Paul Finebaum gives latest thoughts on PAC-12 media rights deal

The PAC-12 is still searching for a new media rights deal. Reports have surfaced several times over the past year stating that a deal was close, but it’s now July and still no deal has been reached.

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum recently appeared on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast and gave his thoughts on the PAC-12 media rights deal. Finebaum believes the conference is in trouble.

“It’s just a continual story that every time I hear or see a Tweet that says ‘PAC 10 nears deal’ I just shrug my shoulders,” Finebaum said.

Finebaum was at an event with Arizona President Robert C. Robbins recently, and the topic of the PAC-12 TV deal was brought up. Needless to say, Finebaum didn’t leave the event confident in the future of the league.

“I was with the President of the University of Arizona a couple of weeks ago in DC at a summit about NIL. And I asked him, because he was the host, he said, ‘I think we’re really close to a deal.’ … John, how many times have you reported that?” Finebaum asked podcast host John Ourand. “All that tells me is that they’re going nowhere.”

Paul Finebaum did acknowledge that it’s possible that a media rights deal will be agreed to soon. But he believes that even if that does happen, the conference is in trouble.

“If they get one, it won’t be a good one. And I think that league is very diminished. And you still have rumors all over the place,” Finebaum said. “There were rumors that Arizona and Colorado were headed to the Big 12. You have the continual Oregon and Washington rumors. So I don’t think you’ll ever be able to put those fires out – even with a new deal, even if it’s with Apple or Amazon or some cobbled together group, they’re still in big trouble.”

Pac-12 ‘keeping an eye on’ Colorado amid TV deal discussions, conference realignment talk

Colorado could be the key to the Pac-12’s next television deal amid conference realignment throughout college football, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich.

The Big 12 just announced its expanded members and the Big Ten and SEC are ready to join the party, officially at least, in 2024. The Pac-12 is in limbo with a need for a new media rights deal and Colorado reportedly holding substantive talks with the Big 12 for the future.

Dinich broke down the latest on Saturday’s edition of SportsCenter.

“Well, everyone is still keeping an eye on Colorado to see whether or not they have the patience to wait to see if there is a new TV deal that is acceptable,” Dinich said regarding the Pac-12’s role in future realignment. “But the bottom line here, Hannah, is that the presidents and chancellors need to see the money, show me the money, before we can make a decision and if it’s good enough, and on par with the Big 12. 

“They’re almost likely to stay intact and stay together. If they’re not satisfied with the Pac-12 TV deal. then you start to see deflection and all of those things can happen extremely quickly. But the order of events is the TV deal happens, then they need to sign the grant of rights. Who’s really in this thing, who’s showing their commitment that they’re talking about right now? And then they decide whether to stay or to leave.”