College football realignment rumors: Arizona poised to end the Pac-12

The Arizona Wildcats look ready to put the final nail in the Pac-12 coffin with deep discussions to join the Big 12 reportedly progressing.

The Pac-12 may not survive Thursday night.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the Arizona Wildcats are now a “hard lean” to join the Big 12.

What does that mean for the college football landscape? Arizona moving to the Big 12 could set off a row of dominoes that result in the end of the Pac-12 as we know it.

College football realignment rumors: Arizona leaning towards Big 12

Here’s where things stand: USC and UCLA have left for the Big Ten. Colorado has left for the Big 12. The remaining nine Pac-12 teams have a big decision to make. Will they approve the purported Apple streaming deal and keep the conference alive? Or will additional schools, like Arizona, jump ship?

According to reports, there’s been a bit of a stalemate between all parties involved. Arizona would prefer to see what Oregon, Washington and the others linked to the Big Ten decide before hitting the eject button. The Big Ten doesn’t want to be the one directly responsible for the destruction of the Pac-12, so they’re waiting on a potential offer to the Ducks and Huskies, who can’t make a decision if they don’t have an offer on the table in the first place.

So it all does really come down to what Arizona decides. Accept the Apple deal and the Pac-12 lives to fight another day. Accept the Big 12 move and the rest of the Pac-12 will scramble to find new opportunities.

We don’t know what Arizona will do but the fact that they continue to engage in discussions with the Big 12 doesn’t bode well for the Pac-12. That’s plain to see.