The college football realignment process has always been about money, and Missouri apparently has 12 million reasons to forgo their traditional rivalries in the Big 12 and move to the SEC.
When the Tigers board of curators voted unanimously to give Chancellor Brady Deaton the authority to explore the school's options last week, they did it after reviewing a 45-page report outlining the pros and cons of leaving the Big 12. Today, the Associated Press was able to get its hands on the document:
The report outlines how much money Missouri could expect from its network and cable television contracts. It suggests Missouri could get $17.16 million in Big 12 TV money in 2012, compared to $19.25 million from an SEC deal. It also envisions a far bigger share -- up to $12 million -- should the SEC renegotiate its top-tier TV rights.
The projections for the additional revenue come from the new leverage a 14-team SEC would have in renegotiating its TV contracts: access to the St. Louis, Kansas City markets through Missouri and the Dallas, Houston and San Antonio markets through Texas A&M.