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Big 12, Pac-12 Leaders Meet to Discuss Possible Merger

With the news of Big 12 perennial powers like the University of Texas and Oklahoma University trying to leave the conference in favor of the SEC, the Pac-12 Conference has also been in talks with the Big 12 about a possible merger or re-alignment.

On Tuesday, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and first-year Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff met to discuss the idea of alignment between the two conferences going forward, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.

pac-12This meeting comes just one day after Bowlsby floated both scenarios during a hearing with the Texas Senate regarding the future of college sports in the Lone Star State.

Currently, the Big 12 is tied up in massive uncertainty, being left with only eight members after the Longhorns and Sooners leave in July 2025. While the report from CBS Sports suggests the conference might struggle to stay afloat financially, a connection with either the Pac-12 or the American Athletic Conference.

Below is an excerpt from the CBS Sports report from Dodd.

The idea of a scheduling alliance could be mutually beneficial for both conferences. The Big 12’s television deal will take a huge hit without Texas and Oklahoma in the league, but adding games with Pac-12 powers like USC, Oregon and Washington would likely minimize the financial impact of the departure of the Longhorns and Sooners. It would also help the Pac-12 get desperately-needed attention from a college football world that generally overlooks a conference that hasn’t put a team in the College Football Playoff since 2016.