Report: Pac-12 Planning Realignment Raid of Partner Conference
This evening, reports emerged that four universities plan to join the two-team Pac-12. The Pac-12 was infamously split when the defecting schools joined the Big Ten, Big 12, and the ACC. Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Washington left for the midwestern climes of the Big Ten. The corner state schools decided to join the Big 12. An increasingly under internal attack conference chose to join the realignment frenzy by adding Stanford and Cal.
The remaining duo left behind in the Pac-12 had a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for the 2024 season. In recent weeks, they allowed the deal to lapse for 2025 and beyond, setting the stage for the raid. Oregon State and Washington State maintain their ties to the West Coast Conference for their non-football sports as of press time.
What’s next for the Pac-12?
The NCAA gave the conference of two until the summer of 2026 to expand to eight teams to remain a viable entity. According to Jon Wilner of the Seattle Times, this raid will be punitive for each conference. The Pac-2, long rumored to merge into the MWC, will cause some MWC teams to defect instead. How damaging will the raid cost the two-team conference? The two conferences agreed that each team defecting from the MWC would cost the Pac-12 a whopping $10 million. They could use the funds from the settlement agreement between the departed programs and the two to cover costs. A settlement that resulted in a $65 million windfall in withheld distribution. There are additional fiscal solutions to assist the defecting programs in breaking free of the Mountain West.
If the rumored departures happen, the number of Pac-12 programs would be six, two teams short of the NCAA mandate. The newly reformed conference is expected to find more programs to exist as a revived power player in the college football playoff discussions. They would be equal to the MWC in terms of access and would get a new media deal.
What’s next for the Mountain West?
According to Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, the deflated conference would receive $111 million in exit fees from the departures. San Diego State has made no secret of its desire to leave and got its wish after a year in limbo. Before the Pac-12 implosion, the odds were suitable for joining the dying conference. After the Pac-12’s destruction, they had to return to the MWC, hat in hand, begging for forgiveness.
The four departing programs would leave the MWC with just eight programs and a massive war chest. They will likely target Western FCS powers like Montana, Montana State, and South Dakota State. College football realignment rests for no one, it seems. What will they do to restore order?
Joseph is a veteran writer of many publications past and present. He is a long-time Tennessee Titans fan and draft scout/analyst, along with writing about the league is a passion project. Mr. Yun has been credentialed to the Senior Bowl multiple times. Readers will find he brings the juice with a scout’s eye and analytical mind. Follow me on Twitter @2Yoon2ZeroBlitz for more good stuff!