Ninety-three percent of the Big 12's profits went back to the schools while 7% stayed with the conferenceGETTY IMAGES
The Big 12 during the '18-19 academic year distributed $38.8M to each of its 10 schools, representing a 6% "increase from last year," according to Ryan Black of the Manhattan MERCURY. Speaking at yesterday's Big 12 Media Days in Dallas, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the inclusion of the member participation subsidy "varies from institution to institution" with distributions for some schools "clearly over" $40M, in addition to their third-tier activity. Of the money the conference brought in last year, Bowlsby said that it "broke down 93/7: 93% went to the schools while 7% was 'conference overhead' to help run championship events and other activities." Bowlsby said, "We are an efficient organization. I think 93% is the highest percentage of distribution in all of college athletics so we feel good about that. Our distribution has gone up 55% in the last five years. So we continue on the right kind of trend" (Manhattan MERCURY, 7/16).
OVER THE TOP: In Iowa, Dylan Montz notes the Big 12's announcement of a new digital media network means that Big 12 Now and ESPN+ will "become the primary third-tier platform." Bowlsby said, "It doesn’t diminish our reliance on ESPN and Fox as our partners with our tier 1 consumption, but all of our sports will be available on ESPN+, on Big 12 Now at one time or another. There is a Big 12 landing page that is menu-driven, very easy to use and when it’s fully functional and operational, ESPN+ and Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will be carrying over 800 Big 12 events." He added, "While all of our schools were doing their own thing, I think we coalesced around the concept that what MLBAM and ESPN+ were doing was something that, one, could be aggregated and, two, could make the sum of the parts bigger than the sum of the parts" (AMES TRIBUNE, 7/16). In Houston, Nick Moyle notes the new digital offering this year will "feature content from Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State." TCU, Texas Tech, Iowa State and West Virginia will be "added next year once their current TV deals expire." Texas, which "has a 20-year contract with ESPN’s Longhorn Network, and Oklahoma, which has a contract with Fox" through '22, will "retain their third-tier rights deals, but Big 12 games in which those schools are the road team could be broadcast on ESPN+" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/16).
A NEW DAY: In Tulsa, Guerin Emig notes it "wasn’t long ago when Bowlsby showed up at Media Days having to explain why his conference was running fifth among college football’s Power 5," but "not any longer." Bowlsby said, "Our athletic directors and our board are the most aligned that they have been in the seven years that I’ve been with the conference." Big 12 leaders are the "most pleased they have been in Bowlsby’s stewardship" (TULSA WORLD, 7/16).
