It appears the boneheads who run the Pac-12 are about to make another mistake as they attempt to remain relevant despite losing their two most iconic and prestigious teams, USC and UCLA. Every college football fan knows that if the Big 10 or SEC called Oregon and Washington, the Pac-12 would be reduced to the WAC-8. 

The Pac-12 has been outworked, outhustled, and whatever other description you'd like to add by the Big 10 and Big 12. If the Pac-12 were on Survivor's reality show, they'd have been voted off the island years ago.

How bad is it?

The conference still needs to secure a media rights deal which is the mother's milk in today's college football universe. The Big 12, on the verge of implosion after losing Texas and Oklahoma, has a new deal with ESPN and Fox thanks to their leadership negotiating their rights package one year before they expired. The Big 12 has added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. While those teams can't replace bluebloods Texas and Oklahoma, the league now has a plan and a media deal ensuring its stability. 

What does the Pac-12 have? This week, the leadership stated that a new media rights deal was imminent. If an agreement was in the works, why not announce the deal? The cold truth is that Pac-12 has no leverage and now will have to rely on streaming money from Amazon and perhaps another partner. Because the Pac-12 is the last conference to look for a new deal, they have no leverage. All the networks have signed long-term agreements with the ACC, SEC, Big 10, and Big 12. 

Back to expansion, the Pac-12 looks to invite San Diego State and SMU to join the conference. Those schools are excellent and have big television markets. However, no one is tuning into watching the Mustangs or Aztecs. 

There is one team that America would tune in to see, and that is Boise State. The Broncos are a fantastic story of how a team on a shoestring budget competes against college football's major powers. 

The Idaho Press reported how Boise State makes the most of its limited resources. 

"In the five fiscal years prior to COVID (2016-2020) fiscal years, according to public records, almost every athletic department in the Mountain West has received more money than Boise State ($14 million a year). That's money from State Board of Education, money from the institution and money through student fees. For reference: Colorado State gets almost $25 million annually and its even more for San Diego State.

Here's where it gets interesting. No Group of 5 athletic department brings in more money from donations, ticket sales and sponsorships than Boise State ($23 million). The Broncos generate almost $4 million a year more than Cincinnati, UCF and Fresno State."

No college football team outside of Notre Dame can bring viewers to any conference besides Boise State. The Boise market may be smaller than Dallas or San Diego, but no one will tune in to watch those two teams. Boise State and its blue field are magic. Suppose the Pac-12 passes look for Boise to move to the Big 12. You read it here first. 

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