The Pac-12's Plan to Save Itself Was…Not Good

The collapse of the Pac-12 Conference was awe inspiring in its speed and efficiency.

For some time after the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins announced they were bolting for the Big Ten, there were hopes that the remaining schools could stick together and potentially add new institutions. But in just a matter of weeks in July, six of the remaining 10 schools found new conference homes.

The Pac-12's problems stemmed almost entirely from its media rights situation, as big schools like USC and UCLA repeatedly found themselves behind the financial eight ball. New commissioner George Kliavkoff was supposed to fix that with a new media deal, but as time went on, it became obvious there was no massive offer coming.

READ: PAC-12 FUMBLING LUCRATIVE TV OFFER WAS BEGINNING OF END, AS LAST FOUR SCHOOLS NOW SEEK SAFE HAVEN

It turns out that behind the scenes, Kliavkoff had another Hail Mary plan in 2022 to save the conference. And oh boy it wasn't good.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Kliavkoff was, according to their sources, "deeply engaged" with the University of California Board of Regents in attempting to force UCLA to stay in the Pac-12.

That was it, that was his big plan. To get the Board to stop UCLA. And how he intended to secure the votes necessary to do it was even worse.

PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: A UCLA helmet on the sidelines during the college football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the UCLA Bruins on September 14, 2019, at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Pac-12 Wanted Member Schools To Take A Huge Discount

The Times reported that Kliavkoff needed to convince the Board to vote against UCLA's choice. To do so, they allegedly told him that he needed to guarantee that the Bruins' net annual income from the Pac-12 would equal the Big Ten.

Essentially, he had to find $52 million per year for UCLA.

Without USC, an 11-team conference had no hope of getting a media deal that big. So Kliavkoff's plan was to present to the other schools the option to reduce their media income in order to pay UCLA more money. Oh, and pay their $15 million penalty for breaking their agreement with the Big Ten.

Predictably, that suggestion was not popular.

How did anyone think this had the slightest possibility of working?

Oregon, Cal, Washington and ASU were supposed to take significant discounts, putting them at an even bigger competitive disadvantage, in order to save UCLA? The Pac-12 couldn't secure a media rights deal that made the conference competitive with other conferences, how did they think other the remaining schools would lose more to keep the Bruins?

There are any number of faults and mistakes along the way that led to the collapse of the once proud Pac-12. But if this was one of their best hopes to save the conference, it's no wonder there are just four schools left.