Former Oregon coach Mark Helfrich wants remaining Pac-12 teams in Big 12 for 'super conference'

Former Oregon coach Mark Helfrich feels there’s one way to save the remaining Pac-12 teams: they should all join the Big 12 in an effort to create the first college football Super Conference.

There are just four teams left in the conference and the Big 12 is currently even with the SEC in terms of schools (16). The Big Ten has 18 after the additions of Oregon and Washington, beginning next season.

But why couldn’t the Big 12, which was once an afterthought in realignment, make itself the biggest conference?

“Yeah, I mean, I’m hoping there’s one more wildcard in the Big 12,” Helfrich said on The Herd. “Two 10 team divisions in the Big 12. They have 16, now add those four at Stanford, Cal, Washington State, Oregon State and be the first Super Conference. Play a nine-game schedule on each side. Have a champion and that’s your unique fit. You’re gonna protect all those people with playoff access, that’s a huge thing all this too is this. 

“This split of the haves and have nots, this is going to lead to less access to what in theory was an expanded playoff, a 12-team playoff. I think that’s going to be you know, Big Ten, SEC and everybody else. But to protect that part of it would be big.”

Pac-12 president reportedly wanted Big 12 to take all schools, sans Oregon State, Washington State

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,” Brett 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 merger with the Mountain West Conference.

As of now, it remains to be seen what the Pac-12 will do in terms of letting schools go and dissolving, or adding schools from elsewhere to survive.