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The B1G isn't in the business of handing out life rafts. It's all about the benjamins, and in spite of the bay area being #6 tv market, only a tiny percentage of that market watches Cal & Stanford football. No economic upside for Fox, I mean the B1G to add them.

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There is definitely upside depending on the size (or lack thereof) of the payout. If the Pac-12 blows up, the B1G have all the negotiating power they need to pull in the four schools at well below market, which seems where this is headed if the current nine teams can't hold.

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The market for Cal is California, not just The Bay Area. Stanford is National (good brand but not necessarily eyes or butts in seats).

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Think out of the box. The Big TenтАЩs 100,000+ alumni in the Bay Area will watch and attend the games even if Cal and Stanford students and alumni wonтАЩt. They are the viewer market just as they are for NYC and DC. Maryland and Rutgers had semi empty stadiums until they joined the Big Ten. Fox knows this as does the Big Ten. Supporters of the Big 12 are the ones spreading the rumors and hoping for the PAC 10тАЩ demise. The Big Ten wanted to wait until the next round of media negotiations before adding more teams.

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Problem with the alumni in the Bay Area argument is that the Big 10 games are all already broadcast nationally or streaming services, so those people can already see the games. The local revenue from tickets is t whatтАЩs driving the dollars itтАЩs the tv dollars.

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I can assure you that Big 10 alumni go to games where their teams are the visitors. The price of tickets at Maryland and Rutgers are about half of what it costs at most Big Ten schools. IтАЩm been to games in these stadiums where probably 75% of the seats are filled with the colors of the visiting teams.

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