The newly revamped Pac-12 is on the lookout for media partners, with three major players reportedly interested. According to a report by Amanda Christovich in Front Office Sports, ESPN, Fox, and CBS are “open to participating in a media rights package with the expanded Pac-12.”
The conference has recently announced deals to bring in Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Gonzaga by 2026, joining the remaining old Pac-12 schools—Oregon State and Washington State. However, the conference still needs to add one more FBS football school by 2026 to maintain its status among college football’s elite. Per Christovich, discussions about a potential media rights package are currently in an “exploratory phase.” While the levels of interest from the networks remain unclear, a source indicated that conversations have been “productive.”
It’s assumed that the Pac-12 will finalize its media rights agreements before securing its final FBS school. Last season, the so-called “Pac-2” of Oregon State and Washington State entered into a brief, one-year media rights deal with Fox and The CW to broadcast home games for each school. After reaching a scheduling agreement before the season, the schools primarily faced off against Mountain West teams.
Currently, this partnership has led to litigation involving the four Mountain West schools that plan to transition to the Pac-12, concerning “poaching fees” stipulated in the agreement. Regardless of the outcome, it’s promising for the Pac-12 to have potential suitors for their games. What the final deal looks like—including whether rights will be divided among multiple networks and the time slots available—is still unknown. However, with three major networks showing interest, the conference’s prospects appear brighter, provided a deal can be successfully closed.
