"When Deion goes to the Big 12, there’s really nothing left" SEC's Paul Finebaum makes his Pac-12 future opinion known
Although he is an SEC insider and Southeastern Conference expert, Paul Finebaum has not been shy regarding his opinion on the Pac-12 and how he sees it, the conference's eventual demise.
The Pac-12 has lost USC, UCLA, and California to the Big Ten beginning in 2024, but the conference has sent several letters to teams to join and keep its heartbeat pulsing.
Unfortunately for Pac-12 fans, like many other media analysts, Paul Finebaum believes it is a matter of 'when' not 'if' the conference loses its Power 5 status due to departures.
Deion Sanders and Colorado are under the national spotlight for many reasons entering 2023, but none greater than the impact the Buffaloes make to the Big 12 conference and the hole left behind in the Pac-12. Let's analyze what Paul Finebaum had to say and the fallout surrounding college football.
While discussing the latest Pac-12 developments with ESPN anchor Mike Greenberg, Paul Finebaum didn't pull any punches in delivering his verdict and said:
"When Deion goes to the Big 12, there's nothing left."
He would then question whether the Pac-12 would have any national relevance in the absence of Colorado and the previously departed USC, UCLA, and California.
Paul Finebaum also provided an ominous reading of the future, predicting that Colorado will not be the final shoe to drop and that other teams may leave the Pac-12.
What would Paul Finebaum do if he was a Pac-12 AD?
Even before the latest news surrounding Colorado, Paul Finebaum indicated that if he were an AD of a Pac-12 program, he would ask for their release.
He uttered "Would want out" to describe the situation, mentioning the uncertainty surrounding conference realignment, but also a lack of a media deal as reasons for his hypothetical displeasure.
To Finebaum's point, there are several rumors circulating about the college football water cooler, indicating several teams may be the next to jump ship. The college football landscape is shifting, and teams see the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 as safe havens and the Pac-12 as a sinking ship.
Will the Pac-12 remain Power 5?
The million-dollar question around college football is whether, despite all of the recent departures, the Pac-12 will remain a Power 5 conference. There is a precedent for this level of departures and the Big East was unable to remain a Power 5 conference.
We are in the era of super conferences with the SEC and Big Ten loading up unlike any other conference we have ever seen in college football. With college football moving to an extended playoff format, the Power 5 designation carries weight in name only.
The Pac-12 remains on life support, but if Paul Finebaum and others are correct, it may be time to pull the plug.