Pac-12 and ACC discussing 'loose partnership' to potentially boost media rights revenue
According to a report by CBS Sports, the Pac-12 and ACC have engaged in "loose partnership" discussions in an attempt to boost the value of their existing media contracts.
Reportedly proposed by the ACC, and in response to the defection of UCLA and USC from the Pac-12, which has seemingly flipped the collegiate world upside down, the motivation for the proposal seems to be somewhat of a survival tactic as the Pac-12 is scrambling to maintain their conference.
Additionally, with all the rumors circulating around the ACC potentially experiencing a similar fate and losing teams to the SEC, the "loose partnership" is just one of many possibilities for these two conferences to remain alive as the Pac-12's value has already significantly dropped since the California school's announcement.
According to that same report by CBS Sports, the Pac-12's annual rights value has dropped from $42 million to an estimated $30 million following UCLA and USC's defection, painting a clear picture of what the future could hold for not just them, but the ACC as well.
The proposal would reportedly include some regular season inter-conference matchup's, and a "championship" game in Las Vegas. This could prove to be a lifeline for the Pac-12 as their contract with Fox expires in 2024 and is unlikely to be renewed.
For now, rumors and discussions will likely continue until programs or conferences begin making their moves. However, this appears to be a way for the Pac-12 to combat the efforts of the Big 12, who supposedly engaged in discussions with Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado on Tuesday.
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