Kansas senator calls to investigate ESPN for its role in Big 12, SEC realignment
It remains unclear what, if any, role ESPN has played in the latest round of conference realignment at the highest level of college sports, but one politician thinks the public deserves a definitive answer.
U.S. senator Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, has drafted a letter to U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland asking for the Department of Justice to launch a formal investigation into ESPN.
Marshall drafted the letter on Wednesday, a few days after traditional Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Texas announced plans to join the SEC and left the Big 12’s remaining eight members unsure about their collective future.
“I write today to ask that the DOJ investigate ESPN’s role in the potential destruction of the Big 12 Conference,” Marshall wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Wichita Eagle, “and if any anti-competitive or illegal behavior occurred relating to manipulating the conference change or ESPN’s contractual television rights.”
ESPN’s role in conference realignment has become a hot-button topic over the past two weeks.
Not long after news broke that Oklahoma and Texas were prepared to switch leagues, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby sent a “cease-and-desist” letter to ESPN and accused the TV network of conspiring with at least one other conference to break up the Big 12. He suggested that ESPN helped the Sooners and Longhorns find a new conference home and that ESPN worked with the American Athletic Conference in hopes of poaching several of the Big 12’s remaining teams, such as Kansas and K-State.
Marshall has ties to both schools. He is a graduate of the KU medical school and also obtained a biology degree from K-State with a minor in nuclear physics.
Bowlsby went so far as to say ESPN was engaging in a clear act of “deception” against the Big 12.
“I have absolute certainty they (ESPN) have been involved in manipulating other conferences to go after our members,” Bowlsby told the Associated Press. He also claimed he had irrefutable proof to back up his claims, but denied to provide it with media outlets.
The Big 12 has a media rights contract with ESPN and Fox that runs through 2025. ESPN is the sole TV partner for the SEC and also broadcasts AAC games.
Some believe ESPN played a role in breaking up the Big 12 as a way to add value to its partnership with SEC. If more teams decided to leave for the AAC, that would allow ESPN to get out of the remainder of its lucrative Big 12 contract and enhance the AAC.
ESPN responded with a letter of its own saying Bowlsby’s accusations have no merit.
Texas president Jay Hartzell, during a recent political hearing, also denied that his school had any conversations with ESPN about switching conferences.
Mike Aresco, commissioner of the AAC, also denied that his conference “aligned or plotted with ESPN” to go after any Big 12 teams.
“Our conference has never strategically aligned or plotted with ESPN to influence conference structures,” Aresco said. “We wouldn’t do that. ESPN has never done that and would not do it. We do consult with our television and business partners on issues related to our conference. Everyone does, of course. But any suggestions or statements that we colluded with ESPN with regard to the structure of any other conference is a completely unfounded and grossly irresponsible accusation.”
Earlier this week, Bowlsby promised to publicly downplay his conference’s grievances with ESPN in the future.
“We have agreed to not escalate this publicly,” Bowlsby said. “It’s in neither party’s best interest to do so.”
Marshall isn’t ready to let the situation fizzle out, however.
