With Stanford and Cal to ACC almost a done deal, does Pac-12 expansion still hold any credibility in the latest conference realignment drama?

Stanford and Cal are the latest Pac-12 teams to leave the conference as they have reportedly joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. While people are declaring it to be the end of the Pac-12, others are essentially looking at this as an opportunity to rebrand and merge.

One college football fan posted a hypothetical Pac-12 Conference consisting of 12 teams after the news of Stanford and Cal leaving was reported. In the hypothetical conference, he makes two six-team divisions, including teams from across the country.

While we technically cannot rule out this scenario, the thought of it happening and the price point of $170 million a year seems a little farfetched. However, something creative like this is going to be conjured if the Pac-12 wants to remain active after this college football season.

With Stanford and Cal to the ACC, what is next for the Pac-12 Conference?

Stanford and Cal reportedly leaving to join the Atlantic Coast Conference leaves just two schools in the Pac-12 for 2024: Oregon State and Washington State. There are a few different scenarios that can play out next as Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff and consultant Oliver Luck discuss the next steps.

One potential outcome could be for the conference to officially disband in 2024 as Oregon State and Washington State find a new home. Not all hope is lost, as after 10 different programs bid adieu, they still believe that the conference can thrive. Merging with the Mountain West Conference could be another option to pursue.

Can the Pac-12 get a media rights deal?

The Pac-12 reportedly lost Stanford and Cal on Wednesday, but things have been brutal for the conference for almost 18 months. The biggest issue they have dealt with is the inability to land a media rights deal which has caused 10 of the 12 members to leave the Pac-12.

The Apple TV+ deal that Kliavkoff had in line was for $25 million per team each year.

With no linear television, it is hard to find as people would need to be subscribed to the service in order to watch games. Apple TV+ already has select Major League Baseball and all Major League Soccer content as they attempt to build their own live sports library.

At this point, all efforts must be made to keep the conference alive as it is simply too valuable to the college football world.