College football realignment rumors: Notre Dame stance, FSU problem, Pac-12 stalemate
College football realignment rumors: Pac-12 in a stalemate
The Pac-12 is a house of cards liable to be blown over by the slightest exhale. But everyone in the Pac-12 seems to be holding their breath waiting for someone or something else to do it.
That’s the word from Pete Thamel of ESPN (subscription required) as the Big Ten reportedly explores the idea of adding Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal to the conference while Arizona and potentially others are being eyed by the Big 12.
The existing Pac-12 schools need to decide whether or not the proposed streaming deal with Apple is sufficient enough to keep the conference together. All it would take is one party to decide it isn’t for the house of cards to crumble.
Arizona can blow it down by deciding to go to the Big 12 but they may want to see what the Pacific Northwest schools decide first. Oregon or Washington could jump at the chance to join the Big Ten. However, the Big Ten may not want to even make an offer until it’s clear the Pac-12 is dead, which would require Arizona or someone else exiting for the Big 12.
See the issue? Thamel described it as “a bunch of power brokers in some fever dream reconstruction of the Spider Man meme – pointing at each other to move first.”
Meanwhile, USC may be standing off to the side trying to convince an apathetic Big Ten not to mess with its dream of a West Coast recruiting monopoly by letting its rivals in.
And a deal is uncertain. There’s a political thicket with the potential additions because the moves don’t offer the current Big Ten schools any additional money. USC doesn’t have a vote, but they’ve been vocal in the past about not wanting other West Coast Big Ten teams.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 3, 2023
So what happens? There are half a dozen scenarios that could play out over the next 24 hours.