Big 12 Media rights: $50 million in the bank for new teams? Investigating how much each team will be paid as part of the media deal in 2023

Without a doubt, moving to the Big 12 conference will result in a huge financial windfall for Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU. The four schools are now officially full members of the conference and are set to benefit from its huge media deal.

With the recently secured new media deal with ESPN and FOX, commencing in 2025, there's a possibility for each school to receive a substantial increase in funding. Under the six-year, $2.28 billion deal, member schools could potentially receive up to $50 million annually.

This marks a significant rise from the $44 million allocation that each of the ten member schools is set to receive this year. In the most recent round of television payouts, the conference distributed a total of $440 million to its member institutions.

An upward trend in Big 12 distribution

Last year, the Big 12 set a conference record for distribution by allocating $42.6 million per school. However, the conference has now surpassed that record with a distribution of $44 million per school, and this upward trend seems likely to continue.

The figure shared annually among the conference members comes from a diverse range of sources. These include media rights, compensation from bowl games, NCAA Tournament units from both men's and women's basketball, and a host of others.

The Big 12 is poised for significant changes in the coming year, but the conference remains a lucrative source of revenue for member schools. While Texas and Oklahoma gear up for their last season, the future appears promising for the conference.

With the inclusion of four new institutions for the upcoming season, the conference is expected to maintain its strong position in revenue sharing. However, it’s worth noting that newly added teams in the conference will not receive a complete distribution in the first few years.

Where does the Big 12 rank among the Power Five

Comparing revenue distribution among the Power Five conferences, the Big 12 seems to be in a good place. The conference’s distribution of $44 million per school ranks third. The Big Ten is in the lead with $58.8 million, followed by the SEC at $49.9 million.

According to USA Today, the American Atlantic Conference reportedly distributes between $37.9 million to $41.3 million to each of its members. The Pac-12, on the other hand, holds fifth place, distributing a total of $37 million per school.

Underneath, the surge in conference expansion and realignment is spurred by money. University athletic departments want to align where it is most financially beneficial, while conferences also seek to maintain their relevance by adding more reputable teams.