Arizona is close to joining the Big 12, according to ESPN, leaving the PAC-12 with just eight schools.
ESPN sources believe that a deal will be finalized in the near future, barring an unexpected turn in the Board of Regents meeting.
Arizona will join former PAC-12 rival Colorado in the Big 12 and cash in on the conference’s lucrative $31.7 media rights deal.
What’s Next For The PAC-12 Conference?
The Wildcats’ move comes at a precarious time for the PAC-12, which recently lost UCLA and USC to the Big Ten.
With Arizona reportedly on its way out, it could open the floodgates for Oregon, Washington, and Oregon State to move conferences as well. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren added fuel to the fire this week when he insisted that the conference could reconsider its stance on further expansion.
“The Big Ten conference was born out of a desire to be bold,” Warren said. “There are two types of people in the world, they look at change as a problem or see it as an opportunity.”
With the PAC-12 clearly fractured, it seems like only a matter of time before the entire conference disbands altogether.
Who Will Be The Next PAC-12 Teams To Leave The Conference?
Arizona’s exit likely spells the beginning of the end for the PAC-12.
The Wildcats were considered a key cog in the future of the PAC-12 Conference and the Big 12’s plans for further expansion.
Previous reports have already linked Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12 with the conference reportedly targeting the so-called Corner Schools.
Both schools had been lukewarm, at best, about their intentions to leave. In fact, Arizona State President Michael Crow has been a devout supporter of the PAC-12, calling for unity even after Colorado’s departure.
However, it might be time for him to throw in the towel.
With Arizona and Colorado already bolting for greener pastures, time could be running out for the Sun Devils to make a decision. After all, a move to the Big 12 would guarantee Arizona State its share of the Big 12’s media deal.
Meanwhile, Oregon State and Washington State could follow their in-state rivals to the Big Ten, or join a smaller conference, like the Mountain West.
If that were to happen, it would open the door for California and Stanford to join the Big Ten, alongside USC and UCLA, which could ease some of the coast-to-coast travel during football and basketball season.
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