The Big 12 senses an opportunity. Like a shark that smells blood in the water, commissioner Brett Yormack is mulling a move that could send shockwaves through college football. While Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff struggles to get a media rights deal for his conference, the Big 12 has reportedly contacted Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State about a possible move in an effort to continue their expansion into 2023, sources told Max Olson and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic.

“Sources briefed on the discussions say the conference has been in recent contact with the so-called Four Corners schools — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah — which has renewed optimism that convincing them to join is possible.”

Not only that, but the Big 12 reportedly has “renewed optimism” that the Pac-12 schools known as the “Four Corners”, can be persuaded to leave the conference, as noted by Mandel and Olson.

That spells trouble for Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, who has not only maintained that USC and UCLA's move to the Big Ten was a bad idea but has also sworn that no other school will repeat their move, least of all to Yormack's conference.

But Kliavkoff and the Pac-12 are struggling to strike a media rights deal. It was recently reported by The Athletic that he “overpromised” members on how many bidders there would be.

Perhaps worst of all, he also reportedly overpromised the dollar amount the Pac-12 could land in the deal amid reports suggesting they wouldn't even be able to land the same amount as the Big 12 did last October.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Yormack, a former businessman, is steadfast on expanding his conference- and has made no secret that he wants said expansion to go westward.

Time is of the essence for the Pac-12.