OF course the TV networks are totally against it. Its my understanding that in regards to the Big 12 TV deal they all get something like 25 mil per year per team. When the deal was signed the networks agreed to give the conference the same 25 mil per every team added. So if they add 2 teams the network is on the hook for another 50 mil per year. The current Big 12 members were going to bring the new schools in at a graduated rate per school thus increasing all of their bottom lines even more.
The new schools were apparently on their own to negotiate with the Big 12 on what they would accept. If you think about it it wouldnt take much money to lure a non P5 school so this would equate big moeny for the Big 12 current members. At the end of the day if I understand this correctly FOX is on the hook for the money per added team whether that team adds money to the pool or not.
There was talk that FOX wanted to get into the Houston market to combat A&M and the SECs owning of that market. It would appear while they may want that they arent keen on taking a loss to get it. This could get interesting and we may see the Big 12 implode because of it no matter which way it goes. I can see the SEC/ACC/BIG and PAC gobbling them up in a slew of different alignmentts (as we already know geography isnt a deal killer, unless Kentucky stretches to the Atlantic ocean). Of course a few teams might be in danger of going from a have to a have not based on this. Cutthroat stuff going on in closed offices right now, you can bank on that. This is high stakes stuff.