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Jon Joseph

Canzano: Pac-12 Teams Agree on "Grant of Rights"

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According to John Canzano (paywall), all Pac-10 schools are in agreement regarding their respective pledge of rights to the new media deal.

 

The deal is expected to be finalized within the next 60 days. So, the 10 schools must at least have a ball park figure as to what the number will be and also the structure; streaming vs linear broadcasts, etc.

 

Also according to John, the CU legal discussion meeting this week has nothing to do with moving to the B12.

 

As noted in an article by Dennis Dodd up on BFD today, the B12 can't and won't make a move for any Pac-10 team before knowing the new media deal bottom line and finding a funding source for any additional teams. ESPN/FOX are not ipso facto obligated to fund 1 up to 4 new P5 teams that the B12 would want to add.

 

Between this report by Canzano, based on direct discussion with conference ADs and the finally realistic understanding of current economics by Dodd, a breath of fresh air is blowing across Pac-10 country.

 

The devil as always is in the details but I do believe that a deal will be finalized that will keep all Pac-10 members on board, primed to add 2 or more teams (most likely SDSU and SMU) and ready to send the Pac-10 champion and hopefully at least one other conference team to the 12-team playoff in 2024.

 

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That being said, look for it to be done by the end of June to add SDSU prior to doubling their buyout.

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(Below is the article by John Canzano)

 

The remaining Pac-12 Conference members have finalized the terms of their Grant of Rights, sources tell me. That contract includes a variety of elements that all 10 schools needed to agree on — and it appears they have.

 

Among other items, the Grant of Rights includes what sponsorships are Pac-12 centralized vs. left for individual campuses to sell, what sets of rights the conference can sell, and how the revenue will be split among the 10 member schools.

 

Even shares?

 

Postseason incentives?

 

“Over the last few months,” a member of the Pac-12 CEO Group told me, “we have negotiated all of these issues and the Grant of Rights is ready to go.”

The length of the contract will be dictated by the length of the Pac-12’s yet-to-be-finalized media-rights deal. But I’m told all 10 schools are ready to sign the Grant of Rights once the media deal is concluded to their satisfaction.

 

A few things while we wait:

• When will the Pac-12’s media rights deal be done?

I thought it would get done by last Thanksgiving. Then, by Christmas. Then, by March. The Pac-12 presidents and chancellors are now being careful to preserve the “late spring/early summer” timeline they reset a couple of months ago. Summer officially begins on June 21 — in 12 days.

• What about San Diego State’s timeline?

The Aztecs are viewed as a strong expansion possibility. If they want to join the Pac-12 for the 2024 football season, the Aztecs have until June 30 to inform the Mountain West Conference they’re leaving. If they miss that deadline the $17 million MWC exit fee doubles to $34 million.

 

A Pac-12 source told me last week: “We can’t really control their deadline. Need to get our deals done so we can tell them what they’d get.”

 

I suppose San Diego State could just inform the MWC they’re leaving on June 30 and figure the details out later. The Pac-12 could also invite the Aztecs without the media deal fully completed, but I find it hard to believe SDSU would commit without knowing what the offer is.

 

San Diego State is being very patient. SDSU is being told by the Pac-12 that the conference “feels good” about the impending media deal and is just “trying to wrap things up,” per an Aztecs source. Stay tuned on this front.

What do you make of Colorado’s Board of Regents meeting this week?

The sad souls out there rooting for the demise of the Pac-12 saw “legal advice on a specific matter — athletics matter at CU Boulder” on Tuesday’s meeting agenda and jumped to a lot of conclusions. Apparently the “matter” was not a move to the Big 12.

 

“It was just a status update on the Pac-12 media rights negotiations,” an involved source told me.

Those same regents now have added a “special board meeting” scheduled for Friday.

• What about other Pac-12 members?

Washington State also has a Board of Regents meeting scheduled for Friday. The Cougars are knee-deep in an athletic department budget crisis. The agenda for that meeting outlined department revenue, expenses, and the plan to bring the budget in line during the next fiscal year. But it was “Action Item No. 4” that jumped off the page to me.

 

It would give WSU President Kirk Schulz the authority to “execute contracts or other agreements related to the University’s athletic media rights.”

