PAC-12 to Form National and Regional TV Networks

Somewhere in his lair Big 12 Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe is scheming to find a way to form a television network and ascertain which two schools will be added to replace Nebraska and Colorado.

Actually, that isn't true because that would mean Big 12 Conference officials, Beebe included, are proactive and looking at the future without blinders on.

The PAC-12 announced today the formation of a National television network that will also have six other regional networks with agreements in hand with cable television operators Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, and Bright House Networks.

The six regional networks will be Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Southern California, Arizona, and Mountain (Any room for Texas and Oklahoma in 2012?).

The most interesting thing from this announcement to me is how dynamic this venture will be when it goes live in 2012. From the PAC-12 release:

"This transformative arrangement, set to begin in August 2012, marks the first time a U.S. collegiate conference or any other programmer has launched a collection of networks across a variety of platforms rather than a sole network. And it includes "TV everywhere" rights, permitting the networks to be viewed outside customers' homes on any digital device, such as smartphones and tablet computers, creating a virtual "Pac-12 Everywhere.""

I would buy the PAC-12 smart phone app for the shear purpose of watching sports on my phone. Yes, its a novelty, but it is the future of viewing sports and television programs.

Earlier this year the PAC-12 singed a mammoth television deal with FOX and ESPN for nearly $3 billion. I can see the Longhorn Network going the way of Craig Kilborn or morph into the PAC-12 Network: Texas when the Big 12 Conference finally gets off life support and walks toward the light.

Too soon?

I can dream that Texas Tech and Oklahoma State will join the PAC-12 and that Texas A&M goes marching into Mordor, er, I mean the SEC, to seek fortune with no glory and Oklahoma try to jump into the PAC-12 or SEC to give the southerners a culture shock and overabundance of burgundy and cream color schemes.  Who knows? I can hope Texas joins the PAC-12 or follow Nebraska into the Big Ten Conference and give Tom Osbourne a Vietnam type of flashback of the past 15 years in the Big 12.

One thing is certain is that college football is evolving to a point of not needing the NCAA and that is a good thing.