The next move may not happen instantly. These processes are complex. But at this point, Yormark is not looking to stand pat at 13 members starting in 2024. He hasn’t been shy about acknowledging he prefers a 14-member league moving forward after Oklahoma and Texas exit for the SEC, and conference sources believe 14 is more likely than 16, barring a disaster in the Pac-12.
There was a time when Yormark and Big 12 leadership hoped that landing one Pac-12 member sets off a domino effect, that one gets them two and maybe even four. The theory all along was that one school bailing might set off a panic among other Pac-12 members bothered by uncertainty,and fearful of getting left behind. These Big 12 schools have gone through it before. They know how it feels.
Can the Big 12 convince one more Pac-12 school to make a change? We’re about to find out if that’s a real possibility or was purely wishful thinking. Getting another Pac-12 school to jump on board would be a triumph, and more basketball-focused Big 12 additions probably belong on the back burner for these next few weeks.If Colorado is the only Pac-12 member coming in, don’t be surprised if Yormark goes all-in on UConn.
on Wednesday, University of Arizona president Robert C. Robbins repeated what he’s said all along: He needs to see a Pac-12 media rights deal. He’d prefer to stay in the Pac-12, that much is clear, but Kliavkoff needs to deliver an acceptable agreement. He’s willing to be patient but acknowledged that the Pac-12’s latest board meeting on Wednesday morning didn’t offer much clarity on a timetable.“We’ve still got a year left on the contract.
Do leaders like Robbins take Yormark and the Big 12 a little more seriously now that he’s pulled off one addition? That’s one of the many curious questions going forward.