College football insider offers conflicting report on interest in Pac-12 teams

The “Pac-4” should not make plans just yet to be members of the Big 12, according to a college football insider.

Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle turned heads Saturday with a report that the 4 remaining Pac-12 schools could land in the Big 12. Silver reported Saturday that the ACC’s interest in Cal and Stanford had renewed the Big 12’s interest in adding those schools, and potentially Oregon State and Washington State.

According to college football insider Brett McMurphy, the Big 12 is not looking to add any more members from the Pac-12. McMurphy’s Sunday social media post cites sources within the Big 12 conference.

Despite various reports to the contrary, Big 12 has not had conversations w/any of the Pac-4 schools & has no intention in engaging w/those schools, multiple Big 12 sources told @ActionNetworkHQ

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 27, 2023

As of right now, the Big 12 is primed to rise to a 16-team league next year. BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston have been added to the league for 2023, with Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah set to join in 2024. Texas and Oklahoma are spending 2023 in the Big 12 before departing for the SEC.

If the ACC adds Stanford, Cal and SMU it would become a 17-team conference in football, with Notre Dame a member in all other sports. The Big Ten is set to be an 18-team conference in 2024 with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.