The Big 12’s commissioner is accusing ESPN of trying to “destabilize” his league by “incentivizing” other NCAA conferences in an effort to get a pair of big-name schools to leave the Big 12 for the SEC.
Texas and Oklahoma have been working for months on a move to the SEC while taking part in Big 12 strategy meetings, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a cease-and-desist letter to ESPN. The sports giant owns SEC Network, which televises events featuring the Southeastern Conference — whose teams have won 11 of the past 15 Division I college football titles.
“I have absolute certainty that [ESPN has] been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members,” Bowlsby told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
In its letter, the Big 12 demanded that Disney-owned ESPN stop “all actions that may harm the Conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing Members or any other...
Texas and Oklahoma have been working for months on a move to the SEC while taking part in Big 12 strategy meetings, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a cease-and-desist letter to ESPN. The sports giant owns SEC Network, which televises events featuring the Southeastern Conference — whose teams have won 11 of the past 15 Division I college football titles.
“I have absolute certainty that [ESPN has] been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members,” Bowlsby told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
In its letter, the Big 12 demanded that Disney-owned ESPN stop “all actions that may harm the Conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing Members or any other...
- 7/29/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Big 12 conference has gone scorched earth against one of its media partners, accusing ESPN of tampering to get member schools like Texas and Oklahoma to leave the conference.
In a cease and desist letter sent on Wednesday, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby accused ESPN of not only facilitating the two schools’ desire to leave, but that it’s been “actively engaged” in “inducing additional members of the Big 12 conference to leave.”
“It has come to my direct attention that ESPN, the current business partner of the Big 12 Conference, has taken certain actions that are intended to not only harm the Big 12 Conference, but to result in financial benefits for ESPN,” the letter states.
Earlier this week, two of the conference’s biggest schools, Texas and Oklahoma, signaled their intentions to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, which would create a college sports mega-powerhouse conference.
You can read the letter below,...
In a cease and desist letter sent on Wednesday, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby accused ESPN of not only facilitating the two schools’ desire to leave, but that it’s been “actively engaged” in “inducing additional members of the Big 12 conference to leave.”
“It has come to my direct attention that ESPN, the current business partner of the Big 12 Conference, has taken certain actions that are intended to not only harm the Big 12 Conference, but to result in financial benefits for ESPN,” the letter states.
Earlier this week, two of the conference’s biggest schools, Texas and Oklahoma, signaled their intentions to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, which would create a college sports mega-powerhouse conference.
You can read the letter below,...
- 7/28/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
The Ivy League said Wednesday it will not hold any sports events in the fall, becoming the first major conference to declare itself out of the game in football and other sports during the traditional September through December schedule.
While the Ivy League rarely gets the national sports spotlight, its decision is significant. Other conferences are on the fence about fall sports participation, particularly as campuses move toward online sessions for regular students. Athletic directors were aware of the Ivy League announcement and its potential impact on their own decisions.
Huge money is at stake. The NCAA rights to college football purchased by ESPN/ABC, Fox and CBS is estimated at $1.4 billion, with ESPN adding in an additional $5.6 billion for rights to the college football playoffs for a dozen years, according to Forbes. There’s additional money from regional conference networks in the pool, and, of course, ticket sales and sponsorships.
While the Ivy League rarely gets the national sports spotlight, its decision is significant. Other conferences are on the fence about fall sports participation, particularly as campuses move toward online sessions for regular students. Athletic directors were aware of the Ivy League announcement and its potential impact on their own decisions.
Huge money is at stake. The NCAA rights to college football purchased by ESPN/ABC, Fox and CBS is estimated at $1.4 billion, with ESPN adding in an additional $5.6 billion for rights to the college football playoffs for a dozen years, according to Forbes. There’s additional money from regional conference networks in the pool, and, of course, ticket sales and sponsorships.
- 7/8/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
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