The Pac-12 presidents joined commissioner George Kliavkoff and conference executives on Monday at Arizona State for the conference’s quarterly meetings. The agenda featured a plethora of weighty issues, none more important than the state of the media rights negotiations.
— Within the conference, there are negotiations about the type of media deal that works best. How much emphasis should be placed on chasing revenue? How much on maximum visibility? The ideal media contract for one school might not sit perfectly with another. As with all negotiations, the goal is to aim high but know the market. That’s not always easy, and in the Pac-12’s case, the market has shifted over time.
The Pac-12’s rights aren’t worth nearly as much, but Kliavkoff could draft off the Big Ten’s $1 billion annual deal: “If they are worth X, then we are worth two-thirds of X” — or something to that effect.