Wrestling Conference: Big12 or Pac12?

[Vapoke]

I was watching Willie Saylor (MatScouts1) on X today and towards the end of his show he mentioned that some Big 12 wrestling schools, I assume he meant affiliate members, would break off and join the Pac12. The PAC still needs one more school, since NIU joined, to get AQ for NCAAs next year. I can't ever see AFA or Wyoming leaving Big 12 for Pac 12, but this is an interesting quote from earlier in the fall:

The Pac-12 will again have only four teams — Oregon State, Cal Poly, Arkansas Little Rock and Cal State Bakersfield -- and the conference has again been approved for automatic qualifier status for the 2026 NCAA Championships. The lineup will change considerably for the following season. Northern Illinois is officially in, and it is likely that North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Air Force, Cal Baptist, Utah Valley and Wyoming will join up to form a 12-team league.

We know CBU is gone and would be have been a logical choice for the PAC. Unless the affiliate members are over the Big12 admin; Wyoming and SDSU would be bigger loses or with John Smith gone and not advocating for OU can the Big12 send them packing?

 

[Bear Claw]

I hope UW stays right where they are. I don’t want the university to give anything to the PAC whatever’s.

 

[Vapoke]

I hope UW stays right where they are. I don’t want the university to give anything to the PAC whatever’s.

Technically as an affiliate member they don't give Big 12 anything either, however, I understand your sentiments. These changes could be forcing most the affiliate schools to leave the Big12 is OSU and Iowa State want more control.

If most the affiliate schools left than OU and ASU would certainly become the doormats of the Big 12.