Washington and Oregon Now Control the Pac-12
The fallout of USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12 continues to resonate throughout college football. It appears for the time being that Oregon and Washington will not be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 10. The power of who controls what's left of the Pac-12 now goes transfers to Washington and Oregon.
Both the Pac 12 and Big 12 have announced that they will seek to expand beyond their current members. The challenge for the remaining three 'power leagues' is that the power 5 is not the power 2. The Big 10 and the SEC will command the most money for their member universities. It remains a possibility that the ACC could cease to exist if the league cannot find a way to get out of its current tv rights deal.
Some have speculated that the Big 12 will seek to poach Utah and the two Arizona schools. That would make sense from a geographical point of view; however, is a 16-team Big 12 league more appealing than a 10-team Pac 10? However, if Oregon and Washington decide to follow USC and UCLA out the door, the Pac-12 will not be long for this world.
Could the Pac realign itself with members of the Mountain West? Although Boise State fans would love the opportunity to join the Pac-12, that option appears highly unlikely. Boise State has only one sport that is a national brand, football, which has lost its luster during the past several years.
Pac-12 schools are known for their high academic standards and for playing competitive teams in several sports. The Pac 12 could look at a few teams in the Big 12 if they're serious about replacing USC and UCLA.
Regardless of who came in to replace the two California schools, the conference lost the number 2 television market in the country. Washington has the Seattle market, considered one of the nation's most significant.
Washington and Oregon are now in the driver's seat on whether or not the Pac-12 will remain a football conference.[
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