Pac-12 Stands Pat "At This Time"

The Pacific-12 Conference will remain at a dozen schools "at this time," according to an ESPN.com article published this afternoon. From my location in Lubbock, Pac-12 expansion was viewed by many as a possible landing spot for Texas Tech and other Big-12 schools in the aftermath of football powers Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big-12 for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 

Now, speculation will only intensify regarding whether the Big-12 (now down to eight schools) will expand to get back to 10 or 12 members. According to the ESPN.com article:

If the Big 12 is able to lure in valuable programs -- most likely from the American Athletic Conference -- and remain a Power 5 entity, the overall landscape would remain relatively stable. 

If the AAC is able to hold the upper hand, though, and lure Big 12 schools to make a case to become a Power 5 league, it could create another tremor that might cause the Pac-12 to rethink its position.

Instead of expanding, the Pac-12 has formed an "alliance" with the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The alliance has not been defined very precisely, but appears to include increased non-conference football games between teams in these leagues. According to the ESPN.com article, people within the Pac-12 seem to be banking on the alliance increasing its schools' visibility on a national scale, while maximizing revenue:

The hope within the Pac-12 is that the partnership with the ACC and Big Ten will allow the league to play across different time zones and form new rivalries -- all without having to split the revenue beyond the current 12 teams.