Arizona State AD Makes Bold Claim About The PAC-12's Future, Endorses Possible Expansion

Arizona State AD Ray Anderson apparently has complete confidence the PAC-12 will survive.

The PAC-12 continues to hunt for a new media deal, and the lack of an agreement and guaranteed payday for conference members is one of the biggest stories in college sports.

With every day that passes without a deal, schools will wonder more and more if there's more security elsewhere.

Well, Anderson isn't sweating, despite the fact no deal has been reached and it's past the middle of May.

Ray Anderson has faith in the PAC-12.

Despite zero public information being available to indicate the PAC-12 is on solid ground, the man responsible for running the Sun Devils doesn't sound worried.

He told the media he's "very confident in the long-term viability" of the PAC-12, and the 10 schools that will remain once USC and UCLA leave for the Big Ten "are solid."

Anderson also set his sights on July or August for a new media deal to be done. That should be taken with a grain of salt. The media deal timeline has been a moving target for months. Until something is signed, it's hard to take anything seriously.

Arizona State AD endorses expansion.

One of the biggest questions facing the PAC-12 is whether or not the conference will expand. The top two options are SMU and SDSU, and Ray Anderson is all for it.

Anderson also made it clear he doesn't intend to cut and run to the Big 12. Rumors of teams leaving for the Big 12 have existed for months, but again, be careful of what you trust.

Until there's actual movement and contracts signed, everything should be viewed through some skeptical lens.

It's past the middle of May, and no deal has been reached on a new media deal or expansion. Both things could happen soon. However, how long have we been hearing this chatter? For months. At some point, there needs to be significant movement or PAC-12 teams are going to start feeling real jumpy. Will Ray Anderson's confidence prove to be justified? Time will soon tell, but for now, the chaos with the PAC-12 remains.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.