Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC are nearing alliance
LOS ANGELES — The Pac-12, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast conferences are nearing an agreement to join forces to map the future of college sports, and an announcement could come as early as next week, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed.
The impending alliance, first reported by the Athletic, comes in response to the SEC’s move to add the Big 12’s two most renowned programs, Texas and Oklahoma. Fear quickly set in that the SEC’s bold strike to move to 16 teams would center too much influence in one of the “Power Five” conferences and lead to a wave of realignment similar to a decade ago.
This alliance featuring conferences that cover the entire country with brands such as Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Clemson and Notre Dame (the last of which competes under the ACC banner in all sports but football) theoretically could squash those fears in one fell swoop.
If those conferences agreed to begin scheduling intriguing nonconference matchups exclusively with each other, there would be little need to go pillaging one another — or adding any of the remaining Big 12 schools — for an edge in upcoming media-rights negotiations.
The Big 12’s omission in the alliance is significant and would place its eight schools in danger of losing their standing in a power conference. The Big 12 could elect to raid the American Athletic Conference or risk the AAC coming for some of its teams.
Rhis move likely would stabilize the conference makeup at the top.
Though realignment has gotten the most attention since Texas’ and Oklahoma’s move to the SEC, this alliance has been made with broader goals in mind.
As college sports faces large looming questions about professionalization (currently in the form of name, image and likeness), the NCAA’s outdated governance structure (the association is planning a “constitutional convention” in November to assess big-picture priorities) and the proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, the three aligned conferences want to make sure the SEC doesn’t have an outsized role in charting the way forward.
Requirements for fans: Oregon and Oregon State became the first Power Five schools to announce they will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for people over the age of 12 to attend football games. Oregon said the decision was made with public health authorities and “peer institutions in the state.”
The Oregon football team opens its season at 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Sept. 4 against Fresno State. Oregon State begins its home schedule at Reser Stadium on Sept. 11 against Hawaii.
Earlier in the day, Hawaii became the first major college football school to say it would have no fans in attendance for its opening sports events of the season because of a recent virus surge. Hawaii’s first home football game is Sept. 5 against Portland State.