Big 12 exploring selling conference naming rights and private equity investment.

[Voltopia]

See, a week ago we were joking about stuff like the Food City Tennessee Volunteers running through the First Tennessee T here at Weigel's Field, and now we're already being lapped by the Big 12. Or the Whataburger 12, or whatever they end up calling it.



But why stop at a name? They're also looking at selling off some of the conference itself.

Big 12 considering private equity investment of up to $1 billion for as much as 20% of conference

The proposed deal with a Luxembourg-based firm would bring a massive influx of cash to the league

www.cbssports.com

You can practically hear the Saudi Public Investment Fund slithering its way toward college athletics ...

 

[05_never_again]

These naming rights deals are so easy. They are incredibly shameless and tacky, but nobody is stopping watching because of it.

I hate seeing "Food City Center" on the side of TBA. Am I (or anybody else) going to stop watching Tennessee basketball because of it? Of course not.

 

[WillisWG]

Slippery slope, very slippery

 

[Voltopia]

Slippery slope, very slippery

The slipperiest slope there is, judging by just how fast these schools are sliding down the hill. Conference USA is looking to selling its name as well. Only a matter of time.

 

[TrueOrange]

Slippery slope, very slippery

Especially if they’re trying to start getting private equity funding involved as investments for all the schools with something like this…this has a chance to blow up for everyone in that conference spectacularly

 

[TrueOrange]

See, a week ago we were joking about stuff like the Food City Tennessee Volunteers running through the First Tennessee T here at Weigel's Field, and now we're already being lapped by the Big 12. Or the Whataburger 12, or whatever they end up calling it.



But why stop at a name? They're also looking at selling off some of the conference itself.

Big 12 considering private equity investment of up to $1 billion for as much as 20% of conference

The proposed deal with a Luxembourg-based firm would bring a massive influx of cash to the league

www.cbssports.com

You can practically hear the Saudi Public Investment Fund slithering its way toward college athletics ...

One of the leads is Allstate, apparently.

https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/big-12-conference-allstate-discussions-naming-rights-deal?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=BrettMcMurphy

 

[VolPack22]

Gotta find a way to pay players somehow while also not sacrificing upgrading facilities. It was bound to happen. Exxon Mobil 12 has a nice ring to it lol

 

[dobre_shunka]

Pitt was way ahead of everybody on this. Since 2021, the football head coaching position has been called "Chris Bickell '97 Head Football Coach,"

Pitt to Rename Head Coach Role After $20 Million Donation From Businessman Chris Bickell

It's done wonders for the success of their program.

 

[turbovol]

It's all getting more stupid and seedy by the day. Wait: It will not be long before the Tennessee Dove Body Wash team takes
the field, a member of the Fritos Southeastern Conference. School/conference/player greed is spinning out of control.

1983 NC State basketball team members now suing for NIL money. All this idiocy thanks to a couple of feckless judges.

 

[tbwhhs]

I'm sure the NFL, MLB, and NBA are kicking themselves for not coming up with the idea first

ConocoPhillips is a big sponsor of the Big 12, maybe they could add the group of 5 schools and call the league Phillips 66

 

[n_huffhines]

These naming rights deals are so easy. They are incredibly shameless and tacky, but nobody is stopping watching because of it.

I hate seeing "Food City Center" on the side of TBA. Am I (or anybody else) going to stop watching Tennessee basketball because of it? Of course not.

Not to mention Big 12 is a terrible name when you have 14 teams and there is another conference with Big + a confused team count

 

[05_never_again]

Not to mention Big 12 is a terrible name when you have 14 teams and there is another conference with Big + a confused team count

Putting a number in your conference name is stupid to begin with. The point of a conference is to pool and grow revenue; isn't part of that goal expanding where it makes sense? Why limit it to a certain number of teams?

Naming the region isn't as bad, but honestly the Southeastern Conference name is probably going to go the way of the Southwest Airlines name or Northwest Airlines. It has such strong brand recognition that it won't change, but it'll be a relic of a former time.

 

[LouderVol]

It's all getting more stupid and seedy by the day. Wait: It will not be long before the Tennessee Dove Body Wash team takes
the field, a member of the Fritos Southeastern Conference. School/conference/player greed is spinning out of control.

1983 NC State basketball team members now suing for NIL money. All this idiocy thanks to a couple of feckless judges.

you mean the greed of the NCAA, the schools, and the coaches?

