Amid Pac-12 MWC merger theories, Oregon State AD hints at a possible relocation, leaving the Pac-12 high and dry

After losing six teams in the space of a week, there have been rumors that the Pac-12 will merge with the Mountain West Conference. Since Colorado made its way out, the conference has seen Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington, and Utah follow suit.

With limited options available for the Pac-12, the 16-team merger comes as a viable move for the conference. The Mountain West finds itself in a compelling position, along with the other four remaining Pac-12 teams: Cal, Stanford, Washington State, and Oregon State.

While the merger remains up in the air for now, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes has given an indication that it could happen. He told the Oregonian newspaper that the Beavers will work closely with the other three teams to explore the options available.

“We will move expeditiously and work with others. Our intent is to work with the remaining Pac-12 members. It’s a strong option. We’ll look at other opportunities. The timing is something we want to pursue as soon as possible, but we have some time to get it right.”

However, Barnes expressed his dissatisfaction with the recent occurrence.

“I’m furious because it puts this university in harm’s way and our student-athletes in harm’s way. There’s some damage done that we’re going to have to mitigate.”

Talks already underway among Pac-12 and MWC officials

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, a number of athletic directors and presidents from the Pac-12 and Mountain West engaged in initial discussions about the possibility of a merger on Saturday. More substantial conversations are anticipated to take place on Monday.

The crucial factor in any merger is preserving the assets of each conference while focusing on optimizing revenue to ensure competitiveness. How the two conferences will achieve this remains to be seen.

There has been a suggestion that Mountain West could undergo a nominal dissolution, primarily to eliminate the exit fees, which currently stand at $34 million per team. This will help facilitate their transition to a new league for the 2024 season.

This approach would enable the conference to retain the College Football Playoff payouts, which are notably higher for a Power Five conference than the Group of Five. It will also enable the two conferences to keep their due NCAA Tournament 'units.' The world of college sports will keep a close eye on the events set to unfold in the coming weeks.