Report: Big 12, Pac-12 Commissioners Met Tuesday
Per The Athletic, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff met Tuesday. The meeting comes just after Texas and Oklahoma announced their applications and acceptance into the SEC, currently scheduled to be in effect on July 1, 2025.
However, many people believe the two blue-blood programs will join the conference much sooner, with potential buyouts on the horizon as both schools are eager to join sooner rather than later.
Both conference commissioners have commented on potential solutions to fill the voids left by the Longhorns and Sooners, yet with two different perspectives.
Bowlsby's conference is in a needy position to add more teams, as the Big 12 shrinks to just eight teams when Texas and Oklahoma depart.
"I think there are options for us to partner with other conferences,” Bowlsby said on Monday during a Texas senate meeting to discuss the future of college sports. “There may be opportunity for mergers. There may be opportunities to add members. There may be other opportunities that are currently unforeseen.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum sits the Pac-12, a conference with no true need to expand in the wake of the Big 12 crumbling. However, on Pac-12 media day, Kliavkoff expanded on the idea of potentially adding more teams to the conference:
"We have a stable, highly successful, and well positioned membership with a high bar to entry. Given our investments in football and men's basketball, our historic domination of other sports, we do not think expansion is required to continue to compete and thrive," said Kliavkoff.
"That said, the fallout from Texas and Oklahoma gives us an opportunity to once again consider expansion. We had already had significant inbound interest from many schools. We will work with our presidents and chancellors to evaluate these opportunities."
Time will tell if any expansion talks come to fruition, yet in a rapidly changing college football landscape, no solution can be ruled out.
Donnie Druin is a Deputy Editor with AllSunDevils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSunDevils @AllSunDevils. Like and follow AllSunDevils on Facebook, and for more ASU news visit https://www.si.com/college/arizonastate/