UCLA and USC’s impending departure from the PAC 12 could cost the west coast conference a massive sum of money in their next television media rights deal.
Last year, California universities UCLA and USC dropped a bomb on their long-time conference. In an attempt to land a bigger piece of the media rights pie for their schools, the universities decided to leave the PAC 12 and take their sports programs to the BIG 10, starting in 2024.
The decision sent shockwaves through the conference and college athletics, as it was just the latest migration of a major school to one of the big Power 5 conferences that now have a stranglehold on the industry. It also came at a terrible time for the PAC 12, because the conference had not finalized a contract for their next media rights deal, with the current one ending in next year.
