The additions to college athletics over the last few decades have greatly changed. It is remarkable how the Pac-10 turned into a league, which remained unchanged for more than three decades until the seismic wave of conference realignment began in 2010. The Sun Devils and Wildcats were significant additions to this transformation.

The new media rights deal that followed the Pac-12’s peak in the 2012-13 fiscal year, when it generated the highest revenue among all Power Five conferences, received widespread acclaim. Despite the political landscape, college athletics remained influential throughout the 21st century, and the league managed to thrive. Concerns arose among schools in the league’s northern region regarding a shift in power dynamics, particularly when invitations were extended to the Arizona schools, despite objections from other schools in Arizona.

Utah, Colorado, Arizona State, and Arizona are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12. Oregon and Washington are set to join the Big Ten in 2024, which has initiated a series of events that will likely lead to the downfall of the league. USC and UCLA ultimately made the decision to move to the Big Ten in 2024, confirming previous concerns dating back to the 1970s. Unfortunately, the era of success was short-lived.

Each school in the Pac-12, including Washington State, Stanford, Oregon State, and Cal, is now looking around their home athletic surroundings for what has happened here in the world, more than a century after the league has been in existence.

Here is an effort to respond to that inquiry with a sequential examination of the downfall of the Pac-12 conference.

Fresh supervisor and initial growth (2009-2011)

Larry Scott appointed as Pac-10 commissioner

In the realm of power conferences, the Pac-12 required a profitable television rights agreement in order to stay competitive, especially considering Scott’s reputation for effective marketing and television expertise during his tenure as CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association. Prior to Scott taking over on July 1, 2009, Tom Hansen held the position of Pac-10 commissioner for 26 years.

Bob Bowlsby, who served as the Stanford athletic director at the time and later became the Big 12 commissioner, expressed, “Our search committee was highly impressed by Larry’s extensive array of leadership experiences in both men’s and women’s sports.”

Big Ten begins exploring possibilities for expansion

The Big Ten Network, which experienced early success when it first launched, is returning to college sports. Jim Delany, the commissioner of the league, has announced a timeline of 12 to 18 months to explore possible expansion and provide recommendations for new members. This official exploration of expansion began on December 15, 2009.

Pac-10 enters the world of expansion

“It is within the upcoming six to 12 months that we will commence engaging in profound analysis and meaningful discussions,” stated Scott, recognizing that they are only in the initial stages of examining conference expansions. However, the focus of attention surrounding this matter was expansion. The purpose of the teleconference held on February 9, 2010, was to introduce Kevin Weiberg, the newly appointed deputy commissioner of the Pac-10.

The Pac-10’s sights are aligned with embracing expansion, aiming to replace one expiring media rights deal at the end of the academic year. Scott described the hiring of Weiberg as a significant experience that provided Network Ten Big with a very significant launch.

USC incurs NCAA sanctions

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Initial realignment steps

Oklahoma and Texas traveled south as Scott turned his eyes to Texas to pitch an ambitious addition to the conference, a super 16-team. All seemed uncertain about the future of the Big 12 as the Buffaloes followed suit and announced Colorado as a new member of the Pac-10, when the domino of realignment fell in June 2010.

Big 12 thrives, Texas acquires television network

In July 2011, the Pac-12 rebranded itself and welcomed Colorado and Utah to join the conference, making it a 12-member league instead of the Pac-10. Instead of poaching Utah from the Mountain West, the Pac-12 abandoned its push for a 16-team league. According to the Los Angeles Times, in the new-look Pac-10, they would equally share revenue with their members. The decision of the Longhorns to stay played a significant role in accommodating Texas’ own TV network. Despite rampant speculation, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech stayed in the Big 12, keeping it afloat.

Balanced income thrust

Looking back, it can be seen that Scott made a dangerous mistake by not offering better incentives to top-tier brands like UCLA, USC, and Texas. This was the same strategy he used when negotiating with Texas, who wanted to keep the profits from the Longhorn Network. However, Scott wanted all schools to receive an equal share of the revenue in the next media rights agreement, as explained by the Seattle Times. This approach benefited UCLA and USC, as they were frequently showcased on television. In October 2010, the Pac-10 schools featured in network broadcasts split 64% of the game’s revenue under the league’s existing revenue model.

