Pac-12 Board Releases ‘United’ Statement in light of expansion rumors

With poachers eyeing the conference the Pac-12 is making it known they will stay together

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It feels like we have already been through this same exact instance just months ago, but the Pac-12 is in the process of fending off poachers. 

The expansion rumors stemming from the direction of the Big 12 have been running rampant as of late, which has of course caused the college football world to look over at the Pac-12 to see what they will do. Ever since the announcements that USC and UCLA will be departing from the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, it has felt as if the Pac-12 has had their back to the wall and is just hoping to fend off any further blows.

The Big 12 has essentially been one step ahead of the Pac-12 this entire year, adding four programs to make up for losing two, and also securing a media rights deal before the Pac-12 could even get the ball rolling. The Pac-12 has had their hand forced, and have also had to change their order of operations of what their media rights and expansion plans were.

There appears to have been a lot of heat in the Pac-12's kitchen, as the conference released a statement assuring how united the remaining 10 teams are.

Joint statement from the 10 Pac-12 Conference Board Members:#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/NN5sk0TmMl

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) February 13, 2023

The statement also comes a few days after Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff visited the campus of With poachers eyeing the conference the Pac-12 is making it known they will stay together, who is widely viewed as one of the league’s best candidates for expansion.

While the Pac-12 is continuing to play defense and attempting to figure out their future, the Big 12 is reportedly targeting Gonzaga, San Diego State, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State for further expansion.