Oregon's Crossroads Moment?

[Charles Fischer]

I have not had a ton of time to digest and ponder, but Our Beloved Ducks are in a pickle.  Without the LA markets, the value of the conference is what....half?  40%?  I don't like writing it, but we would become a Group-of-5 conference overnight, with a Weedeater Bowl as our target destination, not the Rose Bowl or Playoff.

 

Oregon would have to join one of the remaining Power Conferences, and flight/travel time to the Big-10 is crazy, and the other conferences would be crazier.  I am saddened by the implications for our conference brothers, but I have to look out for the Ducks at the moment.

 

If the LA schools went to the Big-10...(and my gut tells me it will happen) then Oregon has to act immediately. Join another Power-5 conference or become irrelevant. 

 

 

Do you agree?  That we must leave the Pac-12 and join another conference?

[1Ducker1]

its pretty upsetting -All we can do now is hope the Ducks pull off something big and SOON.

[Charles Fischer]

There is not anyway we could rebuild the Pac-12 into a conference with the same prestige and revenues that we currently have--as bad as it is.  Thus I see no choice...we have to leave.

 

Do you see it that way?

 

[Haywarduck]

Time for George to earn his keep. The conference and his job are up in smoke if this really gets lit and smoke become fire.

 

 

[David Marsh]

It's time to make nice with those Huskies and drag them with us to the B1G. That way there will at least be four members on the west coast in the B1G and that would reduce some of the travel expenses and preserve some of the rivalries.

 

Ideally I would like to see the B1G become the Big-Pac with eight PAC teams that would at least make it so that we can keep travel expenses to something even more reasonable.

 

Not sure if the B1G would want to take on Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State and Cal though. I am making the assumption we would cut Utah, Colorado and the Arizona schools loose to join the Big-12 as they would be happier there.

 

Right now I just feel like I want to see some news coming out for our Ducks and I want to make things happen... but I am powerless in that regard.

 

This kinda feels like December when we were waiting for news on a new Head Coach.

 

Also it feels like last year when we were all going crazy because Oklahoma and Texas were leaving for the SEC.

[Chuck Duck]

Oregon will be just fine! When this all blows over, it will be for the better!!!

[GeotechDuck]

Yes.  Oregon should be on the phone non stop right now with the BIG, SEC, and BIG-12, in that order until they have a deal in place.  
 

the LA times is writing like it is a done deal.   At this point you have to assume they are gone.  

[Charles Fischer]

A league would want the Bay-Area eyeballs, so I could see Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford being an attractive "Pod" for a suitor conference.

 

[Guest Axel]

Apparently, USC and UCLA blindsided everyone with this announcement. It is terrible news, of course, for the Pac-12. It is especially devastating news for schools like Oregon State and Washington State. When the dust clears, where will they be?

 

Oregon has a trump card--it's a national brand and boasts a larger fan base than even USC. If USC and UCLA both bolt, and I think there's an 80 percent chance that it will happen, the Ducks' best move may be to join the Big Ten along with Washington and two other schools. Reportedly, the Big Ten may be interested in creating a 20-team super-conference. USC and UCLA would be the 15th and 16th Big Ten members.

 

If USC and UCLA abscond, can the Pac-12 be saved? Probably not. The other top schools in the conference--Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Cal, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona--will be looking to jump ship rather than to stabilize the sinking vessel. 

 

As much as I detest the Huskies, USC and UCLA are now the top two villains in our world--by far. They've been working secretly together to pull off this deal; they approached the Big Ten--it was not the other way around. Why are USC and UCLA doing it? It's strictly about money. Both schools stand to gain tremendously from increased media revenues. And that's why it's going to be very difficult to keep USC and UCLA in the Pac-12.

 

It's going to be a wild and explosive weekend, appropriate perhaps for the Fourth of July. Expect to hear conflicting reports from multiple angles. Every school in the Pac-12 is desperately scrambling at the moment, along with Commissioner George Kliavkoff.

[DUCati855]

Yes. Oregon needs to move on from the PAC.

