Category: PAC-12

Does Colorado’s exit bring San Diego State back into the fold?

The Pac-12 might need to move swiftly to replace Colorado, USC, and UCLA.

Prior to the announcement that the Colorado Buffaloes would become the prodigals and return to the Big 12, there was plenty of buzz surrounding San Diego State joining the Pac-12.

The only problem was that an official invite never came and the Aztecs had to go crawling back to the Mountain West. It cost them legal fees but they avoided paying a huge exit fee. But as we all know, college realignment is a fluid situation and it can change in an instant.

Take Colorado for example, it seemed as though they would wait on a media deal before determining their future. The deal still hasn’t come and now the Buffs head to the Big 12, which is suddenly more stable despite losing both Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.

Does the Pac-12 and George Kliavkoff dare go back to the Aztecs now that they are staring at just nine teams for the 2024-25 calendar year? Do the Aztecs even entertain the idea? The answer to both of those questions is an emphatic yes. The conference needs to do something and a school like SDSU should certainly want to jump up a level to the Power Five.

The hitch in this plan has to revolve around Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. These five schools have been in contact with the Big 12 at some point over the last year since the conference announced they were “open for business.” If one or more of these schools opts to join the Big 12, we could be talking about a potential Pac-12 and Mountain West type of merger.

If not San Diego State, there are several other schools that the Pac-12 should be gauging interest on. Just look to the Mountain West if they want to get back to 12 teams, where they can potentially add Boise State, Fresno State, or UNLV as CBS Sports discussed. And don’t forget about the Pony Express either.

Report: Colorado heading back to the Big 12

Time to party like it is 2010.

Time to party like it’s 2010.

After leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-12 following the 2010 season, the Colorado Buffaloes are going back home. The Buffs will make the Big 12 the Big 13 for the 2024 season. The move was reported by Action Network’s Brett McMurphy on Wednesday.

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Pac-12, which is yet to announce a media deal. Brett Yormark and the Big 12 remain on the offensive with the latest addition. Prior to the 2023 season, the conference added Brigham Young, Central Florida, Cincinnati, and Houston to the mix. This countered Oklahoma and Texas leaving for the SEC prior to the 2024 season.

Now the Buffaloes become the latest Power Five school to make the jump to a new conference and the third from the Pac-12. Both Southern California and UCLA are heading to the Big Ten following the upcoming season.

Colorado was one of the original members of the Big 12 in 1996. Now Coach Prime is bringing them back to where it all began. The news of their departure comes roughly 24 hours before the Board of Regents was set to meet.

Never a dull moment in Boulder or in the world of conference expansion.

Tennessee’s punishment and the 2023 Pac-12 preview on the ‘College 12-Pack’

The guys weigh in on the Pac-12 in the final Power Five preview.

The final Power Five conference preview takes us to the Pac-12 this week but first, the guys check in on the SEC.

The NCAA handed down the punishment for the recruiting infractions that occurred at Tennessee under the leadership of Jeremy Pruitt. Was it enough and how do the Volunteers avoid a postseason ban?

We stay in the SEC for segment two to discuss the conference moving the media days to Dallas, Texas. Could the conference look to add more events in the Lone Star State such as the annual baseball tournament?

Much like the Big 12, the Pac-12 is going into a season where two main members are on the way out the door. The USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are Big Ten bound following the season but do either have a shot to take the crown?

From Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze to Bo Nix to Coach Prime, Patrick and Tyler preview the upcoming season for the Pac-12 in the latest ‘College 12-Pack’.

Listen on YouTube, Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

College Realignment: San Diego State gives resignation notice to MWC

San Diego State is one step closer to leaving the Mountain West Conference.

According to a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN, San Diego State has given the Mountain West Conference a notice that the university “intends to resign from the Mountain West Conference.”

However, in the same notice, the university asked for a one-month extension due to “unforeseen delays involving other collegiate athletic conferences beyond our control.”

San Diego State’s departure from the conference has been a work in progress now for quite some time. Last month, in an article from Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, it was reported that San Diego State would be a “shoe-in” to join the Pac-12.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic would later report on Twitter that the “buyout to leave the league for fall 2024 doubles to almost $34 million on July 1”. Vannini also points out that the Pac-12 television deal not yet being completed is causing delays in San Diego State’s move to the conference.

