Potential Pac-12 targets we'd hate to see leave the Big 12

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Pac-12 football is realizing its long-anticipated plan to add more schools as the latest dominos fall in the conference realignment conversation in college sports. The Pac-12 is reportedly adding four schools, including the Fresno State Bulldogs, Colorado State Rams, San Diego State Aztecs, and Boise State Broncos for the 2026-27 athletic season.

Where Pac-12 football could look next for conference expansion and realignment?

This is the latest news in what has been an ongoing process and conversation for this round of conference realignment in college sports. In 2024, we saw the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners leave the Big 12 for the SEC.

Along with the conference realignment in the SEC, the Big 12, ACC, and Big Ten also added member schools this year in their conferences. The Big 12, ACC, and Big Ten also played significant roles in the collapse of the Pac-12 as we've known it over the past couple of years.

After 10 schools left the Pac-12 for other major conferences around the country, only the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars were left as the two teams repping the conference this year.

With the Pac-12 expanding to six schools in the next couple of years, it wouldn't be surprising to see the conference target more possible programs to poach in this round of realignment.

Here are three Big 12 schools the Pac-12 would sensibly target in this round of conference realignment, after adding four members from the Mountain West for 2026 on Sep. 12.

BYU

Among all the schools the Pac-12 could possibly target in this round of conference realignment, the BYU Cougars would probably be the most logical decision from the Big 12. The Pac-12 has tried to target BYU before in previous realignment discussions in the last decade or so.

The big question here concerning the possibility of BYU leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-12 is if the move would be worth it for the Cougars. Because, the Big 12 looks to be in a more advantageous spot regarding its positioning among the power conferences and strength in profit sports like football and basketball.

It would probably take a really juicy offer from the Pac-12's administration to even get BYU to the discussion table in this round of realignment discussions. But given the potential of BYU as a national brand and the traditional success of the football program, it would be foolish for the Pac-12 brass to not at least kick the tires on contacting the Cougars and gauge their potential interest in leaving the Big 12.