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.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Why would Wyoming leave a great wrestling conference for that pile of crap? …and being the same conference suing Wyoming.

 

[Vapoke]

Why would Wyoming leave a great wrestling conference for that pile of crap? …and being the same conference suing Wyoming.

I don't think Wyoming would ever want to leave the Big12 and I certainly don't want them to leave; now I could see UVU leaving and maybe UNC.

We have to remember that those schools are all affiliate members so not sure if the Big12 can just one day go whelp we don't want you anymore and boot them out.

 

[LanderPoke]

I don’t see why any team ever would leave the big 12 for the pac -whatever in wrestling

 

[Vapoke]

I don’t see why any team ever would leave the big 12 for the pac -whatever in wrestling

The affiliate stuff confuses me. Can a conference just say hey we don't want these teams anymore and want to roll with these teams? Or is there a 3-5 year affiliation contract?

CBU would have made more sense in the PAC for travel but is what it is.

I just don't see Wyoming or SDSU leaving the Big 12 unless there is something behind the scenes pushing them out

 

[OrediggerPoke]

I don't think Wyoming would ever want to leave the Big12 and I certainly don't want them to leave; now I could see UVU leaving and maybe UNC.

We have to remember that those schools are all affiliate members so not sure if the Big12 can just one day go whelp we don't want you anymore and boot them out.

What am I missing? What does UNC have to gain with such a move?

Conferences are usually about 2 things: Travel and competition.

1) Competition wise - PAC is probably the worst D1 conference in the country.
2) Travel wise - Little Rock Arkansas and Bakersfield California are both far away and not the most convenient places to catch a flight to.

Northern Colorado , Air Force and Wyoming can and do bus to each other. There is significant savings having those 3 schools tied to the hip in wrestling. It would be senseless to break that up.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

The affiliate stuff confuses me. Can a conference just say hey we don't want these teams anymore and want to roll with these teams? Or is there a 3-5 year affiliation contract?

CBU would have made more sense in the PAC for travel but is what it is.

I just don't see Wyoming or SDSU leaving the Big 12 unless there is something behind the scenes pushing them out

Affiliate membership is subject to 3 things: (1) the conference continuing to sponsor the sport; (2) conference bylaws; and (3) most importantly the individual school’s individual affiliate agreement.

I’ve never seen a copy of the agreement. They are usually for a term of years with mutual renewal options. Meaning, there probably is a right of the Big 12 not to renew the affiliate agreement after its term. I see no reason why the Big 12 would do that to any current school (maybe Utah Valley because they are the farthest away but even that would seem strange).

 

[Vapoke]

Affiliate membership is subject to 3 things: (1) the conference continuing to sponsor the sport; (2) conference bylaws; and (3) most importantly the individual school’s individual affiliate agreement.

I’ve never seen a copy of the agreement. They are usually for a term of years with mutual renewal options. Meaning, there probably is a right of the Big 12 not to renew the affiliate agreement after its term. I see no reason why the Big 12 would do that to any current school (maybe Utah Valley because they are the farthest away but even that would seem strange).

Yeah I am just going off of initial smoke I had heard and heard it again yesterday from a bigger name mentioning team or teams could be leaving Big12 for the Pac12. Probably something worth watching this offseason.

 

[Vapoke]

I forgot Tarleton State has a team about to be D1 and have been accepted into a conference (they won't name it publicly). I suspect PAC is their landing spot or the MAC to take up the NIU spot.