Worst-case scenario, WSU and OSU end up in a glorified version of the Mountain West Conference. But I can tell you there’s a lot of angst right now in Corvallis and Pullman. Q: This has been a terrible week! Is there any hope for the Beavs and Cougs? - If the Pac-12 sticks together, Oregon State and Washington State should be fine. I suspect that will be the Big Ten - as it makes geographical sense - but we’ve seen some wild things in the last week. The Irish should shop itself to the highest bidder ASAP. There are some whispers about the members challenging it in court, but I suspect that would drag out, too. Q: Will the SEC take Clemson, Florida State, and possibly Miami before Notre Dame makes a decision and will that ultimately force Notre Dame‘s hand? - The ACC members have a contract that prohibits them from leaving the conference before 2036. Notre Dame doesn’t have the AAU stamp of approval either, incidentally, but there’s wide speculation that the Irish would be an exception. ASU doesn’t have AAU status and that keeps the Big Ten from considering it. However, the snooty Big Ten presidents like to tout that their conference is comprised of Association of American Universities members (except Nebraska, which lost it after being admitted). That top-12 Phoenix media market is the biggest selling point. Q: Does Arizona State have any shot as a fifth Pac-12 team to Big Ten? Pluses: huge media market, plays D-1 hockey, great baseball weather in Feb/March, and oh, has never lost to a Big Ten team in football at home (10-0). If they stay, I think there’s a solid chance the rest of the Pac-12 merges with the Big 12 in an ESPN-fueled effort. If UO and UW leave, the Pac-12 splinters. They’re the glue holding the Pac-12 together. Q: What happens if the four Pac-12 schools in the South join the Big 12 and the Big Ten invite doesn’t come for the Ducks or Huskies? - I don’t see Oregon and Washington ending up on the outside, looking in. Only one of those two conferences will survive this. In fact, the Pac-12 already is also exploring expansion and will likely try to poach a few Big 12 universities. I also don’t blame the Big 12 for discussing expansion. Q: What should be reasonably expected with Tuesday’s Big 12 meeting to discuss taking four Pac-12 schools? Is it a formality that Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado will be joining the Big 12? - I don’t blame those four Pac-12 schools for exploring a contingency plan. But there are a limited number of places (baseball game, Costco trip, a 4th of July BBQ) where I feel great about eating a hot dog. Q: Should we be eating hot dogs or hamburgers at our 4th of July party? - Hmmm… I like both. Neither of the options you presented are great ones and I can’t stop thinking about the role Scott played in leading the Pac-12 to this moment. My four-part series on Scott in 2019 laid that out. Q: Would you rather see the Pac-12 continue without the Los Angeles schools but with limited access to the playoff or watch Washington-Oregon-Stanford join the Big Ten? - I’d rather invent a time machine and convince the Pac-12 presidents not to hire commissioner Larry Scott. Also, a big ‘thank you’ to those who have helped others find my new column home. I appreciate everyone who has supported by reading, subscribing and giving a gift subscription. I write what I want, when I want and tell the stories I think need to be told. I’m having a lot of fun with this new writing endeavor. My highlight was simply watching my kid walk around the place with confidence and purpose. She was the only server on duty and did a really nice job on our table. My oldest was on the job, seating customers, taking orders, delivering food, and clearing tables when we walked in. I don’t know if you have kids, but there’s something fascinating about observing them in the wild. On the car ride there my wife turned to her two younger sisters in the back seat and said, “There will be no rolling around on the restaurant floor, OK?” We made plans to pop in on Sunday afternoon to sit in her section for the first time. She’s working in a small restaurant as a server. My oldest daughter got a part-time job for the summer.
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