As the Big Ten and SEC pull away as Super Conferences, the remaining Power 5 conferences are left jockeying for the third-place position. The best way to secure that spot is to sign the most lucrative media rights package.
The Big 12’s new six-year, $2.28 billion media package is a major win for the conference. It technically beats out the Pac-12’s current package, though the Pac-12 is negotiating its next deal. But the Big 12’s per-school payouts won’t usurp the ACC, a source confirmed to Front Office Sports.
- The Big 12’s deal will pay out an average of $380 million per year — or about $31.6 million per school. That’s about the same as the ACC’s current revenue.
- The ACC’s current package dates back to 2016. In 2021, ACC schools brought in about $36 million each, according to tax returns.
- Most of that revenue came from the ACC’s media deal, but also included NCAA tournament and College Football Playoff revenue.
Despite the comparable revenue, the Big 12 gets one major advantage over the ACC: The conference will have another chance to negotiate higher rates six years before the ACC.
The Big 12 deal runs through 2031, while the ACC is locked into its partnership until 2036. Given that media rights values continue to climb, timing is everything.
