Pac-12 dominos may start falling

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 02: Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff looks on before the PAC-12 Championship football game between the USC Trojans and the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium on December 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

By JUDAH NEWBY, 750 The Game

If you’re a fan of a Pac-12 school, circle next Tuesday on your calendar. That is when the Pac-12 CEO group is scheduled to meet next. They will not meet again until April 10.

(UPDATE: The Pac-12 CEO Group is now meeting on Wednesday.)

Media rights and expansion remain at the top of the agenda and John Canzano says the finish line feels in sight.

“I do think there’s some motivation from the presidents and chancellors to wrap this,” Canzano said on 750 The Game.

Canzano says he expects new players like Amazon and Apple to be part of the media deal in addition to ESPN.

“I do think what’s going to happen is I think the Pac-12 is going to end up with ESPN for its Tier 1 rights, I think you’re going to see Apple and Amazon come in with a streaming service for the Tier 2 rights – the Pac-12 Networks games – I think it will be blended together.”

Canzano also says there could be news on conference expansion with the Pac-12 even before a media rights deal is finalized, and that San Diego State and SMU are the leaders in the clubhouse to be invited.

“I think we might get that [expansion news] before we get the media rights news,” Canzano said. “What I’m thinking is SMU and San Diego State will probably be informed by the Pac-12, ‘hey, we’re extending an invitation’, or, ‘we’re not’, prior to the announcement of the deal. Because they’re not going to want to be left going, ‘hey, we have a deal’, and a day later, ‘oh, we’re announcing SMU and San Diego State’. So I almost expect we’re going to get a leak on the expansion front first.”

Should the Pac-12 successfully announce expansion into southern California with San Diego State and the state of Texas with SMU, while also securing media rights valued in a range comparable or surpassing the Big 12’s most recent deal, Canzano says folks in Big 12 country will not be happy.

“I just don’t think that the chicken littles out there that are looking at the sky, saying ‘oh the Pac-12’s imploding, oh, the imminent demise!’, I think in the end they’re going to end up holding the bag.”

“I don’t see the ’12-anons’ – the Q-anon Big 12 people – I don’t see the ’12-anons’ walking away from this feeling very good.”

Listen to Canzano’s full comments from Wednesday’s radio show right here.