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College sports isn’t broken. Duke just proved it’s for sale. What if Ohio State is next?
The three-game Amazon agreement could let top programs negotiate separate media deals as conferences rethink how they share revenue.
Late last week, Duke announced a new three-game streaming deal with Amazon, an arrangement the ACC and television partner ESPN permitted with conditions including future neutral-site games.
The ACC restructured media rights payments to reward high-achieving programs after Florida State and Clemson actively pursued departures, attempting to stabilize the conference amid turmoil.
Ohio State's brand value is estimated at three times the $91.5 million the Big Ten paid in fiscal 2024-25, positioning elite programs as increasingly attractive to streaming services.
Duke is leveraging the free market just as coaches and players have done, following a revenue trend that began with coaching salaries and migrated to player compensation.
Future Big Ten and SEC structures may separate elite programs from others, with top universities questioning why Ohio State's brand should supplement the 'Minnesotas of the world.