcome return to our roots and a relief since I could just continue to turn on my TV and use my remote to watch games on the channels I am used to viewing, at a price that I can afford...
Now, moving on to another subject, our basketball team came close but didn't beat the Trojans last night and so we will probably have to win the PAC tournament, if we want to participate in March Madness this spring...
It's a re-run of a show that we've seen many times before under Bobby and that puts us in a bubble-type category, more often than not, when it comes to the final games of our PAC seasons...
Bobby is 1-2 in NCAA tournament appearances and does anyone know what his PAC tournament record is to date..??
How many games have the Devils won in the PAC tournament under Bobby and how many times have we advanced past the first game in the tournament..??
I think it's a pretty miserable record and, if so, I'm pretty sure that they aren't going anyplace this time around, either...
But, as a Sun Devil fan, hope springs eternal, right..??
I would love to hear from you about whether you wish to remain in the PAC or go elsewhere, like the Big-12..??
I'm glad that the temps are moving up and that spring football is just around the corner...
G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!
Today's Topic = Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick...
The sound of the PAC clock ticking may imitate that of 60 Minutes fame but, in this case, it's the clock ticking related to the PAC's media deal and whether it will be enough to stave off teams leaving for other conferences like the Big 12, in the near future...
These are the best figures I came up with based on the way money was distributed for each P-5 conference in 2021 (USA Today)...
SEC = $54.6 million per team
Big Ten = $46.1 million per team
ACC = $36.6 million per team
Big 12 = $35.6 million per team
PAC 12 = $19.6 million per team
It should be noted that PAC figure relates to the Covid season when the PAC chose not to play as many games as the other conferences...
The season before the Covid restrictions took place, the PAC averaged $33.6 million per team...
And, I think they are on track to be in that same neighborhood now post Covid restrictions...
But, in the meantime, the Big Ten has poached both USC and UCLA away from the PAC and is offering them, when they join the Big 10 in another year, probably somewhere between $70 and $100 million per team, annually, since the Big Ten signed a $7 billion media rights deal, with multiple networks, so that the conference will be able to distribute at least one billion a year, split between their teams for the next seven years...
So, at the very least, both USC and UCLA will make double what they would make in the PAC and, maybe, more than that, depending on what the PAC deal ends up being...
Keep in mind that all this money isn't tied exclusively to the media deal since other variables are involved regarding how conferences do in tournaments and national play-offs, etc...
But, the media are only interested in football and basketball eyes on their products, with football at around 90% of importance and basketball around 10%, from what I've been able to gather...
These media brokers don't care about Olympic Sports since hardly anybody watches them, so since they don't generate any income, they aren't important to them from that point of view...
Right now, the PAC does not have a deal that goes beyond another year and they are, therefore, chasing the other conferences from a very disadvantageous spot...
This has led to talk about the PAC having to rely on streaming services for much of their income, related to any negotiated media deal, and the clock has been ticking, more loudly, the longer it has taken to get a viable deal in place...
This raises questions such as who is going to watch PAC games on Prime Video or Apple TV when their subscriber base pales in comparison to the linear networks like ESPN, Fox, NBC, etc...
Plus, most will have to pay a premium for the streaming service and jump through the related hoops associated with streaming services just to be able to watch a PAC game...
While the rest of the other conference viewers can just turn on their televisions, as always, and turn to ESPN or CBS or NBC or Fox to watch their favorite teams play, without any of the hassle and added expense related to streaming the games, as is being envisioned now by our PAC brass...
It's a nightmare scenario and leading to talk of teams leaving the PAC for other conference destinations, in order to have a more viable financial model, with which to hang their respective hats on...
Who can blame the Trojans and Bruins for taking the lead on this by leaving the PAC for much greener financial pastures, where money talks, while doing nothing or dithering means heading in the opposite direction, as we are all finding out under our new commissioner...
When I attended ASU, we were in the WAC that consisted of ASU, AU, BYU, Colorado St, New Mexico, Utah, UTEP, and Wyoming...
We dominated the WAC back then and I was a very happy camper and, although I liked the move to the PAC since it meant more prestige, etc, I got tired of the wine and cheese diet inflicted on us by the conference over the years, that has now lead to this very dire situation we find ourselves in these days...
So, I would welcome a move to the Big 12 since we are a part of the Southwest, as much or more, than we are a part of the West Coast that doesn't even have the LA schools involved any more...
The move, for me, would be a welcome return to our roots and a relief since I could just continue to turn on my TV and use my remote to watch games on the channels I am used to viewing, at a price that I can afford...
Now, moving on to another subject, our basketball team came close but didn't beat the Trojans last night and so we will probably have to win the PAC tournament, if we want to participate in March Madness this spring...
It's a re-run of a show that we've seen many times before under Bobby and that puts us in a bubble-type category, more often than not, when it comes to the final games of our PAC seasons...
Bobby is 1-2 in NCAA tournament appearances and does anyone know what his PAC tournament record is to date..??
How many games have the Devils won in the PAC tournament under Bobby and how many times have we advanced past the first game in the tournament..??
I think it's a pretty miserable record and, if so, I'm pretty sure that they aren't going anyplace this time around, either...
But, as a Sun Devil fan, hope springs eternal, right..??
I would love to hear from you about whether you wish to remain in the PAC or go elsewhere, like the Big-12..??
I'm glad that the temps are moving up and that spring football is just around the corner...
G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!
