Last summer, the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas abruptly announced they were bailing on their longtime home in the Big 12 Conference to join the far wealthier and far more competitive SEC.
It should have been a warning flare for every conference to make sure their flagship athletic programs were happy and committed to staying. You know, like USC and UCLA, big brands in a big market, yet part of a conference trying to find competitive footing — in football and finances at least.
If the Pac-12 tried, well, it didn't try hard enough.
Or maybe nothing would have mattered, what with the Big Ten on the verge of negotiating a new media rights deal that should pay over $1 billion per year.