From Dennis Dodd at CBS Sports:

The Big 12 is involved in deep discussions to add multiple Pac-12 programs as a way to shore up its membership in the wake of the USC and UCLA defection to the Big Ten, sources tell CBS Sports. At least four teams are being considered with the potential for the Big 12 to add more as realignment continues to shake out.

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah were mentioned specifically as the teams being targeted by the Big 12, sources tell CBS Sports. There is also consideration of adding Oregon and Washington to make the Big 12 an 18-team league, the largest in the FBS.

A merger of the Big 12 and Pac-12, in some form, is also a possibility.

Remember that Oklahoma and Texas are leaving the Big 12, and UCF, Cincy, BYU, and Houston are coming in. Adding four more teams from there would get the Big 12 to 16, leaving us with three 16-team super conferences in the SEC, Big 10, and Big 12. That would leave the ACC and Pac 12 out of the mix unless they move to do the same thing.

The Arizonas make sense for the Big 12, and Colorado was former member. Utah and BYU in the same conference would be fantastic, though the real prize is Oregon.

If this does happen, the Big 12 would look like this:

  • Texas Tech
  • Baylor
  • Oklahoma State
  • Kansas
  • Kansas State
  • WVU
  • TCU
  • Iowa State
  • UCF
  • Cincy
  • BYU
  • Houston
  • Arizona
  • ASU
  • Colorado
  • Utah

Good conference. No super powers, but a lot of parity on paper.

It would leave the Pac-12 looking like this:

Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Stanford, Cal, Oregon State

Stanford is a great school. Can’t imagine they’d be left hanging. Washington gets you the Seattle media market.

It’s really disappointing and fascinating at the same time. Feels like there’s an arms race here and some schools are gonna get left out. I’d imagine Notre Dame is being pursued pretty hard right now. If they go to the ACC, that’s 16 right there, and gets you four 16-team conferences. There aren’t a ton of non-power teams the Pac-12 could turn to for replenishment here, unless you look at Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Fresno, etc.

Never a dull moment in college sports! Barf.