Will Pac-12 Commissioner or Justin Wilcox Enlighten Us on Friday?

Friday, July 29, is Pac-12 football media day, and the annual event will provides more intrigue than usual this year.

Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff and Cal coach Justin Wilcox will make their first comments since USC and UCLA announced on June 30 that they will leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten in 2024.

Three issues we hope Kliavkoff will address, and what we expect him to say:

--Will he say anything substantial about the direction the weakened conference will take?

Probably not. His presentation, scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Friday (Pac-12 Network), is likely to be peppered with assertions that the Pac-12 will remaining strong with plenty of attractive qualities. We also expect this phrase in some form or another: "We are exploring all options." That simply means he's not saying anything about the direction the Pac-12 is pursuing. He is unlikely to say anything definitive about the Pac-12's immediate future regarding possible expansion (San Diego State? SMU? TCU?), or possible mergers with the Big 12 or ACC. Nor will he provide a timetable for possible Pac-12 chances. He might say something like, "It could be next week; it could be in two years."

--Does he fear the loss of Washington and Oregon -- and possibly Cal and Stanford too -- to the Big Ten, a possibility that was reported this week.

Kiavkoff is unlikely to address any school's situation directly, saying he is doing everything he can to provide a secure and financially appealing home in the Pac-12.

--Does he have any comment about the USC and UCLA departure and the secretive way in which it was orchestrated, causing him to be surprised by the move?

This could be interesting. He might say he could have been -- or should have been -- more aware of the two schools' talks with the Big Ten or that they should have been more up front in their desires and discussions. His remarks on this are important because the UC Regents are exploring ways to force UCLA subsidize its University if California sister school, Cal. He should stress that he won't be caught off-guard again, although he may avoid saying that.

It's unlikely he will come out and condemn USC and UCLA for leaving, partly because he must deal with those schools for two more years and partly because it's up to the individual schools to decide which conference they want to be a part of.

Bottom line: Expect a lot of comments about how strong the Pac-12 still is and his desire to strengthen the conference through a variety of unspecified possible moves.

Later Cal head coach Justin Wilcox will take the podium.

--Will Wilcox, or any other Pac-12 coach, say anything significant regarding the current state and future of the Pac-12, or his reaction to USC and UCLA leaving?

We can only assume Wilcox will be asked to respond to these issues.

Wilcox seldom addresses questions that don't deal directly with his football program, so he is unlikely to say anything meaningful about his hopes for the Pac-12's future or his reaction to the departure of USC and UCLA. He might note how sad he will be to see them go because of the long-time rivalries Cal has had with both schools, but he is unlikely to criticize either school for leaving and the secretive nature of their discussions.

However, since the departure of USC and UCLA affects the Golden Bears more directly than any other Pac-12 member, there is an outside chance Wilcox may spill a little something worth repeating.

Unlike Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher or Alabama's Nick Saban, the Pac-12 does not have many outspoken coaches.

Arizona State's Herman Edwards might be the most likely to candidate to say something meaningful on the subject of the Pac-12's future, but he has a lot of other issues to address regarding alleged violations and player and coach departures.

Cover photo of Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff is by Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

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