With the world of college football focusing on the revamped Pac-12 due to the recent addition of four Mountain West teams, on Saturday, Oregon State AD Scott Barnes discusses the sudden changes.
Barnes touched on the idea of further expansion with the league needed to increase membership to at least eight teams and discussed the likelihood of a name change for the new league.
While some may have expected a different story, Barnes outlined that the league is sticking to the Pac-12 name and will not change the number in the event the league has more or less than 12 teams. He also highlighted the idea of bringing in two to four new institutions alongside the current members.
News broke on Thursday afternoon that the two remaining league members, Oregon State and Washington State, agreed on a deal to add the likes of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State to the reformed Pac-12.
To get officially back on track, the league needs to reach eight members by 2026. To fill the next two spots, Tulane and Memphis have both surfaced in expansion talks. In addition to the two schools, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd revealed that the remaining seven teams in the Mountain West Conference should be viewed as targets and not immune to realignment offers.
In closing, Barnes was asked if football was a requirement for incoming institutions, prompting a simple “yes.” The Oregon State AD also noted that the six league members signed a “long-term” grant of rights deal to stick together, and details will be revealed in the near future.
