The college sports world has been scrambling in the past month as most of the Pac-12 teams have decided to leave the conference. While several factors are at play, money and media deals have been key among them.
And now, after those programs have decided to move on, the Group of Five leagues have begun to be affected. The teams left in the Pac-12 have limited options ahead of them.
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Here’s a look at what has happened and how it has impacted the G5.
Which Teams Are Leaving The Pac-12?
USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington have decided to go to the Big Ten, and Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah have chosen to head to the Big 12.
Then news broke that Cal and Stanford would be going to the ACC in 2024.
Who Is In The Pac-4?
Cal, Stanford, Washington State, and Oregon State were the only programs remaining in the Pac-12. Some began calling them the Pac-4.
However, now it’s a Pac-2 with only WSU and OSU remaining.
SMU, Stanford, And Cal Head To ACC
ACC leaders had been in discussion about adding SMU, Stanford, and Cal for weeks. Now a decision has finally been made.
However, all three schools reportedly won’t receive full ACC revenue shares for nine years.
SMU has been a member of the AAC since 2013 but has been regarded as another team which might move on to the Power Five. SMU announced Monday that it raised $100 million in just seven days to help support its transition to its new league. Now the AAC has to choose its path forward.
AAC/Pac-12 Potential Moves
The American Athletic Conference had expressed interest in adding the remaining Pac-12 schools, but this week the AAC reportedly stopped considering bringing in Oregon State and Washington State.
This is where it gets interesting for Group of Five fans. The AAC has expressed disapproval of the G5 label, and moves like that would certainly help the conference position itself as the next-highest league in many aspects after the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and ACC.
While the American recently lost UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston to the Big 12, the teams joining the AAC are UTSA, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and Charlotte. The AAC still might expand more, however, and is reportedly exploring the possibility of adding Army.
OSU, WSU To The Mountain West?
The Mountain West has pondered adding Pac-12 schools. Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez reportedly has talked with Washington State and Oregon State leaders.
Some believe a Mountain West/Pac-12 merger could be at play here. Others think the Pac-12 should try to add some of the top-notch Mountain West schools, which seemed like a possibility with San Diego State until the Mountain West welcomed the Aztecs back. But a Mountain West team would have to pay a $34 million buyout to play somewhere else in 2024, making that option seem unlikely.
Or maybe what’s left of the Pac-12 is in such a bad spot that the Mountain West absorbs the remaining Pac-12 teams. Oregon State president Jayathi Murthy said in a statement in August that rebuilding the Pac-12 is in the university’s best interest.
OSU and WSU took action which indicates the universities intend on seeing if they can keep the Pac-12 alive, via ESPN. They sought a restraining order, which a judge granted, via a legal complaint they filed against the Pac-12 and its commissioner, George Kliavkoff.
The presidents of Washington State and Oregon State should reportedly make up the conference’s board of directors, according to Pac-12 bylaws, since those two schools are the only ones in the league who have yet to indicate they are leaving. That could mean those leaders alone eventually gain the power to decide what to do with the Pac-12 and its resources like TV revenue.
Pac-12 News And Rumors
A promotion/relegation model similar to that of European soccer could be possible for the Pac-12 and Mountain West, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported this week.
With this idea, two teams every one or two years would move up to the Pac-12 and another two would move down to the Mountain West based on success. This operation could also expand by adding FCS teams like North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
Some Mountain West decision makers are reportedly open to unique ideas like this, but not everyone might be in favor of this model and plenty more would have to be solidified. Washington State and Oregon State still have matters to sort out with the remaining Pac-12 assets, so a decision regarding this matter might not be made in the immediate future.
Mountain West Conference Media Deal
The Mountain West agreed to a $270 million media rights deal in 2020 with CBS and FOX, according to The Athletic. It would end after the 2025-26 season. Teams are scheduled to be paid $4 million per year.
AAC Media Deal
The AAC and ESPN agreed to a 12-year contract worth about $1 billion, via USA Today. The deal began in 2019. The deal was to pay each program just less than $7 million per year when it was made.
