Pac-12 Expansion: Rejection from Pac-12 Won't Halt Move to Superconferences

On Tuesday night, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott announced that the conference wouldn't be adding any more programs and would remain a 12-team conference.

With rumors of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech joining the Pac-12, the news came as a bit of a shock.

Said Scott in a statement, via The Register-Guard:

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"After careful review we have determined that it is in the best interests of our member institutions, student-athletes and fans to remain a 12-team conference. While we have great respect for all of the institutions that have contacted us, and certain expansion proposals were financially attractive, we have a strong conference structure and culture of equality that we are committed to preserve. With new landmark TV agreements and plans to launch our innovative television networks, we are going to focus solely on these great assets, our strong heritage and the bright future in front of us."

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After the SEC added Texas A&M, it appeared almost inevitable that the Pac-12 would follow suit, beginning the transition to a college football world ruled by super-conferences.

The question is, what now?

Well, as much as traditionalists hope this will halt the formation of other super-conferences, the truth is this is the way college football is going. This is simply because programs are going to go where they feel they have the best chance to succeed, financially and competitively.

This doesn't stop the fact that Pittsburgh and Syracuse left the Big East for the ACC, or the fact that programs are going to continue doing this if they aren't happy with the conference they find themselves in.

The days of regimented, modeled conferences are over. When Texas' Longhorn Network sprang up, a wealth of teams in the Big 12 sprang to their feet, and just because the Pac-12 doesn't welcome them with open arms doesn't mean they won't find homes elsewhere.

I wrote earlier that a collapse of the Big 12 wouldn't mean the end of the conference. It would just mean a likely forming with the Big East and potentially adding programs like Boise State, SMU and Houston.

As long as Texas is allowed to keep its network, teams aren't going to stand idly by and watch them gain an unfair recruiting advantage.

And whatever injustices exist elsewhere in college football, we'll hear about them sooner or later.

The Pac-12's rejection of programs banging on its door will only delay the inevitable.