On tradition and trust
RIP, Pac-12
It’s grey this morning. What I mean is that the weather is unexpectedly cloudy. But there’s something else that’s making it grey, too. I woke up to news that the Pac-12 conference has imploded. I don’t typically write about sports but this is really disappointing to see.
I grew up with the Pac-10, the Rose Bowl and the rivalry game formerly known as the Civil War. The conference was first established in a hotel in Portland more than a century ago and expanded to become the Pac-12 in 2011.
I know people that graduated from 10 of the universities. I’ve visited eight of the campuses. I seriously considered attending six of them. I have degrees from two of them. My best friend went to another one. And I married someone who graduated from yet another one. The ties run deep here on the west coast.
And now it’s all gone.
USC and UCLA put things in motion last year when they decided to defect to the Big Ten in 2024. I haven’t followed every nuance of the story line since then (and always knew it could potentially end badly), but had faith that it would all work out. Multiple articles noted that the remaining university presidents were in ‘solidarity.’ Here are two from this spring:
And then this week happened.
If you haven’t been following the saga, Sporting News has a helpful explainer:
USC and UCLA were the first to leave the Pac-12, reaching an agreement to defect to the Big Ten ahead of the 2022 season. They won't officially make the jump until 2024. Colorado was the third school to jump ship to the Big 12, on late July 27.
Even those exits left open the possibility the Pac-12 could make key additions from other conferences and remain a “Power 5” conference. Indeed, reports as recent as Thursday indicated the Pac-12 felt optimistic it could retain its remaining member schools despite inroads from the Big Ten and Big 12.
That changed Friday with numerous reports that Oregon and Washington — despite some pushback from Big Ten schools — were finalizing a deal to join the conference.
Sporting News notes in the same article:
The following teams will leave the Pac-12 after the 2023 athletic calendar year:
USC
UCLA
Colorado
Oregon
Washington
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
Once there were ten. Then nine. And now four. So much for solidarity.
The great history and tradition of this conference has been severely damaged. The best interest of the student athlete hasn’t been served. Traveling to the Eastern seaboard multiple times a year is not in the best interest of student-athletes.
-Scott Barnes, athletic director, Oregon State University (source)
For those readers (particularly our international readers) who are less familiar with the geography of the Pac-12, here is a map of the Pac-12:
Scott Barnes is also quoted in The Oregonian as saying:
“I’ve never seen so many last-minute decision and twists and turns as I’ve seen through this process. Conference realignment just doesn’t make sense anymore. What this enterprise was built on was regionality and rivalries. That is gone. That is leaving the Pac-12. Some of the most special pieces about our model is regionality of competition and rivalries. Those things are forgotten.”
Nationally, Sports Illustrated has a scathing article under the headline TV Killed the Pac-12 that is worth a read.
And here on Substack, John Canzano (previously with The Oregonian) has been covering the story closely in his Bald Faced Truth by John Canzano. Here is his latest post, which emphasizes the human side of all this (in the way John Canzano is so good at doing):
And here are his three prior posts this week on the topic with blow-by-blow details from his sources:
Someday, this will make a good case study about leadership and strategy. About decisions made and things not accomplished. The Pac-12 Network. Media rights deals. Distribution. Negotiations. Self interest vs. solidarity. But right now, it’s just too raw.
In a moment like this, perspective matters.
We’ve got so much to sell. The reason we have coaches stay and less numbers of students-athletes leave is because this place is special. We’re gonna lean into that and remember that as we find a new path forward.
-Scott Barnes, athletic director, Oregon State University (source)
Onward.
🎵 Media Embed: Go Solo
I put this track on as I was writing this and it feels like an appropriate choice this week. As I usually do, here a preview in Spotify:
And here is the full song via YouTube:
Thank you for reading. I know this is a bit different than what we usually cover here.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Be well,
-Bryce
Here is a follow up article that some may enjoy: https://www.oregonlive.com/collegefootball/2023/08/pac-12-realignment-fallout-is-it-time-to-root-for-oregon-state-football-as-college-sports-hits-point-of-no-return-and-descends-into-soulless-spiral.html