Monday, August 7, 2023 – The Death of the Pac 12 Football Conference
Go beat the drum slowly and play the fife holy,
Play the dead march as they carry me on,
Go carry me t’th grave yard and throw the sod o’er me
For I’m the Pac 12 and I know I am gone!
And so we say goodbye to the Pac 12 Football Conference. It seems the teams that made up the Pacific Conference played musical chairs and Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State found no chairs left for them.
So what happened and why? First of all, we are discussing the 2024 football season. This is because nothing has yet happened in the 2023 season to discuss.
USC and UCLA first exited and moved to the Big 10 Conference. Then Oregon and their ugly ducky uniforms and Washington and their pretty huskie uniforms moved to the Big 10 Conference too.
Then because THE University of Texas and Oklahoma University moved to the SEC there was a gap in the Big 12 Conference. With USC and UCLA jumping conference, the following also jumped to a new conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah who joined Colorado who had already moved to the Big 12.
This means the Big 10 Conference now has 18 teams. These are Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern (not the Natchitoches one), Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington,. This also means Rutgers, Maryland et. al get to fly 3000 miles to the West Coast and vice versa for USC and UCLA.
This means the Big 12 now has Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah. and West Virginia for a total of 16 teams.
And that leaves Stanford, Oregon State, California, and Washington State as orphans of the threaded incline movement of other schools.
This certainly simplifies HWIT. I never did care much for the schools of the Big 10. Now that here are more, I really do not give a pig skin.
As to the Big 12, I am somewhat excited by Utah joining I can make lots of references to the Two Utes from My Cousin Vinny. And there are Baylor and Oklahoma State for family reasons. It was just a matter of time before the championship of Utah between the Mormons and Christians moved to Texas.
Here’s what I’m thinking. It will be interesting to say the least. Here are my reasons for the intense conference break ups. By the end of a Saturday, no one wants to watch a football game that starts at 9:30 PM. If you are young, it is time to go out for a Saturday night on the town. If you are old, it is time to go to bed.
But the real reason for such a breakup. Cue up Pink Floyd’s song Money. The Pac 12 could not reach media agreements. So there was an exodus to other conferences. There is more money depending on the time zone in which you play. Press play for Pink Floyd’s Money. $$$$
It remains to be seen how this all plays out. First the 2023 season must be played. Did you know that Stanford and California produce the most Olympic Athletes than all the other schools combined?
Since Stanford and California (aka Berkeley) both tend to lean toward the left, you know the outside influences of Old Army of the Peni at Texas A&M will not extend an invitation to the SEC. Besides, HWIT, I doubt any school in either Big 10 or Big 12 can beat any school in the SEC. Well, maybe Vanderbilt.
Happy Monday, Stay cool. Gig ‘Em!
The link below is a great article about the loss of historical state rivalries too.
Here's What I'm Thinking 