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CFB Insider Suggests A PAC 12 President Attempted To Conspire Against 2 Rivals In Realignment

#conference realignment
by Last Updated
Washington State football players come out of the tunnel before a game.

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College football insider Brett McMurphy dropped a bombshell on social media that suggested at least one PAC 12 president wanted two teams excluded in realignment talks.

He posted a tweet on Monday referencing a specific call to the Big XII as PAC 12 schools weighed their options. In hopes of keeping most of the league together, a question was reportedly asked inquiring about a potential mass exodus to the Big XII.

USC and UCLA’s departure to the Big Ten meant there would be 10 teams in the conference come 2024. Colorado later announced its plan to leave, dropping that number to nine.

That left the rest of the PAC 12 pack to discuss the future.

With no TV deal in sight, universities turned their attention to more lucrative outlets. The Big Ten and Big XII certainly offered that with their media rights agreements, leading administrators to contact the leagues with expansion questions.

McMurphy writes that one particular president asked the Big XII if they’d be interested in adding each of the remaining members from the Conference of Champions… Well, all but Oregon State and Washington State, that is.

That PAC 12 president remains unnamed, but the report sparked an immediate reaction amongst college football fans.

As if Oregon State and Washington State fans weren’t down bad enough.

Many took their best guesses as to who the mystery man could be.

Others just noted the shadiness behind the inquiry.

The drama!

What did Oregon State and Washington State do to deserve this disrespect?

Fans hinted at a few different reasons why the two schools would be left out. One is linked to other instate programs Oregon and Washington, though both eventually wound up in the Big Ten as opposed to the Big XII.

Another simply references the location of the universities.

Small markets Pullman and Corvallis don’t offer the same draw to conferences looking to expand their footprints, especially if they can acquire nearby programs from similar regions.

While the Big XII and Big Ten don’t seem like likely destinations for the Beavers and Cougars, there are options.

Of late, it’s been reported that the AAC is interested in adding all four remaining PAC 12 teams in realignment. The PAC, however, is more interested in keeping what’s left and adding from the Group of Five.

Conference realignment continues to produce off-field drama. We’ll see who’s the next domino to fall.