 

[n_huffhines]

Putting a number in your conference name is stupid to begin with. The point of a conference is to pool and grow revenue; isn't part of that goal expanding where it makes sense? Why limit it to a certain number of teams?

Naming the region isn't as bad, but honestly the Southeastern Conference name is probably going to go the way of the Southwest Airlines name or Northwest Airlines. It has such strong brand recognition that it won't change, but it'll be a relic of a former time.

Good Hands Conference would be an upgrade over Big 12

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Didn't Michigan State basketball almost sell the naming rights as officially "Michigan State basketball sponsored by Rocket Mortgage" then back away from it?

Like ESPN bringing in whatever lousy announcers and talking heads they want, setting kickoffs/tipoffs based on their revenue, spotlighting whatever game draws the most eyeballs as "Game of the Week", calling timeouts so they can sell ads, etc, etc.

But, no, no, no, this isn't pro sports. These kids aren't employees. This is just simple, wholesome college games played by students who happen to be athletes.

Pay zero attention to the millions and millions of dollars involved. It's all amateur athletics.

 

[turbovol]

you mean the greed of the NCAA, the schools, and the coaches?

The coaches are private employees---not college students. Maybe math and English students should be demanding to be paid as much as their professors. Are coaches overpaid? Sure. Are the buyout clauses and raises + extensions offered every time some dude has one decent season ridiculous and stupid? Yes. But they are private employees. Students aren't.

The schools? The schools certainly have become embarrassingly greedy in recent years--but it's also true, as as been emphasized many times, that most of the football money is channeled to finance all the non-revenue sports, travel, administration, facilities, etc. Very few athletic departments make money; most lose it. I'd love to see schools start folding programs just to show some of these greedy putzes what they've unleashed. This whole narrative that student-athletes getting a free college education plus numerous other benefits (all worth a lot of money) have been mistreated is complete nonsense--started by the usual "give us money for free" crowd, and now everybody is in on it--swimmers, Dartmouth basketball players (Mighty Dartmouth BB player want to unionize!), players from '1983. Johnny Majors' relatives should sue for NIL money!

 

[LouderVol]

The coaches are private employees---not college students. Maybe math and English students should be demanding to be paid as much as their professors. Are coaches overpaid? Sure. Are the buyout clauses and raises + extensions offered every time some dude has one decent season ridiculous and stupid? Yes. But they are private employees. Students aren't.

The schools? The schools certainly have become embarrassingly greedy in recent years--but it's also true, as as been emphasized many times, that most of the football money is channeled to finance all the non-revenue sports, travel, administration, facilities, etc. Very few athletic departments make money; most lose it. I'd love to see schools start folding programs just to show some of these greedy putzes what they've unleashed. This whole narrative that student-athletes getting a free college education plus numerous other benefits (all worth a lot of money) have been mistreated is complete nonsense--started by the usual "give us money for free" crowd, and now everybody is in on it--swimmers, Dartmouth basketball players (Mighty Dartmouth BB player want to unionize!), players from '1983. Johnny Majors' relatives should sue for NIL money!

to the orange, you mean "give us the money that we generated". thats typically pretty fair and how most things work in this nation, or is at least supposed to work.

being a college student doesn't stop one from making money. plenty do get paid by the school, TAs, RAs, GAs, work in one of their buildings or shops, do tours, tutor, etc, they can get paid. unless they are an athlete, then they can't be paid. even though they generate far more money than a tutor ever will.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

See, a week ago we were joking about stuff like the Food City Tennessee Volunteers running through the First Tennessee T here at Weigel's Field, and now we're already being lapped by the Big 12. Or the Whataburger 12, or whatever they end up calling it.



But why stop at a name? They're also looking at selling off some of the conference itself.

Big 12 considering private equity investment of up to $1 billion for as much as 20% of conference

The proposed deal with a Luxembourg-based firm would bring a massive influx of cash to the league

www.cbssports.com

You can practically hear the Saudi Public Investment Fund slithering its way toward college athletics ...

I miss those big dripping Whataburgers from when I lived out west. Don't know about now, but back then, you ate one at lunch time, you weren't hungry come dinner.

Now, as for the Big12, just call it WestWorld, you know, the place where absolutely nothing goes worng, wnorg, wrnog ....

 

[n_huffhines]

The coaches are private employees---not college students. Maybe math and English students should be demanding to be paid as much as their professors. Are coaches overpaid? Sure. Are the buyout clauses and raises + extensions offered every time some dude has one decent season ridiculous and stupid? Yes. But they are private employees. Students aren't.

