With a combination of news and rumors throwing the future of the Pac-12 into a pit of obscurity, it is safe to say that we’ve never seen anything like this before.
In the world of internet journalism, it never hurts a writer to sprinkle in a tiny pinch of embellishment when typing up an interesting piece. However, there are no exaggerations in the statement that this latest Pac-12 nonsense is unlike anything known to the college football world.
We thought we were in for a bumpy ride when it was confirmed that Oklahoma and Texas would be leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, but the former conference’s coolheaded reaction to such a jarring change returned many of us to our comfort zones—it just didn’t do so for as long as we hoped it would.
Little did we know that, at that point, the earth-shattering conference realignments were just getting started.
Just in case there are any folks who have not yet heard, USC and UCLA—two programs with some of the more promising futures in the subpar Pac-12—will take their talents to the Big 10 starting in 2024.
Just like when the aforementioned Big 12 news first broke a while back, rumors have since begun swirling all over social media that Oregon and Washington are also leaving for the Big Ten, along with several others making a break for the Big 12.
Now it is important to note that, at least at the time of this article’s publication, nothing has been officially confirmed other than the Trojans and Bruins making their moves.
However, if these overflowing rumors about the rest of the conference are true, then we are witnessing something that has never happened to any other league (especially at the Power 5 level) until now: the Pac-12 dying in what will probably end up being a matter of days.
The unexpectedness makes the move stand out
In the past, big-name CFB conferences like the Southwest and Big East have collapsed, so the concept of just that happening is far from new. What makes this Pac-12 dilemma so stunning is just how suddenly all of it is unfolding—without any true foreshadowing, no less.
The Southwest Conference was in some serious trouble for years leading up to its eventual disbandment, due to both SMU receiving the “death penalty” and, even more so, Arkansas relocating to the SEC.
As for the Big East, we first saw multiple football programs break away from it before eventually being told that they would be dropping the sport of football altogether; that was when the course of its divided future was fully set in motion.
This Pac-12 matter is nothing like that, though, as we didn’t hear a thing about two of its biggest names hauling themselves off to greener pastures until the day that such moves were revealed. Sure, the departures of Oklahoma and Texas were also announced on short notice, but at least the masses were informed of the Big 12’s response as soon as possible.
There is a chance that the so-called “Conference of Champions” could do the same, but it is notorious for not prioritizing football as much as its Power 5 counterparts. As a result, the future of the conference is currently looking all the bleaker.
Whether the Pac-12 disbands, desperately expands, or whatever else appears to be on a wait-and-see basis. However, it should be interesting to learn not only how it responds to this, but also how eager it is to do so. Conference realignments are a panic button debacle in the college football world, so if there is no quick retaliation, then the beloved league could be on its way toward an unprecedented downfall.