Pac-12 took a huge revenue hit in 2020-21
The Pac-12 Conference suffered a 36% decrease in revenue for the 2020-21 fiscal year due in large part to pandemic-related cancellations in football and basketball.
The conference announced Friday that it had total revenues of $344 million and distributions to member schools of $238 million. The $19.8 million payouts per school represented a drop of 41% from the previous year.
The Pac-12 said the drop-offs stemmed from decreases in media rights and postseason bowl revenues due to game cancellations, lower event revenue with no fans and increases in costs for COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The decreases were offset slightly by lower operating costs due to no fans, lower production costs from canceled games and lower personnel costs from salary reductions, furloughs and layoffs.
The Pac-12 Networks reported revenues of $43 million and operating expenses of $57 million. Consolidated expenses for the conference and Pac-12 Networks decreased by 23% from the previous year. MWC ELIMINATES FOOTBALL DIVISIONS >> The Mountain West Conference is eliminating its two-division format for football, and beginning with the 2023 season the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages will compete in the championship game.
San Jose State has been a member of the Mountain West in football since the 2013 season.
The conference announced the move on Friday afternoon, saying that changing the format to ensure its top two regular-season teams meet in the title game will “put the Mountain West in the best position for a place in the College Football Playoff.” The Mountain West has never had a team participate in the College Football Playoff.
The MW will continue with its existing Mountain and West Divisions in the fall of 2022, with the two divisional champions meeting in the MW Football Championship Game on Dec. 3.
Tennis
WIMBLEDON'S RUSSIA BAN
PROMPTS TOURS TO CUT POINTS >> The women's and men's professional tennis tours will not award ranking points for Wimbledon this year because of the All England Club's ban on players from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine, an unprecedented move that stands as a significant rebuke of the sport's oldest Grand Slam tournament.
The WTA and ATP announced their decisions two days before the start of the French Open — and a little more than a month before play begins at Wimbledon on June 27.
In a technical sense, this renders the event an exhibition, because there are no ranking points at stake. Still, it remains Wimbledon, with its traditions and prestige, not to mention millions of dollars in prize money, and so the expectation is that everyone eligible to enter will do so. RUUD, SOUSA ADVANCE
TO GENEVA OPEN FINAL
Casper Ruud will defend his Geneva Open title against unseeded Joao Sousa after both had straight sets wins in the semifinals.
The No. 8-ranked Ruud beat Reilly Opelka 7-6 (2), 7-5 to lift his career record to 4-0 against the bigserving American, who is ranked No. 18.
Ruud has hit form approaching the French Open that starts on Sunday, also reaching the semifinals of the Masters event in Rome last week.
Sousa advanced to his first clay-court final since 2018 by beating Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-2.
Motorsports
SATO FASTEST DRIVER IN INDY 500 PRACTICE >> Takuma
Sato was the fastest driver at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before IndyCar drivers were given some extra boost for practice from the incredibly gusty winds.
The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner from Japan finished atop the speed chart for the third consecutive day with the fastest lap of the week at 232.789 mph.
Sato is attempting to win his third 500 with a third team. His first win, in 2017, came with Andretti Autosport.
Alexander Rossi, the 2016 race winner, posted the second-best lap at 231.883 and Pato O'Ward of Mexico was third at 231.788. O'Ward had the top Chevrolet in the final six-hour practice session before qualifying begins today. The pole shootout will be held Sunday with the biggest race of the IndyCar season scheduled for May 29.
College basketball
INDIANA'S JACKSON-DAVIS
PULLS OUT OF NBA DRAFT >> The Indiana Hoosiers' top player, Trayce Jackson-Davis, will be on the court next season after he withdrew from the NBA draft.
The 6-foot-9 JacksonDavis still has two years of eligibility remaining and will begin his senior season ranked No. 15 on the school's career scoring list with 1,565 points.