Texas could officially announce soon a commitment to remaining in a 10-team Big 12, a conference school source said this morning.
The high-ranking source, who is closely involved in keeping the conference intact, says he believes that Texas will make a good faith proposal to turn its back on a Pac-10 bid and keep the Big 12 in business even without Nebraska and Colorado. A second conference source also confirmed that understanding of the situation.
Independent confirmation of Texas looking at keeping the Big 12 together
So now we have the Dallas Morning News corroborating Chip Brown's report about Texas considering keeping the Big 12 together. It goes on to say that the sharp increase in TV money would come from Fox Sports specifically. Supposedly the prospect of a UT television network and increased travel costs as a result of not having A&M; in the Pac-16 were the reason for the change of mind.
It remains to be seen how good the faith will be in Texas's "good faith proposal." Nebraska's idea of a good faith proposal was to have everyone assign their media rights to the Big 12 to prove their commitment, something everyone knew Texas would not agree to. Will Texas propose something workable, or something it knows the rest won't agree to like Nebraska did?
For his part, Gene Stallings likes the idea of a ten team Big 12.
UPDATE
If the Dallas Morning News isn't far enough away from Texas's athletics department for your taste, how does the New York Times sound? Pete Thamel also has a source saying Texas is "on the cusp" of a deal to keep the ten-team Big 12 together.
almost 2 years ago
Year2
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I still don't get the numbers
Where is that money coming from? If they lose a championship game, they’re going in the wrong direction to make upwards of SEC money. I don’t understand this math.
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 2:16 PM EDT reply actions
Supposedly Fox is willing to back up the money trucks into the Big 12’s loading bay. It made a big offer for the ACC deal and got outbid by ESPN, so it may now be taking that money (which was to be split 12 ways in the ACC) and offering it to the Big 12 (where it would be split 10 ways).
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by Year2 on Jun 14, 2025 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
This is confusing
I thought that Fox was going to be the partner in the PAC-16 network? Why would they undercut one league’s plan to get less markets? If they’d wait for UT and co to go to the Pac, they’d have the Big 12 south AND USC, UCLA, Washington and California. Now the only game people outside of Texas will have interest in is UT/Ok. I could care less about any of the other games in the Big XII. Odd.
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Fox has been rumored to be the partner for the Pac-16 Network, but we don’t know how far negotiations have gotten yet. The Pac-10 has denied that is has anything close to a league network lined up, but who knows how much stock to put in that.
Fox would probably have only a 49% ownership of a Pac-10 Network like it does with the BTN. Perhaps it has figured out that a 100% of the profits of a simple broadcast deal with the Big 12 and Pac-10 is more profitable than 49% of the profits of a Pac-10 Network. The BTN works because a lot of people in the Midwest live and breathe Big Ten sports. As far as I know, the west coast is not nearly as devoted to Pac-10 sports.
If the Pac-10 was dead set on a network, then Fox would probably help out to take advantage of the opportunity and keep ESPN from doing it. That doesn’t mean that helping start a Pac-10 Network, even the 16-team version, would maximize Fox’s profits.
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by Year2 on Jun 14, 2025 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Point/Counterpoint
Point: If things like the BTN or the PTN become the dominant form of college football television, as a football fan, would you be content with only watching SEC/Big East football? I’m a Georgia fan through and through, but part of the allure of the fall is my ability to turn on the tv at any point during the day and watch great games from across the country. If the PTN happens, I’d almost have to get either it or the BTN (or both) solely because I want to watch football. If everyone goes to independent networks, those networks will start getting more views by proxy.
Counterpoint: How would Fox keep 100% of the profits from the Big XII deal? Just like the 49% share of the PTN, they’d owe the Big XII money, too.
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Networks like the BTN and the rumored PTN are the equivalent of the SEC’s regional syndication package that’s now under the “SEC Network” label inside of ESPN and what used to be done by JP/LF/Raycom Sports. They’d never get the best games because they’re regional operations; keeping your marquee match ups off of ABC, CBS, and ESPN would be death to a conference.
