After Stanford and Cal's departure, 2 Pac-12 teams might become targets for MWC in the latest conference realignment drama: Reports

The two remaining Pac-12 teams might not be Power Five worthy
The two remaining Pac-12 teams might not be Power Five worthy

The Pac-12 Conference is getting closer to extinction, as only two teams remain. With Stanford and California joining the ACC, Washington State and Oregon State are the only teams remaining in 2024. One potential home for those two remaining Pac-12 teams can be the Mountain West Conference.

Action Network's college football insider Brett McMurphy posted on Sunday what the Mountain West Conference's future could be.

"Mountain West commish Gloria Nevarez, who attended Saturday's Washington State at Colorado State contest & is at today's Oregon State at San Jose State game, asked on CBS about WSU & OSU: 'we're ready for anything & open to all opportunities.'"

The Pac-12 teams may not have a choice as the rest of the conference has joined Power Five conferences. Washington State and Oregon State have shown their loyalty by staying, but the future seems bleak for these programs.

Who is to blame for the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference?

The Conference of Champions was one of the most elite conferences in college athletics. However, poor leadership has brought the once proud conference to the brink of elimination as 10 of the 12 teams have found a new conference beginning in 2024.

Most of the blame for the conference being in its current state has to fall on Commissioner George Kliavkoff. He has been in charge of solidifying a media rights deal as it expires on July 1, 2024. They have not been able to agree to a media rights deal as he significantly overplayed his hand by asking for $50 million per team after the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins announced they were leaving for the Big Ten.

Another questionable decision was the hiring of consultant Oliver Luck. If that was the decision the Pac-12 was ultimately going to make, why did the conference wait so long before agreeing to a contract with Luck? The teams that left have cited instability as the main reason for leaving.

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