The Pac-12 will “explore all expansion options” as it tries to regroup after the sudden and surprising news that USC and UCLA would leave in favor of the Big Ten in 2024. With the college sports landscape once again in state of turmoil , all options are on the table as the Power Five’s West Coast Championship looks to stay alive in any way possible moving forward. “The Pac-12 Board of Directors met this morning and authorized the conference to explore all expansion options,” a conference statement released Friday said. “The 10 university presidents and chancellors remain committed to a shared mission of academic and athletic excellence on behalf of our student-athletes.” Expansion may suddenly be on the radar for the Pac-12, but preserving its remaining membership is also a priority. Oregon and Washington, two other Pac-12 brands that could potentially bail out, have reached out to the Big Ten to gauge its interest, according to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, but have been told the conference is moving toward present. Of course, all things related to conference realignment are fluid. Plans could change quickly after USC and UCLA’s withdrawal sent presidents and athletic directors at all college athletics scrambling to figure out where to go from here. The move of the Trojans and Bruins marked a huge change in the landscape of college sports. Texas and Oklahoma’s decision to move to the SEC last summer was a huge coup for SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, but the Big Ten is the first Power Five conference to make a concerted effort to have a footprint from the Atlantic to the Pacific .
