Arizona President Robert Robbins said the withdrawal of UCLA and USC was “clearly a huge loss,” but as the conference weathered the uncertainties, the remaining Pac-12 schools “went out of the conference.” We are coming together and working together to make it a success.”

Central to the “make it work” process is the completion of media rights agreements for a contract cycle beginning in summer 2024. Negotiations began last July and should be resolved “soon,” Robbins told Hotline in an interview on Tuesday. .

Asked about speculation about the future of the conference, Robbins dismissed the idea that schools, including Arizona, would compete in the Big 12 before the media rights proposal was presented.

“We rely heavily on[Commissioner George Kuryavkov]and his team negotiating good media deals to remain competitive,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone wants to leave. Why pay millions of dollars a year to move?”

And he likened the situation to competing for the “bronze medal.”

The Big Ten’s media rights deals with Fox, CBS and NBC, signed in August, would allocate about $67 million annually to each campus.

A full agreement with the SEC and ESPN will see at least $60 million in spin-offs per school once Texas and Oklahoma join in 2024.

Meanwhile, Big 12 and Pac-12 belong to the third tier along with ACC.

The Big 12 agreed to renew contracts with ESPN and Fox in October, reportedly sharing $31.66 million a year.

“We want to be closer to the Big 10 or the SEC, but closer to the Big 12 is more realistic,” Robbins said. “[Kryavkov]has done a great job with the media deal. I think he will bring us more than enough.”

Twice during the ten-minute conversation, Robbins referred to Pac-12 as a “conference of champions.”

But he paints a nuanced image of Arizona, citing the school’s proximity to the home of the Big 12 and the league’s powerhouse basketball brands as evidence of a “kind of affinity.”

He also mentioned academic content. Arizona is a member of the Association of American Universities, as are all Pac-12 schools except Arizona, Washington, and Oregon.

(If Texas leaves, Kansas will be the only AAU school in the Big 12.)

“That’s important to us in terms of research,” says Robbins, a cardiothoracic surgeon who ran Texas Medical Center in Houston before becoming director of the Arizona campus in 2017.

Asked about Arizona’s talks with the Big 12, Robbins didn’t say directly but said he had friends at the meeting, after announcing that Texas and Oklahoma would join the SEC in the summer of 2021. He said he was in favor of adding the remaining Big 12 schools. .

“I personally liked the idea of ​​forming a Pac-20 or Big Pac, whatever you want to call it,” he said.

“I thought it would be really cool. But it got very complicated.”

Ultimately, Robbins framed the Pac-12’s future as a business decision, putting the onus on Kryavkov to strike a competitive media rights deal.

“We’re all in full force,” he said, “and I’m sure George will bring us a satisfactory deal, with Pac-12 working together, or 12 (schools). and will maintain an agreement to take the next step.” If you add someone. ”

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