Auburn narrowly defeats Oregon to win the national championship

On January 10, 2011, Oregon narrowly missed becoming the second BCS champion from the Pac-10 in the national championship, losing 22-19 to Auburn after USC had won the title in 2004.

Striking it big on television

The leaders of the University were elated at the time, but the length of the contract turned out to be a downfall. During the 12-year duration of the Pac-10’s agreement, the University negotiated a new media rights deal, surpassing the annual payouts of the other four Power Five leagues. Essentially, the league’s revenue quadrupled from the prior deal, equating to an expected annual payout between $225 million and $250 million, close to a billion-dollar deal. When the Pac-10 inked a 12-year deal with ESPN and Fox, its revenue in college sports TV charts surged to the top.

Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens stated, “Currently, we are self-reliant in order to guarantee that we establish a strong and enduring financial base, and significantly enhance our nationwide visibility through the new contracts.”

Realignment resumes

The newly-renamed Pac-12 stood to gain from the potential demise and murky future of the Big 12, as reports suggested that it was on the verge of receiving an invitation from the SEC for M&A in Texas.

“Schools have contacted us,” Scott stated. “We are not taking any proactive measures.”

Pac-12 and Texas refuse to negotiate

On September 20, 2011, the Pac-12 presidents reportedly decided not to take a vote on expansion, as Texas and Oklahoma State University were already losing to Texas A&M and Missouri, which would have inflicted a brutal blow to the Big 12. Instead, they forged ahead with sharing revenue equally with the SEC, to which Texas and Oklahoma were reportedly unwilling to commit.

Scott informed journalists, “Due to the significant requirements, it is challenging to envision numerous possibilities for our conference to grow. The standards are exceptionally high.” He clarified that, ultimately, the agreement didn’t align with our interests, particularly considering our current situation. We had the potential to broaden our scope.

Scott acknowledged that the expansion could generate more money for Pac-12 schools, saying that it could tear apart the fabric of the conference’s culture.

If the Pac-12 had accommodated Texas by allowing an unequal revenue sharing model, it would have also bolstered the early strength of the Pac-12’s football, which turned out to be a debilitating stretch of national success. Additionally, financially, it would have drastically altered the college sports landscape, leaving the Big 12 in shreds.

Pac-12 secures comfortable headquarters

The Pac-12 league started to face unnecessary scrutiny later on, as it came under scrutiny for its lavish expenses. The Pac-12 also signed a newly negotiated media rights deal, following the signing of a 70,000 square foot office space lease in San Francisco’s SOMA district, known for its tech-centric feel. Flush with a positive financial outlook, this deal followed the headquarters of the Pac-12 networks also serving as the venue.

Competition intensifies in the television industry (2012-2013)

Premiere of the Pac-12 Networks

DirecTV, along with other companies, had failed to secure a distribution agreement with the Pac-12 Networks. This was partly due to the fact that there were more San Diego residents subscribed to the Big Ten Network compared to the Pac-12 Networks on the day of its launch. Nevertheless, the launch of seven channels on Aug. 15, 2012, was disappointing, considering the goal of generating $30 million annually for Pac-12 members.

The risk of financial and investment required eventually backfired, while the league positioned itself to capitalize on its success. Unlike the SEC Network, which was a joint venture with ESPN, the Pac-12 Network would be solely owned by the conference. The Big Ten Network was a joint venture with Fox, and the Pac-12 Network was a joint venture with ESPN.

Big 12 keeps pace with new agreement

The Pac-12 league signed a new media rights deal, as part of the agreement, keeping its profits from Longhorn Network in Texas. After two serious rounds of flirting with the Pac-12, Oklahoma and Texas stayed with the Big 12 conference, surviving the losses of four programs to three different conferences. Finally, the Big 12 got rewarded.

