Are there any good expansion options for Pac-12?

Now that Colorado has left the Pac-12 conference for the Big 12, the Pac-12 is talking expansion again, but are there any quality candidates? 

If the Pac-12 conference doesn’t realize there is blood in the water and a bunch of other conferences are circling like sharks, then the league is probably doomed already.

But the stealing away of Colorado by the Big 12 was a shot across the bough. At least that’s how the Pac-12 should view it, because the conference is in serious trouble of becoming irrelevant.

There are already rumors of another Pac-12 team leaving in a surprise move. There hasn’t been anything substantial yet but there are plenty of guesses such as Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Washington, and pretty much any other team.

Oregon and Washington have been rumored about for the Big Ten. At some point, that league is going to expand to 20 teams. Maybe the dream scenario is Oregon, Washington, Clemson or Notre Dame, and Florida State — in an effort to outdo the SEC.

I have no idea if that’s viable, but geography doesn’t matter anymore. Money talks and programs are willing to deal with some travel costs for big-money media deals — something the Pac-12 still doesn’t have.

Pac-12 to ’embrace expansion’

The league said on Thursday in a statement, it was going to pursue expansion but that the focus was on completing a media rights deal first.

“We are focused on concluding our media rights deal and securing our continued success and growth. Immediately following the conclusion of our media rights deal, we will embrace expansion opportunities and bring new fans, markets, excitement, and value to the Pac-12.”

However, it’s hard to see networks lining up to sign a deal with the Pac-12 if there are concerns about the future makeup of the league, which there are now more than ever.

Utah, Oregon, Washington, and these other schools won’t want to be left out in the cold. So the other option is to add teams. The issue is that there are no natural game-changers.

Boise State makes a lot of sense. I’d argue a trade of Colorado for Boise State really isn’t that bad. But replacing USC and UCLA is much more difficult. Say the Pac-12 chooses San Diego State and Fresno State, along with the Broncos to get to 12.

Would that move the needle in terms of a media rights deal? I doubt it, outside of the fact that the league’s future would feel much more solidified. It could also make the area harder to recruit for Pac-12 teams if Boise State and San Diego State are suddenly Power-5 programs.

But if the choice is adding teams or losing teams, there really isn’t much of a choice and if the Pac-12 wants to survive, it’s going to have to expand sooner rather than later.