It seems there are two claims that the Big 12 has against the ESPN/OU/UT/AAC/SEC/whoever collusion.
The first is the monetary loss under the terms of the current media contract that would be incurred if the Big 12 immediately folded due to the ESPN/AAC collusion. This is basically losing any buyout income from UT/OU and/or the loss of owning the UT/OU media rights through 2025, and loss of income if the landing spot conference makes less money. This is probably the basis of the tortious interference claim by Bowlsby.
The second claim is a future earnings loss. Future earnings are often very difficult to prove, and one reason why such lawsuits are often settled for much less than originally sought, lost, or dropped. Proof has to be submitted for a some kind of monetary loss rate (i.e. $/yr), and how long that loss would be incurred.
ESPN, at the end of last year, signed a 10-year guaranteed deal (starting in 2025) with the SEC, and their ACC agreement ends in 2036. So, the time frame for the future loss suffered by the 8 remaining Big 12 schools could be reasonably defined by ESPN's own recent actions. It's also not difficult to come up with how much money ESPN would be paying to the 8 schools if the Big 12 remained intact with OU/UT as compared to what ESPN would pay the 8 schools if they were shuffled off to the AAC, again based on what ESPN is currently paying in its other contracts.
Thus, it is not difficult to define the future monetary loss for the remaining Big 8 schools (or financial gain by ESPN), as it is basically defined by ESPN's current and prior business dealings. That number is big, and makes a great motive for orchestrating the collapse of the Big 12.
The first is the monetary loss under the terms of the current media contract that would be incurred if the Big 12 immediately folded due to the ESPN/AAC collusion. This is basically losing any buyout income from UT/OU and/or the loss of owning the UT/OU media rights through 2025, and loss of income if the landing spot conference makes less money. This is probably the basis of the tortious interference claim by Bowlsby.
The second claim is a future earnings loss. Future earnings are often very difficult to prove, and one reason why such lawsuits are often settled for much less than originally sought, lost, or dropped. Proof has to be submitted for a some kind of monetary loss rate (i.e. $/yr), and how long that loss would be incurred.
ESPN, at the end of last year, signed a 10-year guaranteed deal (starting in 2025) with the SEC, and their ACC agreement ends in 2036. So, the time frame for the future loss suffered by the 8 remaining Big 12 schools could be reasonably defined by ESPN's own recent actions. It's also not difficult to come up with how much money ESPN would be paying to the 8 schools if the Big 12 remained intact with OU/UT as compared to what ESPN would pay the 8 schools if they were shuffled off to the AAC, again based on what ESPN is currently paying in its other contracts.
Thus, it is not difficult to define the future monetary loss for the remaining Big 8 schools (or financial gain by ESPN), as it is basically defined by ESPN's current and prior business dealings. That number is big, and makes a great motive for orchestrating the collapse of the Big 12.
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