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The Pac-12 might have been resurrected overnight. Oregon and Washington are now looking unlikely to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, according to reports. Arizona's potential move to the Big 12 may also have been put on hold.
After Big Ten school presidents gave Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitte the go-ahead to explore making Oregon and Washington part of its conference expansion, the schools were viewed as likely Pac-12 departures. That was Thursday night. The sentiment has since changed, and the schools are now expected to stay put amid a meeting of Pac-12 presidents on Friday morning.
The 12-hour period has been a whirlwind for Pac-12 and Big Ten fans alike. Many of them have taken to Twitter, having fun with the latest turn of events.
SOURCES: we are being told George Kliavkoff’s 11th-hour pitch to the Pac-12 schools included a short slideshow showing the schools what Lubbock, Waco, Ames, and Stillwater looked like. the schools immediately agreed to stay together pic.twitter.com/wUuDTyZEGP
— No Truck Stops: A Pac-12 Podcast (@notruckstopspod) August 4, 2023
George Kliavkoff's speech last night to keep Arizona, Oregon & Washington from leaving the Pac-12: pic.twitter.com/IMflVzxZFi
— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) August 4, 2023
Rooting for the Pac-12 to stay together but also very ready to make fun of the Pac-12’s new media deal with Corncob TV, we contain multitudes
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) August 4, 2023
*voice cracking with cautious optimism* GaveeEee pRooF throuGH tHe nIGHt thAt the Pac-12 waS stILL theRE! (Let’s Go PAC-12 for real) https://t.co/P1SOwaYRoG pic.twitter.com/SdISRZWkng
— 🇹🇰 Sickos Committee 🇹🇰 (@SickosCommittee) August 4, 2023
GK prepping for this final Pac 12 meeting pic.twitter.com/xaVxM3f6MO
— Fox Knows Puck All (@foxonabox_) August 4, 2023
everyone should have learned to not turn off the 31-3 Pac-12 game at 2 AM EST, you always wake up and find out it went to 12 overtimes
— The Smoking Musket (@smokingmusket) August 4, 2023
Oregon, Washington, and Arizona showing up to the Pac 12 grant of rights meeting pic.twitter.com/R727TnKBnZ
— Pregame Empire (@PregameEmpire) August 4, 2023
The wild back-and-forth by Oregon, Washington and Arizona holds major implications for the future of college football and college sports in general. If Oregon and Washington bolt for the Big Ten, Arizona is more likely to leave for the Big 12. In the event that the Pac-12 loses three more prominent schools, it's reasonable to conclude that the conference might cease to exist at some point in the near future.
The Pac-12 is already losing its most prominent members. UCLA and USC are headed for the Big Ten. The Big Ten was the most profitable Power 5 conference for college football last year. Despite the geographic challenges, it's easy to see why Pac-12 schools are looking for greener pastures.
If Oregon, Washington and Arizona all remain committed to the conference, the Pac-12 will live to fight another day.
