Earlier this summer, after USC and UCLA moved to the Big Ten, reports had emerged in which the Big Ten’s soon-to-be-finalized media rights deal would be in the neighborhood of 1.15 to 1.2 billion dollars. USC and UCLA would get near $100 million per year.
More recently, we have seen projections that a Big Ten media rights package might approach $1.5 billion, creating an even bigger windfall for every Big Ten school. The money amounts keep going up, up, up, with USC standing to benefit even more. Do note that if the University of California Board of Regents decides to punish UCLA with some exit fees (or the equivalent thereof, if they aren’t technically exit fees as a point of legal precision), the Bruins would have to pay out of their Big Ten revenue cut to complete their move to the conference. USC is not on the hook for any such penalty fees, since it is not part of the UC system.
NEW from me and @MMcCarthyREV: W/ USC + UCLA, the Big Ten hopes to garner at least $1.5 billion annually in its upcoming media rights deal, sources told @FOS.
If the conference can pull this off, it could become the richest in all of college sports.https://t.co/kyTeXPV2jL
— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) August 4, 2022
Keep in mind that while USC and UCLA are going to immediately get a full revenue share of Big Ten media rights money, Rutgers and Maryland are still getting less than a full share, given their much lower place in the pecking order.
We explored this particular subject with Rutgers Wire editor Kristian Dyer in recent weeks, as every school tries to find its place in the reconfigured college sports landscape.
We discussed Big Ten media revenue sharing with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.
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