The Pac-12 is in talks to form an alliance with Big Ten, ACC. Can the Big 12 survive?
The Big 12 doesn’t appear to be getting off life support anytime soon.
Less than 10 days after Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff met about the two conferences forming some sort of strategic partnership, the latest news is the Pac-12 is in “high-level discussions” about an alliance with the Big Ten and ACC, according to a report from The Athletic.
The Big 12 is not part of those discussions.
“Talks have centered around not just a scheduling alliance in football but in broader cooperation, according to sources in the three conferences,” The Athletic reported.
If those three conferences align, coupled with Big 12 flagships Texas and Oklahoma heading to the SEC in 2025 at the latest, the remaining eight Big 12 schools would find themselves even more on the outside looking in.
One source said it would be “a surprise” if an alliance between the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC happens “this quick.”
But it’s clear that those three conferences feel the need to do something in the wake of the SEC poaching the Big 12’s top two programs.
“Conference realignment is everyone’s favorite rumor mill discussion,” the source said.
Still, this latest report can’t bode well for the remaining eight schools in the Big 12.
At this point, assuming the eight remain united as one source said they still are on Friday night, it may be time to consider expansion options. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the Texas Senate earlier this month that the league has yet to reach out to potential expansion candidates. But the time has seemingly arrived in less than two weeks.
Yes, the media-rights money wouldn’t be as great as it is now as UT and OU accounted for about 50% of the league’s value, but there are expansion candidates that would make the Big 12 a viable league going forward.
Adding schools such as Houston, BYU, Cincinnati, Memphis, Central Florida and Colorado State, among others, should be considered. Maybe it’s known as the “fifth best” conference but adding those schools to a reshaped Big 12 would give the Pac-12 a run for its money as far as football (and definitely basketball) hierarchy.
For now, though, it’s all talk.
As Kliavkoff told The Athletic, “I’ve been in frequent and regular contact with all of the other A5 commissioners the last few weeks about the complex issues that are facing the industry.
“There’s nothing to report on this specific matter at this time.”
Except the Big 12 remains on life support.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 8:41 PM.