Pac-12 held accountable for unsuccessful scheduling partnership

The idea of a nine-game conference slate has received pushback from Pac-12 coaches, however, the scheduling agreement could be finalized if Pac-12 and Big Ten reach an agreement.

While assigning blame to the Pac-12’s commissioners and presidents chancellors, it is evident that the failed proposal and scheduling issues, along with coaches who demonstrated complicity in failing to embrace necessary changes, could have generated more revenue and contributed to the demise of the league in the future.

Pac-12 leads in revenue ranking

Expenses and overhead costs have quickly become a contentious point of discussion as schools realize just how much revenue they can generate from college sports, especially with the skyrocketing value of TV rights. Other conferences have already capitalized on this opportunity, but the SEC and Big Ten conferences have enjoyed the spoils of their new TV deals, bringing in a total revenue of $334 million for the SEC and $318.4 million for the Big Ten. According to figures obtained by USA Today, the Pac-12 finished the fiscal year 2012-13 as the richest conference in college sports, with a total revenue of $314.5 million. These figures were obtained by USA Today on June 12, 2013.

CFP era commences; ACC, Big Ten sign TV agreements (2014-2017)

Pac-12 fails to meet expectations for its members

In fiscal year 2013, Pac-12 Networks reported that San Francisco offices and studios incurred costs due to a discrepancy. League officials blamed this discrepancy for a 68% decrease in revenue for its members. However, the league managed to return at least 90% of the revenues to CBS Sports members, which is higher than what the other Five Power conferences returned during the same period.

Ohio State defeats Oregon to win the CFP championship

Following the CFP National Championship Game, no Pac-12 team has participated in it. The conference achieved a 5-2 record in non-CFP bowls, and six Pac-12 teams concluded the season in the final AP Top 25. On January 12, 2015, Ohio State emerged victorious in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship by defeating Oregon with a score of 42-20.

Pac-12 Celebrates its Centennial

In the meantime, the Pac-12 Networks continued to struggle with distribution. On the other hand, the Big Ten and SEC networks were thriving thanks to their partnership with Fox and ESPN. So, why did the Pac-12 fall behind in terms of revenue? One of the reasons is that in the 2013-14 season, the Pac-12 generated a record revenue of $338.9 million, surpassing the Big Ten. However, just one year later in the 2014-15 season, the SEC surpassed both the Pac-12 and the Big Ten by generating $455 million in revenue. The Pac-12 was even surpassed by the SEC after just two years. Similarly, in the 2012-13 season, the Pac-12 generated $334 million in revenue, but both the SEC and the Big Ten managed to surpass that after just two years. This loss of revenue caused the Pac-12 to lose its brief hold on the top spot in the conference revenue chart, with both the Big Ten and SEC surpassing it in the 2012-13 season by generating $334 million. In the summer of 2015, the Pac-12 celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Big 12, Pac-12 consider discussing scheduling partnership

Ultimately, there was no progress. The gap between the Five Power conferences and the two other leagues could have been narrowed by the annual inventory of 30 contests between Pac-12 and Big 12 schools, as reported by CBS Sports in 2018. Another idea that emerged in the 2016 Summer was the alliance scheduling, which aimed to strengthen each league’s nonconference schedules in the CFP era. The Pac-12 spoke about this with the Big 12.

ACC consents to 20-year prolongation

In the upcoming years, the Big Ten and SEC sealed massive contracts as the duration of the agreement posed difficulties. As a result, the ACC briefly achieved financial competitiveness with other Power Five conferences. The ACC and ESPN revealed a prolongation of their media rights deal until the 2035-36 season and the introduction of an ACC Network on July 21, 2016.

Washington commemorates Pac-12’s final CFP participation

After the CFP, a team from the Pac-12 has not made it to the CFP. In the Peach Bowl, No. 1 seed Alabama triumphed over No. 4 seed Washington 24-7, marking the Pac-12’s comeback after being excluded from the CFP in the 2015 season on Dec. 31, 2016.