 

That doesn't necessarily mean following USC/UCLA. But it will need to land in one of the two super-conferences BIG 10 or SEC (current names likely to change at some point). Clemson, FSU, Miami, OK State, Baylor, and a few others will all likely need to do the same to stay relevant. 

[Charles Fischer]

Well, those four would be what I mentioned in the post above yours I would assume.  (UO, UW, Cal and 'Furd)

 

The only way to preserve the conference is for the have-nots to take a big cut in conference revenue....to pass along to the brats in SoCal, but not as much as what the Big-10 would give, but enough to keep the LA schools on-board.

 

Sure ramps up the hatred when we play them, huh?

[Charles Fischer]

On 6/30/2022 at 3:56 PM, Axel said:

It is especially devastating news for schools like Oregon State and Washington State. When the dust clears, where will they be?

In the Mountain West, and that's so wrong.

 

So the players are demanding more money, and now so are the individual schools.

[McDuck]

On 6/30/2022 at 3:56 PM, Axel said:

Apparently, USC and UCLA blindsided everyone with this announcement. It is terrible news, of course, for the Pac-12. It is especially devastating news for schools like Oregon State and Washington State. When the dust clears, where will they be?

There is a word for the UCLA/USC move and poultry farmers have an ample supply. 

[2002duck]

On 6/30/2022 at 3:15 PM, Haywarduck said:

Time for George to earn his keep. The conference and his job are up in smoke if this really gets lit and smoke become fire.

 

 

It's time for Rob Mullens to earn his keep, too. He needs to tell George Kliavkoff, "Sorry, George. I hate to put you in this position, but if USC and UCLA are going to the BIG 10, we will be doing everything we can to follow them. It's nothing personal."

[Guest Axel]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:01 PM, Charles Fischer said:

 

Sure ramps up the hatred when we play them, huh?

This is a knee-jerk reaction, but if USC and UCLA do leave the Pac-12, it would be great to kick them both out of the conference immediately. That is probably not legal and it would cause scheduling nightmares, but it would be emotionally satisfying to tell these two prima donna schools to go to hell. 

[Steven A]

I think my head and the earth will quit spinning at the same time.

[AllOregon]

The Big10 ship seems to have sailed.  They would have approached others to come with the LA schools already.  To me going to Big12 makes most sense.  Yes the “Acc” alliance but travel and fan  bases are too far apart.   Definitely have to leave the PAC  now , otherwise recruiting and brand will label as mid major. And I don’t want to aspire to win the  Independence bowl, like we were ok with 3 decades ago.

[1Ducker1]

This is the kind of stuff that makes me sick to my stomach

[Scha100]

I've been saying for YEARS that the Pac12 Network created a GRAVEYARD for the Pac12 athletes.  Limiting deals with providers and TV coverage , the Pac12 , already handicapped by geography,  should have bent over backward to make TV visibility available.  INSTEAD corporate greed steadily bled the Pac12 not only of athletes,  but coaches. Why should a player go to a Pac12 school where their TV coverage is guaranteed to be much less available to recruiters, let alone FANS who have been begging for years for more access to their beloved teams.  It's a travesty that NEVER should have happened! The SoCal teams have fled this abomination! And our beloved Ducks should get out of this situation ASAP!

[DimpleDucks]

Everything in the world is changing so fast right now. With this forum as a haven that gives us a respite from politics, war, deep divides and growing hatred on so many levels, I thought at least, as we are just a couple months from the first game, that football would be a nice distraction. 

[Guest Axel]

When the Brooklyn Dodgers abandoned New York in 1957, they needed a second team to join them on the West Coast and provide scheduling balance, so they convinced the New York Giants to leave Manhattan in the same year.

 

The new Big Ten--with USC and UCLA--would need more West Coast teams to provide the same kind of scheduling balance. These schools are not going to want to travel 1,500 miles or more for away conference games. I can envision a 10-team Big Ten West and a 10-team Big Ten East in a 20-team Big Ten:

 

Big Ten West

Oregon

Cal

Stanford

Washington

UCLA

USC

Nebraska

Iowa

Wisconsin

Minnesota

 

Big Ten East

Maryland

Rutgers

Penn State

Michigan State

Michigan

Indiana

Purdue

Illinois

Northwestern

Ohio State

[Drake]

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From a source on UCLA and USC moving to the Big Ten in 2024-25. Vote among Big Ten presidents and chancellors is happening now. The source added:“I think they’ll be an announcement this evening.”

