Pac-12

[redrocker652002]

OK, so I have to admit I am not much of a College Football guy, but my dad loved Cal and Stanford is about a 30 minute drive so I kinda pay attention. What is the deal with the Pac-12? Are they going defunct? I have read that a few teams have moved to other conferences. Seems a bit strange to me, but like I said, I am not much of a college football guy.

 

[pvpeacock]

It's a shame what is happening. As Pete Carrol recently lamented, the destruction of the Pac 12 is destroying a lot of history and traditions, including traditional rivalries. I'm a lifelong USC fan and I was stunned when they announced they were leaving with UCLA. The latest I heard was that Colorado, Oregon and Washington are also leaving. I also heard that Arizona, Arizona State and Utah were announcing or have announced their departure as well. It all has to do with money, but you would have thought the Pac 12 could have signed a lucrative TV deal to keep everyone happy. Apparently not.

Of course, when I went to USC, it was only the Pac 8, and we weren't too thrilled with adding the 2 Arizona schools. I mean, they weren't on the Pacific!

I guess I should look forward to creating new traditions and rivalries or growing those that sort of already existed thanks to the Pac 10 v. Big 10 Rose Bowl games of old.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

They're dead, Jim.

A few years ago USC and UCLA announced they were leaving the PAC-12 for the Big Ten, effective 2024. This was the death of the conference, and everything that happened in the last week was just the result of that decision.

The PAC-12 had terrible TV deals compared to other conferences, largely because nobody out here actually gives a crap about college football. So there was already a revenue problem. With the announcement that USC/UCLA were already leaving, and the PAC-12 trying to renegotiate TV deals (eventually toying with the idea of streaming via Apple TV+), schools were getting VERY nervous about their future.

So last week Colorado said they were leaving the PAC-12 to return to the Big 12. Takes the PAC-12 is down from 12 teams to 9. Arizona negotiated a deal to leave as well to the Big 12, taking it down to 8, but slowplayed it because they wanted Arizona State to have time to come along. Well, ASU did so and Utah joined them as well. PAC-12 down to 6 teams now.

The Big Ten then grabbed Washington and Oregon a day later.

PAC-12 down to 4 teams. Oregon State, Washington State, Cal, and Stanford. Cal and Stanford may potentially be picked up by another of the now Power 4 (used to be Power 5) conferences, but OSU/WSU likely will not, and might be looking to join the Mountain West Conference or something.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I've been watching this as a fan of a Big 12 program.

College Football was basically ruined when Colorado and Nebraska and Missouri did their thing in 2010 (or whenever). Conferences so longer make any geographical sense, and they keep trending the wrong way.

Now the Big 12 will have teams in all four time zones. Some really like this idea, but I think having BYU/Utah in the same conference as Central Florida or West Virginia is stupid.

 

[redrocker652002]

It's a shame what is happening. As Pete Carrol recently lamented, the destruction of the Pac 12 is destroying a lot of history and traditions, including traditional rivalries. I'm a lifelong USC fan and I was stunned when they announced they were leaving with UCLA. The latest I heard was that Colorado, Oregon and Washington are also leaving. I also heard that Arizona, Arizona State and Utah were announcing or have announced their departure as well. It all has to do with money, but you would have thought the Pac 12 could have signed a lucrative TV deal to keep everyone happy. Apparently not.

Of course, when I went to USC, it was only the Pac 8, and we weren't too thrilled with adding the 2 Arizona schools. I mean, they weren't on the Pacific!

I guess I should look forward to creating new traditions and rivalries or growing those that sort of already existed thanks to the Pac 10 v. Big 10 Rose Bowl games of old.

LOL, when I would watch Cal with my dad it was the PAC 10. They added the two Arizona teams I think to make it the PAC 12. Such a shame indeed. The rivalry with Stanford and Cal was always a fun game and it got everybody around here fired up. I am sure Southern Cal was the same with USC and UCLA. I guess money changes everything as they say.

 

[redrocker652002]

They're dead, Jim.

A few years ago USC and UCLA announced they were leaving the PAC-12 for the Big Ten, effective 2024. This was the death of the conference, and everything that happened in the last week was just the result of that decision.

The PAC-12 had terrible TV deals compared to other conferences, largely because nobody out here actually gives a crap about college football. So there was already a revenue problem. With the announcement that USC/UCLA were already leaving, and the PAC-12 trying to renegotiate TV deals (eventually toying with the idea of streaming via Apple TV+), schools were getting VERY nervous about their future.

So last week Colorado said they were leaving the PAC-12 to return to the Big 12. Takes the PAC-12 is down from 12 teams to 9. Arizona negotiated a deal to leave as well to the Big 12, taking it down to 8, but slowplayed it because they wanted Arizona State to have time to come along. Well, ASU did so and Utah joined them as well. PAC-12 down to 6 teams now.

