Blames the Presidents for the organization structure and a bunch of stuff. Says the Universities should pay for it and not impact the Athletic Departments.

Also, $50 Million is apparently the low ball estimate, there might be more.

(05-11-2023 03:57 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Blames the Presidents for the organization structure and a bunch of stuff. Says the Universities should pay for it and not impact the Athletic Departments.

Also, $50 Million is apparently the low ball estimate, there might be more.

LOL at Wilner trying to curry favor with the Pac-12 Athletic Directors by taking sides in an internal administrative mess.

What's next? A diatribe on why athletic departments shouldn't have to reimburse the university's general fund for scholarships?

Wilner must be getting frustrated by his information roadblock with university presidents and so he's hoping a little quid pro quo with the AD's for this advocacy piece will help his cause.

Truth is Pac-12 athletic directors are also to blame for the conference's sad state since any good AD would've pushed back against his or her president for supporting Larry Scott's agenda to scale back emphasis and spending on football and men's basketball in favor of a more egalitarian approach that benefited non-revenue sports (like Scott's beloved tennis).

Even a milquetoast like Wilner would ackowledge in hindsight that was a terrible mistake

Just curious, with UCLA and USC leaving....or if any other school leaves, do they have to pay back their share over the overpayment?

I like Wilner alot, IMO nobody knows more about the inner workings of the PAC.

But regarding which "side" of the University should make good on the overpayments, in my opinion that depends on which received the overpayments.

If the athletic side received the overpayments to begin with, then the athletic side should make good on them, and vice-versa if the money went to the academic side.

(05-11-2023 04:32 PM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  

(05-11-2023 03:57 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Blames the Presidents for the organization structure and a bunch of stuff. Says the Universities should pay for it and not impact the Athletic Departments.

Also, $50 Million is apparently the low ball estimate, there might be more.

LOL at Wilner trying to curry favor with the Pac-12 Athletic Directors by taking sides in an internal administrative mess.

What's next? A diatribe on why athletic departments shouldn't have to reimburse the university's general fund for scholarships?

Wilner must be getting frustrated by his information roadblock with university presidents and so he's hoping a little quid pro quo with the AD's for this advocacy piece will help his cause.

Truth is Pac-12 athletic directors are also to blame for the conference's sad state since any good AD would've pushed back against his or her president for supporting Larry Scott's agenda to scale back emphasis and spending on football and men's basketball in favor of a more egalitarian approach that benefited non-revenue sports (like Scott's beloved tennis).

Even a milquetoast like Wilner would ackowledge in hindsight that was a terrible mistake

Pac Presidents aren't exactly noted for their savvy behavior regarding Athletics. Any AD is going to make his/her preferences known, but, at the end of the day, the Presidents call the shots. It doesn't matter anyway, the Presidents, if they get a financial penalty from the Pac, will do whatever they think appropriate to deal with it.

I find it interesting that Wilner would write this article, it can't be good news for the Pac that such a schism is developing between the Presidents and ADs.

Seems some revisionist thinking going on by both Wilner and the Pac-12 athletic directors wrt to the Pac-12's emphasis on building non-revenue sports via a Pac-12 Network determined to have a more egalitarian approach to its sports coverage.

Only in the last couple years when the widespread failings of the P12N and the conference's financial shortcomings became common knowledge did Wilner or the AD's start with their "we better put football first" messaging.

If there is a problem between the Presidents and the ADs, I would expect the ADs to either leave or get fired. Leaving on their own would need to be evaluated, for instance, for where they went - was it lateral or a "backwards" move or a move anyone would make even if things were going well?

This is an odd issue to go public. Seems like a mundane accounting issue that could be handled differently depending on policies and politics. Normally, finance folks would handle this without drawing more attention to an already bad situation. Yet some AD is making a big deal out of this.

(05-11-2023 07:09 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  If there is a problem between the Presidents and the ADs, I would expect the ADs to either leave or get fired. Leaving on their own would need to be evaluated, for instance, for where they went - was it lateral or a "backwards" move or a move anyone would make even if things were going well?

Yeah, it's definite CYA time for the Pac-12 AD's with the league as we know it possibly about to collapse

As alarming as it may sound, I would not be shocked in the slightest if more financial irregularities are uncovered. If the PAC Commissioner (and a CFO and PACN President), along with PAC Presidents, neglect to see that there is a $50 (maybe $60 million) million difference, what else was there a failure to see? What else did the audit reveal?

An easily avoidable disaster all around (and BOTs should absolutely hold Presidents accountable).

Today's headline:

B12 Fans Now Treat Wilner As Credible Source

(05-11-2023 05:39 PM)otown Wrote:  Just curious, with UCLA and USC leaving....or if any other school leaves, do they have to pay back their share over the overpayment?

It sounds like the repayment plan is for Comcast to withhold future payments.

Plus none of this was revealed till after the PAC agreed to exit terms with USC and UCLA.

(05-11-2023 07:56 PM)Wahoowa84 Wrote:  This is an odd issue to go public. Seems like a mundane accounting issue that could be handled differently depending on policies and politics. Normally, finance folks would handle this without drawing more attention to an already bad situation. Yet some AD is making a big deal out of this.

