Even after factoring in "realignment-related expenses such as travel," many schools that have switched conferences in recent years "will have millions of dollars to spend," according to Paula Lavigne of ESPN.com. Perhaps no other school "has been questioned as much about whether it negotiated the best financial deal as Nebraska." NU received about $16M from the Big Ten this past year, whereas other Big Ten schools received about $27.5M each. NU "doesn't get a full share of conference distributions" until '17, when the Big Ten "renegotiates its television contracts." At that point, the "projections are that all schools" could see $40-50M annually. Meanwhile, Colorado's move from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 "saddled the athletic department with significant debt," including about $16M the school "loaned the department to pay bills during the transition." But CU this past year received about $20.4M from the Pac-12, which is "slated to increase" 5.1% each year. CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano said that if the Pac-12 can "ever get a deal done with DirecTV, each school should receive" an extra $3-4M per year. The current Pac-12 disbursement is "about the same as the average payout existing Big 12 schools have received in recent years."
MOVIN' ON UP: For schools such as Utah, there is "no question whether moving was a good financial decision." Utah last year received $18M from the Pac-12, and this year is "expected to receive" $23M. Had it stayed in the Mountain West, AD Chris Hill said that Utah "would be getting" closer to $4M annually. Meanwhile, TCU AD Chris Del Conte said that the school got about $15M last year from the Big 12 and should receive $18M this year. Next year, it will be "entitled to the full disbursement, projected to increase due to the Big 12's media rights deal with ESPN and Fox." West Virginia's move to the Big 12 "probably caused the most raised eyebrows." But WVU AD Oliver Luck said that the school is "still getting more money now than it would have if it had gone into the American Athletic Conference." Luck said that the payoff is "going to allow the school to invest in improvements to its athletic facilities, which include a basketball arena, football stadium and swimming facility built" in the '70s. For Texas A&M, getting $21M in distributions from the SEC "might not seem like a big coup," but that "doesn't factor in the future revenue potential" of SEC Network. Some estimates "show that in only the third year of the SEC Network, schools could see payouts" of $40M. Missouri AD Mike Alden said that he "appreciates the equal revenue sharing model of the SEC." The disparity in payouts in the Big 12 was a "major contributing factor to why the conference almost fell apart completely" (ESPN.com, 9/30).
