TV networks to change schools?

There was a time in the not too distant past that college athletic conferences were very traditional and very regional. Member schools competed against each other every year for decades, creating some of sports most heated rivalries. That’s no longer the case.

The leading motivator for colleges to stay or leave a conference is no longer geographic rivalries and travel considerations, it is now money, and more specifically money from broadcast rights. Conference names like Southeastern Conference, Mountain West, and Pac-12, no longer indicate that the member schools are located in that region of the country.

The many shifts in the college conference landscape have caught the attention of sports streaming services. Most notably, Apple.

Apple has reportedly resumed discussions with the Big Ten following the news that USC and UCLA are joining the conference in 2024, according to Sports Business Journal. The conference’s current six-year media deal, which pays around $440 million per year, expires in 2023.

The Big Ten’s next media rights deal is already mostly divvied up, but there are still games available on the schedule. As of right now, Fox Sports has a deal for at least half the Big Ten games. CBS is reportedly likely to secure a package including Saturday afternoon football games.

Apple may now re-enter the bidding war for a third package, along with Amazon, ESPN, and NBC. The total package was believed to have the potential of reaching $1.1 billion, and that was before the two Los Angeles-area schools joined the conference.

Getting into sports broadcasting, or should I say streaming, isn’t new for Apple TV. The service has been growing its sports portfolio, which includes a package of Friday MLB games and a 10-year streaming deal with MLS.

Previous independent university, Notre Dame returned to football independence in 2021 while playing five ACC schools, however, it appears the Fighting Irish could make the leap to the Big Ten as a full-time member. Notre Dame has its own, one-of-a-kind, media deal with NBC, which runs through 2025 and pays a reported $15 million annually. Should it join the Big Ten, it, along with the other schools in the conference, could pocket $80 – $100 million.

When UCLA and USC leave the Pac-12 in 2024, where does that leave the Pac-12?

Without schools in the Los Angeles market, the Pac-12 could be at a catastrophic disadvantage at negotiations for media rights, which are up in 2024. Plus, there is word that other schools in the conference might bolt, as well. Rumors are that Colorado and Utah would consider joining the Big 12.

A’s May Stay In Oakland

It’s not a done deal, but it looks more likely the Athletics will stay in Oakland. The Major League Baseball team’s $12 billion development proposal cleared a key vote last week, allowing the project to move forward.

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted 23 to 2 to remove Howard Terminal’s “port use” designation, clearing the path for a potential ballpark project. However, the team must still strike a deal with the city of Oakland.

The project would include, a 400-room hotel, 270,000 square feet of retail space, and 3,000 housing units. The city of Oakland is wanting 15% of those housing units to be affordable, or above city requirements of 7% to 12%. It appears that accommodation can be made.

Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval called the vote “a huge win for our waterfront ballpark project and the future of Oakland and the A’s.”

Previously, the team had considered a move to the Las Vegas area, and that still may be an option. A’s executives have pursued the Oakland project and a new development in southern Nevada at the same time. The team had narrowed down its Las Vegas options to two sites.

Another MLB team with stadium issues is the Tampa Bay Rays. They had a plan in the works to potentially build a new ballpark in Ybor City, however, the size and height of the stadium would be too massive for the location and the locals feared it would overshadow the areas historic value.

“There is an urgency with respect to Tampa Bay,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said last month. “There needs to be a resolution in the Tampa Bay region for the Rays.”

The Rays have been playing at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg since their inaugural season in 1998, and their 30-year lease expires after the 2027 season. The team has said numerous times that they will not play in the domed stadium after that, but no new deal has been struck to build a new stadium on either side of the bay.

“Obviously, the end of that lease is a hard deadline, but you need to take into account that stadiums take a little bit of time to build, right?” Manfred said. “So, we are getting to the point where wherever it is in the region that has an interest in having 162 baseball games, they need to get to it, and get with the club. I know the Rays are anxious to get something done, and see if a deal can be made.”