The move for the Pac-12 comes a year ahead of the departure of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten. Following their departures, the conference is only expected at the current standpoint to have 10 teams.

San Diego State’s potential move to the Pac-12 could very well also be the first of what could be another run of conference realignment around the country.

There has also been discussion of programs such as Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado as potential universities leaving the Pac-12 that could be looking to change conferences as well. The ACC has also been of popular conversation lately with the future of many of the conference’s universities being up for debate.

Arizona Prez: Any realignment talk is ‘premature’

As Lee Corso would say, “not so fast my friends”

The talk out west when not discussing Caleb Williams and the rest of the offenses in the Pac-12 has surrounded potential realignment. The Big 12 hasn’t been shy about wanting to gut the Pac-12 further after losing both the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans to the Big Ten.

The current target seems to be the Colorado Buffaloes, who command plenty of headlines due to new head coach Deion Sanders. The Buffs’ former conference is interested in bringing them back to the Big 12. However, if you ask another Pac-12 school president, you might want to tap those brakes.

University of Arizona President Robby Robbins says that these talks are “premature”.

“We have not seen a deal,” Robbins said. “If we see a working document that gives us numbers, that’s what we don’t have. Until we have it, nobody can make an informed decision because we will not have been informed.”

Recent reports indicate that the conference has agreed to the Grant of Rights language, they still do not have a long-term tv deal. With the reports of Colorado joining Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah as possible targets for the Big 12, it can’t make those negotiations any easier.

We are still in a wait-and-see approach but the longer they go without a long-term deal like the rest of the Power Five conferences, the more likely they are to get gutted by the remaining four. The Big 12 has also looked at Gonzaga and UConn as they look to make a strong basketball conference even stronger.

Pac-12 agrees to Grant of Rights language per reports

The Pac-12’s 10 remaining universities have agreed to the conference’s next grant of rights according to reports.

According to John Canzano, schools in the Pac-12 have agreed to the language of the conference’s next Grant of Rights. The agreement includes revenue split, sponsorships for the conference, and what sponsorships each university can pursue, amongst other issues, Canzano notes in his report.

The report comes as the Pac-12 and its programs sans USC and UCLA negotiate the conference’s newest media rights deal. The Pac-12’s current deal will expire on July 1 of next year. The conference’s next year media rights deal has been a work in progress over the last year plus with the latest rumors about the deal including the dropping out of ESPN in negotiations.

It is still currently unclear when a new media rights deal will be completed for the conference though the expectation is that it will be completed this summer at some point. Last August, the Big Ten completed a seven-year,  media rights deal with CBS, Fox, and NBC that is expected to pay over $8 billion during the life of the contract.

The SEC also recently negotiated a television deal with ESPN which includes games on ABC for 10 years, paying out a total of $7.1 billion.

The ACC is currently locked into a deal with ESPN through the 2036 season while the Big 12’s extended their contract last fall with Fox and ESPN through the 2030-31 seasons.  

As the Pac-12 negotiates its next media deal, it also deals with the potential of additional universities leaving the conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah have been discussed as possible additions to the Big 12. Additionally, San Diego State was reported as a “shoe-in” to join the conference according to reports earlier this spring.

Ranking the best Pac-12 wide receivers ahead of the 2023 season

A look at the top wide receivers in the Pac-12 ahead of the 2023 season. Washington and USC are leading the way.

All eyes will be on the passing offenses in the Pac-12 for the upcoming season. The [autotag]USC Trojans[/autotag] and [autotag]Washington Huskies[/autotag] are among the elite offenses so it should come as no surprise that they will be well-represented on our wide receiver power rankings.

Our quarterback list featured Caleb Williams (USC) and Michael Penix Jr (Washington) at the top. Their pass catchers will be key for another successful season. The Huskies have the edge with Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan both coming off 1,000-yard seasons. The Trojans added Dorian Singer, who transferred from Arizona, to replace the loss of Jordan Addison to the NFL.

