Report: Big 12, Pac-12 meet to discuss ‘strategic partnership’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Northwest
The college football landscape has been shaken with Texas and Oklahoma deciding to leave the Big 12 for the SEC in the coming years.
With both schools leaving its led to Bob Bowlsby and George Kliavkoff, the commissioners of the Big 12 and Pac-12, to meet on Tuesday “to discuss the viability of a strategic partnership between the conferences,” per ESPN.
Any decision between the two conferences could affect Oregon and Oregon State, which are both Pac-12 schools.
“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,” Kliavkoff said. “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.”
Kliavkoff believes the departures of Texas and Oklahoma strengthens the Pac-12 nationally as the only Power 5 with teams in Pacific and Mountain time zones.
“I think, over time, the dominoes will start falling as a result of the move by Texas and Oklahoma,” Kliavkoff said. “And we’re not determined that we need to expand in order to thrive; we can thrive at 12. We don’t understand the paradigm that if someone else has 16, you need to have 16. It just doesn’t make sense.”
What could make the conversation interesting is in regards to the media rights deal. Bowlsby said Monday at a hearing of Texas lawmakers the Big 12’s TV contract could be reduced by almost 50% following the departure of Oklahoma and Texas.