The Pac-12 currently has a 41-17 record and only two teams with a losing record. This same conference, if it even exists next season, is only set to consist of two teams.
Due to a lackluster TV deal signed with Apple, reportedly worth more than $23 million to each school per season, all but two teams of the current Pac-12 Conference have decided to transfer into other conferences for more lucrative deals.
As it stands, only Oregon State and Washington State, both with winning records, being 4-1 and 4-0, respectively, are the only teams still considering the Pac-12 as an option for the 2024 season. OSU is hoping to lure other teams into the Pac-12 and revive the conference.
“I think geography is important, so I think they need to add teams from the west that would be willing to move up,” said Jackson Gallagher, a junior mass communication major. “They also must accept that they are likely no longer a power conference.”
Many fans are speculating teams that could join the conference in order to give it a revival.
“I think that Northwestern University would be a good fit because they are probably going to be pushed out of the Big Ten soon,” said Tyler Baker, a junior nursing major.
Northwestern is currently in the Big Ten West and sits towards the bottom of the rankings, being 1-2 in conference play and 2-3 overall. With bigger schools joining the Big Ten next season, it is possible that Northwestern and other universities that are towards the bottom of their conferences feel it would be beneficial to relocate into the soon-to-be-vacated Pac-12.
USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon will all be joining the Big Ten from the Pac-12 in 2024. Other departures include Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah moving to the Big 12 Conference, and Stanford and California moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
All for slightly different reasons, but the main one being larger and more consistent TV deals. The Pac-12 failed to leverage its high-level talent to solidify a TV deal early and lost their top performing schools because of it.
Not only does the Pac-12 currently house two of the top quarterbacks, but those players are also the top bets to win the Heisman Trophy this season. USC quarterback Caleb Williams is favored for the award, and right behind him is Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
Not to mention, Oregon QB Bo Nix is tied for third in the Heisman race, with the only non-Pac-12 player in the top four being Quinn Ewers of Texas.
It is difficult to imagine the Pac-12 having such high-end talent this season, but it is not difficult to see what a loss it will be having so many teams depart from the conference. What is next for OSU and Washington State is left to be seen, but this could mark the end of the Pac-12 as a conference.
