Ian Miller
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ASU is likely to stay in the beleaguered Pac-12 Conference, according to a new report.
Jason Scheer of Wildcat Scoop reported that he believes ASU isn’t a candidate to leave the Pac-12 as of right now.
“Since I’ve seen it a few times, will go on record here,” Scheer said. “ASU is unlikely to leave Pac-12. Arizona is confident it can split when/if needed based on what ABOR has said.”
Scheer is referring to the Arizona Board of Regents, which governs public universities in the state.
Just as in California, where Governor Gavin Newsom threatened unsuccessfully to stop UCLA from leaving, Arizona’s BOR could get involved in realignment dicussions.
READ: GAVIN NEWSOM THREATENS ACTION AGAINST UCLA DUE TO BIG 10 MOVE
Arizona is apparently confident that if they wanted to leave and ASU wanted to stay, the Board would not intervene.
Realignment talk around the Pac-12 continues to swirl, with Colorado potentially a possibility to leave.
Pac-12 Holding On By A Thread
Despite the lack of a new media rights deal, the conference seems to be just barely sticking together.
ASU likely doesn’t want to split from its historic rival Arizona, and many Pac-12 schools are in wait and see mode.
If the new deal generates significantly higher payouts to member institutions, the Pac-12 could even explore expansion instead of falling apart.
SDSU has been rumored to join, while also waiting to hear how the media rights negotiations play out.
READ: SDSU AD ANNOUNCES PAC-12 MEDIA DEAL TIMELINE UPDATE, WON’T CONFIRM IF THE AZTECS WILL JOIN
ASU sticking around for now is great news for the conference, at a time when they need all of it they can get.
I guarantee you that as soon as ASU sees that the PACifist 12 final media deal is garbage vs. the Big 12, they’ll be changing their tune about staying in the PACifist 12. The Big 12 leadership seems far more committed to building their brand and boosting their membership post-Texas/OU. Contrast that with the current, and immediate past, leadership in the PACifist 12, it’s a miracle they’re still in one piece.