Report: Pac-12 president wanted Big 12 to take all schools, except Oregon State, Washington State
Things in the Pac-12 got quite messy during realignment as the Big 12 and Big Ten sapped more schools, leaving the premier west coast conference with just four left.
However, it was more nuts than most though, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy. A Pac-12 president reportedly wanted the Big 12 to keep the conference together in realignment, except for just two schools.
Poor Oregon State and Washington State, who remain Pac-12 members beyond the 2023 season.
“How committed was Pac-12 to staying together,” McMurphy wrote on Twitter. “Following last Tuesday’s meeting w/commish George Kliavkoff, a Pac-12 president contacted a Big 12 president & asked if Big 12 ‘could take all (9) of us, except for Oregon State & Washington State?’ source told Action Network HQ.”
As of now, the Pac-12 is down to Stanford, Cal, Oregon State and Washington State while the rest were off to the Big 12 and Big Ten.
The four schools yet to sign a deal with another conference are reportedly shocked by the rapid development. While options are limited for the remaining programs, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger claimed the schools are considering a merge with the Mountain West Conference.
Pac-12 releases statement following departure of five schools
On Friday, the conference released a statement following the decision of several programs to leave the league.
“Today’s news is incredibly disappointing for student-athletes, fans, alumni and staff of the Pac-12 who cherish the over 100-year history, tradition and rivalries of the Conference of Champions. We remain focused on securing the best possible future for each of our member universities,” the Pac-12 wrote on Twitter.
After a stunning 24 hours, the league was down to four teams in 2024: Stanford, California, Washington State and Oregon State. The landslide began after the conference leaders met on Friday and could not agree on a Pac-12 Grant of Rights that would be satisfactory for everyone.
As a result, Oregon and Washington informed the Pac-12 they intend to join the Big Ten on Friday. The two programs will join USC and UCLA, who previously made deals with the conference in 2022.