BIG 12 for OSU and SDSU?

That would be one weird ass conference. We would be great for their baseball and football. SDSU is arguably the best basketball on the west coast except Zaga

I would be very surprised if OSU got invited and a little surprised if they left w/o WSU.

I have read that...

- OSU is preferred over WSU because OSU is willing to take a smaller payout than WSU (see: accumulated debt).
- There are at best two slots left in the Big12, but other people say the money isn't there, so don't expect anything.
- There are two slots, but they are being reserved for UConn and Gonzaga (and now maybe SDSU, as they do more than basketball).
- There are not two slots, but if there were two slots, they would be saved until the ACC is dissolved, which could be sooner than later.

If I were OSU, I would have "preliminary talks" as well with the Big12 to see what they're offering. My guess is we'd get $15 million and then pray heavily that the state legislator tacks on a $5 million fee to UofO, see: Cal/UCLA. But I have little hope they'll do the right thing. At the same time, I'd tell whomever becomes PAC-4 commissioner to see what remaining media deals are out there if we absorb 6 additional schools from someplace and start over. I'm really not a big fan of leaving WSU all alone. And who knows what happens to Stanford/Cal.

that and the natural rivalry with central Florida

Since the Pac-12 started, Oregon State has played California, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, and Washington State every year.

Oregon State played Arizona State and Utah 10 of 12 seasons, including six straight for Arizona State. 

Oregon State played Colorado eight times, and Oregon State played Arizona seven times.  (It should also be eight, but Arizona and Oregon State missed each other in 2020, because of the awful COVID-19 scheduling.)

In the same period of time, Oregon State played USC six times and UCLA five times.

Before the Pac-10 became the Pac-12, though, the story is different.

The two teams played Oregon State every year from 1990-2012: Arizona and Oregon.  USC only played Oregon State 18 times in that period.  UCLA only played Oregon State 19 times.  California and Wazzu only played Oregon State 20 times.

From 1987-2012, Oregon State played Oregon every year in the Civil War.  Oregon State played two teams 26 times: Arizona and Stanford.  Oregon State played two teams 25 times: Arizona State and Washington.

Since 1987, Arizona State has actually played Oregon State more often than California and Wazzu, despite California and Wazzu each playing Oregon State every year since 2003 (and California every year since 1995).  Oregon State has played Arizona one fewer time than California and Wazzu with the scrubbing of the 2020 game between Arizona and Oregon State accounting for the difference.

Arizona and Arizona State are great rivals for Oregon State, as they have been for the past 45 years.

IF Cal and Stanford find a home I understand OSU and WSU might have access to the residual funds left in the Pac 12 - identified as $300 to $400 million. I'd use that, if possible, to pay off OSU/WSU debt and pay exit fees for MWC teams to join a PST-based league that is sustainable.

But if there were some sort of merger with MWC - there would be no exit fees. But who knows what level of media money we would get.