2 Pac-12 schools in line to join ACC amid rumors of potential Pac-12 expansion: Reports

The Pac-12 is trying to figure out their next step as Pac-12 expansion or joining the ACC seem to be two major decisions right now.

College football insider Jim Williams gave an update on Friday about the state of the Pac-12: Stanford or California could join the ACC. A new PAC could also be a possibility. He tweeted:

"1. Stanford/Cal/SMU continue to lobby the ACC for membership. They need 12 votes to get in. All three are willing to forego media payouts for an unknown number of years. 2. Stanford/Cal/OSU/WSU met yesterday to share the groups thoughts on the future.

"Including all four to the ACC or a new PAC. 3. Again, everything hinges on if Stanford/Cal to the ACC -SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN SOON IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN THE CONFERENCE IN 2024."

There're some interesting aspects here that could change the course of the current Pac-4 teams. Washington State, Oregon State, California and Stanford have to figure out what their next steps are so that commissioner George Kliavkoff and Oliver Luck can act accordingly.

---

Is Pac-12 expansion the best thing for remaining four teams?

The Pac-12 is in a very difficult spot, as they're still technically a Power Five conference with only four teams in 2024. There are some scenarios that could make the Conference of Champions remain intact, and it looks like the best course of action if all four universities want to stick together.

The first move would be to decide on a merger with a Group of Five Conference. That way, they will have a full slate of teams to present to media rights companies. The current media rights deal for the Pac-12 expires on July 1, 2024, so getting a deal is imperative for the health of the conference.

Will it be the $50 million that Kliavkoff originally was searching for? Unlikely, but it will be something to keep the conference alive. The conference to likely expand, so would it be the Mountain West they go with?

The geographical location of the schools makes it an ideal candidate, and the boost in revenue would be enticing for the Mountain West. Currently, their media deal is for six years and worth $270 million. The members receive about $4 million per team. Although that's a significant drop for the Pac-4 teams, it's just a starting point.

The Conference of Champions is in a real bind right now. The sooner they figure their next steps out, the better the chances of the conference staying alive would be.