I don’t think they are but I think there is nuance. I think the addition of Utah was helping the PAC make a move like the Big 1G and SEC are doing. The problem is the PAC 12 had awful management and got outplayed by the other two conferences. We were always heading this way. It really accelerated when Penn State went to the Big 10 and Arkansas went to the SEC.
Sure Utah was getting increased money just as USC and UCLA will. But Utah was also improving the level of competition and placing itself in a better position to get to the BCS and now CFP. Unless the SEC and Big10 are envisioning a CFP where they each get 5 schools in (and I think that is exactly what they envision) and the remaining 6 spots go to others, I cannot see UCLA ever getting to a CFP and I think the road for USC is more difficult.
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Most people doubted Utah winning the conference as well. There are similarities but it’s not exact.
I am sure some people see USC’s and UCLA’s decision to bolt to the Big 10 as highly-principled, and focused on the highest ideals of intercollegiate athletics and the overall welfare of their student- athletes. And undoubtedly, that’s what motivated the Big 10 too. Yep, that’s the ticket.
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No move out of a conference is for that. It hasn’t been that since Carter was in office. Acting like money moves is a shocking or good/bad is weird. It’s just the business of college athletics. Living in a Capitalistic society anything with eyeballs gets grossly monetized. Again, if you want it to be about student athletes advocate in becoming a DIII school
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What changed in a year? Was the “alliance” real if the Big 1G already was trying to poach?
Win it all…make these alleged elite programs eat a big sh!tburger…then do it again in 2023.
Let karma make them all our b!tch. The way to win is to just keep winning. TV doesn’t want us, but winning will force them to watch and talk about us. I hope the PAC 12 signs a streaming contract, though don’t count out CBS or NBC as both are looking to get some payback on ABC/Disney/ESPN/Fox. The PAC-12 will need to wait until the first week in August to see if The East Coast and LA biased interlocking directorate will refuse to make a competitive offer, as they have a right of first refusal. After that EVERYTHING is on the table regarding broadcast rights.
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It’s been over a month and it seems like you’re stuck in stage 2 (anger). Should be in stage 3 (bargaining) by now. 
FTFO!
Kliavkoff is absolutely right. The all-out attack and disinformation blitz from the Big12 and their army of media cronies… it’s what they feel they have to do seeing as how they’ve already sealed their fate as a G5 (or G7 or whatever). And in this post-truth era of our society, maybe the Big12 can get away with it.
“That remark was a reflection of the fact that I’ve been spending four weeks trying to defend against grenades that have been lobbed in from every corner of the Big 12 trying to destabilize our remaining conference,” said Kliavkoff. “I understand why they’re doing it. When you look at the relative media value between the two conferences, I get it, I get why they’re scared, why they’re trying to destabilize us.”
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I’m in disgust mode. Probably permanently. And you’re just being a big fat meanie.
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When did these schools become for-profit enterprises? It’s good to know they will be tax generating instead of taking taxpayer support. Go capitalism!
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Just watched the whole media day presser - Kliavkoff did a good job, in a tough environment the past month.
Beyond TV market and cultural / academic fit, he specifically mentioned the experience of the student athletes and not reaching too far geographically in terms of travel. I didn’t take it as a shot against the LA schools - he went out of his way to take the high road on numerous other answers - but is a positive aspiration for keeping the PAC footprint in the western half of the country.
We’ll see, but I think things are stabilizing. I think it was right to reveal the lowball tactics of the B12 without getting into specifics, There’s enough animosity between the two conferences now, if a PAC team goes to the B12 I hope the PAC is ready to counter punch quickly. We didn’t start the fight, but we should not take any further efforts by them to destabilize us laying down.
Making the case for other schools to not look at going to the B1G is a longer term project. Seems unlikely anything will happen soon.
The media rights will be a blend, I’m excited to see how Kliavkoff brings it together. We need to build the conference in innovative ways, need to solidify our own league.
Now it’s time for the PAC to draw eyeballs to our product.
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There’s another aspect of Kliavkoff’s presser that deserves some attention.
While a common reaction outside was “it’s the B1G you need to be angry with, they’re the ones who took your schools, not the B12” … there were some pieces in his remarks that together paint something quite different:
Basically, “don’t burn your bridges”
- He and Merton Hanks specifically talked about how they want the LA schools and their athletes to be treated the next 2 years - as the valuable conference mates they are.
