The CW Still In Play For The Pac-12, Could Look To ESPN For Low Money

The Pac-12's media rights situation is one of the most compelling storylines of the college football offseason.

Multiple major decisions rest on how successful the league is at negotiating a new agreement. Including, and most importantly, realignment discussions with teams like the Colorado Buffaloes.

Now a new report from Andrew Marchand has revealed that after months of talks, the Pac-12's options continue to dwindle.

"Amazon is unlikely," Marchand said on a recent podcast. "CBS is a no. NBC/USA is another no. Fox is a no too. Those are the biggest players. Then you get into Apple, they're a little bit of a wildcard. I've heard certain things, but nothing definitively. I lean towards probably not with them. The Pac-12 has said they do not want to do an all digital deal and it looks like that's Apple's strategy. So that leaves the CW, Scripps and those types of players."

That doesn't bode well for a conference hoping to stop the Big 12 from potentially poaching teams.

READ: PAC-12 PRESIDENT WOULD ‘DECLARE VICTORY’ IF TELEVISION DEAL PUTS THEM IN ‘BRONZE MEDAL’ CATEGORY, ARIZONA COULD STILL LOOK AROUND

BOULDER, COLORADO - APRIL 22: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes watches as his team warms up prior to their spring game at Folsom Field on April 22, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

ESPN Would Be 'Low Money' Player For Pac-12 Rights

Marchand continued, saying that if the conference does get ESPN to bite, it wouldn't be for the same money as the Big 12.

"If the Pac-12 got a deal with ESPN, it would probably be for low money," he said. "I would be very surprised if the Pac-12 got the same amount of money from ESPN as the Big 12."

For schools potentially making the determination to jump ship, a lesser revenue deal could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

The CW may wind up offering the best monetary deal, but would the Pac-12 want to be a guinea pig for a network just starting to carry college football?

There's a lot to be decided over the next few months, and based on Marchand's report, the Pac-12 may not have a lot of great choices to make.