Pac-12 sends message during two-team event: We’re not dead

LAS VEGAS — In a conference room next to the pool area of ​​the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, the embattled Pac-12 Conference sent a message to the small crowd of reporters and supporters who had come to listen:

The Pac-12 is not dead.

It still has two schools remaining – Oregon State and Washington State.

So “Welcome to the fight.”

That was the theme of the Pac-12’s preseason football media day event here on Wednesday — the league’s first since all 10 other league members brought more money, more television exposure and more stability in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Left in search. conference.

“We were left idle,” Oregon State defensive back Jaden Robinson said Wednesday.

And now it’s time to fight for your future as two orphans of the “Conference of Champions”. But what happened to him after being left stranded and uninvited in the latest round of college football realignment still stings.

“We have a bar in the back,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould told the crowd. “Yes, we are drinking during this event tonight. And I would dare say that if anyone has earned the right to drink, it’s the Pac-12, right?

The crowd laughed in response. Then came some tough questions, like what would happen next.

So is the Pac-12 still alive?

Yes, a big reason the league held this event in Vegas was to make it clear and highlight that theme: “Welcome to the fight.” About 100 people attended, including perhaps a few dozen journalists.

Yogi Roth, a former television analyst for the now-defunct Pac-12 Network, hosted the program and interviewed players and alumni from the two schools, including former Oregon State running back Steven Jackson and two former Washington State quarterbacks – Jack Thompson. and Ryan Leaf. ,

Thompson described how he was “outraged” by what happened. Leaf predicted that at least some of the departing schools would return someday after the next wave of realignment.

“This may be one of the most opportunistic things that could have happened in all of this is that you kept the Pac-12 brand intact,” Leaf told supporters of both schools. “But guess what? They’ll be back… when the new College Football Playoff changes in two years or whatever, okay? And you guys are going to be the foundation of it.”

The scene still remains quite contrasting. On the other side of the freeway in the same city, the Big 12 leased Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, to use for its two-day media event this week — a showcase for more than 500 media members for a preview. The upcoming football season will feature all 16 Big 12 teams, including four teams that decided to leave the Pac-12 last year.

Hoping to regain that attention, the two-team Pac-12 rented this room in the Big 12’s media hotel (Bellagio) and sent out invitations to reporters.

How do two-team leagues work?

In football, both teams have a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference to cover a large portion of their schedules. But the clock is ticking under Gould, who for some reason has a two-year contract.

Under NCAA rules, the Beavers and Cougars can continue as a two-team league for two years before deciding what to do next, such as possibly combining with the Mountain West Conference under the Pac-12 name.

This is because leagues in the Football Bowl Subdivision are required to have a minimum of eight members. If they fall short of that, they are allowed a two-year grace period and will continue to use and own the Pac-12 name and logo.

Gould is often asked about his future but he said there are no foregone conclusions. She notes that there are many more unexpected possibilities as college sports emerge from the shock of restructuring and the turmoil of court cases that are paving the way for college players to be paid for the first time.

“Most of our time right now is spent evaluating the national landscape, being mindful of all the movements and all the changes that are happening in our industry, and then being really thoughtful and really prepared,” he said. ,

In the meantime, there is hope

Oregon State and Washington State have historically been known as scrappy underdogs with passionate fans in sports. Now perhaps his biggest fight yet has come.

It helps that the league has a “war chest” of approximately $265 million for operations and investments, which includes “normal” Pac-12 revenue from the Rose Bowl, the College Football Playoff and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

“We’re not licking our wounds,” Washington State head coach Jake Dickert said. “We’re trying our luck, because now is the opportunity.”

Former Cougars quarterback Leaf looked a little emotional about it Wednesday.

“I don’t think anybody knows a better way to bounce back than the Cougs and Bees, just because we get knocked down a lot,” Leaf said. “And this is a perfect example of that.”

Both football teams will start with separate home games on August 31. Each will be broadcast by the Pac-12’s new television partner, The CW Network.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @schrotenboer, Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com