Arizona has entered vital discussions about leaving the Pac-12 and becoming a member of the Huge 12, sources inform CBS Sports activities’ Dennis Dodd, with a transfer anticipated to be finalized quickly. One supply mentioned the Wildcats have change into a “onerous lean” towards the Huge 12 after days of conversations about whether or not to depart the convention they’ve often called house since 1978.
The Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees each Arizona and Arizona State, met Thursday night time in govt session with an agenda merchandise on “doable authorized recommendation and dialogue concerning college athletics.” The subject was presumed to be convention affiliation. No formal motion was taken Thursday, although that might change Friday following a Pac-12 name which is reportedly being seen as a last-ditch effort to maintain the league collectively.
There may be substantial sentiment inside each athletic departments {that a} convention sever between Arizona and Arizona State is each undesired and unlikely, sources inform CBS Sports activities’ Matt Norlander. The Wildcats leaving Solar Devils behind within the Pac-12 “could be extraordinarily shocking,” one high-ranking supply mentioned.
“I simply cannot think about Arizona going to the Huge 12 and Arizona State not going with,” one other supply mentioned.
Energy brokers at each colleges, together with essential members on the Board of Regents, don’t need a cut up and would like to maintain the distinctive UA-ASU rivalry and partnership. The query turns into: Is the Huge 12 wanting to remain at 14 members, or is it keen to maneuver to 16 members by bringing Utah aboard as effectively?
Huge 12 executives on Thursday accepted Arizona because the convention’s 14th member ought to the Board of Regents give the go-ahead for a transfer, in keeping with a number of studies.
The already murky way forward for the Pac-12 would hold within the stability ought to the Wildcats depart the league. Colorado left the convention for the Huge 12 final week previous to Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff delivering an underwhelming presentation to school directors from the league early this week on a future media rights deal centering round a streaming contract with Apple.
The Huge 12 has lengthy been centered on increasing with no less than two — if not all 4 — of the Pac-12’s “4 Corners” colleges. Arizona State and Utah are seen because the almost definitely potential additions ought to the Huge 12 search additional enlargement.
If the Pac-12 loses extra members from its Southern bloc, we may even see a whole further spherical of realignment. The Huge Ten has begun severely contemplating including Oregon and Washington to its league.
There may be presently a hangup within the economics of including the Geese and Huskies, nevertheless, as each packages are searching for further annual income to cowl journey bills via the Midwest and East Coast, sources inform Dodd. Not less than in Washington’s case, that might imply about $10 million in further funds per yr.
The Apple-focused media rights bundle offered to Pac-12 members this week contains tiers of incentivization with a big upside for groups if sure subscription numbers are met, sources advised Dodd. Nonetheless, the monetary projections rising from the assembly are believed to start out round $20 million per college yearly. Against this, Huge 12 colleges are set to obtain practically $32 million yearly via their new media rights settlement with ESPN and Fox.