Pac-12’s George Kliavkoff says they might go “shopping” in Big 12

One particular intriguing portion of the fallout from UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 for the Huge 10 has almost nothing to do with that latter conference at all. In the wake of the Bruins’ and Trojans’ planned departures forward of the 2024-25 football period , there’s been a ton of discussion about the Major 12 raiding some remaining Pac-12 educational facilities. And at Significant 12 Media Days on July 13, new commissioner Brett Yormark reported “We are open for business.” Perfectly, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff fired off a shot of his own in reaction to Yormark at Pac-12 Media Day Friday, declaring on the Huge 12, “We have not nonetheless decided if we’re heading shopping there yet or not”:

Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff: “With regard to the Large 12 remaining open up for business, I respect that. We have not made a decision if we are likely searching there still or not.” pic.twitter.com/CnIken1uwx

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 29, 2022

That clip, from ESPN’s SportsCenter Friday, shows the context of Kliavkoff‘s remarks (which drew a ton of reaction). They came in response to a dilemma about Yormark‘s specific quotation and also Large Ten commissioner Kevin Warren not ruling out foreseeable future expansion. Here’s all the things Kliavkoff (who took in excess of as Pac-12 commissioner from Larry Scott previous summertime) said in response to that problem, which finished with “What gives you self-assurance that the 10 remaining colleges are likely to stay in this meeting?”

“We’ve had two board conferences a 7 days for the final four weeks, looking my colleagues in the eye, comprehension their commitment, and that their initially precedence is creating positive that the Pac-12 survives and thrives and grows and is effective. They’re dedicated to the meeting. And I consider the very best thing to do is to ask them about it. With respect to the Huge 12 remaining open for business enterprise, I appreciate that. We haven’t made a decision if we’re going buying there but or not.”

And there’s a 2nd problem later in that clip, “Do you think the days of hoping to be collegial when it will come to expansion are in excess of?” (Irrespective of whether expansion moves have at any time been “collegial” is a make any difference of debate, specifically with some past rounds destroying total conferences, but the reporter who requested that seemingly finds the present atmosphere much less collegial than what’s occurred in the earlier.) Here’s what Kliavkoff explained in response to that:

“I hope they’re not around, but they are unquestionably harmed. That remark was a reflection of the reality that I have been spending 4 months trying to defend towards grenades lobbed in from every single corner of the Big 12, seeking to destabilize our remaining meeting. I recognize why they’re doing it. When you seem at the relative media worth amongst the two conferences, I get it, I get why they’re terrified. I get why they are trying to destabilize us. I was just tired of that. Yeah, that’s almost certainly not the most collegial thing I have ever stated.”

There is a large amount of vital background to contemplate with this. Since the June 30 information of USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12 ahead of the 2024 football period, there is been a lot of discussion of more exits. Which is provided studies of 4 Pac-12 groups (Arizona, Arizona Condition, Colorado and Utah) assembly with Major 12 officers, with Oregon and Washington also talked about as prospective Major 12 targets (if they don’t follow USC and UCLA to the Significant Ten). So even though Yormark’s “open for business” responses did not specifically mention the Pac-12 (and, in point, came at the exact time as a Pac-12 assertion that their board of administrators “authorized the Meeting to examine all growth options”), they unquestionably can be browse as a distinct target on the Pac-12, and the dilemma below posed them that way. Thus, Kliavkoff’s estimate could not have been “the most collegial factor I’ve at any time mentioned,” but it arrived from a immediate problem referencing Yormark’s quotation, not out of the blue.

The element of Kliavkoff’s remarks that perhaps bears extra 3rd-occasion scrutiny is the “When you glance at the relative media benefit in between the two conferences, I get it, I get why they’re worried.” There is no truly recognized “relative media value” among the Pac-12 and the Large 12 at the moment, as the existing media promotions were being finished before two schools from every single meeting declared designs to go away (Texas and Oklahoma in the Large 12, USC and UCLA in the Pac-12). And what the real media values will glance like when new offers are struck will count on the make-up of both equally conferences at that time.

But underneath the present-day discounts, the Pac-12 paid out its colleges the the very least ($19.8 million for each college) of the Ability 5 conferences in 2021. And that is not likely to get much better from two educational facilities in the crucial L.A. Tv set marketplace leaving. Positive, it could get better from a different media offer, maybe specifically just one that sells off the Pac-12 Networks. And the Pac-12 does have some unique rewards relative to the Massive 12, specially in its time zones it can do late-night kickoffs (useful for networks, even if coaches whine about them) substantially additional quickly. And we never know what a media offer appears to be like for the new-glimpse Big 12 (the 10 recent colleges, minus Texas and Oklahoma, furthermore BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston). So perhaps Kliavkoff is appropriate and they are in a improved place. At the minute, although, that is all just based on his reviews about possible media specials, and a great deal could transform right before those people discounts are in fact struck.

It is also well worth keeping in head Kliavkoff’s bias as Pac-12 commissioner listed here. And it’s well worth remembering that inspite of his “looking my colleagues in the eye” remark, there is been loads of chatter about people colleagues and institutions at least contemplating pastures somewhere else that may be greener. His responses listed here are great, and likely realistic matters for a person in his placement to condition they are an endeavor to portray his conference as at least steady and possibly an aggressor somewhat than a goal. But they should really not be taken as total evidence that the Pac-12 is set to be more robust than the Major 12. What they are is an sign that he, at minimum, is heading to fight to maintain and quite possibly increase his individual meeting, and probably even make offers to Large 12 educational institutions. Which educational facilities, and no matter if all those faculties would accept a Pac-12 offer you, stays up for discussion.

[The Comeback on Twitter; photo from Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports]