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Big 12 issues cease and desist letter to ESPN

BattleshipTexas

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Oct 15, 2001
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Big 12 issues cease and desist letter to ESPN. Wow, bold strategy for currying favor with the biggest TV coverage of college football.

As first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, the Big 12 has sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN on Wednesday looking to prevent the television network from communicating with league members regarding conference realignment.

“The letter demands ESPN end ‘all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing members,'” Thamel wrote on Twitter. “‘Or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference’s members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment.”

The Big 12 and ESPN agreed to an expanded media rights deal back in 2019, which led to ESPN adding the Big 12 football championship game to the network’s lineup and creating a Big 12 platform on ESPN+. That deal runs through the 2024-25 academic year.

ESPN also owns the Longhorn Network, which pays roughly $10-$15 million per year to the University of Texas.

The league attempted to begin discussions to extend their media rights deals with ESPN and Fox earlier this year but were rebuffed by the media partners. The SEC, which is expected to vote to officially add Oklahoma and Texas as members starting in 2025 later this week, is also closely connected with ESPN, having signed a new 10-year, $3 billion deal that made ESPN the official home of SEC’s prime football package starting later this decade.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2021/07/report-big-12-sends-cease-desist-letter-to-espn/

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According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, the Big 12 Conference sent a cease and desist order to ESPN on Wednesday.

The letter allegedly demands ESPN end "all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference's existing members or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference's members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment," according to Thamel.

https://www.si.com/college/westvirginia/big-12/report-big-12-sends-cease-and-desist-letter-to-espn
 
Big 12 is fighting a losing battle. Trying to force anyone (business or personal relationships) to stay against their will never works out well.
 
Big 12 conference offices knows they’re now circling the drain.....time to reach out and grab money from wherever they can off the money tree, before they fall out of the tree completely
 
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Seems like the Big 12 would have some legal standing here against ESPN if allegations are true that ESPN conspired with SEC to raid Big 12...believe me, if this makes its way to court, the presidents of Texas and OU and the bigwigs at ESPN do not want to be on the stand under oath...

Edit...the allegations are that ESPN conspired with American Athletic Conference AAC to raid Big 12, not conspired with SEC.
 
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It's really embarrassing when you just don't know that "It's Over"...

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