Pac-12 football has a major branding problem and it’s serious

The Pac-12 Network has been an issue for the conference

If you were not aware of just how big a flop the Pac-12 Network has been, consider this from 2018:

"The payout from the Pac-12 Network in 2018 was $2,666,667 per school. Larry Scott, the Pac-12 commissioner, makes an annual salary of $4.8 million. These numbers were on the heels of the biggest Tier 1 deal in college sports history — $3 billion with Fox and ESPN. The SEC distributed nearly $40 million of revenue per school in 2017."

Why are the payouts so low from the Pac-12 Network?

The primary reason is accessibility. Unlike the ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network and the Longhorn Network, the Pac-12 Network does not have the distribution to be a huge cash cow for the conference. The ACC, SEC, and Longhorn networks have deals with ESPN, and the Big Ten has a deal with FOX for distribution.

Although the conferences do not hold sole ownership of their networks, the payouts are worth giving some ownership to their partners.

When the idea began, Scott presented a network; the payouts were going to be $3 to $5 million on the low end and $7 to $10 million on the high end per school. From 2014 to 2018, schools have received $9,708,584 per school in total — not even the top end of a single year payout, according to Scott’s presentation. Since they do not currently have a deal with a distribution network, they have to pay for their own production.

The Pac-12 also has issues with visibility on FOX and ESPN

The hashtag #PAC12AfterDark would be a neat idea if it were about a Group of Five conference — no shade on the G5. However, this isn’t #WACAfterDark; this is the Pac-12, the West Coast’s marquee conference. The Pac-12 has broadcast too many of their most important games at 10 p.m. ET.

While there is an argument for East Coast bias, the Pac-12 should want their best teams and players to have as many eyeballs as possible. One of the reasons Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State can recruit the West Coast as well as they do is high school kids can see their games easily.

The opposite is true of a high school prospect on the East Coast trying to watch the Oregon vs. Washington game.

Possible solutions

The simplest solution is to rule Friday nights. The Pac-12 should broadcast their marquee games prime time on Friday night. Though it would be a 5 p.m. PT time start, it would give the conference top billing on a night the other Power Five schools don’t broadcast their-top tier games.

On Saturday, use the mid-day slot for your mid-tier games. A noon kickoff on the West Coast is 3 p.m. ET. Most Power Five schools broadcast their mid-tier games at that time. Primetime Saturday night should always be reserved for USC, Oregon and Washington if they aren’t playing each other on Friday night. Those are the three marquee programs in the conference. They should always be put next to the other marquee programs in the other conferences.

The Pac-12 has to get their television right. The network is a mess, and they need a partner in 2024 to distribute their product. Also, the Pac-12 needs to position their best teams to make them look important. If the Pac-12 cannot increase its cash flow, it cannot compete with recruits’ other conferences.