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Pac-12 bailout? Conference reportedly considering loan program worth nearly $1 billion
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What’s it going to take to save the Pac-12 if the league doesn’t play football this fall? Potentially a billion dollars.
Should college football not be played on the West Coast this season, the Pac-12 is reportedly working towards a loan program that would provide up to $83 million to each of the league’s 12 teams according to Jon Wilner of the Mercury News.
If all 12 Pac-12 teams opt-in to the loan program and seek the maximum amount offered, the total loan size would be $996 million borrowed by the conference.
The schools would have 10 years to pay back the loan at an interest rate of 3.75 percent.
As you could imagine, football is a crucial piece of finances in the Pac-12.
According to Wilner, Oregon State’s football team brings in 80 percent of the universities sports revenue, Utah generates two-thirds of all revenues, meanwhile, Washington State athletics has $100 million in debt, UCLA is facing a two-year shortfall of around $40 million and Cal is close to $15 million in debt.
Taking those issues into account, it’s no wonder the league could soon be looking into taking out a loan just to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