That’s why I’m not really concerned about it. If you’re worried about missing the Washington State-Arizona game, then yeah, the Pac-10 Network is a bad thing for you. Every so often you might miss an interesting game on a weekend that’s overloaded with good games, but since the weekend is overloaded with good games, there will be plenty of other options. They’re also good for fans of the schools involved, because a BTN/PTN is much more likely to end up on a non-premium cable tier than ESPNU and ESPN Classic are.
As to the second part, the payout to the member schools is part of the cost of running the network. Whether Fox helps make the PTN or goes it alone, that goes on the cost line and comes out of profits. Going alone means more cost (100% of payout rather than 49% of it), but it can make more money by getting 100% of the revenue instead of 49%.
Imagine the payout to the Big 12 was $170 million, since Beebe thinks he can get each team $17 million a year (I know, I know; just follow me here). Just to grab some numbers, let’s say that would cost $40 million a year to run the PTN and $35 million a year to run coverage on just Fox (thanks to efficiencies, fewer overlapping jobs, etc). If that was the case, in-house broadcasting overtakes the PTN model between $201 million and $202 million in revenue, and as ad revenue grows, the in-house model pulls away. For instance, at $270 million in revenue, Fox would make $65 million on the in-house model but only $29.4 million on the PTN model.
If Fox could negotiate a higher per-subscriber fee for FSN, then that’s an even better reason to go alone. If it can add more than 49% of what the PTN’s per-subscriber rate would be, then it comes out ahead there too.
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by Year2 on Jun 14, 2025 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Considering the DMN and Chip Brown
have served as the unofficial voice of the Longhorns, I’ll believe this when it actually happens…
"Hush now, let it go now. I know it's time to go. Time to let this fall from my hands" VNV Nation, "From My Hands"
by Stuck in the Plains on Jun 14, 2025 2:19 PM EDT reply actions
Pat Forde on the SVP show
Seems to think that the Big XII has a good chance to stay together. He claimed he didn’t have any sources within Texas itself that said this, but that it’s being reported at enough places. So yay ESPN for great journalistic values. “PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS I MUST SAY IT TOO!”
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Me too
This is fantastic news and I hope Texas goes for it.
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by Year2 on Jun 14, 2025 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm 50/50
I have no real interest in expansion, and dislike the idea of traditional rivalries being destroyed by this movement.
However, if this moves college football, especially as it relates to Georgia football, closer to that eventual goal of a playoff, I’m for it. And it would seem that 4-5 “super” conferences would be a first step towards that.
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions
It looks to me
like A&M had a lot more say in this matter than Texas fans were claiming. Did their flirtation with the SEC end up putting the kibosh on the Pac-16?
by DoubleB on Jun 14, 2025 3:21 PM EDT reply actions
If nothing else, this is an interesting point
Texas A&M has redefined it’s relationship with Texas in the last week. If the new Big XII that sounds like it’s happening really does give massive concessions to Texas, I’m not sure it’s redefined its relationship for the better, however. Gene Stallings will have definitely let down his partisans by agreeing to give in to Texas’ demands.
However, in the end, the Big XII remaining may be for the best. I’m not sure how at this point, but it may be a good call in the long run for the sport, as the coastal migration of power was drowning out the middle of the country (may still occur, but if the Mountain West can absorb the Big XII north refugees, we can avoid losing an important voice in the country).
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't see
How they could make more money with fewer teams, and not enough to have a championship game…
by commodore_dude on Jun 14, 2025 3:30 PM EDT reply actions
Over at the Aggie Blog
“Hold the Phone”
Seems to indicate that we’re still in the running for A&M’s services. Texas is apparently doing (even) more posturing.
by blackertai on Jun 14, 2025 6:16 PM EDT reply actions
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