Big 12 Football: 3 schools that could be added as the PAC-12 realigns

Arizona State

The other candidate in this potential package deal for the Big 12 in the Arizona schools is next up on the list. The Arizona State Sun Devils would help the Big 12 round out the Territorial Cup in the fold in this round of conference realignment.

There are a few aspects of this hypothetical package deal for the Big 12 if the Arizona schools were added out of the PAC-12 in the near future.

First and foremost, it would give the Big 12 a well-known rivalry that could help replace some of what the conference is losing with Red River being taken away when Texas and Oklahoma leave for the SEC by 2025. While Arizona-Arizona State is not of the level of the Red River Rivalry game by any means, especially in football, it at least gives the Big 12 another nationally-recognized rivalry.

Adding Arizona State would give the Big 12 another well-rounded athletic program that is competitive in most sports. Arizona State is a consistently competitive men’s basketball program and has mostly found at least a decent level of success in football in the last few decades.

The football program is in an interesting state right now with the future in flux under head coach Herm Edwards. But Arizona State has been able to pretty consistently sustain competitiveness on the field in football under multiple different coaching regimes in the last two decades.

Lastly, Arizona State gives the Big 12 another valuable TV market that would essentially allow the conference to own the state for the media rights. There aren’t any other schools that come close to matching the media appeal that Arizona and Arizona State do in that state.