The end of June finds the Big Ten likely poaching USC and UCLA to its conference and away from the Pac-12 in the latest bombshell college football realignment.
But in the beginning of June, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff sounded very confident something like that wouldn't happen.
“I have no concern about our schools,” Kliavkoff said on June 6, via Oregon Live.
“We had the opportunity when conference realignment was going on last summer to canvas our president and chancellors and it is clear to me that everyone who’s in the Pac-12 is committed to the Pac-12. I’m not worried about that. We’re not looking to expand; we had lots of opportunities to expand. We’re really happy at 12.”
But USC and UCLA weren't exactly happy
Now it turns out that Kliavkoff was way, way off in his belief that "everyone who's in the Pac-12 is committed to the Pac-12."
Asked if the Pac-12, whose media rights deals expire after 2023-24, would consider reducing members in order to improve its average revenue distribution per school, Kliavkoff said again, “We are really, really happy at 12.”
As usual, the whole thing comes down to money. According to multiple reports, both USC and UCLA are expecting to double their share of annual TV revenue by moving to the Big Ten, which has a far more lucrative media arrangement in place.
R.I.P. "Alliance," whatever it was
Kliavkoff is likely not a big fan of Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren after all this, either.
Back during the failed vote to expand the College Football Playoff, the Pac-12, Big Ten, and ACC famously announced the formation of "The Alliance," a loose amalgamation of schools that, among other things, "collectively agree not to poach each other's members."
But the "Alliance" was never a formal agreement and no schools or conferences ever signed a contract, making the Big Ten's move entirely legal.
The next major college football realignment move is happening, and it doesn't look like it's done yet...
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