What this is all likely about--really:
The B10 contract was coming up---good chance they were going to FOX in entirety. Always rumored to be flirting with OU and Texas as well as Kansas. Didn't want that network to
get a big foothold.
The P12 similarly--next up for more money and for some reason, despite them being behind the BIG 12 in EVERYTHING certain networks want them to survive.
The BIG 12--had contracts upcoming and were recently rebuffed for early negotiations. Probably because they knew they would be moving UT and OU and didn't want those two signing GOR agreements. But more importantly they need money to PAY for moving OU and UT into their wheelhouse and out of FOXs completely.
There was also a very good chance CBS would pick up some BIG 12 rights soon--meaning UT and OU and ESPN didn't want that to happen.
Beyond that--they are contractually obligated to pay the remaining BIG 12 membership through 2025. The money--up to $45 mil per school per year is legally contracted for. On top of that its pretty evident that OU and UT are obligated to leave their media rights for two plus years too--they also are required to wait 18 months to leave.
So you pull them out now and the rest of the league is STUCK. If you add new members, ESPN (and FOX) negotiate DOWN on new contracts and eliminate the 4 year deal in place, saving MILLIONS.
If the 8 member core of the league leaves--HEY, ESPN is off the hook for that bill and so are UT and OU-- which of course they are paying for.
And on top of that, ESPN right now controls the playoff. They probably don't want 12 teams playing for it all. A big reason for that is they probably cannot afford to pay all these conferences AND pay for a 12 team playoff--which means they would have had to SPLIT the new playoff model with competitors and they undoubtedly didn't want to do that.
So you kneecap the process to eliminate a need for 12 teams, or destroy multiple contracts/schools so that you don't have to pay those hundreds of millions out--plus you basically own the majority of playoff participants.
The family of networks has complete control and have shown numerous times that if you don't do exactly what they want they will destroy anything in their way--and the 8 schools of the BIG 12 were in their way apparently. Hard to buy that these other conferences schools are valuable but BIG 12 schools aren't ? why exactly. Most are more successful in all the ways you can be from an athletic conference standpoint.
Will be quite difficult for major programs like WVU to both do whats in their best interest and protecting the billions in investments, while also trying to tread lightly so as not to piss off the monster that controls all of it. BIG 12 schools simply cannot accept massive paycuts while watching some of the hangers on in other conferences prosper, nor can they just give up their status as power programs either. Makes no sense.
The B10 contract was coming up---good chance they were going to FOX in entirety. Always rumored to be flirting with OU and Texas as well as Kansas. Didn't want that network to
get a big foothold.
The P12 similarly--next up for more money and for some reason, despite them being behind the BIG 12 in EVERYTHING certain networks want them to survive.
The BIG 12--had contracts upcoming and were recently rebuffed for early negotiations. Probably because they knew they would be moving UT and OU and didn't want those two signing GOR agreements. But more importantly they need money to PAY for moving OU and UT into their wheelhouse and out of FOXs completely.
There was also a very good chance CBS would pick up some BIG 12 rights soon--meaning UT and OU and ESPN didn't want that to happen.
Beyond that--they are contractually obligated to pay the remaining BIG 12 membership through 2025. The money--up to $45 mil per school per year is legally contracted for. On top of that its pretty evident that OU and UT are obligated to leave their media rights for two plus years too--they also are required to wait 18 months to leave.
So you pull them out now and the rest of the league is STUCK. If you add new members, ESPN (and FOX) negotiate DOWN on new contracts and eliminate the 4 year deal in place, saving MILLIONS.
If the 8 member core of the league leaves--HEY, ESPN is off the hook for that bill and so are UT and OU-- which of course they are paying for.
And on top of that, ESPN right now controls the playoff. They probably don't want 12 teams playing for it all. A big reason for that is they probably cannot afford to pay all these conferences AND pay for a 12 team playoff--which means they would have had to SPLIT the new playoff model with competitors and they undoubtedly didn't want to do that.
So you kneecap the process to eliminate a need for 12 teams, or destroy multiple contracts/schools so that you don't have to pay those hundreds of millions out--plus you basically own the majority of playoff participants.
The family of networks has complete control and have shown numerous times that if you don't do exactly what they want they will destroy anything in their way--and the 8 schools of the BIG 12 were in their way apparently. Hard to buy that these other conferences schools are valuable but BIG 12 schools aren't ? why exactly. Most are more successful in all the ways you can be from an athletic conference standpoint.
Will be quite difficult for major programs like WVU to both do whats in their best interest and protecting the billions in investments, while also trying to tread lightly so as not to piss off the monster that controls all of it. BIG 12 schools simply cannot accept massive paycuts while watching some of the hangers on in other conferences prosper, nor can they just give up their status as power programs either. Makes no sense.