Washington Huskies: Realignment leaves UW with 3 options – #3 Join the Big 12
Ed Stein
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Since USC and UCLA decided to leave the Pac-12 Conference last month, the Washington Huskies are at a crossroads. Joining the Big 12 could be their best option.
After the departures of Southern Cal and UCLA, it leaves the Pac-12 in an obviously weakened position. A situation that hurts the Washington Huskies in several ways. Without the Southern California teams, Washington’s prestige, recruiting, and, most importantly, revenue all take a big hit.
The Washington Huskies have come to a fork in the road. Ahead of them are three paths. One, they could stay in the conference they’ve been a part of for over a century (1917). Or maybe UW goes in another direction. Washington could wait for a Big Ten invite, or they could go to the Big 12.
In the first installment of this series, we covered UW staying in the Pac-12. Next, it was waiting out the Big Ten. Today we wrap up with Washington heading to the Big 12.
Join the Big 12
Oh my, things have changed in the last year. After Texas and Oklahoma bolted for the Southeastern Conference, the Big 12 came to the Pac-12 looking for a merger. It didn’t fly, and the Big 12 found four new schools to join their conference. Now the shoe is on the other foot, leaving the Big 12 in a position of power. And incoming commissioner Brad Yomark says the conference is “open for business.”
This might not be the sexiest idea for Washington, but it could be the most practical. Don’t think of it as the Big 12 because it will become the Big 20.
The Big 12’s television contract is up in 2025. The more they can upgrade their media markets, the better deal they can get. They are already courting Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State. Washington and Oregon would be the icing on their cake. Those who did the math know that adding six Pac-12 schools brings the Big 12’s total membership to 18.
No, No. Cal
Forget about Stanford and California heading to the Big 12. As much as the Big 12 would like to add the school’s respective cache’, they aren’t good cultural fits.
Those Northern California school administrators would sit in their ivory towers and thumb their noses at the Big-12’s religious-based institutions (although, for some reason, Notre Dame gets a pass), no matter how much athletic prestige they carry. And if the administrators give a green light, then the student and faculty protests come next.
There would be riots in Palo Alto and Berkeley if those schools were in the same conference as Baylor, TCU, Brigham Young, and Gonzaga. For the Big-12, Stanford and Cal aren’t worth the hassle. But it does leave Washington and Oregon as the new conference football power brokers.
Hoops
Here is where things get interesting. This re-aligned Big 12 will have plenty of good football teams, but statistically, they would be the best conference in college basketball. Arizona brings a ton of hoops clout with them.
The conference can be a hoops juggernaut by adding Gonzaga. To even it out, either San Francisco (Bay Area) or Loyola Marymount (Los Angeles) would be fine additions.
Back to basketball. What an incredible hoops conference this would be. Kansas, Baylor, Houston, Gonzaga, and Arizona are among the top programs in the country. There would be some incredible matchups.
The Washington Huskies have some decisions to make. First, there is no guarantee that UW and UO are a package deal. Despite their long-standing history with each other and being natural geographic rivals, it’s a free for all right now. Money talks, and each institution will make the decision that’s best for them without consideration for the other.
What should the Washington Huskies do, Stay in the Pac-12, wait out the Big Ten, or join the Big 12? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or on social media.