ESPN is not out, just out as general distribution partner. Some tier one rights will still likely land with them unless NBC/Sports + Peacock takes the whole package, or a streamer is feeling more ambitious than we can realistically hope for in 2023, and ponies up for all Tier 1 rights.
Canzano's recent substack reports a deal is likely very soon and insiders think it'll meet or just surpass Big 12's per-school media-only payout. If so, that should stanch the bleeding (for now).
The long-term reality is that the Big Ten and 12 negotiated at just the right moment and the Pac should have gone last summer too. Media rights environment is literally the worst it's been since the great recession, and I suspect the SEC and Big Ten deals will be the high water mark for any per-school deals for the long foreseeable future. ESPN is in decline. Networks are in decline. Streaming is the future, but in the awkward pubescent phase where you stop growing tall but not wide.
If George K can right the ship in the short term, I'm hopeful things will even out for a while, but the long term future is a few super conferences for revenue sports and less depth across all of D1. In that super team environment, it's likely most of the remaining Pac-10 members will be on the outside looking in, including Stanford. Good news is we're a private and our funding structure is much more like an independent than nearly every other P5 school, so I think Stanford should be able to weather the conference realignment storm.
Canzano's recent substack reports a deal is likely very soon and insiders think it'll meet or just surpass Big 12's per-school media-only payout. If so, that should stanch the bleeding (for now).
The long-term reality is that the Big Ten and 12 negotiated at just the right moment and the Pac should have gone last summer too. Media rights environment is literally the worst it's been since the great recession, and I suspect the SEC and Big Ten deals will be the high water mark for any per-school deals for the long foreseeable future. ESPN is in decline. Networks are in decline. Streaming is the future, but in the awkward pubescent phase where you stop growing tall but not wide.
If George K can right the ship in the short term, I'm hopeful things will even out for a while, but the long term future is a few super conferences for revenue sports and less depth across all of D1. In that super team environment, it's likely most of the remaining Pac-10 members will be on the outside looking in, including Stanford. Good news is we're a private and our funding structure is much more like an independent than nearly every other P5 school, so I think Stanford should be able to weather the conference realignment storm.