 

 

3:09 PM · Jun 30, 2022·Twitter Web App

[2002duck]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:17 PM, AllOregon said:

The Big10 ship seems to have sailed.  They would have approached others to come with the LA schools already.  To me going to Big12 makes most sense.  Yes the “Acc” alliance but travel and fan  bases are too far apart.   Definitely have to leave the PAC  now , otherwise recruiting and brand will label as mid major. And I don’t want to aspire to win the  Independence bowl, like we were ok with 3 decades ago.

I'm not so sure about that. They could have been thinking that if they told or invited Oregon and Washington earlier, then that would give Oregon and Washington AD's time to talk USC and UCLA out of it. Now that USC and UCLA are in the Big 10, they can reel in Oregon and Washington. They'd have them begging instead of trying to stop it. 

[Darren Perkins]

Would be cool if the Big Ten added ten teams to make it 24 total. Add 8 pac-12 and two others maybe from the big-12.  Then they could have three 8-team pods. So, out west we would the PAC-8 (sound familiar) pod. 4 Cali teams, OR, WA, Utah (salt lake market) and ASU (phoenix). 

[AllOregon]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:43 PM, 2002duck said:

I'm not so sure about that. They could have been thinking that if they told or invited Oregon and Washington earlier, then that would give Oregon and Washington AD's time to talk USC and UCLA out of it. Now that USC and UCLA are in the Big 10, they can reel in Oregon and Washington. They'd have them begging instead of trying to stop it. 

That is a possibility.  Good thought.  I hope it is vs needing to go to Big12.  But I have my doubts.

[GeotechDuck]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:33 PM, Axel said:

When the Brooklyn Dodgers abandoned New York in 1957, they needed a second team to join them on the West Coast and provide scheduling balance, so they convinced the New York Giants to leave Manhattan in the same year.

 

The new Big Ten--with USC and UCLA--would need more West Coast teams to provide the same kind of scheduling balance. These schools are not going to want to travel 1,500 miles or more for away conference games. I can envision a 10-team Big Ten West and a 10-team Big Ten East in a 20-team Big Ten:

 

Big Ten West

Oregon

Cal

Stanford

Washington

UCLA

USC

Nebraska

Iowa

Wisconsin

Minnesota

 

Big Ten East

Maryland

Rutgers

Penn State

Michigan State

Michigan

Indiana

Purdue

Illinois

Northwestern

Ohio State

This would be awesome. 

[Drake]

Rob Mullens will need all hands on deck to keep Oregon afloat. With the recent defection of marquee names from the BIG12 it seems that these types of moves should have been somewhat anticipated. 
 

All I can say is that abandoning, or disbanding the PAC 12 saddens me from a fan’s standpoint. I understand that these changes are all about TV revenue and a bigger piece of pie. Still flipping stinks….

 

Oregon will be forced to make changes to remain relevant. Ughhhhhhhh.

[Duck out of Water]

On 6/30/2022 at 7:10 PM, Axel said:

This is a knee-jerk reaction, but if USC and UCLA do leave the Pac-12, it would be great to kick them both out of the conference immediately. That is probably not legal and it would cause scheduling nightmares, but it would be emotionally satisfying to tell these two prima donna schools to go to hell. 

Best take I’ve heard all day!

[Duckdude]

Hard to understand.  You would think that, these schools, working as partners with other PAC-12 schools would have, at least, discussing this issue pre-move…..instead of just bolting, leaving the other schools hanging.   Geographically, it doesn’t make sense for the Big 10.   I know people will say: “It’s all about the money”, but………it just doesn’t “add up” to me.  In fact, with SC beefing up as they have I would think the money they’d make in the PAC would be just about the same.  Just don’t understand why these L A schools would want to blow up the PAC league…….

[1Ducker1]

We should expect press conferences soon from the other PAC ADs.