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Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference

Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference


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Things are getting pretty wild in the conference realignment realm.

The Big 12 is set to lose franchise members in Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, and now, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is saying ESPN is trying to put them out of business for good.

Bowlsby told CBS Sports that ESPN engaged the American Athletic Conference to "pursue" 3-5 Big 12 members with the promise of "future television proceeds."

ESPN said the claim was without merit in a statement Wednesday.

The alleged move essentially gutting the Big 12 would help a couple parties: one, Texas, Oklahoma and the SEC with nobody to pay the massive Grant of Rights penalty to leave before 2025 (up to $80 million), and two, ESPN not having a Big 12 to pay out its remaining contract with them for.

"I am absolutely certain ESPN employees have discussed and provided incentives for at least one conference to raid 3-5 members from the Big 12," Bowlsby said. "In doing so, they are prepared to reward them with future television proceeds. If the conference goes away as an entity, Oklahoma and Texas could be relieved from their exit obligations. Those obligations at this time would include the payment of $70M to $80M -- two years full revenue -- per school and leaving their media rights with the Big 12.

"We're just not going to sit still and let somebody who is supposed to be our partner collaborate and disrupt our business. I know with certainty they are doing it relative to one conference. I suspect they have done the same thing in moving Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC."

The Big 12 sent a cease and desist order to ESPN, which said in part: "The Big 12 Conference demands that ESPN immediately cease and desist all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference's existing members or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference's members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment."

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Subject (Replies: 23) Author
spacer TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
TigerNet News®
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TigerzzRoar®
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allorangeallthetime52®
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Dugatiger®
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Valley Boy
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
TigerzzRoar®
spacer Happened right after ESPN got all of the SEC TV rights
TigerzzRoar®
spacer ESPN doing something shady and scummy?
Ucel74
spacer Re: ESPN doing something shady and scummy?
pointcove
spacer Can they be on our side and pay us what we deserve?***
goclemsontigs
spacer They aren't going to anyway******
Tiger Beach
spacer Re: ESPN doing something shady and scummy?
bleedsorange81®
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
Valley Boy
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
PCprincipal
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
eaglessoar20021
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
JF43
spacer Would be nice if they had undeniable proof
RoosterSlayer777
spacer I'm a little skeptical
MoCity
spacer Here's the scoop
MoCity
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
moodytiger
spacer This is why Sanky is THE BOSS***
MoCity
spacer Re: TNET: Big 12 commish alleges ESPN conspired with league to raid conference
Playdough
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shirleyb
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MidlandsTiger87®