Yesterday, I wrote about the SEC creating a super conference, with rumors Clemson and Florida State also wanted to join. Well, that’s not happening:
Clemson and Florida State did not reach out to the SEC. Twitter is not real life.
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) August 2, 2021
That sucks. However, we could see a super conference out west, with a Pac-12/Big 12 Merger.
Why Is This a Thing?
When ranking Power Five conferences, most people’s lists are the same: SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and Pac-12. However, with Texas and Oklahoma jumping to the SEC, other teams are rumored to leave the Big 12. This could spell the end of the conference. On the other hand, the Pac-12 is treated as a joke. A middle of the road conference between Power Five and Group of Five. These two beliefs have us on a crash course with a Pac-12/Big 12 merger.
What Would a Pac-12/Big 12 Merger Look Like?
This would not be a true merger. The best example out there is the AL and NL in baseball prior to 1999: they would operate semi-independently with “league presidents”. However, they would be intertwined: negotiate the same TV deals, have the same conference network, and answer to the commissioner. There would be “interleague play,” and the winner of each would play for one championship.
Naming the New League
The “Big Pacific Conference” is probably going to be the working title. But that sounds dumb. Let’s semi-revive an old name: the Southwest Conference. Now, I know this isn’t exactly southwest, so this time around, it’d be the SouthWest Conference, retaining the SWC acronym.
Team Movement
With Texas and Oklahoma leaving, the Big 12 will only have eight teams. To even things out (and predicting no other teams leave if this merger goes through), the Pac-12 will give up two teams. Most likely Arizona and Arizona State. Here is how the leagues would look:
How Close are We?
Frankly, not that close. Per The Athletic, the two commissioners are meeting to discuss a potential scheduling alliance or a Pac-12/Big 12 merger. A merger has too many moving parts, and a “schedule alliance” is the number one option. However, it’d be cool to see.