Don’t sleep on the Oregon Ducks or Colorado Buffaloes this season as they have stocked up through the transfer portal. Troy Franklin returns for the Ducks and should be the top pass catcher in Eugene, Oregon, again this year.

Here are our preliminary rankings for the Pac-12 wide receivers:

REPORT: Colorado mulling future with Pac-12 as Big 12 continues to press

Is the Pac-12 about to lose another school to conference realignment?

According to a new report from Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the University of Colorado and the Big 12 have had “substantive” discussions recently regarding the Buffaloes’ future.

In his report, Dodd says;

“Colorado has been in “substantive” talks with the Big 12 about possibly joining the growing league, a source with knowledge of the discussions tells CBS Sports.”

The report builds upon a report from last week from The Oklahoman writer Berry Tramel who reported that Colorado was in fact getting ready to “commit to joining the Big 12” in the near future.

With the future of the Pac-12 having plenty of questions, the University of Colorado is exploring its options going forward. One of those options is to rejoin the Big 12 which the university left following the 2009-10 academic school year.

Any type of conference realignment change for Colorado would occur following the 2024-2025 academic year. The earliest the Buffaloes could join another conference would be July 1, 2025. Additionally, Dodd reports that Colorado would be expected to receive a $31.7 million share of the Big 12’s equal media rights deal upon their entry.

After losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, the Big 12 has been very proactive in ensuring the future of the conference and its long-term sustainability. Commissioner Brett Yormark has led that expansion charge which already includes BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston. All four schools will be joining for this upcoming 2023 academic year.

The Pac-12, on the other hand, has struggled in finding which way to go following the departures of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten after this upcoming academic year. It’s been reported that San Diego State is a “shoe-in” to join the Pac-12 but beyond that many questions remain.

The conference is also still discussing its next television contract which has carried on well longer than expected. With questions regarding the future of multiple schools within the conference, it remains to be seen when a potential television contract will be completed as any suitors for the deal would certainly want to ensure which schools will be locked into the Pac-12 for the foreseeable future.

Get more Colorado news, analysis, and opinions on Buffs Wire

Ranking Pac-12 running backs ahead of the 2023 season

Who leads the “Pac” at the running back position for 2023? CSW power ranks each projected starter.

The Pac-12 may be a quarterback conference for the upcoming 2023 campaign but don’t sleep on the running backs. There is plenty of talent across the board in the conference.

The group is led by current Oregon Ducks running back, Bucky Irving. Teaming him up with Bo Nix might give the Ducks the edge in terms of backfield duos for 2023.

The group of runners in the Pac-12 includes several newcomers by way of the transfer portal. Carson Steele, MarShawn Lloyd, Dillon Johnson, and Kavosiey Smoke all make their way out west.

As we march toward the season, College Sports Wire power ranks the projected running back starters in the Pac-12.

REPORT: San Diego State a ‘shoe-in’ to join the Pac-12

The Pac-12 is looking to add a Mountain West Conference member according to reports.

With the future of the Pac-12 in question, the conference is expected to sooner or later add San Diego State to the conference according to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.

In his recent article, “‘The Next Wave Is Coming’: Expansion, Realignment and What’s at Stake for Power 5 Conferences“; Dellenger said “The Pac-12 plans to expand by adding San Diego State and maybe SMU coinciding with its completion of a new TV deal.”

Dellenger also mentions that there is a deadline, however, associated with San Diego State. If San Diego State were to announce its departure from the Mountain West Conference by July 1, it would only have to pay an exit fee of approximately $17 million. However, that exit fee would triple following July 1 if the Aztecs were to leave the conference to start Pac-12 play in 2024.

The Pac-12, of course, is in the middle of negotiating their next television deal. That deal is expected to be made official at some point this summer but the target date for the deal to be completed has been pushed back several times already. The conference, now under commissioner George Kliavkoff is in the tough situation of having to reposition the conference going forward after losing UCLA and USC to the Big Ten. The Big 10 has also long been reported to be after Oregon and Washington as well, potentially leaving the Pac-12 in an even more precarious situation.

Eyes will be closely pinned on the Pac-12 over the next several weeks, however. As a television deal is finalized, the future of the Pac-12’s current members and any future members will likely have to be decided.