Stanford Wanted Pac-12 To 'Stay Intact' Prior To Conference's Collapse And Jump To ACC

Stanford was hoping that the Pac-12 was going to be able to stick together

The fate of the Pac-12 was always in question following the departures of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, but there were many glimmers of hope that the conference would secure a media rights deal and expand. 

Unfortunately for the conference, neither of those things ended up happening and unless Oregon State and Washington State are able to figure out legal matters and form the two-conference league with the Mountain West, it will cease to exist. Four programs are leaving for the Big Ten, and another four heading to the Big 12, while Stanford, Cal, and almost Pac-12 member SMU are going to the ACC.

However, like many around the conference, athletic director Bernard Muir wanted the Pac-12 to work out. In an interview with Pac-12 insider Jon Wilner, Muir touched on things such as expected support from around the program for their move to the ACC, but also brought up the fact that their biggest priority throughout the last year was the Pac-12. Not until it was obviously collapsing did Muir dive into alternative options.

“First and foremost, we wanted the Pac-12 to stay intact,” Muir said. “It had served us well. Then when we realized it was falling apart, it was, ‘OK, what is the appropriate home?’

However, with the writing on the wall, which appears to have taken longer than it should have to be seen, Stanford then turned their attention to a landing spot. Something that took until Week 1 of the football season, but also something that Muir revealed was what the athletes wanted. 

“We had talks with our student-athlete leadership group. They said three things: No. 1 was they wanted to compete at the highest level. No. 2 was what would the travel look like. And No. 3 was ‘Don’t forget about No. 1.’

Stanford is now obviously headed to the ACC, so Muir will have ample time to plot the program's next move as there is an assumption that this wave of realignment will only be a small fraction of what's to come. Now, Stanford and Cal along with the ACC, are figuring out the best way to determine travel for the programs.