The Pac-12 is Reborn

The Pac-12 conference was as dead as a doornail after the powerhouses in that conference fled to bigger, better, and more profitable television deals with the Power Four conferences.

Get our free mobile app

USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington fled to the Big 10. Oregon looks to be one of the best teams in college football in its inaugural season in the Big 10. USC defeated a top-15 LSU team in week one, and Washington hasn't been a pushover either, albeit against weaker competition.

In the Big 12, Utah won its first conference game on Saturday with a 23-13 victory over Baylor. Utah is entering the meat and potatoes of its schedule with a cross-state rivalry game against Utah State, then two top-20 matchups with Oklahoma State and Arizona in back-to-back weeks. The Utes are currently the betting favorite to win the Big 12 according to Vegas Insider.

After the prominent programs fled the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State were left in the dust. Many people thought the Pac-12 (or the 2-Pac) burned to the ground.

However, from the ashes rose a plan from the two remaining schools, and the plan is now in effect.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, The Pac-12 is targeting Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Colorado State to join its conference.

The conference would stand at six teams following the addition of those four schools. The minimum number to be considered an FBS conference is eight.

The Pac-12 will continue a multi-step plan for conference realignment. In an effort to return as one of the Power Five conferences, the Pac-12 is planning to lure teams in using its lucrative 108-year history and millions of dollars in assets.

Who Else Could Join?

Cal and Stanford would make the most sense, being West Coast teams. However, they also left the Pac-12 for the ACC amid the poaching of the Pac-12 by three of the other four power conferences. The SEC did not take any Pac-12 teams.

Clemson and Florida State are both searching for a way out of the ACC, with reports surfacing of the SEC and Big 10 not working with Florida State. The Pac-12 could make some sense: It's a conference looking for two powerhouse programs to compete with the top-tier programs in the Big 10, SEC, and even the Big 12. The cross-country travel to play conference games would make this a tough move, however, and an expensive one at that.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.