PAC-12 Commissioner Makes Bold Claim About The Conference's Future

PAC-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff is still doing his best to convince everyone the conference won't die.

Ever since news broke UCLA and USC would join the Big Ten in 2024, the PAC-12 has been fighting to survive.

There has been speculation several more PAC-12 teams, most notably Oregon and Washington, could be next to go to the Big Ten.

However, Kliavkoff wants everyone to know the conference is going to be fine.

Will the PAC-12 survive? (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

"Our 10 schools are together, aligned and committed to our conference. We are actively negotiating our next media rights agreements. There is great interest in the marketplace due to the strength of our schools, brands and markets," the man tasked with saving the western conference claimed.

I've been very skeptical of Kliavkoff's claims for months now, and I wouldn't say this one is any more or less convincing than all the previous ones the conference will survive.

The reality of the situation is actually pretty simple. The Big 12 is currently racing the PAC-12 for a new media deal and if it gets one first, Kliavkoff is in big trouble.

The Big 12 will be able to take guaranteed offers to teams like Arizona, Colorado, Arizona State and Utah in an attempt to poach the programs.

What role does the Big Ten play in the PAC-12's fate?

That leads me to my second point, which is probably even more important. The PAC-12 will survive for as long as the Big Ten allows it to survive.

If Kevin Warren picks up the phone and says it's time to add Washington, Oregon, Cal and Stanford, the PAC-12 will die in the immediate aftermath. It'll be a decapitation strike that won't be able to be survived. Kliavkoff can talk all he wants about programs being "together, aligned and committed to our conference," but much like a group of bandits, loyalty can often be bought for the right price. Pretty bold to assume otherwise. No team would choose to stay in the PAC-12 over the Big Ten. That's just the truth of the matter.

So, the PAC-12 continues to exist solely off the mercy and decision making of the Big Ten. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves. If the B1G does poach several more programs, then the Big 12 will come in and clean up the scraps.

George Kliavkoff believes the PAC-12 will survive? (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

That'd be the nightmare scenario. Kliavkoff could be correct right now that everything seems to have stabilized, but that could change very quickly. Betting on the PAC-12 right now for the long haul seems like a very bad idea.