The Pac-12 is now scrambling after UNLV said no thanks … and college football is better off for it

The Pac-12 — which as of a week ago was just the Pac-2 of Oregon State and Washington State — went for the power move.

The goal was to surgically add the best of the rest of the football programs in the country. That would set itself up as the most competitive conference outside of the Power Four — the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. It would thus be in prime position to scoop up whatever media revenue is left and have an inside track on securing a bid to the College Football Playoff most years, if not all.

Only it missed the kill shot.

Late Wednesday, UNLV announced it was rebuffing a Pac-12 bid to remain in the Mountain West. It was the lynchpin move that assured the Mountain West’s viability and leaves the Pac-12 scrambling for Plan B or C or whatever it can now cobble together.

It is a major setback to the Pac-12 and its grand visions, but it’s a good thing for the overall health of college athletics, which didn’t need further conference consolidation.

To recap — and there is a lot to recap here — Oregon State and Washington State needed to rebuild the Pac-12 after they were left high and dry when 10 other league schools bailed for greener pastures, or pastures with more green.

USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington went to the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah headed to the Big 12. Cal and Stanford took their acts all the way to the ACC.

The Pac-12 started last week by adding four Mountain West teams: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State. It then attempted to go east and lure Memphis, Tulane and South Florida out of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) … only to be turned down.

Now scrambling, the Pac-12 turned back to Mountain West members Utah State and UNLV. Utah State took the invite. UNLV decided to stay put. So did the Air Force Academy, which will remain in…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/the-pac-12-is-now-scrambling-after-unlv-said-no-thanks–and-college-football-is-better-off-for-it-141202369.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-26 14:12:02

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