Big Ten reveals fresh agreement

In July 2017, the Big Ten announced a six-year, $2.64 billion TV deal with CBS, ESPN, and Fox, which far outpaced the previous media rights agreement of the Pac-12. This deal also included the widely praised inclusion of basketball games.

Fissures develop; COVID abbreviates season (2018-2020)

Internal worries increase

Some members of the league became vocal about their concerns regarding the direction of the Pac-12, pulling ahead from a financial perspective in comparison to other conferences, following a lackluster 2017 season, which ended with a record of 1-8 in bowl games. The 2018 Spring season is now on the horizon.

Washington State president Kirk Schulz expressed, “We’re lagging behind, and the Pac-12 institutions must be able to compete with the ACC, the SEC, and the Big Ten and Big 12. This is a matter of concern for the Pac-12 presidents, and I can assure you that it is a significant topic of discussion during every meeting with the commissioner.”

Awkward salary comparisons

In a four-part series, Oregonian reporter John Canzano examined some eye-opening salary discrepancies among the Power Five Commissioners. Canzano noted that while Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott made a salary of $4.8 million, which fell behind the overall prestige and distribution revenue of the league, every head football coach in the SEC made more than Scott. In fact, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey’s salary of $2.4 million dwarfed Scott’s, and even Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany’s salary of $1.9 million exceeded Scott’s. This sheds light on some of the problems within the Pac-12.

The Conference of Champions was formally deteriorating. Matters were employed a public relations company to assist in restoring its reputation and the Pac-12 was grappling with an officiating dispute simultaneously.

Pac-12 proposes private investment

The league’s presidents and chancellors rejected the proposal, as Scott later informed the Mercury-News in 2019. With the league struggling, Scott sought a lifeline from private equity in Winter 2019. The objective was to secure $500 million by combining the league’s assets into a new entity named “Pac-12 NewCo” in exchange for a 10% ownership stake.

USC Athletic Director catches attention

USC’s athletic director, Mike Bohn, has raised eyebrows with his comments on 247Sports regarding the future of the Trojans in terms of their affiliation conference. Everything is on the table for USC in the coming years.

Bohn expressed, “The league is extremely sensitive.” “However, I must exercise caution. If it were an option, we would definitely consider it,” he mentioned, “but you know what? There is no discussion of [departing].”

Pac-12 hesitates on 2020 season

The Pac-12, which was the focus of a narrative that only serious college football fans cared about, finished inside the top 20 in the AP poll. Without fans, the league announced in November that it would play a seven-game season beginning in the spring of 2021, but later reversed course after six weeks. Instead, they announced that the Pac-12 would not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following the lead of the Big Ten. This announcement came on August 11, 2020.

SEC secures a fresh television agreement

On December 10, 2020, the SEC and ESPN announced a 10-year, $3 billion media rights agreement to commence in 2024-25, establishing the SEC and ESPN as the sole collaborators of the conference. This agreement, along with the involvement of the rest of the power conferences and the SEC Network, deepened the divide between the SEC and Big Ten.

Leadership transition; departures of members (2021-present)

Scott’s term as commissioner concludes

“I am uncertain. It is up to others to express their opinions,” Scott informed CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd when inquired about his legacy. As his contract is scheduled to end on June 30, Scott and the Pac-12 have “mutually agreed” to separate at the conclusion of Jan. 20, 2021.

Scott insisted on an equal revenue sharing model that would have required USC and UCLA to keep their financial footing in order to help the Pac-12 distribute and produce content with the assistance of an existing network partner. However, his leadership was deemed a failure because the Pac-12 Network’s next TV contract became “well-positioned” for the league, perhaps due to the fact that schools in Los Angeles contributed to the unhappiness and attempts at expansion were hampered. It is clear that the league wouldn’t have been able to financially keep up with the SEC and Big Ten without the help of a network partner.

Throughout its duration, the conference gradually fell to the bottom among the Power Five schools in terms of media rights distribution, as the media rights deal led by Scott for a duration of 12 years also turned out to be a hindrance. Although Scott’s plans for expansion and a league TV network were promising, he was unable to successfully carry them out.

