Insider Suggests More Realistic Pac-12 Proposal for Tulane Football

Could Tulane football split off and head to a new conference?

CHRIS LANDSBERGER/THE OKLAHOMAN via Imagn Content Services, LLC

As the Pac-12 Conference carries out its expansion plan, the league is doing so amid impending mediation with the Mountain West that has yet to begin.

League insider John Canzano wrote on “Bald Face Truth” (subscription required) that the Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West for allegedly imposing a $55 million “poaching penalty,” and as those talks transpire, the Pac-12 still is on the hunt for members to finalize the conference in expansion.

The Pac-12 needs one more football member to remain NCAA affiliated, and they are likely better positioned to do so now that they’ve secured a one-year media rights deal with CBS, ESPN, and The CW for next college football season. 

If there are expansion tiers to be had, the Tulane Green Wave likely still fall in the second tier, as Canzano reports that a faction of the schools would prioritize adding the UNLV Rebels. 

However, as is often the case in college football, there are numerous interested parties who could potentially outline an opening for American Conference targets.

How could Tulane football find a path to the Pac-12?

Tulane’s potential future in the Pac-12, should they remain interested, is intertwined with several moving parts.

While the Rebels may be the preference, particularly geographically, they may be electing to hold out for a Big 12 invite, as are the Texas State Bobcats, who have also gained traction within the Pac-12.

Should the Pac-12 be able to grab the Bobcats, Canzano believes they’ll then look to add the UTSA Roadrunners as a travel partner.

There are noted geography concerns that would burden the West Coast teams traveling to Texas, especially in non-revenue-generating sports.

Per sources, the Pac-12, in a perfect world, would get to nine football members and 10 basketball members.

If they aren’t looking for “all-sports” options, the Memphis Tigers and Tulane would potentially come into play, as the two reportedly would not be interested in sending Olympic sport athletes on multi-hour flights to the Pacific Time Zone.

Could the best play for the Pac-12 be an amalgamation of the mentioned schools? Canzano suggests a world where they add UNLV or Texas State and would finalize the members with Memphis and/or Tulane in football only.

Should Tulane look to join the Pac-12, football only seems like the only realistic option, and only if the Tigers were to join as a travel partner, though adding a Texas program could change that. If the Pac-12 added both American Conference members—potentially a third in UTSA— that could make the move palatable.