ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum: The Pac-12 is dead, no longer a Power Five conference
Paul Finebaum is ready to declare the Pac-12 as done and no longer a Power Five conference following the most recent domino to fall in the conference realignment shuffle. College football is changing and changing fast.
Colorado is poised to join the Big 12 based off of this week’s news. Add that to UCLA and USC leaving for the Big Ten next year and the Pac-12 is certainly trending down.
Down, according to Finebaum, and out of the Power Five.
The ESPN analyst appeared on ‘Get Up’ this morning to discuss the changing landscape of college football, especially in light of Colorado’s move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. Losing Colorado, and the buzz created by the arrival of head coach Deion Sanders is the most recent gut-punch registered to the conference.
“You may as well administer the PAC 12 its last rites,” Finebaum told ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.
“I mean it’s over. And I’m not talking about this year. I’m talking about next year when they lose USC when Deion goes to the Big 12 There’s really nothing left and you can argue ‘Oh, there’s quality games.’ But this league has no what no longer has any relevance on the national stage without USC and losing Colorado and by the way, they may lose more
“So they can continue playing football – good for them but they will no longer be a power five conference in my opinion.”
What’s next for the Pac-12? Likely more bad news. Rumors are that Oregon and Washington are the next programs to leave the Pac-12.
Both programs have been rumored to be potential targets for the Big Ten in the next round of conference expansion.