George Kliavkoff takes over for Scott

The completion of the deal approached, as media rights for college athletics underwent significant changes. Although there were concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on the sports landscape, George Kliavkoff, the president of sports and entertainment at MGM International Resorts, was praised for his ability to negotiate a new TV deal for the Pac-12. Additionally, he recognized the need for more lenient rules regarding transfer and allowing athletes to earn money from their likeness and image. This marked another unconventional choice for Kliavkoff, who joined the Pac-12 in May 2021.

Oklahoma and Texas unite with SEC

The future of the Big 12 became uncertain, and within days, the Longhorns and Sooners accepted invitations from the league. The world of college sports turned its head as the Houston Chronicle reported that Texas and Oklahoma were interested in joining the SEC.

Despite conversing a few weeks after the turmoil, Kliavkoff and the Pac-12 failed to capitalize on the chance to strengthen their standings in college sports by including remaining Big 12 institutions. Kliavkoff expressed a nonchalant attitude towards expansion and affirmed that the league would not engage in opportunistic recruitment of other schools, yet this hands-off approach ultimately prevailed.

Pac-12, ACC, and Big Ten establish partnership

The absence of the Big 12 from the alliance was a major departure for the brand, causing it to be in a state of shock. “We looked at each other with a keen eye,” said ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, implying the unspoken intention of combating the SEC’s expansion. While there was no formalized contract or specific details regarding the partnership, there was a heavy emphasis on theatrics and a lack of focus on the specifics. The Pac-12 and Big Ten were silently forming an alliance, but it was noticeably absent from the Big 12.

Big 12 discovers additional support

On September 10, 2021, Bob Bowlsby added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, enabling him to replenish and salvage his conference as the Pac-12 declined to expand.

UCLA and USC move swiftly to join the Big Ten

In June 2022, USC and UCLA were deeply hurt when the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences threw out the window the “Alliance” invitations they had eagerly accepted. This decision created a geographically misaligned super conference, which many believed would have a better future for the two universities in Los Angeles.

After losing two of its most valuable members, the league was in an unstable state, which was a crushing reality for their potential expansion candidates. The league’s leadership seemed more concerned with academic research affiliations than fully resonating with the reality of this situation. Still, the Pac-12 had become the hunted, as the chance of becoming hunters officially passed them by.

Big 12 takes first step forward

Amid the chaos, it was announced that negotiations for the contract would begin immediately, with the intention of adding at least 10 members to the Pac-12. CBS Sports learned that discussions were underway between the remaining six schools of the Pac-12 and the Big 12, following the loss of the Bruins and Trojans just days ago on July 5, 2022.

Large Ten secures massive television agreement

On August 18, 2022, the Big Ten announced a seven-year, $8 billion media rights agreement, which marked the largest media rights agreement ever for the conference and further saturated the potential for live broadcasts with Pac-12 partners such as NBC, Fox, and CBS.

Big 12 crosses the boundary

On October 30, 2022, the Big 12, led by the increasingly assertive Yormark, solidified its media rights agreement even after Texas and Oklahoma’s departures. By securing a six-year, $2.3 billion extension with ESPN and Fox, the conference ensured its future. Notwithstanding having one more year left on its current deal than the Pac-12, the Big 12 didn’t hesitate to sign a new media rights agreement first.

There wasn’t much left from the pick to the left, and the arrival of the Pac-12 was the last in terms of media buffet rights. Additionally, the SEC and Big Ten have long-term TV deals, along with the ACC. The Big 12 had little linear airtime available for the Pac-12 to move.

Pleasant weather with overcast skies

Ongoing media rights negotiations amidst an uncertain financial future, while also dealing with the impending departures of UCLA and USC for the Big Ten, as the conference struggled, the success came with a cloud looming above. In the top 25, the league had six teams finish, and four teams finish in the top 15 of the AP poll, the conference’s declining standards, it was still a decent season by the conference’s declining standards, although it was the Pac-12’s sixth consecutive season without a team in the CFP. Guided by an influx of new coaches and high-quality quarterbacks, on January 1, 2023.

