Think about the logic.
PAC 10 was dead last in revenue last year.
Colorado AD is having a hard time giving away tickets. Just got an email for ticket offer for Iowa State game. I can bring the whole family for next to nothing. But I bet I could get the tic even cheaper at the game.
Adding a mid-major and CU to the P10 are going to create this ratings generating machine that will in turn produce this amazing TV deal?
The math doesn't work. A CCG is not that big of a deal. It's something, but not much split 12 ways.
CU doesn't even get ratings in the Denver market. What makes you thing Denver folks will watch p10 games with schools 1000 miles+ away. Some of the B12 schools are far away, but all of the p10 schools are far away save UU, the former mid major.
You really are looking at the past too much, in this situation. "In the past" a conference-owned network seemed ridiculously foolish. That has changed with the Big Ten model. "In the past" the Pac-10 under Tom Hansen actually went out of their way to AVOID signing big money television revenues as they felt it wasn't necessary. That has obviously changed in short order. "In the past" the ACC was comparable to the Pac-10 in revenue streams and in mindset. That changed in 2003-04 with the expansion to 12 teams. It didn't payoff big-time for the ACC until just this past round of TV negotiations when they were able to package their total sports deals into one EXTREMELY lucrative contract. "In the past" no single school could top Notre Dame for private-rights programming on a national broadcaster, but UT might be doing that right now.
Clearly the FUTURE is brighter than the "past" across the board for college sports and their television rights. How do you continue to assume that the Pac-12 won't capitalize also?
The Pac-10 is now up to bat and they are taking a two-fold approach by expanding and forming their own TV network, while obviously taking aggressive steps to capitalize on their teams previously undervalued market appeal.
You say that nobody in Denver will watch CU play football in the Pac-10?
It is all about access, not necessarily big ratings. By placing a network in big markets while landing expanded-basic cable tier or on satellites is what brings in the revenue. There is a near guarantee that 500,000 homes on an expanded tier cable or satellite package can generate $6 million per year by itself. The ratings for that type of programming don't have to be overwhelming (you're talking a 2.0 overnight or something similar), but serviceable for a cable network to be succesful in that market.
A conference with Los Angeles, Bay Area, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Salt Lake, and surrounding communities will generate a significant amount of revenue from their network. Then you factor in television advertising, bowl games, basketball tourneys, championship games, etc.
Lastly, the 3-4 times population of CU alumni in the Pac-12 footprint should realistically increase the donations and merchandise sales for the school.
Downplay Utah all you want, I really don't care, but constantly referring to them as a "mid-major" is just the same as calling you a snot-nosed kid, even if you are a 35 year old high-powered executive now. You are what you are, not what someone's former perception of what you used to be. Utah has been killing it in both major sports for nearly a decade now, they draw big crowds and win big games, they are not a "mid-major", especially when compared to Washington State, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, and many many other supposed "major" programs.