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The Pac-12 is pivoting west.
Pac-12 leaders are mobilizing in pursuit of more expansion members after a group of American Athletic Conference schools decided to spurn the league’s interest to join. The conference has already received a commitment from Utah State and sent to UNLV an offer to join the league, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Leaders of the Pac-12, as well as its consulting firm Navigate, met late into Monday night over the potential options for expansion after it was announced that targets Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UTSA opted to stay put in the AAC. The Pac-12 continues to hold conversations with basketball powers Gonzaga and UConn and is evaluating other options, though UNLV remains the top target.
However, the clock is ticking. The Mountain West is in a proverbial sprint to secure its membership with financial incentives, much of which are derived from the exit and expected penalty fees owed to the league from those schools that left for the Pac-12. The exit and penalty fees are expected to eclipse $120 million.
The Mountain West is proposing a tiered distribution of the wealth, with each member receiving a financial boost. In fact, the Air Force Academy already has signed the agreement with the league. The academy is expected to receive a signing bonus of at least $10 million, sources tell Yahoo Sports. At least one other school, UNLV, is expected to receive a similar financial bonus.
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez set a 5 p.m. MT Monday deadline for schools to sign a deal as the Pac-12 raced to poach more members. That deadline passed without a signing from UNLV.
The Mountain West agreement is tied to the conference remaining at eight full members, the NCAA minimum to be considered an FBS conference. Utah State’s exit puts the league at seven full members (Hawaii is a partial member…
Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/utah-state-joining-pac-12-unlv-exploring-options-in-realignment-saga-215340064.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-23 21:53:40
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