Tulane Green Wave Committed to AAC Future after Pac-12 Realignment Discussions
It appears that the Tulane Green Wave is staying put in their conference alongside Memphis, USF, and UTSA.
After speculation that one of the biggest names in the American Athletic Conference might leave for greener pastures, the program announced on Monday that it would decline its invitation to join the rebuilding Pac-12 conference. Tulane, who has been a member of the AAC since 2014, will remain put after receiving a proposal at the once highly respected conference.
The news comes as somewhat of a surprise, as the Pac-12's name brings the prestige of a former Power-5 conference and high competition at the Group of 5 level, but Tulane seems to have bigger plans on the horizon.
The AAC released a joint statement that included Tulane among three other top teams (Memphis, South Florida, and UTSA) in the conference that received interest from the Pac-12. The conference and four teams made a commitment to “continuing to build the American brand, exploring new opportunities for exposure and value.”
We are the American Athletic Conference. pic.twitter.com/nuwCtF0dQz
— The American (@American_Conf) September 23, 2024
The American Athletic Conference is currently in the middle of a 12-year, $1B deal with ESPN for its media rights. The deal began in the 2020 season and runs through the 2031-32 academic year.
According to Yahoo Sports, the four programs, including Tulane, reportedly proposed a deal that had projected annual revenues between $10-15 million, a much higher number than the average revenue from the American’s current media deal of just under $7M. However, the departure from the AAC would have developed an approximate $25 million worth of exit fees for each school that decided to depart.
With the changing landscape of college sports, Tulane's move to the Pac-12 could eventually have turned into a regretful decision for the other teams who received the invite. It would have required more money for aspects such as travel to the West Coast for all sports at the University.
The public commitment from four of the conference's most prominent programs is a big win for AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti, who, according to reports, also intends to explore new distribution models and expansion.
The Pac-12 will need to look elsewhere, as it must have at least eight teams to remain a conference. With the failed attempts to branch out to Eastern teams, it may redirect its attention back to Mountain West schools.
CHRISTIAN RAUH