How USC & UCLA leaving dents the Pac-12's media rights deal ambitions for 2023 and beyond

The Pac-12 Conference is wading through uncharted waters as they prepare to lose both the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins after the 2023 season.

This is going to make a deal a lot more difficult as losing two of the most significant programs in the conference means the money of the deal is going to decrease.

The Pac-12 is in the midst of trying to negotiate a media rights deal and are trying to figure out the framework of the deal. Can a deal be done or is this the final act of the conference?

Can the Pac-12 be finished after USC and UCLA leave?

The media rights for the Pac-12 have not been figured out despite the Washington State president saying a few weeks ago that the deal would be completed by the end of June. A big cause of concern has been the exclusion of the two top schools in the conference leaving in less than 12 months to join the Big Ten Conference.

The conference wants a deal that is larger than the Big 12's current deal but they are in a worse situation. What is the appeal of the Pac-12 right now to media companies?

The conference feels like they are on life support as the rumor mill is swirling with the Colorado Buffaloes following suit and looking for a new Power Five Conference to call home. If Colorado is also rumored to be gone soon, few, if any valuable assets remain.

College football sells but there are no national programs that are going to be at the forefront of the college football world. The closest fans have seen in the last 20 years of the remaining programs would be the Oregon Ducks, but that did not last too long.

The conference is getting close to its expiration point and that will arguably be a terrible day for college athletics. Furthermore, it remains to be seen if they merge with the Big 12 or another lower conference and try to make things work as a new group.

They can also look to expand and get independent programs like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on board, but at this point, that feels like a longshot before the deal is finalized.

This is going to be a wild few weeks ahead as the Pac-12 is in a race with time to try and get a brand new deal before their current ones with Fox Sports and ESPN are scheduled to conclude on July 1, 2024.