As expansion and realignment talks gain momentum, Utah Utes find themselves involved in a rather petty action during this offseason, despite the uncertainty surrounding their future in the Pac-12 Conference.

According to a report by Tim Fitzgerald of GoPowercat, Ian Fitzsimmons of ESPN mentioned on SiriusXM College Sports radio that Utah has been avoiding the Big 12 Conference's phone calls amid expansion talks. An official from the Big 12 shared their perspective, acknowledging Utah's success in basketball and football ticket sales within a top 35 media market. However, they questioned why Utah isn't pursuing TV deals with the Big 12, to which the response was that the Utes are not exactly responsive to the conference's inquiries.

The reasoning behind Utah's lack of interest in the Big 12 seems to be connected to a desire not to appear as if they are following their rival, BYU, into the same conference. While some may understand this decision to an extent, it appears rather illogical to completely dismiss the opportunities presented by the Big 12, especially given the uncertain circumstances within the Pac-12 Conference as it attempts to secure a media rights deal with its remaining nine schools.

The Pac-12 Conference is set to reveal its proposed media rights deal, aiming to keep the conference intact. However, there are reports of pessimism and uncertainty surrounding the deal, including doubts about where the linear aspect of the agreement will come from.

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