Pac 12 Schools' TV-Revenue Projections Significantly Less Than Those Of SEC, Big Ten

Although Pac-12 schools in '17-18 are projected to bring in $22.95M of TV revenue per school, there is a "monumental gap" between the Pac-12 and other conferences, according to Jon Wilner of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. SEC schools, for example, are projected to haul in $35.6M each, while the Big Ten, "excluding Maryland or Rutgers," estimates its per-school "projections for TV-related revenue" at $33M. This differential "could impact the competitive balance, the ability to hire top-notch coaches and manage the looming increase in expenses due to legislative changes and the O’Bannon lawsuit." Furthermore, the gap "could be even larger” if the league gets $0.60 per in-market sub, rather than $0.80 from DirecTV. If the Pac-12 Networks "aren’t on DTV in two years, for whatever reason, then the league could be" $12-15M behind its peers. The SEC and Big Ten "are always going to command more Tier 1 money than the Pac-12," as is proven by a "quick check of the ESPN metered markets" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 3/5).