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The PAC 12 is reeling following reports that yet another member is on the way out. The Colorado Buffaloes are expected to leave the league in order to join the Big XII in 2024.
Following the most recent loss, college sportswriter Jim Williams hinted at two potential replacements for the conference.
The news with Colorado broke Wednesday after the university held a board meeting to discuss its options for the future. With no television deal agreed upon for the league, the Buffs believed a return to the Big XII best suited its financial interests.
Part of the difficulty in landing said TV deal comes from the loss of the Los Angeles market. Both USC and UCLA announced plans to join the Big Ten, leaving the PAC 12 without its two biggest brands.
The league has quickly gone from 12 members to nine, leading many to predict the ultimate demise of the conference.
In order to quiet that narrative, the PAC 12 will have to add replacements. Jim Williams suggested a pair of potential replacements for these recent losses, both of which hail from the Group of Five.
Look for the @pac12 move to add both @SMUFB and @GoAztecs as soon as possible. There is no sugar coating the loss of Colorado it hurts.
— Jim Williams (@JWMediaDC) July 27, 2023
SMU and San Diego State are the targets Williams expects both of whom would bring strong athletic resumes in the two major sports. SMU has been a notable football brand in the Dallas area for some time while SDSU is fresh off a national championship appearance in basketball.
The Aztecs also boast a football team that’s won 19 games over the last two years.
While they wouldn’t make up for the losses of USC and UCLA, those two programs would provide a suitable replacement for Colorado. The PAC 12 will need to act fast if it hopes to stay afloat.