Musings from Arledge: A Pac-12-Big 12 merger

by:Chris Arledge08/05/21

There are reports that the Pac-12 is discussing a merger with the Big 12 the rotting remains of the Big 12. Now that the only two programs with value are leaving that conference, the Pac-12 might see a fantastic opportunity to form a 20-team super-conference where 15 ½ of the teams have practically no value. (You’re welcome, KU, for that vote of confidence, but I really do think that your basketball program makes your institution worth ½ of a truly valuable university athletic program.)  

This may be much ado about nothing. That talks are taking place does not mean the two conferences will merge. It may be that nothing will come of these meetings.  

On the other hand, it is also utter madness … which means I’m nervous, because it is entirely plausible that the Pac-12 will go this direction. Combining with the Big 12 now? Isn’t that like trying to join Wham! immediately after George Michael left? Like paying billions to buy Blockbuster Video the week after Netflix went live?

Who would benefit from such a merger? 

It would be great for Iowa State and K State, I suppose, since those programs can avoid the humiliation of having to join the MAC or Conference USA. 

It would be great for George Kliavkoff, who might be able to keep his job. Maybe he could stay on as something of a co-ruler, a Western Emperor with Bob Bowlsby serving as Eastern Emperor, two leaders hanging on to a once-great empire decades after the Visigoths had already sacked Rome.

It would be downright fantastic for programs like Washington State and Oregon State, programs that add practically no value to the conference, have benefitted tremendously from USC’s agreement to a socialist model of revenue sharing – where programs that don’t generate a single eyeball on a single television screen share equally with one of the biggest brands in college football – and who probably would not be welcomed into an expanded Big 10, which means they must be terrified that the California schools, Washington, Oregon, or Colorado might be considering such an obvious and lucrative move. Don’t be surprised to see programs like Wazzu doing everything they can to keep the Pac-12 together. (“Come on guys, we’re best friends! It wouldn’t be the same if we’re not together!”) Their future is bleak if the conference breaks apart. 

It would be great for Clay Helton, who would know that USC is still not interested in acting like a blue-blood football program and it raises the possibility that Helton could give his standard, post-game “My team is a bunch of warriors” talk after he defeats KU 24-23 on a missed extra point in a game where USC had to throw the ball 63 times.

So I can see why a Big 12 merger would be good for all of the people and institutions above. But how would this be good for USC? The Big 12 had little value with Texas and Oklahoma, which is why both programs decided to leave and play in a big-boy league from now on. With the SEC going from merely the undisputed king of college football to Godzilla with the addition of UT and OU, the rest of the college-football world needs to answer one very big question: how will we respond to that

If you’re USC, and your answer to that question is to let minor players in your conference push you into a merger with Texas Tech and Baylor, you’ve failed spectacularly.

You’re being USC, in other words, finding new and creative ways to destroy the value of a brand name that took decades to build.

Can anybody imagine, if USC and Oregon left the Pac 12, that Oklahoma and Texas would be pushing for a merger with the Pac 12? 

Why potentially go with the Big 12 instead of the Big 10?

Such a move doesn’t make any sense academically. Most of the Big 12 universities are second-rate academic institutions, well behind the Big 10. Look, it’s somewhat humorous that a conference would talk about academics being the cornerstone of its existence while Arizona State remains a member in good standing. It’s like when the UN elected Iran to its Commission on Women’s Rights – well, except the latter is only ironic and isn’t really funny at all. Still, the Pac-12 does like to talk about the importance of academics, so why the Big 12 over the Big 10?

The move makes no sense geographically. I can understand the concern about travel time and expenses for minor sports if USC were to join the Big 10. But I just checked Apple Maps, and West Virginia looks far.

It doesn’t make sense financially. The Big 10 is rich. Adding USC and a few, select Pac-12 programs would make it richer. The Big 12? The Big 12 gambles at the same Vegas casinos as Cousin Eddie. 

So how does this make sense? How is the Big 12 a better option than the Big 10? Simple: the Pac-12 as a whole probably can’t join the Big 10. If we’re going to keep the band together, we have to join forces with somebody who will take Oregon State. You know, somebody whose roster is full of Oregon States. Somebody like the Big 12.

Why would USC care about the rest of the Pac-12? Good question. Better question: Why would USC care about the rest of the Pac-12 enough to sabotage its own future? Did the Pac-12 stand up for USC when it was being railroaded by the NCAA? No. Some participated in that kangaroo court. Others looked the other way and stayed quiet. The Pac-12 has done nothing to help USC. 

This is simple. USC has value to the Big 10. It should go. Take UCLA – we’ll need at least one patsy on the schedule in the new conference – take the Bay Area schools, maybe Washington. Take Oregon only if the Big 10 insists. Otherwise, burn their village, salt their fields, and leave them for dead. 

As for the rest? Who cares what happens to the rest of the conference? I have no hard feelings against Utah or Colorado. I have no grudge against the grease fire that exists where a football program used to be in Tucson. But I don’t want to sacrifice the future of USC football for those guys, either. Leave ‘em! 

If we ever miss our old partners, if we ever have an unexpected feeling of nostalgia for, say, the Bear Down logo, we can always tune into the New and Improved Pac-12 Network (assuming we live in one of the 13 communities in America that has access to it), and we can watch Arizona play new conference rival San Diego State in a game with a sunrise kickoff. That should be enough to scratch the itch.

To the people running USC: for the first time in a long time, do something that makes sense. Please.

Oh yeah, one more thing: Carthago delenda est.

You may also like