I had read and heard $50m per tan in Big12. Clearly that info was wrong?
Thanks for clarification.
So then $32m per team is the number that will, at least temporarily, keep the conference going? Anything less than that and three timeline speeds up
I think a base annual amount per school needs to be at least high 20's for the PAC to survive. It can be slightly less than the Big 12 when you consider travel and other switching costs like loss of academic prestige and sharing. A couple million in a sports media deal is peanuts when compared to the academic and research money that the PAC creates.
Also, there is a competitive advantage to staying in the PAC when it comes to a playoff auto-bid for the conference champ. There is a much easier path to the playoffs keeping the PAC together.
I do think CU could bolt it the per team number is lower, but despite their lackluster athletic performance since joining the PAC, their research money has grown considerably in that time, much faster than it would have in the BIG 12. Research money dwarfs athletic revenue, so while we care about football, academics drives the decisions.
It's hard to see a PAC school jumping to the BIG 12 unless the conference falls apart with UW and UO leaving to the B1G or the money difference is significant.