Spencer Wagen/1600 ESPN
“Anything goes” seems to be the unofficial motto for the strange, new world we find ourselves in when it comes to college sports, so that’s why I wasn’t necessarily surprised when I read the recent report that the Big 12, along with a few other conferences, are considering selling the naming rights to their conference to the highest bidder.
Yes, your favorite college sports conference could have a new name — or a new attachment to their old name — in an effort to keep up with the Joneses! Except in this case, the Joneses are the Big Ten and the SEC, which far outpace the rest of the now “power four” when it comes to cash value.
As Ross Dellenger wrote in Yahoo Sports, “Among the four power conferences, those in the ACC and Big 12 are faced with a more difficult financial climb. The Big Ten and SEC, outdistancing the other two, are creating a chasm through increased television dollars, the College Football Playoff distribution structure and other means. Projections show that schools in the two football goliaths will earn at least $20 million more within the next three to four years.”
Pair that with the news that college athletic departments in 2025 will be allowed to share millions of dollars with student athletes directly, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that conferences are looking for any way possible to grow revenue.
So, what’s in a name? In Dellenger’s report, he says the Big 12 is expected to “work with several corporations” to discuss buying the naming rights for the league. The main example given is that with Allstate Insurance, in which the Big 12 could possibly be called the “Allstate 12,” if such a partnership comes to fruition.
To be frank, that’s where you lose me. I’m cool with selling the naming rights for things, but can we do it in a tasteful way that balances the traditional name with the sponsor name as part of it? To me, the “Allstate 12” sounds like a ranking of insurance agents, or some sort of marketing ploy that helps you bundle 12 different insurance policies to save money, not a college conference. “The Big 12 presented by Allstate” or “_________________ presents the Big 12” roll off the tongue a little better, don’t they?
If we’re being honest in the whole naming-of-conferences thing, the Big 12 with 16 teams needs to be addressed, just like the Big 10 with 18 teams in it, but those topics are for another article.
In addition to selling naming rights, it sounds like some schools might be looking at private equity as a way to build up cash, and many are hoping to sell corporate sponsor patches on the athletes’ jerseys, along with corporate logos on their football fields.
This is all just a microcosm of where things stand in college athletics. As we know, it’s better to have than to have not, and if your school falls into that “have not” category, then they’ve got to find a way to keep up. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and which schools and conferences are the most aggressive at adding in all of these new revenue streams.
Spencer Wagen is the host of “Spencer on Sports,” weekdays from 4-6 p.m. on 1600 ESPN. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @SWOnTheRadio.
