David Hookstead
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Oregon and Washington’s dreams of rowing a lifeboat to the Big Ten might not come to fruition.
The PAC-12 is on the verge of complete collapse after Colorado decided to join the Big 12 starting in 2024. The PAC-12’s lack of a new media deal was ultimately something the Buffaloes couldn’t deal with any longer.
Now, they’re headed back home. That has everyone wondering whether or not the PAC-12’s days are numbered.
The natural landing spot for Oregon seems like the Big Ten, but the interest might not be mutual. In fact, it sounds like the Big Ten might be content with staying at 16 teams once USC and UCLA join in 2024.
“I don’t see Oregon & Washington have a good spot to go right now. There is zero indication that Big 10 presidents want to go beyond 16,” PAC-12 insider Jon Wilner told Paul Finebaum during a Friday afternoon interview.
Will Oregon join the Big Ten?
The reality is the PAC-12 might not exist in a few years. It might not exist by next summer. It’s as close to complete collapse as it has ever been.
Colorado could see the writing on the wall and decided to leave. How long before Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Utah come to the same conclusion the Buffaloes did?
I imagine it could happen at any moment. However, if the Big Ten doesn’t want Oregon – which is just insane to me – what will the Ducks do?
The best option on the table at that point is to follow Colorado to the Big 12? The PAC-12 has no media deal and there’s nothing to indicate a great one is on the horizon.
If there was a great media deal looming, Colorado would have stayed. The Buffaloes didn’t. That tells you everything you need to know.
If the Big Ten is truly not interested in Oregon, going to the Big 12 might be the only play left to make because staying in the PAC-12 could be a death sentence.
The B1G is concerned about the academic quality of its member schools and right or wrong they simply don’t see Oregon at that academic level. My belief is that they will stand pat for couple of years and wait for the holy grail of Notre Dame and see what will shake out. Then watch them invite ND and Stanford or ND and Washington.
Any PACifist 12 comments which comes out of Wilner’s mouth should be taken with a grain of salt as he’s one of the biggest propaganda pushers for the PACifist 12. With that said, other media outlets have reported the B1G is standing pat at 16 teams once USC/UCLA join the league next year.
The only question is whether the Big 12 will be content to stay at 14 or possibly go all the way to 16 with some combination of PACifist 12 schools. I don’t see Oregon or Washington going to the Big 12; Arizona, Arizona State and Utah would seem to be more likely candidates than UO/UDub.
First, ucb sucks.
Second, one the SEC decides to grow again, the B1G will do likewise. Then Oregon and Washington go. The B1G is in competition with the SEC. The Big 12 and PAC-12 are in competition with each other, Yormark is superior to Kliavkoff. ACC is in between the two groups and needs to get moving. The MWC will get raided for members by the B12/P12. I think the AAC has already been picked clean for now.
The jump by ucb to the Big 12 was a great move to take advantage of the heat generated by Deion Sanders. When he leaves inside 3 years, they’ll be an afterthought in that conference as well.