Stanford University is reportedly so desperate to escape the sinking ship that is the Pac-12 that the school is willing to make some startling concessions to be a part of the ACC in 2024.
Even though the 2023 college football and basketball seasons are closing in, there has been few bigger stories than what is going on with the Pac-12. Last year, the conference was hit with a major blow when arguably their two most famous members, UCLA and USC, announced plans to leave for the Big-10. However, that was just the beginning of the apparent downfall of the legendary West Coast conference.
Related: Pac-12 passed on huge TV rights offer from ESPN that likely could have saved conference
In August there has been a mass exodus as Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Oregon, and Washington are all taking their sports programs to the Big-10 and Big-12 next year. The shocking departures mean Stanford, Oregon State, Cal, and Washington State are the last four teams left in the Pac-12.
Stanford reportedly could take no media rights payout for several years to join ACC
As the various teams made moves to leave, reports claim the ACC — which is having trouble of its own with Florida State — was interested in bringing in a couple of Pac-12 schools, including Stanford. Well, a new report suggests the university badly wants out and is willing to lose a huge sum of money to do so.
On Thursday, Associated Press College Football reporter Ralph D. Russo reported, “Leaders from Stanford, California, Oregon State, and Washington State spoke Thursday, and Stanford told its colleagues it had informed the ACC that it would be open to joining the conference at greatly reduced or even no media rights payout for several years.”
It all means Stanford could lose tens of millions if they take reduced or no media rights payouts by joining the ACC. They currently earn $20 million a year in their media deal with FOX.
There was a deal in place with AppleTV+ for the conferences’ members to earn around $23 million a year starting next year, however, that deal may no longer be on the table after the recent mass exodus.