The Big Ten then grabbed Washington and Oregon a day later.

PAC-12 down to 4 teams. Oregon State, Washington State, Cal, and Stanford. Cal and Stanford may potentially be picked up by another of the now Power 4 (used to be Power 5) conferences, but OSU/WSU likely will not, and might be looking to join the Mountain West Conference or something.

I agree completely with the statement. If you go to say Boise Idaho, all you see is Boise State football logo's and stuff everywhere. They have a great stadium and really have some loyal fans. Most of the midwest is the same I think. The west coast has way too much to compete with College football. I have only been to a handful of college games, Stanford for the most part, and I will tell you that the energy and excitement of College football is awesome. Plus, I sat with the student body, that was where my buddy got tickets, and those kids knew how to party!!!! LOL. They were bringing in Pony kegs and buckets of ice. And they shared with this old guy. LOL

 

[pvpeacock]

The USC-UCLA games were awesome, although the UCLA fans were always angry after the games whether they won or lost. We also loved to travel to the Bay Area for either the Stanford of Cal game whichever was up there every year. What a great road trip back in the 70's. Let's hope Pete is right and new rivalries and traditions are born. At least we still have Notre Dame as a traditional and longstanding rival.

 

[redrocker652002]

The USC-UCLA games were awesome, although the UCLA fans were always angry after the games whether they won or lost. We also loved to travel to the Bay Area for either the Stanford of Cal game whichever was up there every year. What a great road trip back in the 70's. Let's hope Pete is right and new rivalries and traditions are born. At least we still have Notre Dame as a traditional and longstanding rival.

I am sure the rivalries will still be there. And it seems everybody wants a piece of Notre Dame. LOL

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

What bothers me is that I'm a Boilermaker, and I decided I can no longer emotionally handle following Purdue sports as of the 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament. I haven't watched a single minute of Purdue since their collapse (including them being only the second 1 seed in history to lose to a 16 in the 2023 tournament, a whole different level of collapse).

Now, it's easy to avoid since I live in SoCal. So what happens? Yeah, the Big Ten raids SoCal. And Purdue (prior to this UW/UO news) was scheduled to come to a game at USC at the end of 2025.

 

[redrocker652002]

What bothers me is that I'm a Boilermaker, and I decided I can no longer emotionally handle following Purdue sports as of the 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament. I haven't watched a single minute of Purdue since their collapse (including them being only the second 1 seed in history to lose to a 16 in the 2023 tournament, a whole different level of collapse).

Now, it's easy to avoid since I live in SoCal. So what happens? Yeah, the Big Ten raids SoCal. And Purdue (prior to this UW/UO news) was scheduled to come to a game at USC at the end of 2025.

LOL. I wonder if the conferences will still keep the local rivalries going? The axe game between Stanford and Cal was always a big draw and got everyone here in the bay area fired up, I just cannot see that going away if both teams have a say in it. Same with USC and UCLA I would imagine. It just sucks when even college sports comes down to money. I expect it in pro sports.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

LOL. I wonder if the conferences will still keep the local rivalries going? The axe game between Stanford and Cal was always a big draw and got everyone here in the bay area fired up, I just cannot see that going away if both teams have a say in it. Same with USC and UCLA I would imagine. It just sucks when even college sports comes down to money. I expect it in pro sports.

I'm sure USC/UCLA will be kept. Nobody quite knows how the Big Ten is going to set up divisions, but I'm certain that will be a protected rivalry that is played every year (such as Michigan/OSU).

The bigger issue is what happens if two schools go to different conferences. I.e. when Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten, they lost some of their traditional rivals (Colorado/Oklahoma). When Texas A&M left for the SEC, they stopped playing each other for several years (which will change now that they're both in the SEC).

That's the problem Stanford and Cal have if they end up joining conferences separately. That said, they can just play each other every year out of conference. The same way that Florida/FSU, Georgia/Georgia Tech, and Iowa/Iowa State do. But that might get hard for Stanford as they likely also want to have their annual game against Notre Dame, and it's hard to have multiple OOC rivalries as it limits scheduling flexibility.

 

[pvpeacock]

If you think college football has changed with the conference shakeups, the transfer portal and NIL's, just wait until the NCAA institutes a draft and salary (NIL) caps!

Oh wait, maybe the NFL will follow the NCAA, instead, drop the draft and start recruiting players! I can't wait for NFL signing day!

 

[Beernik]

Riverly games will move into the first couple weeks of the season and might not be every year. That’s what happened when Utah went to the PAC-12 & BYU went independent.

It was weird because I woke up one morning excited I was going to get to watch Utah play more games (because I refused to buy the asinine PAC-12 channel) on Apple TV and by the end of the day, they were in the Big-12.

The only problem I have is 100% of their home games are going to start in ESPN’s late game time slot.