The schools? The schools certainly have become embarrassingly greedy in recent years--but it's also true, as as been emphasized many times, that most of the football money is channeled to finance all the non-revenue sports, travel, administration, facilities, etc. Very few athletic departments make money; most lose it. I'd love to see schools start folding programs just to show some of these greedy putzes what they've unleashed. This whole narrative that student-athletes getting a free college education plus numerous other benefits (all worth a lot of money) have been mistreated is complete nonsense--started by the usual "give us money for free" crowd, and now everybody is in on it--swimmers, Dartmouth basketball players (Mighty Dartmouth BB player want to unionize!), players from '1983. Johnny Majors' relatives should sue for NIL money!

What value are they providing? Do you really wonder about this stuff?

Mind your own business about other people being paid and let the market sort it out.

You literally said you want programs to fold just so you can teach kids an arbitrary lesson that isn't a matter of right/wrong. You are the ultimate Karen.

 

[Volfan1000]

See, a week ago we were joking about stuff like the Food City Tennessee Volunteers running through the First Tennessee T here at Weigel's Field, and now we're already being lapped by the Big 12. Or the Whataburger 12, or whatever they end up calling it.



But why stop at a name? They're also looking at selling off some of the conference itself.

Big 12 considering private equity investment of up to $1 billion for as much as 20% of conference

The proposed deal with a Luxembourg-based firm would bring a massive influx of cash to the league

www.cbssports.com

You can practically hear the Saudi Public Investment Fund slithering its way toward college athletics ...

21st century revenue providers are what these rights have become.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Maybe the Pride of the Southland Band, which is likely underfunded, could sell the rights to the pregame show.

Wouldn't we love to see the team run through the "Flying J" logo instead of the Power T?

Or maybe these pro football and basketball teams need to form a league, get sponsors and funding, and stop pretending to be "just simple college athletes and schools enjoying the college experience with athletics on the weekend."

C'mon. Who is this ruse of amateur college athletics fooling anymore?

 

[volfanhill]

Maybe the Pride of the Southland Band, which is likely underfunded, could sell the rights to the pregame show.

Wouldn't we love to see the team run through the "Flying J" logo instead of the Power T?

Or maybe these pro football and basketball teams need to form a league, get sponsors and funding, and stop pretending to be "just simple college athletes and schools enjoying the college experience with athletics on the weekend."

C'mon. Who is this ruse of amateur college athletics fooling anymore?

They could. But nobody cares enough to spend money on it.

 

[volfanhill]

The coaches are private employees---not college students. Maybe math and English students should be demanding to be paid as much as their professors. Are coaches overpaid? Sure. Are the buyout clauses and raises + extensions offered every time some dude has one decent season ridiculous and stupid? Yes. But they are private employees. Students aren't.

The schools? The schools certainly have become embarrassingly greedy in recent years--but it's also true, as as been emphasized many times, that most of the football money is channeled to finance all the non-revenue sports, travel, administration, facilities, etc. Very few athletic departments make money; most lose it. I'd love to see schools start folding programs just to show some of these greedy putzes what they've unleashed. This whole narrative that student-athletes getting a free college education plus numerous other benefits (all worth a lot of money) have been mistreated is complete nonsense--started by the usual "give us money for free" crowd, and now everybody is in on it--swimmers, Dartmouth basketball players (Mighty Dartmouth BB player want to unionize!), players from '1983. Johnny Majors' relatives should sue for NIL money!

I love how you are all for the massive exploitation of college athletes. Especially in football. Way to hold the black man down turbo.

 

[Firebirdparts]

We probably don’t care to truly discuss it, but that private equity firm is some seriously dumb people.

Anybody read that article?

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

We probably don’t care to truly discuss it, but that private equity firm is some seriously dumb people.

Anybody read that article?

It's about long-term control, inching in with a voice at the table when it comes time for the next chapter in college athletics.

This isn't CVC's first rodeo with investing in sports. What they want is to control the direction, first, via a strong voice on the board to increase the monetary value, then they'll do what venture capital does and get out. It's just a longer game than they traditionally play.

Beyond the pitch: The rise of private equity in sports

At a time when economic uncertainty is curtailing private equity (PE) deal activity, sports-focused capital investment remains strong. PE interest in this sector has been around for some time, with CVC Capital Partners’ backing of the Formula 1 series in 2005 seen as one of the first forays into...

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com