Pac-12 stands pat, opts not to pursue expansion
- College football reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of Indiana University
The Pac-12 will not pursue expansion “at this time,” the conference said Thursday.
The announcement ends speculation about whether the 12-team league might try to add any of the eight schools that will remain in the Big 12 following the eventual departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.
“Following consultation with our Presidents, Chancellors and Athletic Directors, the Pac-12 Conference has made the decision to not pursue expansion of our membership at this time,” the statement read.
“This decision was made following extensive internal discussion and analysis, and is based on the current competitive strength and cohesiveness of our 12 universities. It is also grounded in our confidence in our ability as a conference to best support our student-athletes and to grow and thrive both academically and athletically.”
Commissioner George Kliavkoff told ESPN earlier this week that a decision regarding expansion would be forthcoming following the conference’s alliance with the Big Ten and ACC.
The alliance essentially eliminated any notion that the Pac-12 would try to lure any schools from the Big Ten or ACC.
Kliavkoff told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week that “a lot” of schools reached out to the Pac-12 regarding possible expansion.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t listening to schools that wanted to go in the Pac-12, and we’ve had a lot of them reach out,” Kliavkoff told the paper. “Probably all of the ones you would expect and several you’d be surprised by.”
Multiple sources in the Big 12 told ESPN that the remaining eight schools aren’t in a rush to make a move, but they are considering eventually adding teams to make the Big 12 relevant enough to negotiate a lucrative television contract.
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