Washington president discusses how Pac-12 deals fell apart, why UW went to Big Ten
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce spoke publicly on Saturday in the wake of her school’s move to the Big Ten Conference. She gave the public what it wanted: details on the inside process connected to the Pac-12’s failure to land a media rights deal.
“In the end, we did not have a deal which was viable in terms of securing our stability and our future. … It was not the deal we had been discussing just days before,” Cauce said.
Cauce also said she and the other Pac-12 schools received one deal, not multiple deals, which was a reference to an Apple TV deal being the only proposal advanced by George Kliavkoff.
Translated: There was a digital (streaming) deal but zero presence on linear TV, meaning ESPN, Turner (TBS/TNT), CW, CBS, NBC, ABC or other primary TV outlets.
Cauce also noted the presence of an opt-out clause after two years as a highly alarming aspect of the Apple proposal, something that did not guarantee stability or inspire confidence.
Reactions flowed in after Washington made its move to the Big Ten, but the big story attached to UW’s exit is just how limited and inadequate the Pac-12 media rights deal was.
Here’s the reaction to UW’s move, plus Cauce’s comments and some weekend reporting as you scroll down:
DEBOER RETURNS TO THE BIG TEN
I remember a few outlets pondering if Kalen DeBoer would eventually ditch Washington to return to the Big Ten.
Turns out he’s bringing HIS Huskies to the conference! https://t.co/xEztDPByg0
— Hunter Haas. (@NFLDraftHaas) August 4, 2023
REVENUE DISCUSSION
Bittersweet if this is true. UW has a seat at the table you want to be at, but it's down the table a ways. Will need to raise more $ and invest more resources to stay in the top half of the B1G. Totally sucks losing the Pac12. https://t.co/yg5Y21AOz3
— Hotdog and Friends (@HDandFriends) August 4, 2023
BAD THAT THE PAC-12 DIED, BUT GOOD BECAUSE OF BIG TEN REVENUE
If proven true, this is the best possible outcome for UW amid the chaos.
I've been told by multiple people there this what many in the top decision-making levels of the university ultimately want. They've wanted this since USC and UCLA bolted. https://t.co/VC6jHOazAU
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 4, 2023
TRAVEL
That’s nearly 3,000 miles traveled from Washington to Rutgers.
Student athletes are gonna have to travel six thousand miles in the middle of a school week for baseball, softball, field hockey etc. interesting. https://t.co/BkqllyfwLf
— Alec Giannakopoulos (@news8alec) August 4, 2023
NEW ERA
RIP PAC12. Welcome to the @bigten @UW_Football! The competition just got a hell of a lot tougher! #PurpleReign https://t.co/EYmH9Vr6UQ
— Ty Sniffin (@TySniffin) August 4, 2023
TIME SLOTS
Oregon and Washington officially joining the B1G.
Those Michigan games @ Washington/Oregon at 10:45 PM are gonna be wild man. Halftime is gonna be at midnight in the Eastern Time Zone. https://t.co/W3ad3lrB0K
— UofmUpdates247 (@UofmUpdates247) August 4, 2023
WE ALL AGREE
I just have one stipulation:
Apple Cup still has to be played every year https://t.co/NkbqoFUKuj
— DiscGawlfer (@DiscGawlfer) August 4, 2023
NORTHWEST TO MIDWEST
https://t.co/AwZFuTtVD1 pic.twitter.com/Yh1nvB9SUx
— ☘️LegalizeQuack☘️ (@Legalize_Quack) August 4, 2023
BIG TEN CLASSICS
Good day to settle in and rewatch some classic Big Ten football pic.twitter.com/zXCdTNQqwo
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) August 4, 2023
SO BRUTAL BECAUSE IT'S TRUE
Pac-12 = Blockbuster
SEC = Netflix
Big Ten = Disney+
Big 12 = Amazon Prime
ACC = Paramount+
Notre Dame = Peacock
AAC = VuDu https://t.co/QzcPyGfkVt— Kerry Miller (@kerrancejames) August 4, 2023
THE JOKES PERSIST
The Big Ten is getting crazy 😂 pic.twitter.com/JR6GJvQNHx
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 4, 2023
QUACK TEN
Oregon reportedly to the Big Ten, here’s my reaction from a DMV parking lot pic.twitter.com/gxkVP5XtXs
— Dan Rubenstein (@DanRubenstein) August 4, 2023
MORE MONEY
For comparison, Big Ten full share distributions averaged out to $58.8M in 2021-22, before the conference's new TV deal has even started.
This is considered a major financial win for the conference, whose full-share members could project to upward of $70M by 2029-30. https://t.co/iSRnjqz66R
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) August 4, 2023
MORE OREGON-WASHINGTON PARTNERSHIPS, PLEASE
Good time for the @NBA to bring back the Sonics so they can play the Trail Blazers regularly. https://t.co/RqTre0ps6D
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) August 4, 2023
MORE WEST COAST DEPARTURES
Congrats Ducks and Huskies! The West coast football scene is able to survive now i just hope we can add Stanford to the conference now ✌️ https://t.co/O8RgYmYWj5
— LA (@LASportsFanatic) August 4, 2023
MORE LIKE THE NFL
We should just rename the Big Ten and SEC to the AFC and NFC at this rate. https://t.co/vFVrsE9TZX
— Zac Taylor (@SlimmyTaylor) August 4, 2023
IT NEVER STOPPED
Now, Oregon and Washington can go back to hating each other. https://t.co/Nq6WoQkyne
— Dusty Harrah (@Dusty_Harrah) August 4, 2023
VERY WEIRD
All but official now.
2024 is gonna be weird, y'all https://t.co/N0GRm1DEN5
— Brandon Gustafson (@TheBGustafson) August 4, 2023
HISTORY GETS CRUSHED
108 years of college down the drain… https://t.co/EC4nFQVz5g
— Paul Calvisi (@PaulCalvisi) August 4, 2023
WASHINGTON NUMBERS
Per source, UW will be accepting a reduced share for the next 6 years form the Big Ten that will average roughly 32.5 million a year.
The real windfall will come when the new Big Ten media deal is agreed to. Could be for more than 2.5-3x what UW will make in first 6 years.
UW…
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) August 5, 2023
WASHINGTON PRESIDENT ANA MARI CAUCE
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce details what she didn't like about the #Pac12 deal presented Friday. pic.twitter.com/ogPoXKA7gf
— Alyssa Charlston (@Alyssacharlston) August 5, 2023
CAUCE EXPLAINS
University of Washington President Dr. Ana Mari Cauce:
"In the end, we did not have a deal that we thought was viable in terms of securing our stability and our future…it was not the deal we had been discussing just days before…"— Alyssa Charlston (@Alyssacharlston) August 5, 2023
MORE FROM CAUCE
Dr. Cauce: "I want to be clear, this was not just about dollars and cents. It’s about national exposure, being on linear tv, stability, it was about a contract that didn’t have '2 years and then you could all split up'….we had been living in uncertainty for too long."
— Alyssa Charlston (@Alyssacharlston) August 5, 2023
FURTHER READING
Inside the four days that led to the Pac-12's death, including:
— All the details of that infamous Apple+ offer
— How ASU almost thwarted the Big 12's plans
— Oregon's late-night debate whether to take the Big Ten's discount offer.https://t.co/AfRWD6Lgcr
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) August 6, 2023
