The Pac-12 is at an interesting place at the moment. Currently, the conference is experiencing its most successful season in a very long time. It could also be one of their last. In the latest bout of conference realignment, there have been several stories. The SEC is sure to be exciting with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma in 2024 and the ACC is trying to fend off threats by Florida State while also adding Stanford, Cal, and SMU. But, for the Pac-12, this year of conference realignment has been a disaster.

All but two members of the Pac-12 are set to leave the conference after the 2023 season. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado are leaving for the Big 12, while Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA are headed to the Big 10. Cal and Stanford will join the ACC.

This leaves Washington State and Oregon State as the only programs currently in the Pac-12 in 2024.

According to an article by Yahoo Sports Ross Dellenger, “The NCAA requires eight members to be recognized as an FBS conference, but allows a two-year grace period. According to NCAA bylaw 20.02.9.2, a conference shall continue to be considered an FBS league for two years after it drops below the eight-team threshold.”

With that Knowledge, there are only two options. Rebuild the Pac-12 or let it dissolve. Dissolving the Pac-12 would be a sad affair for any college football fan. The conference has been around for more than 100 years and has produced some of the most exciting football in history. It would also see a storied program like Washington State be relegated to a G5 school as they would most likely join the Mountain West.

Rebuilding would be another beast entirely. No national championship contender is banging down the Pac-12’s door for a spot in the league. That fact, along with the two year time frame in which to reach eight teams, would likely see the Pac-12 bring in many G5 teams. It’s a good move for those schools as they would be able to get in on the monetary and brand value of the Pac-12, but the conference would be virtually out of playoff contention and the laughing stock of power five football.

Rebuilding the league is definitely something Washington State and Oregon State want from a monetary stand point. If they stay in the Pac-12, they will continue to reap the benefits of the leagues revenue from the NCAA basketball tournament, bowl contracts, revenue from the CFP, and, of course, the status of being a part of a Power 5 Conference.

It is ironic that with all of this talk about the Pac-12 crumbling, the conference is having one of it’s most successful seasons. There are currently three Pac-12 teams in the top ten and three more in the AP top 25. Caleb Williams out of USC just brought the conference a Heisman trophy and there is serious conversation about him repeating. Deion Sanders has taken over at Colorado and turned the Buffs into one of the most exciting teams in the nation. It is quite possible that, if ten of their programs weren’t leaving, the Pac-12 would be establishing themselves as one of the top conferences in college football. Unfortunately, ten teams are leaving the Pac-12 and the top brass are in a frenzy over how to revitalize their conference. Though there is hope from the last members of the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State, a decision is yet to be made on the future of the conference.