Pac-12 Conference collapse, demise predicted by college analyst Paul Finebaum

As speculation and rumors swirl about Pac-12 Conference expansion and realignment, one college analyst offered a bleak picture for the future of the conference.

How bleak?

He predicted the collapse of the conference in the next three years.

It can't get much bleaker than that.

The analyst, the SEC Network's Paul Finebaum, made his prediction on the McElroy and Cubelic Show on Tuesday, offering this response about the Pac-12's future long term: “I do not believe so, I don’t know how it can, Greg,” Finebaum said. “Because the situation is so fragile right now. The leadership is better than it was, but it’s still not very good. I could give the new commissioner (George) Kliavkoff a pass maybe a year, year and a half ago because his predecessor literally ran this thing into the ground. But he’s had enough time. And I think so far, you have to give him a failing grade."

More: Big 12, Pac-12 conference split for Arizona, ASU? Wildcats president addresses potential

The Pac-12's future came into question when USC and UCLA decided to bolt the conference for the Big Ten, leaving 10 teams left in the conference starting in 2024.

Rumblings about Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah leaving for the Big 12 continue, as does speculation about Oregon and Washington potentially leaving the conference.

San Diego State, SMU and others have been rumored as potential candidates to join the Pac-12, but the conference is enduring an ongoing media rights deal saga that has cast a cloud of doubt over the future of the Pac-12, as has the realignment speculation including some of its current member institutions.

Arizona to Big 12? Conference expansion speculation swirls around Pac-12's Wildcats

Finebaum's assessment of the future of the Pac-12 was not bright on his appearance on McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning, saying that he doesn't believe the "Pac-12 can exist."

“And ultimately, as much as big conferences don’t really want to expand at the moment, I think they’ll be forced to take the cream of the crop out there, whether it’s the Big Ten going after the northwest schools, whether it’s Colorado or Arizona or somebody else just deciding to go to the Big 12 — I do not believe the Pac-12 can exist.”

Big 12 expansion, realignment: Could Colorado start exodus from Pac-12 Conference?

No Pac-12 Conference? That's definitely a bleak picture, and prediction, for the future of the conference.

Big 12 expansion odds: Pac-12's Colorado, Arizona favored to be next schools in conference

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pac-12 Conference collapse predicted by college analyst Paul Finebaum