As the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament begins in Las Vegas this week, there’s hope throughout the league that commissioner George Kliavkoff will be able to offer school leaders some clarity on the finances of the upcoming television deal.
There will not be an in-person board meeting in Vegas, but there will be another update to the 10 presidents and chancellors who comprise the Pac-12’s board. No final deal is expected, but rather the latest details on the final stages of the league’s media negotiations will be presented.
League members are longing for financial clarity, as the finances of that deal will ultimately determine the fate of the league.
“It’s all going to come to a head in the next few weeks,” an industry source said. “He’s either going to give them a deal, or he’s not.”
For schools in the Pac-12, there’s still optimism, despite the uncertainty, about the league gaining some kind of short-term bridge deal to recalibrate. For the generally risk-averse presidents making these decisions, status quo is always the easiest decision.
Can Kliavkoff pull off a financially viable television deal — with a palatable balance of streaming and linear — to keep the league afloat?