While Washington State and Oregon State are doing all they can to try and save the Pac-12 from extinction after this season, it seems USC, UCLA, Colorado, and the other seven universities leaving the conference are more worried about getting their money for this season.
Few stories in college football over the last year are bigger than the possible death of the legendary Pac-12 conference. The cracks in the facade began last year when it was revealed that power brands USC and UCLA had decided to take their programs to the fast-growing Big 10 in 2024.
However, few understood the fatal blow that would be. After the conference’s leadership failed to find an impressive new media rights deal for next year, eight other schools, including Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, decided the grass was greener on the other side in leagues like the Big 10 and 12. It left the Pac-12 with just two teams left and on death’s doorstep after being the top conference on the West Coast for decades.
In an attempt to save the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State filed an injunction to block the departing schools from having any further say on the board after deciding to leave the conference high and dry for more money elsewhere starting in 2024.
USC, UCLA, Arizona and other exiting Pac-12 schools looking to get paid on the way out
USC, UCLA, and the other eight schools have attempted to push back via litigation after the injunction was granted in court. In a recent filing in October, the schools — represented by Washington — seemingly cried poor when they claimed: “Granting OSU and WSU unilateral authority over hundreds of millions of dollars in 2023-2024 revenue needed this year to run our athletics programs would harm our universities, including our ability to provide critical resources and opportunities for our student-athletes.”
It is an interesting stance considering the money these schools make beyond TV revenue, and that some may lose money in 2024 to make sure they are a part of lucrative media deals with their new homes.
Related: Pac-12 drama continues as USC, Washington, and Colorado respond to injunction with new legal action
WSU and OSU are concerned that with one foot out the door, the 10 schools could shutter the conference and split up the money that is left. In a new injunction, the 10 departing schools again seemed to suggest they are looking for that last bit of Pac-12 money, but also tried to ease fears by claiming they have no interest in voting on “future media rights agreements and new Conference member considerations.”
But they didn’t say they weren’t interested in getting their share of this year’s revenue.
It will be very interesting to see how this situation plays out in the coming months, but the early signs seem to point toward the courts not looking to help USC, UCLA, and the other schools exiting the conference.