CFB insider claims 12 teams are in line to revive the Pac-4's ongoing slump; AAC and Mountain West continue to remain hot targets

The Pac-4 – what remains of the Pac-12 – is exploring all means to stay afloat. Eventually coming to terms with its gross leadership failure, the conference brought on Oliver Luck last week in a consultancy role. Luck's job description, to put it simply, is to evaluate the Pac-12's options in relation to its reduced power and remaining strengths.

Luck, who had been a candidate for the role of Pac-12 commissioner last year, is a proven veteran in college football administration. His wealth of experience includes tenure as the West Virginia athletic director and a stint as an NCAA executive.

He was also formerly the commissioner of the XFL before it filed for bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He recently oversaw the merger between the Atlantic Sun Conference and Western Athletic Conference, birthing the United Athletic Conference.

Luck has wasted no time in setting to his task of reviving the Pac-4, according to reports. One of the first steps being taken to drive the conference out of its quagmire is drawing up a list of potential candidates for expansion.

College football columnist, Jim Williams shared this insight on X (formerly Twitter):

“Oliver Luck will be starting the process of working on what teams should be added to the PAC 4 from the American and the Mountain. A list of about 12 teams will be reviewed. This DOES NOT mean a partnership or merger is off the table. It just means they have a process in place.”

Is a merger the Pac-4's best option?

Luck's job is just starting, and the list of potential members is a mere exploratory exercise. Be that as it may, the Pac-4's sights seem to remain fixed on the duo of the Mountain West and the American Athletic Conference. This is instructive, considering that speculations of a Pac-12 merger always involve these two conferences.

Which would be the best line of action for the Pac-12? That is the decision Luck was brought in to make. But we can speculate. As much as a merger with either the American or the Mountain West sounds reasonable, there's an advantage to assembling handpicked teams for expansion.

The Pac-12 gets to pick their most preferred teams from both conferences (or elsewhere). This is as opposed to having to compromise on what the composition of the merged conference will be. But Luck is no stranger to mergers, and his experience from the United Athletic Conference may come in handy.