Olympic stars worried about Pac-12 demise and the aftereffects of conference realignment

Olympic stars are worried about the future of their sports due to the Pac-12 demise.

The Pac-12 has been a powerhouse for Olympic sports in college, but due to the recent conference realignment, it almost got torn to pieces.

“The NCAA model is essential to Team USA,” former Olympic swimmer and commentator Summer Sanders, a Stanford alum, said at a recent Olympic media summit, via SF Chronicle. “We don’t have a Plan B right now,” she added.

The American Olympic movement is not federally funded, unlike many other countries. Instead, the United States relies on collegiate sports to produce Olympians, so it is a concern for future Olympic success.

“The collegiate system is critical,” said Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the USOPC. “Data suggests that not only is it important to Team USA, it is important to the world. The potential impact to broadbased sports would be a disservice," she added.

The Pac-12 has been the pathway for college athletes to reach the Olympics. According to the SF Chronicle, had the Pac-12 been its own country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it would have finished second in overall medal count, between the United States and China, and third in gold medals, behind the U.S. and China.

Olympics might lose a good chunk of athletes after Pac-12 dissolution

With the Pac-12 being decimated, the biggest concern is how athletes will develop in Olympic sports.

Three-time gold medalist and Stanford alum Maggie Steffens points to Water polo, for example, as a sport that could be impacted from the Pac-12's demise.

“For women’s water polo, collegiate sports is huge,” Steffens said. “You can’t just leave high school and go play, unless you go abroad. College provides the opportunity to continue playing and gain experience.

“I get a little nervous with so much change, especially from a woman's perspective. Without those opportunities, a lot of young girls and kids would quit at 16 or 17, because if you don’t see a future, why keep going? For us, that idea that you can go to college and keep playing your sport, that’s a huge message for kids,” she added.

As of right now, Team USA isn't sure what the future holds for aspiring athletes to make it big in the Olympics without Pac-12's presence.