The Huge 12’s desire, for now, is so as to add just one extra college to get to 14 members on this spherical of convention realignment, sources near the state of affairs inform CBS Sports activities. Whereas including as much as three extra colleges and increasing to 16 stays a chance, the league intends to attend at the very least a number of days to let the migration of Colorado sink in earlier than contemplating subsequent steps.
Arizona stays the favourite to fill that 14th spot with Arizona State, Utah and UConn thought-about different high Huge 12 growth candidates.
Gonzaga, Memphis, San Diego State and UNLV aren’t thought-about critical candidates at this level for the Huge 12. The league prefers so as to add a present Energy 5 college however sees UConn as a high Group of 5 choice as a consequence of its stellar basketball program.
Including to the wait-and-see side, Arizona president Robert Robbins was in London this week representing the varsity.
This backs up what Huge 12 commissioner Brett Yormark stated earlier this month: He prefers to cap league membership at 14 groups as soon as Texas and Oklahoma depart forward of the 2024 season. Nevertheless, that was earlier than Colorado’s migration to the Huge 12 turned official. The stress factors have modified with that actuality.
The important thing date stays July 1, 2024, when the present Pac-12 media rights cope with ESPN and Fox runs out. That expiration, solely 11 months from now, has created vital uncertainty across the Pac-12 and was a part of the rationale Colorado bolted to the Huge 12.
Strain stays on Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff to land a considerable, profitable media rights deal as quickly as attainable. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and different Pac-12 members are ready to see what Kliavkoff delivers earlier than deciding on their respective futures within the league.
Moreover, the Huge 12 would wish to welcome any extra members from different Energy 5 conferences by that date to ensure that these applications to completely entry the brand new rights deal that begins in 2025 and expires in 2031.
“Does the Huge 12 consider it needs to be a fair quantity [of teams] earlier than the 2024 soccer season?” a supply inside the league speculated. “That is precisely the place we’re. We’re in that means of figuring it out. I do not suppose it is unattainable [to play with 13]. 13 shouldn’t be superb. I do not suppose you add someone simply so as to add someone simply to get even numbers.”
A few business sources questioned how Colorado was in a position to receive a full share of Huge 12 media rights income ($31.7 million) starting in 2025. ESPN and Fox have agreed to pay Colorado — and reportedly some other Energy 5 addition to the Huge 12 — equal worth, which suggests an additional $190 million paid out per workforce over these six years.
The eight entrenched Huge 12 members helped fund the income wanted so as to add BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to the league. These 4 colleges will every obtain $18 million in 2023 and $19 million in 2024.