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Criticism shifts from Big 12 to Pac-12 as conference falls far behind its FBS peers in revenue

Action: USA Today reported that the Pac-12 won't reach $38 million in per school payouts until 2023, falling far behind the other four power conferences. 

Reaction: Until a year or two ago, the Big 12 was everyone's power conference piñata, a very convenient target for criticism.

Now that focus has shifted to the Pac-12 (insert Bill Walton voiceover: "The conference of champions."). The conference has earned its scorn and skepticism. It failed to put a team into the College Football Playoff. All of its men's basketball teams were gone by the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The start of the Washington-Stanford football game began on FS2 because a NASCAR truck race went long on FS1. The Pac-12 Network hasn't been nearly the revenue generator that people expected.

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Now, the USA Today story crystallizes just how far the Pac-12 is falling behind its peers in revenue. The SEC and Big Ten are pretty much U.S. mints, printing money. But the Big 12 reported nearly $36.5 million per school payouts earlier this month, and will be over the $40 million per school next season, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby indicated, not counting third-tier rights. By the time the Big 12's TV contracts with Fox and ESPN expire in 2024-25, the Big 12 should be somewhere in the mid-40s. The ACC, which has lagged the other conferences on a per school basis, is projecting over $40 million payouts when its network kicks in in 2019, USA Today reported.

Citing Washington State officials, USA today noted that the Pac-12 payout per school in the current fiscal year is estimated to be $31.5 million and $32.7 million in fiscal year 2019. That's not poverty, but its not keeping up with your next-door neighbors either.

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What does it mean? Performance on the field is one thing. Falling behind on revenue has a tendency to resonate among bottom-line minded presidents and chancellors.

Washington State President Kirk Schulz, the one-time Kansas State president who has grown more outspoken, put things in perspective to USA Today.

"I do think it's harder to compete for coaches," Schulz said. "It's harder to build facilities. It's harder to do the things we would like to do with less revenue coming in compared to [other leagues]. I do think it puts us at a disadvantage."

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Twitter: @ChuckCarltonDMN