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Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has dominated coverage of the Pac-12 Network and he provided some new information and insight on Friday. Here are a few points that stood out to me.
First off, there was nothing new on the DirecTV front, although the network does have a deal in place with AT&T. Pac-12 Networks president Lydia Murphy-Stephans is saying the same thing. The network will be "relentless" in adding distribution, but still nothing yet.
The first year of the network is coming to a close and according to Wilner, the network is expected to turn a slight profit for the year. That was unexpected and while the schools aren't likely to receive a payout, it seems like a good sign for the future of the network.
Finally, Rick Neuheisel isn't going anywhere as he signed a multi-year deal to remain with the network. Good news for the Neuheisel fans in the group, as he's expected to have an even greater presence on air next year.
Football:
Pac-12 football recruiting pitches - ESPN
What they're selling: Mike Leach is still one of the most interesting personalities in college football, and despite some stumbles in his first year at Washington State, recruits are still interested to see what the Cougars can do this fall in his second year.
Caught up with Pac-12 Networks president Lydia Murphy-Stephans on Wednesday about plans for the Pac12Nets’ sophomore season, which technically begins Aug. 15. The highlights of our conversation:
Basketball:
Ken Bone talks Klay Thompson and next season.
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Yakima Herald Republic | WSU’s Bone says more wins are on the way, even if more Thompsons aren’t
"We have some good players coming back," Bone said, "and we have some good players coming in. I can’t say I think we have another Klay Thompson on our team, because Klay was really good and a very special player. But I do believe we’re headed in the right direction."
Baseball:
It seems like it's been months since WSU won a baseball game, but the Cougars came out on top on Friday.
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Cougars Hold on to Beat Trojans - The Washington State University Official Athletic Site
LOS ANGELES - Jason Monda and Trace Tam Sing each collected three hits and Washington State edged USC 7-6 in Pac-12 Conference baseball, Friday night.