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Four members of the Pac-12 are betting on Andrew Luck's father to help them navigate the increasingly choppy waters of conference realignment. Oliver Luck, a former NFL quarterback and NCAA executive who was once athletic director at West Virginia, has been hired as an advisor to Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford and Cal.
“Luck declined comment for this piece, but I’m told by sources that he’s been hired to serve the Pac-4 schools in an advisory role. The four remaining members are in a dicey spot with limited options, but Luck’s involvement in the dilemma is interesting,” Pac-12 insider John Canzano reports.
Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford and Cal are the only current members of the Pac-12 yet to secure a home for 2024 as conference realignment continues to ravage college sports. After USC and UCLA officially agreed in late June to join the Big Ten next year, Oregon and Washington quickly followed them, with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah subsequently jumping to the Big 12.
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Canzano believes that Luck's hiring gives the Pac-12 a chance of survival beyond this year, albeit in dramatically altered form with a handful of new members. Oregon State and Washington State, meanwhile, are reportedly hoping to remain enjoined with Stanford and Cal going forward even as the Golden State institutions have recently “explored membership” in the ACC.
“Are there four schools when all the dust settles? Is that three? Is that two? Is that one? Is that none? Your instincts are correct,” Washington State AD Pat Chun told Canzano this week. “That’s the first step.”
Luck, 63, was a candidate to be named Pac-12 commissioner in 2021 before George Kliavkoff was hired for the role. His son, Andrew, starred at Stanford from 2009 to 2011, leaving Palo Alto as one of the greatest quarterbacks in conference history.
