Almost 400 days ago, the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins turned the Pac-12 world upside down with the announcement they were skipping town and heading to the Big Ten Conference.
Since then, chaos and uncertainty have become the norm.
Both of those characteristics were dialed up once again on Thursday afternoon when it was announced that the Colorado Buffaloes were leaving the Pac-12 Conference for a new home. This time, the Big 12 Conference is waiting with open arms to further weaken one of its rival leagues.
The move for Colorado will not take place until 2024, but it will have ramifications that could affect the world of college football far sooner.
For fans of the Oregon Ducks, this move by the Buffaloes has the potential to completely change their outlook. Oregon is viewed as a national brand, and it doesn’t want to be left as the last standing man on the Titanic.
It’s unclear what the Ducks are going to do in the future, but over the past few months — and few days — it has becoming increasingly apparent the Pac-12 is starting to whither away. There seems to be a strong notion that unless commissioner George Kliavkoff can deliver a media rights deal that far exceeds expectations — something that has never seemed less likely at the moment — major defectors could follow in Colorado’s footsteps.
So looking ahead, what are some of the options that are available to Oregon, and what might the Pac-12 do in order to keep the ship afloat? We have a few ideas.