PAC-12's New Media Deal Negotiations In Serious Trouble: REPORT

The PAC-12 is reportedly not close to landing a new media deal.

Commissioner George Kliavkoff has vowed that the PAC-12 will remain relevant moving forward once USC and UCLA leave for the Big Ten in 2024.

In order for that to happen, the conference must hammer out a new media deal prior to the 2024 football season.

There's just one problem. Nobody seems interested in paying to air PAC-12 football games.

Is the PAC-12 in huge trouble? (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The PAC-12 appears to be in huge trouble.

Kliavkoff reportedly indicated the conference could land a media deal that paid north of $40 million annually per program, according to The Athletic.

However, offers are falling way short.

"Today, it’s uncertain whether the Pac-12 will even be able to exceed the $31.6 million average the Big 12 reportedly landed in a six-year extension with ESPN and Fox it reached last fall," The Athletic reported.

One of Kliavkoff's major errors was believing the Big Ten's $8.1 billion media deal could raise the market for the PAC-12, according to the same report.

That's a comical miscalculation your average college bro wouldn't have made. Now, with time winding down, it looks like the PAC-12 is in growing trouble. Those close to the situation are "antsy," according to The Athletic's report. One possible fix is to take PAC-12 games to streaming, but it's unclear how realistic that is.

What can the conference do?

Unfortunately for George Kliavkoff - who often does his best Baghdad Bob impression - there are no great options on the table.

The best option on the table is to immediately add SMU and SDSU. That will provide a bit of a boost, but definitely not enough to improve the conference's media deal.

It would only be a minor fix, but it's better than nothing. The reality of the situation is the PAC-12 is losing its two best assets - USC and UCLA. Nothing becomes more valuable after losing its best assets.

Will the PAC-12 land a new media deal? (Credit: Getty Images)

Kliavkoff and the conference appear to be in serious trouble, and it definitely doesn't look like there's a fix on the horizon.