David Hookstead
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The PAC-12 has a plan ready to roll if Colorado leaves the conference.
There’s been speculation for months that the Buffaloes are the most likely program to leave the PAC-12 for the Big 12 amid nonstop chaos and a lack of a new media deal.
Some reports have claimed it’s nearing the status of a done deal. While that certainly hasn’t been proven true, there’s plenty of smoke surrounding whatever might be happening in Boulder.
Now, it appears the PAC-12 already has a contingency plan in place.
Will Colorado leave the PAC-12?
ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote earlier in the week “it remains improbable the Buffaloes leave for the Big 12 until the Pac-12 presidents get a firm sense of what their next television deal is going to look like.”
However, that’s not the part of his report that fans should focus on. The ESPN reporter noted “Colorado’s patience has waned, which prompted the in-person meeting with the Big 12 back in May.”
With the clock running out on time to get a new media deal done and chaos continuing to consume the carnage, it appears like Colorado is at least kicking the tires on all options.
If the Buffaloes do make a jump to the Big 12, the PAC-12 will be ready to move quickly. Thamel reported San Diego State has already been “acknowledged around the” PAC-12 as a “quick solution” to Colorado leaving.
What will happen?
All eyes remain on Colorado to see whether or not the Buffaloes will actually pull the trigger on moving. The biggest fear for the PAC-12 is that many dominos could quickly fall after the first one does.
There’s no doubt Colorado leaving for the Big 12 could immediately start a chain reaction that can’t be stopped.
If Colorado is gone, why would Oregon or Washington agree to sign any long term media deal? It wouldn’t be in their best interest at all to remain in a further watered down PAC-12.
Having said that, SDSU is the logical choice to replace any void in the PAC-12. It’s already in the region, has money, just built a new football stadium and is in a market that seems to be solid and growing.
However, adding a G5 school to replace a P5 school is still a significant downgrade. There’s no way around that fact.
Just remember to continue treating everything with a healthy level of skepticism. The situation only ends once, and that’s when ink dries on contracts.
ucb sucks.
If Colorado is gone, why would Oregon or Washington agree to sign any long term media deal?
Why would Washington and Oregon agree to sign any long term media deal regardless of what Colorado does? Everyone is focusing on the annual payout for any new PAC-12 deal, also look at the duration. The instant the Big Ten will have them, those programs are GONE.
Colorado is irrelevant to the futures of every team in the PAC 12
Oh no. Not Colorado. Whatever will the the PAC12 do without a bottom-feeder football team that occasionally puts a 10 seed in the NCAA tournament?
While I acknowledge the PAC12 is the joke of the “power 5,” Colorado has been less relevant than Oregon State in the conference since they joined. They are the Rutgers of the PAC12 without the TV audience