NCAA is dying but the Pac-12 goes down first
SB-1401 and the real losers
The State of California is about to put the final nail in the Pac-12’s coffin. Senate Bill 1401, if passed allows athletes in profitable sports to get paid by their athletic department. It’s money that directly comes from the same budget that funds money-losing Olympic sports.
Then there are Title IX issues. Football makes money, women’s volleyball doesn’t. Paying male athletes in one sport but not female athletes in another is in violation of Title IX, which means if a California school wants to compete at the highest levels in football or basketball, they’ll have to pay members of the women’s lacrosse team.
Maybe USC can stay afloat under those conditions. More than likely Cal, Stanford, and UCLA can’t. Since there won’t be as much money available, sports like wrestling, men’s lacrosse, and maybe even baseball could get the budget ax by their respective institutions.
SB-1401 would create a revenue-sharing arrangement between California universities and athletes in FB & MBB. Millions of $$ typically used to support athletic department operations instead would be placed in “degree completion funds.”https://t.co/A7ZARbZ0zs via @mercnews
— Dr. Lisa A. Kihl (@kihl_lisa) May 13, 2022
Predicting the future
There is no way the Pac-12 can continue losing ground to the big boys at the rate it’s happening. If fans thought the last round of conference realignment was crazy, it will be nothing next to the next major shakeout.
The bigger and less regulated Pac-12 schools, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah, and possibly USC will break away and merge with recently re-aligned Big-12 schools to form a new conference. Joining the Pac-12 breakaways would be Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and if they are smart Brigham Young.
Meanwhile, Washington State, Oregon State, Cal, Stanford, and UCLA are left to form a new conference. One without any of the cache’ they once had.