On Tuesday, Big XII commissioner Bob Bowlsby and PAC 12 commissioner George Kliavkoff met to discuss a collaboration reported by The Athletic (subscription required). Kliavkoff just became the new PAC 12 Commissioner a month ago.
The Athletic reported that talks could go one of two options. The first is a schedule alliance between the two conferences, and the other is a merger. The report also states that Bowlsby could explore a possible merger with another conference.
Bob Bowlsby believes that the two conferences can work together. He met with the Texas Senate committee to discuss the future of football in Texas. “I think there are options for us to partner with other conferences. There may be an opportunity for mergers. There may be opportunities to add members. There may be other opportunities that are currently unforeseen.”
During last week’s PAC 12 media day, commissioner George Kliavkoff spoke with ESPN. He told them he wouldn’t rule out expansion or alliance. “We’re, on purpose, not reaching out and trying to poach any schools, but my phone has blown up — absolutely blown up over the last five days, and I’ve got lots and lots of calls from probably every school you would imagine and probably a few you’d be surprised by. We’re listening to all inbound inquiries, because it seems like the smart thing to do.”
The Big XII have been the center of attention in the college football world. They lost Texas and Oklahoma last week to the SEC and will join them in 2025. They accused ESPN of destabilizing the conference to which ESPN denied.
While talks are in the early stages, Big XII and PAC 12 could benefit from a partnership or merger. The PAC 12 has Colorado, a former member of the Big XII Conference. They also have Utah, a former member of the Mountain West Conference. Along with Arizona and Arizona State, both schools would benefit from having the remaining Big XII teams.
The only team that wouldn’t benefit from the move is West Virginia. Instead, West Virginia will likely be looking for a new home by either joining the Big Ten or ACC.
If this partnership or merger does come to fruition, both conferences are going to have to recruit other schools like BYU or Boise State for a chance at getting a better television deal. However, both conferences seem like a good fit for each other and could create a new conference with new and old rivalries.
