Dan Lanning belittles Deion Sanders' Colorado to Big 12 move after Pac-12 exit: "Trying to remember what they won to affect this conference"

Oregon football coach Dan Lanning had some harsh words for Deion Sanders' Colorado after the program announced its move to the Big 12. The Buffs will leave the Pac-12 come 2024, in the latest conference realignment activity by Brett Yormark's ambitious conference.

When asked about the deal on Monday, Lanning did not hold back, questioning the Buffaloes' winning pedigree.

“Not a big reaction,” Dan Lanning said. "I'm trying to remember what they won to affect this conference, and I don't remember. Do you remember them winning anything? I don't remember them winning anything."

In 12 years as a Pac-12 member, Colorado has posted just one winning season in 2016 with a 10-4 record. They hired Coach Prime to help reverse their fortunes after his stellar work at Jackson State.

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Is Dan Lanning wrong about the Pac-12?

The Pac-12 is reeling after Colorado's departure to the Big 12 in 2024 was announced during the week. The conference realignment and expansion games have hit Pac-12 hard, and it seems like the dusk of a conference.

George Kliavkoff's failure to agree to a media rights deal seems to be pushing programs into joining other prestigious Power Five conferences.

Kliavkoff admitted to the pressure that the conference is under to agree to a deal as soon as possible:

"We're kind of waiting it out, and I think now we're in a place where you have to balance waiting it out against the stability of the conference and people being not antsy about sticking around, and I think we're now in a place where we have to get the deal done."

Dan Lanning might argue that Colorado's departure is not a big issue, but Coach Prime has brought back the excitement to the program. Alongside his sons Shilo and Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders guarantees interest and hype.

The loss of the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans was already disastrous to the Pac-12, and Colorado's move is being termed the death knell.

Apparently, the Big 12 isn't done with its plunder of the Pac-12, though. Arizona, Utah and Arizona State are all in talks with Brett Yormark's conference regarding future moves.

The Big Ten is also eyeing Washington and Oregon. Should all five programs depart, the Pac-12 might not have enough programs or even be able to attract the right quality of programs to justify a huge media rights deal.

Dan Lanning's statement could look extremely short-sighted when reexamined in hindsight. The Pac-12 needs every program it can keep a hold of at the moment, and Coach Prime's Colorado promises a jump in interest and ratings.