The Pac-12’s sneaky realignment will actually help the conference survive its destruction

Feb 10, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; The PAC-12 logo on the court before the game between the Stanford Cardinal and the USC Trojans at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

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While you were sleeping, the Pac-12 was fighting for its survival.

The conference has reportedly coaxed four Mountain West teams into applying to become members of the Pac-12, according to reporting from Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Colorado State are all expected to apply or have already applied for membership in the conference.

The move is all but official. The Pac-12 is already outside, thumping its chest.

Those four teams will join the Pac-12 by 2026, pushing it closer to the eight teams needed to remain an FBS conference. The NCAA has given the Pac-12 a two-year grace period to find more members to go along with Oregon State and Washington State, which are the only two teams currently left. Swiping these Mountain West teams is only the first step of a multi-step plan, Dellenger says.

You’d think the Mountain West would be negotiating with the Pac-12 from a place of power over these last few months after agreeing to a 2024 scheduling pact with the Pac-12 playing against the conference.

But things have gotten icy over the last few months, The Athletic reports, partially because of this move. The plan for the Pac-12 seems to have always been to coax Mountain West schools to make the jump.

This would always happen as…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/pac-12s-sneaky-realignment-actually-142522536.html

Author : FTW Outdoors

Publish date : 2024-09-12 14:25:22

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