Negotiations of the Pac-12 encounter obstacles

CBS Sports reported on March 3 that the Pac-12, which includes Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah as potential expansion candidates known as “Four Corner” schools, has shown renewed interest in the Big 12. Despite being the only power conference without a long-term agreement, the Pac-12 has been struggling to make progress while the Big 12 recently secured a new media rights deal that will provide schools with nearly $32 million per year starting in Winter 2023.

Attempting to pacify the crowds

Kliavkoff attempted to strike optimistic negotiations about a new media rights deal, but the negotiations for the conference’s increasingly floundering media rights deal had dropped out of the conference’s ESPN, despite the fact that the conference’s schools were “committed to each other and to the conference,” Kliavkoff said at the Pac-12 Media Day. In his first public remarks in nearly a year, Kliavkoff made these remarks on July 21, 2023.

Kliavkoff expressed, “Our board acknowledges that. “The more we delay our media agreement, the more advantageous our choices become,” he articulated. “I can inform you of what we have observed is that.”

It was another miscalculation, and the consequences would be dire. He predicted that the Pac-12 would sign a new media rights deal and the realignment of the end would be the real deal. Kliavkoff claimed that there were even bigger fish to fry beyond realignment.

Colorado leaps for the Big 12

Without the presence of Deion Sanders, the first-year blockbuster attraction in Colorado’s TV negotiations, it was a blow for the Pac-12 as they were left with just nine members in the TV negotiations. The potential media rights deals were seen as a leverage piece in Kliavkoff’s presentation, even without the presence of 27th July 2023.

Kliavkoff offers Apple agreement to members

The deal with the Big 12 and Big Ten would significantly leave the Pac-12 behind, balancing the fate of the league. With a reported base payout of approximately $20 million per school annually, the payout incentives and lack of exposure from the linear subscription-based deal were not well-received by the university leaders. Faced with a brewing crisis, Kliavkoff presented a media streaming-centric rights proposal from Apple to the league members for consideration. August 2023.

Five additional depart as the Pac-12 disintegrates

They are searching for a way to salvage the future of their athletics and are also left trapped in the wreckage – Washington State, Stanford, Oregon State, and Cal. They left behind smoldering embers of a league with a tradition of more than a century. Utah and Colorado followed the Big 12, while State and Arizona left for the Big Ten, leaving Washington and Oregon for the Pac-12. The exits for the Pac-12 schools were underwhelming, amid restlessness towards the proposal.

Last statement: What went awry

The Pac-12 is considered to be the most dominant conference in the country, both in terms of on-field performance and financial worth. It is possible that a super-conference, centered around football powerhouses like USC, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Stanford, and potentially Utah, could have been formed if the Pac-12 leaders had been willing to compromise with Texas during the realignment process over ten years ago. In all likelihood, the Longhorns would have brought Oklahoma and other teams from the Big 12 to join them in creating this conference.

Despite settling for a 12-year agreement, which turned out to be an albatross as richer leagues negotiated new deals, the league’s insistence on equal revenue sharing also ended a sweetheart deal for USC and UCLA, with the annual payout in line with other league peers. However, the agreement seemed like an excellent media rights deal, similar to what Scott signed for expansion in Plan B.

During the 2010s, the Pac-12’s performance on-field was lackluster, which also negatively impacted the league’s reputation and financial standing. The expenses for owning and running the network, as well as Scott’s salary, chipped away at the league’s overhead expenses. As a result, the SEC Network and the Big Ten Network took off, leaving those conferences with well-funded coffers.

In negotiations to create the demise of a once proud college sports league, it was vital for the fabric of the decades-long tradition. Ultimately, the Pac-12, which hopped in line by a resurgent Big 12, opted not to pursue opportunities to partner with other leagues or expand. However, there were still opportunities to partner or expand as part of the package. USC and UCLA, without the Trojans and Bruins, struggled to land a competitive media rights deal, which fed into George Kliavkoff’s decision as the new commissioner.