 

Schulz isn’t just a member of the Pac-12’s CEO Group, he’s particularly tuned in as a member of the executive committee along with Washington president Ana Mari Cauce and Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne.

Schulz currently only has signatory authority on matters up to $5 million. Beyond that, he needs to consult with WSU’s regents. Resolution No. 230609-684 would give Schulz authority to sign deals in excess of that cap.

 

“It is highly likely business necessities will dictate that the execution of said contracts or agreements will need to occur on an expedited basis, a necessity difficult for the Board of Regents to manage as a body,” the request noted.

 

I don’t want to make too much of one action item, but this is definitely an important step toward putting ink to paper.

How do conference media-rights deals get finalized?

Bob Thompson, the retired Fox Sports Networks president, was on the other side of the table the last time the Pac-12 sold its media rights. Thompson told me on Wednesday that he didn’t remember individual schools having to consult with their regents.

 

“Basically, we told the conference they were responsible for acquiring the necessary grant of rights approvals from the schools and to represent that they had those approvals,” he said. “How and when they did that I have no idea.”

 

I asked around.

 

Each campus has a different process. Private schools, such as Stanford, have different protocols than public schools. Some of the universities have already granted signatory rights to their presidents and chancellors. Others, like Oregon, are going through a change of leadership. It’s working with an interim president until July 1, when John Karl Scholz takes office.

 

Said one Pac-12 CEO Group member: “Each campus is doing whatever it needs to do to be ready to approve when the time comes.”


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Mr. FishDuck

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WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM

Whether Yormark has the support from the rest of the Big 12 remains to be seen

 

Finally! Dodd recognizes that it takes other people's (media) money to expand and that the B12 will not an d cannot make a move for any Pac-10 school before the details of the new media deal are known.

 

Neither ESPN not FOX are contractually bound to add the addition of any P5 program to the B12.

 

Some truth amidst the unctuous rumor mongering feels like having taken a nice hot shower.

Edited by Jon Joseph
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On 6/7/2023 at 1:03 PM, Steven A said:

That being said, look for it to be done by the end of June to add SDSU prior to doubling their buyout.

My guess is that via back-channeling, SDSU already has the invite and will give notice, whether or not the invite is definitely in place before 6/30 and SDSU will save millions in the exit fee payment to the MW.

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Great news. I’ve come to dread the constant churn of rumors and disdain for the PAC that many of the most prolific posters seem to share. It will be great to get back to football for the next few years. 

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“There are multiple reporters that knew about this. Nobody reported it because of that.”

 

That is an interesting statement. Not the way the news business works. Sounds like the anti-PAC “mean kids” in the media have their panties in a twist. 

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On 6/7/2023 at 12:51 PM, curtisd316 said:

Canzano with a misleading report

Nobody has said a deal is in place--Canzano stated that the league teams are in agreement on the Grants in Rights, and that has not been reported before.  Thus NOT misleading, and I find the accusation amusing coming from the Big-12!

 

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Mr. FishDuck

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"It will include performance/merit based revenue sharing."

 

Now THAT is big news...if it is true.  Sorry for the skepticism, but I do not believe any source right now outside of Canzano and Wilner.

 

I was just talking with NJDuck about that point--that Oregon must be rewarded for making Playoffs, Tournaments, etc., with an extra share size of the payout.  Oregon has put a ton of money and time into building our brand, and it is time that other league teams no longer piggy-back off that with a reward for not putting in the same resources.

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Mr. FishDuck

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On 6/7/2023 at 10:04 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Each campus has a different process. Private schools, such as Stanford, have different protocols than public schools. Some of the universities have already granted signatory rights to their presidents and chancellors. Others, like Oregon, are going through a change of leadership. It’s working with an interim president until July 1, when John Karl Scholz takes office.

 

Said one Pac-12 CEO Group member: “Each campus is doing whatever it needs to do to be ready to approve when the time comes.”


Sounds like herding a bunch of crazy cats 😛

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So maybe Canzano and his "sources" should give the Arizona President Robbins a call and fill him in.

 

He did an interview with Finebaum and said he hasn't heard anything about it.

