Overview
- UC Investments said it will not sign a deal without all 18 Big Ten schools on board and paused the proposal while it completes additional due diligence.
- Michigan and USC have publicly opposed the private-capital plan, and Michigan regent Jordan Acker said the school would consider football independence when the current grant of rights ends in 2036 if the league proceeds without it.
- The proposal would create Big Ten Enterprises and exchange a roughly 10% stake for $2.4 billion, consolidating media and sponsorship rights and extending school commitments through 2046.
- Reports indicate the conference office and as many as 16 schools had been prepared to move forward, while trustees across multiple campuses pressed for greater transparency and involvement, including via an ACTA briefing.
- Payouts would be tiered with minimums in the low nine figures and some exceeding $150 million, as critics raise concerns over long-term autonomy and potential resale of the investor’s stake.