Getty Image / iStockphoto
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has made quite a name for himself since starting the job last fall. And, he may be responsible for having saved the Big 12.
When Texas and Oklahoma announced their future departure from the league to the SEC in the summer of 2021, many left the league for dead. After all, how could they possibly replace by far their two biggest brands and remain financially viable for its member institutions?
First, the conference went out and added UCF, Houston, BYU and Cincinnati, four of the biggest brands that weren’t in a power 5 conference. Those four schools will start playing in the conference this sports season.
But, the real damage was done the last two weeks. After poaching former Member Colorado back from the PAC 12 in late July, the league helped decimate the PAC 12 when it added Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah to the conference. Those teams will start conference play in 2024.
With USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington off to the Big Ten, this means that the PAC 12 is down to just four teams: Washington State, Oregon State, Stanford, and Cal. Obviously, that puts those four teams, who do not have a television contract in place past this year, in pretty significant financial peril, some more than others.
Jason Scheer, a writer for Wildcat Authority, the Arizona affiliate for 247 Sports, has made a name for himself the last few weeks. He’s been at the forefront of basically the breaking news regarding conference realignment, and has to be considered a reliable source on the topic. On Sunday night, he tweeted out that there could be a potential lifeline for Oregon State, as well as Mountain West Conference member San Diego State.
Hearing Oregon State and San Diego State have had very preliminary talks with the Big 12 over the last 48 hours. Key word is preliminary and it would be at discounted rates.
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) August 7, 2023
This would be a lifesaver for Oregon State, and a stroke of luck for San Diego State. Stanford is going to be fine because it’s Stanford. But, if you’re Cal or Washington State and you weren’t panicking already, now is the time to do so.