The Pac-12 seemed dead, then it wasn’t, and now it is falling apart.
After the University of Arizona seemingly cleared every hurdle to gain Big 12 membership last night, there was a final effort to keep teams in the Pac-12 together this morning. The presidents of the Pac-12 schools met and there was a lot of confidence the grant of rights deal would be signed, keeping the conference together.
However, this eventually did not work itself out and the Big Ten cashed in first getting Oregon and Washington. This then put the Pac-12 with few options to remain united.
This afternoon, Arizona State and Utah “applied for formal membership” in the Big 12, after Arizona was approved yesterday, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports.
This move would put the Big 12 Conference at 16 total teams, and would add all of the ‘four corners’ schools. Adding Arizona State would give Arizona their ‘Duel in the Desert’, and also give BYU and Utah a regional rivalry as well.
As of now, the only schools not trying to gain membership into the Big Ten or Big 12 that remain in the Pac-12 include California, Oregon State, Stanford, and Washington State.
Washington State University released a statement saying, “We are dissapoonted by the recent decisions of some of our Pac-12 peers,” adding they are going to “chart the best path forward.”
