Pac-12 reportedly not as close to media rights deal as previously thought

It has been nearly a year since USC and UCLA broke the college football world when they announced that they will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.

It has also been nearly a year of speculation as to what will happen when it comes to the Pac-12's media right deal. There are certain media powers who have been in and out of negotiations seemingly every week, and reports that are constantly conflicting one another.

As of March 15, Pac-12 insiders were reporting that the conference was nearing a deal, ending the push from the Big 12. However, CBS Sports Dennis Dodd refuted the prior reports on Thursday that the conference isn't nearing a deal thanks to a conversation with Arizona president Robert Robbins.

The Arizona president explained to Dodd that he hasn't heard much yet saying:

"I have heard nothing to suggest [a deal is] imminent," Robbins told CBS Sports this week. "There's all these things about, well, 'We want to wait until [after] the Final Four.' That has nothing to do with it. It has to do with assessing who is the right fit, who assesses us.

He continued saying:

"I hope commissioner George Kliavkoff gets something done sooner rather than later so that the whole thing stops, so we don't have to focus on it. [But] I am perfectly willing to sit here and wait."

His comments come after he recently gave an April 15 deadline for the Pac-12 to at least come up with a financial estimate that the 10 remaining schools could look at. One of the many deadlines that have been surpassed in this onslaught of dealings. If there isn't a deal within the next month or so, or at least semblance of a deal, one would have to imagine that the Big 12 and Big Ten will again come knocking for Pac-12 programs.