David Hookstead
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The Big 12 might have its sights set on the only P5 conference out west.
Currently, the PAC-12 is struggling to land a new media deal. CBS reportedly dropped out of negotiations, and with every day that passes, it looks like PAC-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff’s situation only grows more dire.
It’s not a secret the Big 12 would like to expand, and commissioner Brett Yormark has made that clear time and time again.
Now, with the PAC-12 struggling to stay above water, he might be getting ready to drive the knife even deeper.
The Big 12 prepares for more expansion.
During a recent interview on “Canzano & Wilner The Podcast,” Yormark doubled down on the strategy of bringing more teams under the Big 12 umbrella, according to SI.com.
“When I think about expansion, I think about it in a couple of ways. I think about performance, cultural fit and I also look at time zone and geography. We go through this modeling, is it the right fit for us? I continue to think about expansion for all of the right reasons and what’s going to be additive for our conference in every way possible.
When asked if the PAC-12 could be raided for parts, Yormark said he’s not “targeting” any specific program but he does want to expand into the Pacific Time Zone. Seeing as how the only P5 teams in that time zone are PAC-12 teams, it’s obvious what he’s saying.
Will the PAC-12 survive?
The reality of the situation is shockingly simple. The Big 12 has a new media deal that pays members more than $31 million.
It’s not nearly as much as the Big Ten or the SEC, but it’s still a nice chunk of guaranteed cash. The Big 12 has stability. The conference has a clear future.
Can the same be said about the PAC-12? No. George Kliavkoff’s conference is engulfed by chaos, there’s no financial future setup right now and the longer that goes on, the more likely it becomes teams ditch. Despite Kliavkoff’s Baghdad Bob impressions, nobody is buying that the PAC-12 is secure and stable.
It could happen. It might not. Either way, the longer this drags on, the more attractive the Big 12 becomes. Yormark and his conference have to be loving this chaos and carnage.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how this all plays out. Right now, PAC-12 officials should be very nervous. Yormark is openly telegraphing what he plans to do, and there might not be anything that can be done to stop him.
The Big12 taking UA, ASU, Colo, and Utah makes total sense … allowing that UCF playing Utah is as silly as USC playing Rutgers. Alas, the falling domino that creates is not good IMO. Gutting the Pac12 means Oregon and Wash are destined for the B!G which furthers messes that up.
It’s waaaay too late to set up six geographic-based conferences of no more than 12 teams … with ONE national TV contract that guarantees all 72 schools A LOT of $$$$. … sigh.
I don’t see Oregon or Washington ending up in the B1G, given the fact that Kevin Warren is basically about to kill his career by taking charge of Da Bears (a franchise who rivals the Dallas Cowboys in the perennial underachievement category) and there’s no guarantee that a new B1G commissioner or the presidents/ADs are overly eager to expand past 16 schools.