 

Man, I  can't wait for this to be over.

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I’m not cheering for the PAC’s demise. I’m cheering for Oregon to find a way out of the PAC. 

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Welcome to academia 😉

( with regards to the " herding a bunch of crazy cats" comment).

Edited by CountryProf
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On 6/7/2023 at 4:34 PM, Charles Fischer said:

"It will include performance/merit based revenue sharing."

 

Now THAT is big news...if it is true.  Sorry for the skepticism, but I do not believe any source right now outside of Canzano and Wilner.

 

I was just talking with NJDuck about that point--that Oregon must be rewarded for making Playoffs, Tournaments, etc., with an extra share size of the payout.  Oregon has put a ton of money and time into building our brand, and it is time that other league teams no longer piggy-back off that with a reward for not putting in the same resources.

In line with what the ACC has agreed to.

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On 6/7/2023 at 5:28 PM, Rufus said:

I’m not cheering for the PAC’s demise. I’m cheering for Oregon to find a way out of the PAC. 

At any cost? If the media deal is close to or exceeds the B12 media deal it could well be in Oregon's best interest to stay in the Pac.

 

Are you certain being a junior member in the B1G and helping to reduce UCLA's and USC's cost of travel makes sense? For say, $10M more a year with a lot of the $10M sucked up by travel and other operational costs. 

 

It has been reported, which I take with a grain of salt, that the B1G media deal is now closer to a $60M than a $65M annual payout. If this is the case and with UCLA having to pay 'Calimony' (thank you John Canzan0) the B1G deal could be close to a wash for UCLA.

 

And SC and UCLA are on the hook for their part of the Comcast debacle and for paying the expense of the San Francisco offices restoration to back where the facilities were before Larry showed up.

 

SC will no longer be the shot caller in the B1G. The 2 LA schools nay well have bought a pig in a poke. A pig Kevin Warren advertised as having more bacon on its ribs than is the case.

 

Carol Folt and friends screwed up on the due diligence required before SC hired Bohn as AD. Just like SC screwed up when it hired a coach who had a problem with alcohol. 

 

Both Bohn's and Sark's failings were well known to numerous 3rd parties before the hires but apparently unknown by the folks in charge at SC. Kind of like the admissions scandal.

 

Folt appears to be making the same mistakes as her predecessors. 

 

It also came as a surprise to both LA schools that a number of their games will be streamed on Peacock that currently sits at 20M subscribers.

 

The Pac has what could be a golden chance to get in on the forefront of streaming where all sports broadcasting appears to be headed.

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On 6/7/2023 at 10:03 AM, Steven A said:

That being said, look for it to be done by the end of June to add SDSU prior to doubling their buyout.

SDSU should negotiate a deal with the Mountain West where they can get a large refund if they bail before June 30th but come back with their tail between their legs because the Pac didn't work out for them this summer.

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“BREAKING: The #Pac12 media deal is well short of both the money and linear coverage anyone other than #Wazzu or thr #Beavers would sign away their GOR for. Reportedly just $19M per team before the $7M per team owed…” 

 

Sorry, I don’t believe this unsourced (so called) news. Makes no financial sense. 

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On 6/7/2023 at 4:50 PM, lownslowav8r said:

“BREAKING: The #Pac12 media deal is well short of both the money and linear coverage anyone other than #Wazzu or thr #Beavers would sign away their GOR for. Reportedly just $19M per team before the $7M per team owed…” 

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Mr. FishDuck

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This guy Swaim is the mini-me of journalism. A complete B12 hack.

 

I can think of an Anglo Saxon onomatopoetic 4 letter word that should appear before SHOW instead of Swaim.

 

Keep throwing tweets on your tweeterville on your garbage pile. Better yet, Swaim away back to your swamp.

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The silence from GK and the conference is deafening.

 

If in fact, the GOR has been signed, you would think that GK would make an official announcement. Or the Presidents would make an announcement.

 

But nothing, just the sound of crickets as you approach them.

WTH?

 

The articles say sources but dont name the source. How professional is that?

 

Because their is NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GK, well chances are this didnt happen.

