Realignment insider hints at potential bonus offer by Big 12 for the first ACC school to jump ship like Deion Sanders’ Colorado
The Big 12 Conference and its possible expansion has been one of the biggest stories during the college football offseason. It has been clear that one of their targets has been raiding the Atlantic Coast Conference and targeting some teams has been critical for their future.
College football insider Greg Swaim posted on social media how he is hearing that the Big 12 Conference is considering adding a potential bonus offer for the first Atlantic Coast Conference team that makes the jump to the Big 12.
The Colorado Buffaloes were one of the bigger targets last college football offseason and getting coach Deion Sanders and the program was a massive target. It is not clear what the added incentive bonus pay will be from the Big 12 Conference but we do know how much the league decided to pay Colorado to get them to join conference realignment.
What was the bonus offer that the Colorado Buffaloes received for joining the Big 12?
The Big 12 Conference was aggressive in adding programs after seeing the departure of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners to the SEC. However, it was revealed that the Colorado Buffaloes were paid an additional incentive bonus offer to rejoin the Big 12.
According to multiple reports, Big 12 Conference Commissioner Brett Yormark offered the University of Colorado an additional $2.5 million as a sweetener to join the conference. They were the first school to leave the Pac-12 Conference and join the Big 12 expansion before the Utah Utes, Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils.
What ACC teams could the Big 12 be targeting with the bonus offer?
While Greg Swaim has been a bit vague about which team the Big 12 has been targeting with this additional pay to be the first team to make the move to their conference. It seems like the Big 12 will target either the Clemson Tigers or Florida State Seminoles with these additional bonuses as they are the big fish in the small ACC pond right now.
It will be interesting to monitor but it all depends on the Grant of Rights Agreement and how the legal system decides to rule on it.