Yes. Internal accounting at one school—but credit the AD with a sense of timing. It's a slow news season. Everybody's just watching one pot to see when it boils.

USC and UCLA took the money and run, while the other PAC 12 members suffer from the mistake.

(05-11-2023 07:56 PM)Wahoowa84 Wrote:  This is an odd issue to go public. Seems like a mundane accounting issue that could be handled differently depending on policies and politics. Normally, finance folks would handle this without drawing more attention to an already bad situation. Yet some AD is making a big deal out of this.

Well 50 million is a pretty big mundane.

(05-12-2023 07:24 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  USC and UCLA took the money and run, while the other PAC 12 members suffer from the mistake.

USC and UCLA are legally responsible for their shares. There was no exit fee, so no liquidated damages clause, nothing was signed stating that USC and UCLA had completed their obligations to the PAC.

Of course, $50M is about $4M per school, so USC and UCLA can cut that check without breaking a sweat

(05-12-2023 09:09 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 07:24 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  USC and UCLA took the money and run, while the other PAC 12 members suffer from the mistake.

USC and UCLA are legally responsible for their shares. There was no exit fee, so no liquidated damages clause, nothing was signed stating that USC and UCLA had completed their obligations to the PAC.

Of course, $50M is about $4M per school, so USC and UCLA can cut that check without breaking a sweat

No one is paying anything. Comcast is withholding future payments to recoup the losses.

If you try to take the money from USC and UCLA, the repayment plan would need to be changed and that's a can of worms you don't want to open.

(05-12-2023 09:25 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 09:09 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 07:24 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  USC and UCLA took the money and run, while the other PAC 12 members suffer from the mistake.

USC and UCLA are legally responsible for their shares. There was no exit fee, so no liquidated damages clause, nothing was signed stating that USC and UCLA had completed their obligations to the PAC.

Of course, $50M is about $4M per school, so USC and UCLA can cut that check without breaking a sweat

No one is paying anything. Comcast is withholding future payments to recoup the losses.

If you try to take the money from USC and UCLA, the repayment plan would need to be changed and that's a can of worms you don't want to open.

Good point, they'll just withhold from this year's payment. After this year, if theres' more owed, Comcast has to sue

(05-12-2023 10:16 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 09:25 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 09:09 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 07:24 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  USC and UCLA took the money and run, while the other PAC 12 members suffer from the mistake.

USC and UCLA are legally responsible for their shares. There was no exit fee, so no liquidated damages clause, nothing was signed stating that USC and UCLA had completed their obligations to the PAC.

Of course, $50M is about $4M per school, so USC and UCLA can cut that check without breaking a sweat

No one is paying anything. Comcast is withholding future payments to recoup the losses.

If you try to take the money from USC and UCLA, the repayment plan would need to be changed and that's a can of worms you don't want to open.

Good point, they'll just withhold from this year's payment. After this year, if theres' more owed, Comcast has to sue

I still don't think its in the best interest to sue.

If Comcast sues, the Network could declare bankruptcy. They sell off assets to pay as much debt as possible.

If that's not enough Comcast could attempt to sue the Universities but I am pretty sure the Public Universities are protected by sovereign immunity. The University Presidents were clearly left in the dark about the improprieties.

The best case scenario for Comcast is to pressure the Network to add more football games to recoup their damages faster.

(05-12-2023 10:31 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 10:16 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 09:25 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 09:09 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-12-2023 07:24 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  USC and UCLA took the money and run, while the other PAC 12 members suffer from the mistake.

USC and UCLA are legally responsible for their shares. There was no exit fee, so no liquidated damages clause, nothing was signed stating that USC and UCLA had completed their obligations to the PAC.

Of course, $50M is about $4M per school, so USC and UCLA can cut that check without breaking a sweat

No one is paying anything. Comcast is withholding future payments to recoup the losses.

If you try to take the money from USC and UCLA, the repayment plan would need to be changed and that's a can of worms you don't want to open.

Good point, they'll just withhold from this year's payment. After this year, if theres' more owed, Comcast has to sue

I still don't think its in the best interest to sue.

If Comcast sues, the Network could declare bankruptcy. They sell off assets to pay as much debt as possible.

Thinking agressively, then Comcast becomes the proud owner of a bunch of state-of-the-art production trucks and studio facilities and whatnot. NBC Sports Net Bay Area can use that stuff, or drive the trucks to LA or the Midwest to broadcast the Big Ten games on Peacock. Or NBA games if they win that package. Or sell them to Scripps or the CW or whoever.

Comcast gonna get their money.

Quote:If that's not enough Comcast could attempt to sue the Universities but I am pretty sure the Public Universities are protected by sovereign immunity. The University Presidents were clearly left in the dark about the improprieties.

The best case scenario for Comcast is to pressure the Network to add more football games to recoup their damages faster.

Those games are promised to Fox and ESPN, that's a non-starter. Besides, it's not like football games on Pac 12 Network make anybody any money, much less the share of that money that goes to Comcast Xfinity for delivering the channel to their subscribers.