 

Can anyone provide the article where ESPN officially said they sid not want the PAC Tier 1 Rights?

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On 6/7/2023 at 7:37 PM, HappyToBeADuck said:

If in fact, the GOR has been signed, you would think that GK would make an official announcement. Or the Presidents would make an announcement.

I don't think Canzano said that they signed a GOR but have come to a verbal agreement about it. 

 

So nothing that would be officially announced by the conference. 

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On 6/7/2023 at 8:46 PM, David Marsh said:

I don't think Canzano said that they signed a GOR but have come to a verbal agreement about it. 

 

So nothing that would be officially announced by the conference. 

Precisely.
 

I was going to write about how people shouldn’t post when they don’t read the article that I shared of Canzano. But I thought it would not be very nice, especially with the way I was thinking of writing it.

 

People do that all the time, as they will give an opinion about an article, they have not read.

 

Years back when I would post a FishDuck article on other sites, you would have 5000 views of the post on that site, and 80 comments in the thread criticizing my article.
 

Then I would come look at the analytics of FishDuck, and see that only 37 people actually came over from that site to read the article! 
 

People do it here all the time as well with your and my articles, David. You can tell when they write a comment making a point that you or I had already covered in our article.

 

They didn’t read it!

 

A ton of people will post, without reading the articles, or, as we saw this instance, without even reading the post.

 

(It’s too long!)

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I would be surprised if any of the top PAC-12 programs signed a grant of rights without knowing the TV deal, unless it was contingent on thresholds being met or exceeded. 

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On 6/7/2023 at 3:34 PM, Charles Fischer said:

I was just talking with NJDuck about that point--that Oregon must be rewarded for making Playoffs, Tournaments, etc., with an extra share size of the payout.  Oregon has put a ton of money and time into building our brand, and it is time that other league teams no longer piggy-back off that with a reward for not putting in the same resources.

I was thinking about this and while I'm 100% in support of merit based revenue sharing, it made me curious about if Georgia, 'Bama and Clemson equally share their revenue. 

 

I believe the accepted school of thought (especially on the coasts) is that "A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships" soi magine my surprise to see that the three schools listed above currently equally distribute their football revenue while our little section in the PNW is wanting merit based sharing.  I'll avoid the political references and just add I'm shocked to see it even being considered, much less so widely supported...

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On 6/8/2023 at 5:36 AM, WoadBlue said:

Swaim is a more outrageous, and at times more nasty, version of Dennis Dodd in that he too is all about the Big 12 and will spread any and all crap that he thinks might be useful to the Big 12. 

That's not really fair to Dodd. Swaim just makes stuff up and is nothing more than an internet troll. Dodd is a real reporter with real sources. Granted he primarily covers Big12 country and his sources have a slant in that direction but he is sourced. Swaim is a hack and most fans of the Big12 teams know it.

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WWW.STATESMANJOURNAL.COM

University of Arizona President Robby Robbins says until Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff gives the conference’s leaders hard numbers on a future media rights deal, any talk about...

 

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On 6/7/2023 at 10:37 PM, HappyToBeADuck said:

The silence from GK and the conference is deafening.

 

If in fact, the GOR has been signed, you would think that GK would make an official announcement. Or the Presidents would make an announcement.

 

But nothing, just the sound of crickets as you approach them.

WTH?

 

The articles say sources but dont name the source. How professional is that?

 

Because their is NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GK, well chances are this didnt happen.

 

Can anyone provide the article where ESPN officially said they sid not want the PAC Tier 1 Rights?

Right, the media deal has not been concluded so this 'agreement' among the Pac-10 schools is a Letter of Intent.

 

However, I do not think the Pac-10 schools would have announced this 'agreement' without some idea in regard to the structure of the new deal, linear vs streaming, etc., and a ball park media deal bottom line amount.

 

This is backwards from how grants of media rights usually work when there is a deal already in hand. The horse is still inside of the barn.

 

Nevertheless, even though it isn't the same as OK-ing a new deal it is an indication that the Pac-10 schools want to remain together.

 

Of course, the leaders of every Pac-10 school are testing the water for alternatives if the Pac-10 deal falls short of expectations. Simply good business.

