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Smart people dont always do smart things.

Sometimes they are too smart for their own good. Thats how you turn 12 viable institutions into four orphans in a little more than a year.

Reports came out Friday that Pac-12 schools were offered $30 million a year each for media rights by ESPN last fall. USC and UCLA had already announced they were heading to the Big Ten, so thats a good chunk of change annually for 10 schools in the same geographic regions, some of whom have been members of the conference for most, if not all, of its 108 years of existence.

Then, according to a story first reported by John Canzano, the higher-ups for the universities made a counteroffer -- $50 million per year for each school.

Id imagine the speed of ESPN negotiators leaving the table was cartoon-like, a vapor trail in their wake.

I mean, who doesnt enjoy Pac-12 after dark football with scores such as 42-35 midway through the third quarter as Saturday night creeps into Sunday morning. But $50 million? Not a chance.

The Pac-12 commissioner tried to piece together a streaming package with Apple that promised in the neighborhood of $20 million annually to the 10 that were still in the conference. Thats not $30 million and it sure isnt $50 million.

Then Colorado opts to leave to return to the Big 12 for $32 million, so that leaves nine. And then Oregon and Washington join USC and UCLA joining the Big 10 (its really 18) before Arizona, Arizona State and Utah bolt for the Big 12 (which actually will be 16 starting in 2024).

That leaves Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State as the four left in the rubble of the West Coast. Stanford is likely the key to saving whats left.

What school has won the most NCAA championships in history? Stanford, with nearly 140. The Cardinal have won at least one NCAA title in each of the last 47 academic years. The school has the deserved reputation of being an Olympic training ground with swimmers. The mens and womens golf, tennis and soccer programs are annual powers.

Who cares if you win a national title in those sports? Well, if Missouri would win one, there would be parades for a week.

But football is the gasoline and the match that lights the financial powers in college athletics. And the Cardinal arent great on the gridiron; therefore, those nearly 140 national championships dont carry much weight when it comes to television.

And make no mistake, its all about television and television money. And with schools showing little-to-no concern about the swimmers and tennis players and track athletes.

No matter what you think of Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz, and I know there are vocal supporters and detractors when it comes to his tenure with the Tigers, he wasnt wrong when he pointed that out last Saturday.

Im saying as a collective group, have we asked ourselves whats it going to cost the student-athletes? he said at a media briefing. I saw on Twitter several student-athletes talking about one of the reasons they chose their school was so that their parents didnt have to travel. They chose a local school so that they could be regionally associated so their parents could watch them play and not have to travel. Did we ask them if they wanted to travel from the East Coast to the West Coast?

And then theres what he said at the start of his remarks on the issue.

I thought the transfer window, I thought the portal was closed, he said. Oh, thats just for the student-athletes. The adults in the room get to do whatever they want, apparently.

The adults -- even the smart ones -- can do silly things. Especially when it comes to money.

Read more from the original source:

Press Box: TV contracts ruining regional experience for some ... - Jefferson City News Tribune