LAS VEGAS — Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark was asked Tuesday what really happened behind the scenes a year ago when he helped convince four Pac-12 schools to leave that league and join the Big 12 instead.
He didn’t want to talk about it.
But documents obtained from the schools by USA TODAY Sports — and Yormark’s brief remarks here Tuesday — paint a picture of a ruthless strategy to destabilize the Pac-12 last year to the point that it collapsed in favor of the Big 12.
According to the documents, the University of Colorado was offered a $2.5 million signing bonus by the Big 12 Conference last year as an added incentive to entice the Buffaloes to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big 12 instead, starting Aug. 2, 2024.
But here’s what’s curious about this: The three other Pac-12 teams that followed Colorado’s path to the Big 12 a week later apparently received no signing bonuses, according to their Big 12 admissions agreements.
Why not?
Was Yormark hoping that by making things easier for Colorado and getting the Buffs to jump first, others would do the same out of fear of being left behind in a crumbling Pac-12?
“I’m not going to discuss my negotiating tactics, but listen, we were thrilled that Colorado was the first to move,” Yormark told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday at the Big 12 football media day event. “Ultimately, one got us four, you know, when you think about it. Whatever we did in those negotiations, it worked out pretty well for us.”
How this fits into the realignment schedule
Colorado announced its move to the Big 12 on July 27 — the first of eight Pac-12 defections last year that nearly destroyed the league. A week later, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah also announced they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12, but not because of Colorado’s departure per se. It was because the Pac-12 failed to produce a new media rights deal good enough to convince the remaining members to stay, including Washington and Oregon, which decided to leave for the Big Ten the same week after Colorado’s announcement.
By offering a $2.5 million bonus to the “first come, first served,” Yormark could still hope that the outcome would be “one gets four,” as he described it, even if the dominoes didn’t fall exactly that way. At the time, the Pac-12 still had 10 members and was trying to decide whether to stay together and even expand.
But like a game of musical chairs, the reorganization of college football is fueled by the fear of being left without a seat at the table of a stable, viable league. After Colorado announced its departure, the Pac-12 was left with nine members, adding to the sense of uncertainty. Then the Big Ten pounced on Washington and Oregon, setting off a final scramble for the exits. At that point, the Big 12 probably didn’t need to offer a bonus to get Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. There was no attractive alternative.
And now the Pac-12 has just two schools that weren’t invited elsewhere: Oregon State and Washington State. By contrast, the Big 12 now has 16 members, up from 10 two years ago.
What do the Big 12 admissions agreements say?
It’s on the second page of Colorado’s 78-page agreement.
“Colorado will also receive a membership transition bonus upon execution of this agreement of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000),” states Colorado’s admission agreement with the Big 12, effective July 31, 2023.
The Big 12 admissions agreements for Arizona, Arizona State and Utah do not mention any such bonuses.
Yormark didn’t explain exactly why, but he may have said enough.
“First come, first served.” “Only one gave us four.”
Colorado declined to comment.
“We’re not going to get into the specifics of the negotiations between CU and the conference,” spokesman Steve Hurlbert said.
The Big 12’s four new members officially join the league on Aug. 2.
Contribution: Steve Berkowitz
Follow journalist Brent Schrotenboer @SchrotenboerEmail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
News Source : www.usatoday.com
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