Fox said the value of the package was about 75% of what it was paying in the average years. This last year when Texas and Oklahoma were in the Big-12 CCG, Fox made money in excess of the contract. I do not think it is as much about money as it is saturation for Fox. Covering the Big-12 gets you a bunch of TVs that more regional in nature than national, even though the members of the conference have alumni all across the nation. That same money can be spent on covering the ACC which has a larger number of TV sets and no one can blame Fox for that move.

ESPN will just step in and cover the odd years to go along with their even year package already in place. I am sure there will be some wiggling on the pay out, but it will not go to zero meaning ESPN would get those games for free. Likely it will be at 75% of the Fox pay out, but ESPN likes Texas so much it might just pick up the 20 million dollar tab. Either way, this doe nothing to Big-12 money. If the new payout is 5 million less that means each member takes in around $250,000 less for the life of the package which is 6 years or on a per annum basis - about $40,000 dollars less per year. No one will miss it.

That is the issue I have with such things like this. People read the headline and think earth-shattering doom and gloom but if they would bother to dive into the details, typically it isn't much of anything. It makes news and collects hits on a website but the actual impact is almost zilch.

Many here seem to be behind the times on the Big-12 media package. The Big-12 is paid for 10 teams not 12. When the Big-12 dropped from 12 to 10, the TV package was unaltered and was re-written to stipulate that any new members would garner an increase per year per new member. A lot of people like to dismiss that tidbit. When Cincinnati and Houston were up for possible invitation, each was going to add to the media package, not be folded in to take the 11th and 12th pay slots. How much they would be wroth was the debate.

In the end nothing came of it because HOUSTON was in the mix and only the Texas schools wanted them for the perceived belief that they would form a veto-proof voting block that Texas could command. The non-Texas schools well-understood the issue and ended the expansion so long as Houston was one of the choices.

ESPN did not keep Texas from going to the Pac-12; common sense did. Playing in the west coast time zone is a death sentence, which is why the Pac-12 has the worst media package. No one watches it. No one will watch it even when it is good, except for those that already do so. Why pay for something you already get?

The future of the Big-12 is fine so long as Texas wants it to be. No one else is going anywhere and there have been so chit-chat here and there of 1 or more previous members perhaps returning or coming to some sort of arrangement. I am not an insider in any way with the Big-12, but people talk.

The only thing that could upset the ACC would be the SEC. Anyone in the ACC that does not recognize that threat needs to have their head examined. The Big-Ten already raided a school from the ACC so there is precedence for it happening again. FSU and Clemson have both shown their displeasure and as each goes by, the gulf in the wallet is only going to get bigger from them. How long can school like them go along with the current skimpy package before they get itchy feet once more? I do not think anyone in the ACC is going any where, but that does not mean everyone is happy with the current set up.