Overall, I think the Four Corners schools are the ones to watch in this, particularly the Arizona schools. Of course, Oregon and Washington are good fits. If the league is able to add Group of Five schools like San Diego State and SMU, maybe it can stay afloat in the expanded College Football Playoff era? Then again, once the Big Ten poached USC and UCLA, our minds immediately went to who else the league could add from the West Coast. Cal and Stanford would partner up, as would Oregon and Washington, leaving Oregon State and Washington State in the rearview.įor now, the Pac-12 is definitely on life support. The Four Corners universities could unite and leave for the Big 12, but the Arizonas are in lockstep, as are the Rocky Mountain schools of Utah and Colorado. What we need to understand in all this is Robbins is right in that universities will partner up in the Pac-12. However, getting the Los Angeles market in its entirety was prioritized. We all know that college football is the biggest money maker in college athletics. The Ducks do not have the basketball history of the Bruins, but they have been a pillar in the college football realm throughout the 21st century. Big Ten preferred to add Oregon over UCLA initially with USC from the Pac-12įrom a brand and marketability standpoint, the Oregon addition over UCLA does make sense. Yes, an active university president in the Pac-12 spoke this candidly about USC, Oregon and UCLA. That’s where I would have started this thing off. … Their TV market is not that big, but they play in different colored uniforms, and they win. If Oregon calls Washington up and says, ‘I can double the amount of money you’re getting come with me to the Big Ten,’ Washington is going to say, ‘OK, I’m in.’ They would love to have gone … When I heard it first, the deal was going to be USC-Oregon. But they needed a travel partner close by so it makes sense. I think UCLA was a reluctant follower in this whole thing. Perhaps the craziest part in Robbins’ interview with Dodd is this: The Big Ten wanted Oregon first! “USC started this whole thing. More importantly, Arizona and Arizona State are 100 percent a package deal in this. He said the Pac-12 is very close to securing a new media rights deal, but he is well aware that one more team leaving the conference could set in motion a domino effect. University of Arizona president Robert Robbins spoke very candidly with CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd about all things Pac-12 and realignment. While USC and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, there is a chance the Big Ten may have initially preferred Oregon over the Bruins in joining the Trojans in their revamped league. We wish Conference USA and its membership success in the future.It seems as though the Big Ten wanted somebody else initially to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten with USC besides UCLA. While the University appreciates its time and experience as a Conference USA member, that time will end on June 30, 2022. For their sake, the University makes public its intent. The remaining members of Conference USA deserve certainty about their schedules as they plan for competition next year. The Conference's unwillingness to discuss the concept of separation this year creates confusion and doubt for all concerned. Conference USA has so far refused to discuss any such arrangement with the University. The University has from the outset expressed its desire to work with Conference USA to achieve an amicable separation, including offering to cooperate to ensure that all remaining conference members had complete competitive schedules for those sports in which the University competes. Since then, the University has clearly and consistently repeated its intentions to the conference. The University first advised Conference USA in early December 2021 of the University's plans to terminate its membership in June 2022. This decision comes after considering the best interests of the University and the entire Golden Eagle family, including nearly 350 student-athletes and thousands of fans and supporters. The University will not participate in Conference USA during the 2022-23 academic year. ![]() The University of Southern Mississippi will terminate its membership in Conference USA effective June 30, 2022. Statement from the Department of Athletics
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