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ESPN insider explains whether an ACC/Pac-12 partnership is a serious possibility

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•07/08/22•

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ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and PAC-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

In the wake of the Big Ten’s decision to add USC and UCLA last week, other conferences are trying to find ways to keep up. A report surfaced this week about a potential broadcasting partnership between the ACC and Pac-12, but one ESPN insider said that might not be a serious possibility.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger first reported the idea, which would see Pac-12 games shown on the ACC Network or another ESPN network on the west coast. But ESPN’s Pete Thamel threw some cold water on it on Friday, saying the value might not be there.

“The real play here is geography and quantity, as ESPN already owns all of the ACC rights through 2036 and would benefit from a presence on the West Coast, in particular for Saturday night football inventory,” Thamel wrote. “But no one should hail this potential partnership as some sort of financial haymaker, especially for the high-end ACC schools worried about falling way behind the SEC and Big Ten. It’s novel, but unlikely to be a game-changer.”

This week, the Pac-12 voted to immediately start negotiating its next media rights deal. The league’s current agreement ends in 2024 — the same year USC and UCLA will join the Big Ten.

Pete Thamel: ‘There’s some bottom-line skepticism’ about potential ACC/Pac-12 partnership

Thamel explained why it might not be worth it for the ACC and Pac-12 to team up. He noted the amount of money the SEC and Big Ten are set to make in their next media deals, especially after expanding. That’s why the potential deal between the ACC and Pac-12 might not have as much value.

“So how much value could be created?” Thamel wrote. “How much would the Pac-12, whose TV deal is coming to market after the 2023 football season, command on its own? And would schools in the ACC already worried about cash flow compared to the SEC and Big Ten find enough value in the arrangement? It’s hard to find where the significant money would be.

“That’s where there’s some bottom-line skepticism. The numbers are supposed to be floated by the schools next week. And the notion, at the least, gave everyone in conference offices a breath from the dizzying game of Realignment Risk.”