 

Once a deal is made, expect an announcement to come mid-week unless and unfortunately, the conference wants to bury the details which most likely means an announcement on Friday.

 

Again, considering alternatives makes sense but the B1G and B12 cannot expand without media companies paying the bill. 

 

The announcement by the B12 that it is exploring expansion is far more lame IMO than this announcement form the Pac. Especially when it is clear that if the B12 wants to add Gonzaga and UConn the other B12 members will be paying for this expansion by agreeing to take a lesser amount from ESPN/FOX.

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On 6/8/2023 at 12:01 PM, HDuck said:
WWW.STATESMANJOURNAL.COM

University of Arizona President Robby Robbins says until Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff gives the conference’s leaders hard numbers on a future media rights deal, any talk about...

 

Logical. Why would Pac schools announce a 'Letter of Intent' to pledge media grant of rights without an understanding on the new deal's structure and dollar amount?

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On 6/8/2023 at 10:34 AM, Wrathis said:

I was thinking about this and while I'm 100% in support of merit based revenue sharing, it made me curious about if Georgia, 'Bama and Clemson equally share their revenue. 

 

I believe the accepted school of thought (especially on the coasts) is that "A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships" soi magine my surprise to see that the three schools listed above currently equally distribute their football revenue while our little section in the PNW is wanting merit based sharing.  I'll avoid the political references and just add I'm shocked to see it even being considered, much less so widely supported...

The SEC has equal shares as does the ACC except for the recent ACC tweak that will give members bringing in footfall and basketball post-season money a bigger piece of the revenue pie.

 

A Rising Crimson Tide certainly benefitted the SEC as a whole.

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Yesterday on Canzano's radio show, he said the PAC was only going to have football have unequal revenue sharing.  March Madness was going to stay the same and split evenly between all schools regardless of putting in a team or not putting in a team.

 

I'm always curious how the PAC is going to get less money per team 12 years later, when the BIG 12 received a raise with losing Oklahoma and Texas.  

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On 6/8/2023 at 12:34 PM, Tandaian said:

Yesterday on Canzano's radio show, he said the PAC was only going to have football have unequal revenue sharing.  March Madness was going to stay the same and split evenly between all schools regardless of putting in a team or not putting in a team.

 

I'm always curious how the PAC is going to get less money per team 12 years later, when the BIG 12 received a raise with losing Oklahoma and Texas.  

It was not much of a raise considering inflation. Very close to the formal deal done on a rush basis to come ahead of the Pac. A raise for the 4 new members but not much of won for the 'left over' 8 members.

 

We'll see if this was a good long range strategy?

 

The B12 deal does not lock in ESPN/FOX to ipso facto pay for additional B12 expansion. 

Edited by Jon Joseph
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On 6/8/2023 at 9:23 AM, Jon Joseph said:

However, I do not think the Pac-10 schools would have announced this 'agreement'

There is not a signed agreement that is known in the public sphere.  Canzano reported that the schools have all verbally agreed to the Grant in Rights, and will sign it when the media deal comes out and they approve of the media deal.

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Mr. FishDuck

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On 6/8/2023 at 9:34 AM, Tandaian said:

Yesterday on Canzano's radio show, he said the PAC was only going to have football have unequal revenue sharing.

This is VERY big, and important news.  Thank you for sharing it!

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Mr. FishDuck

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I have it from a solid source that “Kenny Wheaton is going to score!”

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This article further points out Disney/ESPN's financial difficulties. Likely one reason GK is having difficulty getting a new media deal done.

 

LARRYBROWNSPORTS.COM

Disney is preparing for a new round of budget cuts at ESPN, and several on-camera figures are expected to be let go. On...

 

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This hits home. Neil Everett is an Oregon grad and was a big supporter of the Ducks when he was on-air.

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This sounds sketchy as hell and he is hoping for a good pay day from the playoffs how does that work with unequal revenue in football

 

 

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Neil Everett gets his World Wide Leader exit papers.

 

Best of luck Neil at your new gig. FOX?

 

DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM

“Bartender…Jack!” Oregon Duck legend Neil Everett will be leaving ESPN after 23 years. His departure left the sporting world...

 

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