- Kliavkoff did mention that UCLA has a UC BOT meeting that could get bumpy, apparently because of the situation it leaves fellow UC school Cal in.
- He specifically said that if things were to change in the future, the LA schools would be welcomed back.
Then when you consider the stated factors to be used in evaluating prospective additions - particularly “geography” and the impact on the athletes - you can see there’s a sense that the LA schools may have grabbed the money but left themselves behind the 8 ball on the impact of travel.
That is all from a pro-PAC perspective, the bridges won’t be burned, “never say never”, etc.
(The reaction toward the B12 was well deserved anger toward unethical pirates trying to divide and plunder. “I really thought relations with our colleagues at other conferences were collegial… until the last month.” I don’t think he was hitting too hard on the B1G, if at all. The B1G and PAC have similar focii on academics & what’s best for the student athlete. I’m sure there’s disappointment / anger at how things went down, but it’s not to be aired publically, and the PAC is no position to really make a stink, anyway. Crappy situation, but focus on building for the future.)
There may be larger tectonic shifts in the making that - from a LA schools & B1G standpoint - would address those issues for the LA schools, ie, building a western wing of that league to give those schools a better chance to compete head up. But for right now, July '22, Kliavkoff played this as well as could be played.
Now I think there will be a period of relative silence, unless the LA schools & fans start clamoring loudly for help on the island, or some move by the SEC during the season, or Notre Dame rising up from the comfort chair.
So, for the foreseeable future the PAC needs to move beyond the disappointment, not poison the waters so badly that it reflects poorly on the brand we’re trying to build, and complicate any potential reconciliation in the future, if the coast-to-coast conference idea goes sour in the future.
Don’t burn bridges
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Realistically, if we really want to consider the mess as it sits, at some point sanity will take hold. What do I think sanity looks like? Well…
Using a geographic/regional model to build four “premier” conferences and four “1A” conferences, each containing 16 teams (8 to a division). The Conferences would be Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West) levels would have 12 team playoffs with “developmental” post season games that are “cross level.” Why cross level? Because premier schools that aren’t successful to a certain formula would be relegated to 1A and the top 1A programs would ascend to Premier level play. Yes, this will weed out the Vandy’s of the world from getting paid ad infinitum for underachieving. Yes, if the plan is to create competition that puts eyeballs on the TV to watch, this will get things there. The “contract” would be with the “level” not the separate conferences. The TV/streaming distribution would be equal share. If the schools want ‘mo money, fill your stadium and market your merchandise during the game like Norte Dame already does (yes, it’s ok to buy ad time on a televised game).
Yes, I am proposing scrapping the existing system. Let’s face it, it ain’t working. This will work, and if managed properly, schools won’t be going broke like Maryland or fUCLA, even while receiving an already embarrassing amount of money to underachieve on the gridiron (and in a number of non revenue sports).
Ok, rant over.
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@Ma-ake, I left the press conference with great respect for Kliavkoff. I’m also glad he is the commissioner right now, and not Mr. Scott. I shudder to think how Larry would be addressing the current situation.
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No question, Kliavkoff is the right man for the job, right now.
Obviously we’re in a tough position at the moment, and large factors are outside our control. But I think there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic that this path could be “good” as the things we can control unfold.
The West has a lower population footprint and a lifestyle that makes it less like fandom is in other parts of the country. Given those realities, can PAC teams rise up and pull in advertising revenue disproportionate to our population? Yes, as we and Oregon have proven. Pulling in 5 million viewers during the Rose Bowl is proof positive.
And it’s not just Utah, Oregon, UW, Stanford, the Buffs, ASU and even the Beavs and Wazzu. I wouldn’t sleep on Wilcox, and Jed Fisch can coach. Boise can pull in a national audience, SDSU may be rising, etc.
If you’re a fan of college football, I think you want somebody to pump the brakes on the waterfall of money twisting the sport. The PAC under Kliavkoff is part of that effort.
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I mean, Georgetown University sold their enslaved humans to make money back in the day. I’d say around then. My ancestor gave his farm to start Yale. I wonder if he got paid or was it all philanthropic?
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This is interesting. U$C really pulled a douche move. Apparently the Pac-12’s decision not to raid the Big12 last year was made just to appease U$C… now they turn around and leave anyway. The Pac-12 needs to make U$C’s life hell for the next two years.
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But that’s so unlike USC!
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Southern Cal being dickheads? Who would have thought?
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