Pac-12 Expansion Still On Table After Latest Rejection Of 'Pac-2' By Big 12

Oregon State and Washington State are still without a landing spot for next season

The Pac-12 as we know it and see it thriving as of Week 7 of this college football season is just mere weeks away from no longer existing as is.

10 of the 12 programs will be headed to the Big Ten, Big 12, or the ACC who may also need to do some expansion of their own soon. However, the biggest question around the Pac-12 outside of how the hell this all happened and the outcomes of the ensuing legal battles, is what the future holds for Oregon State and Washington State. 

The two programs find themselves on an island with a few options, but very few of those options include ending up in a Power 4 conference. The Big Ten never expressed interest and the SEC makes zero sense being that they are the only conference with geographical common sense in place in the future. This leaves just the ACC and the Big 12. Well, that was until reports recently confirmed the Big 12 doesn't have interest in them at this time, as they are instead flirting with the idea of adding Gonzaga at a discounted rate to add to their elite basketball lineup.

Gonzaga  / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

So, this leaves what has been tabbed the Pac-2 with a few options, which include hoping the ACC turns their way after they inevitably lose a few programs, backfilling with Mountain West programs, or going ahead with the Pac-12/Mountain West merger that includes promotion/relegation. 

Either way, until the legal issues with the Pac-12 are settled, there will be little to no clarity as to which direction they'll go.