LAS VEGAS — Big 12 Conference Commissioner Brett Yormark was asked Tuesday about 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.
He didn’t want to talk about it.
But documents obtained from the schools by USA TODAY Sports — and brief comments from Yormark here Tuesday — paint the picture of a ruthless strategy to destabilize the Pac-12 last year, to the point that it disintegrated to the benefit of the Big 12.
According to the documents, the University of Colorado was offered a $2.5 million signing bonus from last year’s Big 12 Conference as an additional incentive to get the Buffaloes to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big 12, from August 2nd. 2024.
But here’s what’s curious about it: The other three Pac-12 teams that followed Colorado’s path to the Big 12 a week later apparently received no signing bonuses, per their Big 12 admission agreements.
Why not?
Did Yormark hope that by sweetening the pot for Colorado and having the Buffs jump first, others would do the same for 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 on Tuesday at the Big 12 Football Media Days event. “Ultimately, one gave us four, you know, when you think about it. Everything we did in these negotiations seemed to work very well for us.”
How does this influence the realignment schedule
Colorado announced its move to the Big 12 on July 27 of last year — the first of eight defections from the Pac-12 last year that all but destroyed it. 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 was unable to produce a new media rights deal that was good enough to convince the remaining members to stay, including Washington and Oregon, who decided to leave for the Big Ten that same week after Colorado’s announcement.
By offering a $2.5 million bonus to a “first mover,” Yormark could still expect the outcome to be “one gives us 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, college football’s realignment is fueled by the fear of being left behind, without a seat at the table of a stable, viable league. After Colorado said it was leaving, the Pac-12 was left with nine members, adding to the sense of uncertainty. Then the Big Ten attacked Washington and Oregon, triggering one last scramble for the exits. At this point, the Big 12 probably didn’t need to offer bonus money to get Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. There was no attractive alternative.
And now the Pac-12 is down to two schools that weren’t invited elsewhere — Oregon State and Washington State. On the other hand, the Big 12 has up to 16 members, after having just 10 teams two years ago.
What did the Big 12 admissions agreements say?
It’s on the second page of Colorado’s 78-page settlement.
“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 this bonus.
Yormark didn’t explain exactly why, but he might have said enough.
“Pioneer.” “One gave us four.”
Colorado declined to comment.
“We will not go into specifics regarding negotiations between CU and the conference,” spokesman Steve Hurlbert said.
The Big 12’s four new members officially join the league on August 2.
Contributing: Steve Berkowitz
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: The Big 12 gave Colorado a $2.5 million signing bonus last year. Why?
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