Jon Wilner

Jon Wilner

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Pac‑12/college sports business columnist; conference realignment/media economics.

College Football Landscape Shifts: Media Rights, Bowl Signals
SocialApr 24, 2026

College Football Landscape Shifts: Media Rights, Bowl Signals

new Hotline mailbag: - momentous NFL media rights - Holiday Bowl as coal mine canary - Big Ten + CFP = 24 - MW, Pac-12 expansion options - loads more -->

By Jon Wilner
NFL Media Rights Deal Redefines College Sports Landscape
SocialApr 23, 2026

NFL Media Rights Deal Redefines College Sports Landscape

This is a small but good example of the sweeping impact the NFL media rights negotiations will have on college sports - there is no bigger issue facing the industry (not athlete employment, not the portal, not postseason expansion, etc)

By Jon Wilner
Expanding to 24 Teams Won’t Solve Financial Drain
SocialApr 22, 2026

Expanding to 24 Teams Won’t Solve Financial Drain

Tim makes a salient point about multi-network access being beneficial. But "expand to 24 because the schools need more money" is a flawed argument, because expenses will rise in lockstep with revenue. And then they will clamor for *even more*...

By Jon Wilner
Early 2026‑27 MBB Rankings and Conference Forecast Links
SocialApr 21, 2026

Early 2026‑27 MBB Rankings and Conference Forecast Links

Our early MBB rankings for 2026-27 (icymi) and a 🧵of links to conference race forecasts --> https://t.co/f0swOU6dPU

By Jon Wilner
WSU Crafts Unique, Powerful Brand Amid Pac‑12 Expansion
SocialApr 20, 2026

WSU Crafts Unique, Powerful Brand Amid Pac‑12 Expansion

WSU president Elizabeth Cantwell on possible Pac-12 expansion (today at AD Jon Haarlow's news conference): “We are building a new brand, which is unique and very powerful ...

By Jon Wilner
Pac-12 Negotiating 2026 Bowl Deals, Announcement Pending
SocialApr 18, 2026

Pac-12 Negotiating 2026 Bowl Deals, Announcement Pending

Statement from the Pac-12: “We continue to work through agreements for our future bowl partnerships in 2026 and remain focused on arranging for the best possible opportunities and events for our programs, student-athletes and fans. We will be excited to announce...

By Jon Wilner
Week 0 Start Gives Games Pre‑NFL Spotlight
SocialApr 17, 2026

Week 0 Start Gives Games Pre‑NFL Spotlight

Starting the 2027+ seasons on Week 0 would certainly create scheduling flexibility but the major benefit would be playing more games before the NFL starts, when there is effectively zero competition for eyeballs.

By Jon Wilner
West Coast School Realignment Persists, over 30 Affected
SocialApr 17, 2026

West Coast School Realignment Persists, over 30 Affected

Realignment continues to roil the West Coast five years after the wave began. More than 30 schools have been impacted, with UC Santa Barbara the latest. "The end is not in sight." --->

By Jon Wilner
College Playoffs May Merge Football and Basketball by 2030s
SocialApr 15, 2026

College Playoffs May Merge Football and Basketball by 2030s

Latest Hotline mailbag (icymi) examines how the college football and basketball postseasons could become two arms of the same entity in the 2030s. https://t.co/YfPviYGS7k

By Jon Wilner
Pac‑12 Meetings Tackle 2026 Bowl Lineup, Clarity Unlikely
SocialApr 14, 2026

Pac‑12 Meetings Tackle 2026 Bowl Lineup, Clarity Unlikely

Pac-12 meetings this week in Corvallis will address a barrage of issues, including the bowl lineup for 2026 (just don't expect any clarity) -->

By Jon Wilner
Big Ten's Strategist Unnecessary Amid Smooth College Sports
SocialApr 13, 2026

Big Ten's Strategist Unnecessary Amid Smooth College Sports

Hard to figure why the Big Ten would possibly need a strategist given the seamless state of major college sports

By Jon Wilner
Stu Jackson’s WCC Strategy Evolves with UCSB Addition
SocialApr 10, 2026

Stu Jackson’s WCC Strategy Evolves with UCSB Addition

Given news that UCSB is joining the WCC, per @JonRothstein, here's our late-March look at commissioner Stu Jackson's strategy for the conference: https://t.co/D8i6SvwJF5

By Jon Wilner
Arizona Goes All-In on Basketball Amid Football Realignment
SocialApr 10, 2026

Arizona Goes All-In on Basketball Amid Football Realignment

Tommy Lloyd's new contract, and his direct line to the president, indicate Arizona is all-in with basketball in a football world with more realignment looming. Should make for an interesting case study --->

By Jon Wilner
C
SocialApr 10, 2026

C

new 'Canzano & Wilner' pod with @johncanzanobft takes aim at NCAAT expansion, WSU hiring Haarlow, Arizona's flameout and the Lloyd extension, what's next for the P12 and MW and more https://t.co/ogQYBkdES8

By Jon Wilner