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Max Olson of The Athletic dropped some big news on Tuesday morning.
Sources: Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is meeting with Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff today to discuss the possibility of a scheduling alliance, merger or other options for their conferences to strategically work together.⁰ https://t.co/i3MFeMj9Ua
— Max Olson (@max_olson) August 3, 2021
This would be a huge (and great, imo) move for the Big 12 if Bob Bowlsby could somehow get the remaining eight teams to merge with the Pac-12 to form a 20-team super conference.
Ultimately, a merger makes more sense than a scheduling alliance for the Big 12. The conference - severely weakened by the departure of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2025 - isn’t in a great position as far as eyeballs are concerned. A scheduling alliance with the Pac-12 would certainly be a financial boon, but a full merger could garner a pretty hefty TV contract.
Last week Pac-12 Commissioner George Kilakoff said that his conference would prioritize opportunities to expand, and it looks like he’s making good on that statement.
Nothing is even remotely a lock to happen, but it has to be encouraging for fans of Big 12 schools that the commissioners are openly talking. That being said, let’s fast forward to what a Big 12/Pac-12 merger could look like.
20 teams would be much more difficult to navigate than the 16 teams the SEC is expanding to, from a “making sure you play your whole conference” standpoint. But, it’s not impossible. Here’s what a potential Big 12/Pac-12 merger could look like.
Two 10-team divisions
Big 12/Pac-12 Merger | 2 Divisions
| West Division | East Division |
|---|---|
| West Division | East Division |
| USC | TCU |
| UCLA | Texas Tech |
| Cal | Baylor |
| Stanford | Oklahoma State |
| Oregon | Kansas |
| Oregon State | Kansas State |
| Washington | Iowa State |
| Washington State | West Virginia |
| Arizona | Colorado |
| Arizona State | Utah |
The pros of two divisions are limited - teams would rarely get to play teams in the other division in a 12-game season, unless the conference did away with non-conference games altogether.
Four 5-team Pods
Big 12/Pac-12 Merger - 4 Pods
| Pod 1 | Pod 2 | Pod 3 | Pod 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pod 1 | Pod 2 | Pod 3 | Pod 4 |
| USC | Washington | TCU | West Virginia |
| UCLA | Washington State | Texas Tech | Kansas |
| Cal | Oregon | Baylor | Kansas State |
| Colorado | Oregon State | Arizona | Iowa State |
| Utah | Stanford | Arizona State | Oklahoma State |
The four-pod system seems to be the trend in this burgeoning superconference era, which helps from a scheduling standpoint. With 20 teams, that puts five teams in each pod. Teams would be able to play the four teams in their pod, and two teams from each other pod on a rotation, leaving two non-conference games per season.
Each pod ‘champion’ could be seeded into a conference semifinal round, with the winners playing in the conference championship.
Five 4-Team Pods
Big 12/Pac-12 Merger - 5 Pods
| Pod 1 | Pod 2 | Pod 3 | Pod 4 | Pod 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pod 1 | Pod 2 | Pod 3 | Pod 4 | Pod 5 |
| USC | TCU | Washington | Stanford | West Virginia |
| UCLA | Texas Tech | Washington State | Cal | Iowa State |
| Arizona | Baylor | Oregon | Utah | Kansas |
| Arizona State | Oklahoma State | Oregon State | Colorado | Kansas State |
Of course, the alternative to five team pods is four team pods. Five, four-team pods would be tougher from a conference championship standpoint, but from a regular season standpoint would be good. Teams play each of the other three schools in their pod, and two from each of the other pods on a rotation, getting to 11 games and one non-conference game.
So, should the Big 12 and Pac-12 merge? Tell me why or why not below.