Future UO and Wash

[UofU Fanatic]

Sounds like a lot of PR trying to stir up PAC… whether that’s true or not I don’t know.
But what I wonder what’s best for Utah. As keep seeing reports that Big10 looking again at some schools like UO and Washington as they have a ton of value. Obviously ND is the most desirable and could argue they are waiting for some ACC schools too.

BUT what I’m trying to ask is if UO and Washington are both gone by end of this next cycle or sooner anyway wouldn’t it be in Utahs better interest for Big12 sooner than later for stability and considering the rumored new PAC media deal will be within 10% of Big12 media money too?

A recent commentor here mentioned that UO is solid with PAC but who knows if that’s really true and if the Big10 came calling they would go just as USC and UCLA did

[D T]

It’s UO, not OU….OU = Oklahoma.

[Central Coast Ute]

UO and UW were valued at $38m each. The BIG schools would lose money on that and therefore will not invite them. It’s also been reported USC has said no to UO, although I can’t confirm that. 

Utah is better in the PAC, even if they bring in 10% less in media dollars. The research funding will increase more here, than they will with BIG 12 partnerships.

[UofU Fanatic]

You are correct DT, my apologies. 

 

Thanks Central Coast,  that makes a lot of sense too. Guess I have been letting the negative PAC media junk get me doubting. Alright, I’ll just enjoy whatever comes to be as Utah should end fine no matter.  

Thank goodness Utah got this great opportunity to boom this last decade coming into the PAC and making the best of it while showing all the amazing things have to offer with continual realignment 

[The Miami Ute]

One of the issues is that Fox, CBS, and NBC have already told the B1G that the conference can expand wherever, but it’s not getting any more money. That means that each current member of the B1G would have to pay money out of their current share to subsidize UO and UW. Not very likely to happen. I’ve also read reports that USC is not enamored of ever having UO in the B1G because they compete directly for the same recruits and USC often loses those battles.

[Utah]

Here’s some reality:

The Big 12 ain’t stable. To say it is is nonsense. IF Oregon and UW and other P12 schools jump, it will be for money and in 2030, when all the tv deals come up, all the P12 schools will be looking to jump as well. 

And if the P12 schools jumped, they’d instantly be the best programs in the conference. 

So why jump? That’s the question. As long as the money is close, the P10 ain’t going away. There is no need to. The B12 would have to offer enough money to over come travel costs AND beat the P12 money. 

That’s a big ask from a s**tty conference. 

[PhiladelphiaUte]

I’m not confident that if Utah and the rest of the league opted to stay together…

…and then UW and UO eventually were allowed to join the BigTen…

…that this would destroy Utah’s chances of joining the Big 12.

And I say that because I don’t believe our value will fall.  I believe that what’ll ultimately happen is either (a) the Big 12 will leap at the chance to add the 4 corner schools — as we’ll still be valuable programs — or (b) the best of the Big 12 will pull a “MWC” and split off from the bottom feeders in the Big 12, and either create a new conference, or dump their fellow midmajors in the Big 12 (who can’t kick anyone out), and link up with whomever is left in the Pac-10.

It is my opinion that the reason why Yormark sold out by accepting a lower value than what the Big 12 could have gotten was so that he could prevent teams like Tx Tech, TCU, Bylr, and Okla St from joining the Pac-12 — since all 4 of those schools applied after Tex and Okla announced their intentions to leave.  The Pac-12 was amenable to engaging in the discussion as to whether or not we’d want them, but USC put their foot down and outright vetoed it — while they were furtively negotiating with the BigTen.  USC screwed us by blocking those Big 12 schools from joining, but with the Trojans gone, who would stop them from joining now?

Answer:  Nobody.  And Yormark knew this, so he hurried up and locked them into a [cheaper] media deal to prevent those aforementioned teams from proceeding any further with potentially leaving — which would have been the end of the Big 12.

If the Huskies and Ducks get an invitation, they won’t be allowed to join until their contractual obligation with the Pac-10 expires — which would be at the end of our next deal.  And that date should be right around the same time as the Big 12’s next deal expires as well.  But that’s Yormark’s problem way down the line.  Not now.

With the inevitable instability that’ll come as soon as the ACC’s GoR expires, the college football world will look a lot different then than what we’re seeing now, so all the forthcoming movement that’ll occur then absolutely will impact the Pac-10 and the Big 12.  Teams will move.  Conferences will change.  And Utah will most likely be fine.

I don’t believe we need to be looking that far down the road.  We just need to ensure we’re in the right place for this upcoming GoR, then let the cards fall as they may for the subsequent one.

[Central Coast Ute]

PhiladelphiaUte is exactly right. The Utes should stay with the PAC 12 as long as there is one.

My personal prediction is after the ACC GOR is up and that conference breaks apart, the remaining schools that did not get a BIG/SEC invite will band together to form a 3rd conference. I don’t think everyone will just join the BIG 12 because there may be schools there that others don’t want anything to do with.

[Trailgoat]

Yup, Utes are in good shape. P10 staying together is the right plan. Plenty of time to sort out the short term media deal until the deck gets reshuffled in 2030. No way the BIG pulls the trigger on either of those schools before they see how the USC/UCLA experiment plays out. Makes no financial sense to pay UO and UW equal revenue shares for media markets well below the BIG market revenue generation. The BIG brought in USC and UCLA for the SoCal market value not necessarily for the schools. UCLA is a financial mess. IMO, although the payout is good, there is still a lot of unforeseen risk for USC and UCLA that could bite them in the ass.

Keep in mind, SLC-Utah like it or not is a growth booming city/state. 6-7 years from now the SLC media market will only be stronger as well as the UofU institution. The UofU, financially, athletically and academically has grown exponentially over the past 5-10 years. It’s only going to be more attractive year to year before the media contracts run out for all the conferences. Utah needs to keep doing what they do. Future is bright for Utah!

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