Rufus

I don’t think it is wise to sue the B1G. They are the only conference that can save Oregon now. No way they extend the olive branch if a lawsuit is filed. They take Washington and Stanford and move on to the ACC schools in that scenario. The SEC could also save Oregon, but that seems unlikely. The PAC is ultimately to blame for this mess. A decade or more of poor decisions created the environment for USC and UCLA to look for a way out. Oregon should have been looking as well.

I agree that a backup plan is the Big 12. If the PAC deal is awful, it might be worth exploring joining the Big 12. Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t agree that the B1G is a backup plan for anyone. If the B1G wants any PAC school, it doesn’t matter how much the new PAC contract might be. Those schools will join the B1G in a heartbeat.

To answer the question…Does B1G Have A Viable Strategy For UCLA And USC. . . Or Not? The one thing I know is that the B1G is calculated in everything it does. They have a strategy. The only question is who else (if anyone) is a part of that strategy.

Don't forget about the revenue from The Big Ten Network - BTN. I just googled the Big Ten Media Rights Deal and there is nothing out there saying the numbers were inflated. This article is the only one saying it, so I question the validity of the article. If this was true, it would be all over the internet with multiple articles - just like when the deal was first announced.

"Unfortunately, we aren't talking about the Pac 12 getting 10 million less per year than the B1G TEN or SEC. The B1G TEN signed a 7 year 8.4 billion dollar contract. I'm not sure how the people creating the articles say each school will get between 80-100 mil, when 1.2 billion divided by 16 equals 75 mil. " Because the 75 million is only the media rights part of the revenue. It does not include BTN revenue, for example. Big Ten Network revenue dwarfs PAC 12 Network revenue. Also, the media rights agreement is for seven years, but it is back loaded. The first year will make the least amount of money, which is when the B1G will not include USC and UCLA. They join in year 2 of the media rights agreement. Also, CBS isn't paying as much in year one because they will be in the final year of their SEC agreement. CBS will not show as many B1G games in 2023 as they will starting in 2024 when the SEC contract is finished. Towards the end of the agreement, each school will be making upwards of 100 million from the media rights agreement alone. Also, keep in mind that while the playoffs have expanded, the method of payout to conferences has not been announced. I don't think the B1G and SEC expanded the playoffs out of good will. While the P5 all make equal amounts of revenue from the 4 team playoff, that is going to change. I've read reports that said the B1G and SEC could command 50% of total 12 team CFP revenue. Everyone else would split the other 50% in some capacity. The PAC 12, Big 12 and ACC would get more than the G5 conferences, but they will not get as much as the B1G and SEC like they currently do. The revenue gaps are only going to widen further. When it comes to money, it's going to be the B1G and SEC and then everybody else.