On Saturday, ahead of the 11:00 a.m. slate of games, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman provided an interesting update regarding the status of further Pac-12 expansion.
The two remaining members of the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State, added four other teams to their ranks in hopes of reaching the eight-team minimum by 2026 in an effort to keep the league alive.
According to Feldman, the collection of Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State are targeting Tulane and Memphis as possible expansion candidates to join the Pac-12.
“Sources tell me that the Pac-12 have some interest in Tulane and Memphis in the AAC,” Feldman said. “There’s a bunch of other schools they are also considering. Keep in mind, this is not going to be an automatic bid into the CFP, so we’ll see how much interest comes on the other side of this as the league reforms itself.”
The idea of the auto bid appears to be a tricky conversation regarding the league’s future. Currently, as the model sits, each Power 4 conference and G5 champion receives an auto bid to the College Football Playoff, with the remainder of teams being selected as an at-large bid.
With a diminished group of teams like those currently listed in the revamped Pac-12, it is highly unlikely that the league would generate an auto-bid entry to the CFP. However, as seen in the past, CFP rules can change quickly when the right forces come together on a decision.
