After Pac-12 implosion, Big 12 eyes 6 schools as part of conference realignment; member count to hit 22 by 2026: Reports

The Pac-12 implosion has given the rest of the Power Five conferences the ability to strengthen themselves and pick off teams. Every conference in the Power Five added at least two programs from the Pac-12, leaving just two teams.

College football insider Greg Swaim reported that the Big 12 could add six more teams by 2026 to get to 22 teams. That would create a round-robin conference schedule with two 11-team divisions and the winners of each division facing off against one another in the Big 12 Conference Championship.

"By 2026 six schools could be added to the Big12, as Yormark wants twenty-two teams with two eleven team divisions for a ten game round robin conference schedule (TV requirement)," he tweeted.

The six teams are the Oregon State Beavers, Washington State Huskies, Louisville Cardinals, Pittsburgh Panthers, NC State Wolfpack and the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Pac-12 implosion would have netted the Big 12 six different programs as they already added the Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes.

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What led to the Pac-12 implosion?

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff is believed to be at least partly responsible for the downfall of the conference.

While acting as the sitting president of the Conference of Champions, he failed to negotiate a new Pac-12 media rights deal. After the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins left to join the Big Ten, ESPN was still willing to pay $30 million per school.

However, Kliavkoff tried to negotiate it to $50 million per team. ESPN immediately ended negotiations and pulled out.

As a result, teams continued to leave. Things have only gotten bleaker since then as the Pac-12 implosion has continued.