If the Pac-12 wants sympathy for its current state, the conference will not find it in the sports media. Following the departure of Colorado, many have said or written that the conference is at death’s door.
Thursday night, the Pac-12 issued a statement. The conference currently stands at just nine teams, but the plan is that will change as soon as its next TV deal is complete.
“We are focused on concluding our media rights deal and securing our continued success and growth,” the statement reads. “Immediately following the conclusion of our media rights deal, we will embrace expansion opportunities and bring new fans, markets, excitement and value to the Pac-12.”
That statement was met with a healthy amount of skepticism. After all, conference commissioner George Kliavkoff has been promising a new deal would be announced “soon” for the better part of 2023. It is that kind of uncertainty that has driven teams to seek out other options.
Sports radio hosts in Pac-12 markets were particularly critical of the statement.
The national media was no more kind. Whether it was responding to the statement or just making general observations about the league, there was a consensus: this conference is doomed.
