This remains true when comparing the middle and bottom tiers of the Big Ten versus the Pac-12. USC versus Ohio State or Michigan, for example, is a much bigger blockbuster across the country than USC versus anyone else remaining in the Pac-12. The four schools they added in this round of conference realignment will garner more attractive matchups in the aggregate. The Big Ten and SEC were already the two strongest college football conferences, and they got stronger with these moves. Pat Crakes, former head of programming at Fox Sports and now a sports media industry consultant, explained to The Post that the economic benefits from the moves of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, and USC and UCLA to the Big Ten will create a greater demand that will be passed on from the conferences to the networks to the distributors - and then to the customers.
There are infinite possibilities as to where things go from here, so let’s take a look at some of the relevant next steps and further questions.
It is just the latest upheaval in a summer that has seen some of the sport’s most storied football powerhouses find new conference homes. It’s yet to be formally announced, but it’s now widely expected that the Big Ten will exit its 40-year partnership with ABC/ESPN and embark on a new rights deal with CBS and NBC, joining incumbent partner Fox and the Big Ten Network (half-owned by the conference, half by Fox).