Pac-12 May Soon Be Done

The Pac-12 may be nearing its end. And if you think that a conference that was formed in the early 1900s can't just end this quickly, then you weren't paying attention to the Southwest Conference in the mid-1990s. 

By now, you know that USC and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 and heading to the Big Ten in 2024. That year is of important note since that's the window when Pac-12 teams can leave with no penalty, so expect this to go very quickly. Already, four teams are reportedly looking to bolt the conference for the Big 12.

Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State are looking at joining the Big 12, and the discussions are very real. The additions make a ton of sense and keeps two geographic "pairs" together. Those four schools would join with soon-to-be member BYU to form a nice mountain region wing of the Big 12. Colorado was once part of the Big 12, Utah will rejoin BYU in a conference, and the two Arizona schools would be aligned with a few Texas schools. 

This would leave the Pac-12 down to six schools: Cal, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Oregon and Oregon State. In all likelihood, Oregon and Washington are leaving at the first chance they get (they've already contacted the Big Ten). Stanford is trying to form a conference pairing with Notre Dame if they join a league, or they could seek independence. We're then down to Oregon State, Washington State and Cal ... none of them attractive options for any of the other four Power 5 conferences. If the Big 12 passes, they could then look at joining the Mountain West.  

This is an amazing development considering just one year ago it looked as if the Pac-12 was set to poach Big 12 schools as vultures were circling the league that Oklahoma and Texas left. Now the tables are turned and the Pac-12 is at risk of being a defunct league ... or one that looks nothing like it once did.