Unrivaled: Utah Should Take Care Of Itself By Joining The Big 12

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah  — College football was upended as UCLA and USC decided to up and leave for the Big Ten before the 2024 season. This is a massive blow to the Pac-12 and college football fans as a whole with the Big Ten expanding to at least 16 teams once the Bruins and Trojans join the league.

Now it leaves schools like Utah and others in the Pac-12 thinking about what they should do next to stay relevant in major college football.

On a seismic day in college athletics, @PeteThamel draws comparisons to the last time the college world was turned this upside down.

(Hint: it was less than 365 days ago) pic.twitter.com/hmjWy4gCpT

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) June 30, 2022

The higher-ups at Utah must be looking at any and all options now and that should include the Big 12. Brett McMurphy of the Action Network is reporting that the Big 12 is expected to be in contact with Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado.

“The Big 12 has never been aggressive (in conference realignment), but they should contact those four Pac-12 schools and tell them, ‘Come on board because there’s nothing left in the Pac-12,’” a source told McMurphy.

However, there are conflicting reports from a high-ranking Big 12 source that told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd that there is no interest in any of the Pac-12 schools.

.@19scottmitchell spits 🔥🔥🔥 about UCLA and USC leaving for the Big Ten.

He is not happy. pic.twitter.com/xZhxZ3wgcB

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 1, 2022

Take each comment as you wish. The Big 12 is in a good position if they want to add teams and the Pac-12 schools left should be worried. That worry level should go up exponentially if Oregon and Washington get an invite to the Big Ten.

Utah Needs To Be Aggressive

As for Utah, UnRivaled’s Scott Mitchell is beyond adamant that the Utes should save themselves, ditch the Pac-12 and go join up with BYU and get to the more stable Big 12.

“When Oklahoma and Texas left, I thought the Big 12 was done it’s over with,” Mitchell said. “… Here I am a year later I am saying, ‘everyone in the Pac-12 you better run to a conference.’

“The Big 12 is now your buddy, a year ago they were dead. Utah should join the Big 12 right now. What can the Pac-12 do that has any significance?”

That is a bold statement based on what we all thought that the Big 12 was going to be. The thought was that the Big 12 was going to be one of the lesser Power 5 leagues. Now it has a chance — if it wants to be bold and make a move with its new commissioner — to stay relevant in college football.

The sport was clearly going toward a Power 2 with the SEC and Big Ten, it just came a lot quicker than people thought. Now, the Big 12 can differentiate itself above the ACC as the third conference — albeit a distant third — by adding Utah and other Pac-12 schools.

.@KSLunrivaled's @19scottmitchell wants Utah to make a break for it and get into the #big12. pic.twitter.com/dqVvbGV26V

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 1, 2022

There will be definitely more moves whether it is the Big Ten adding more schools to get closer to 20 teams, could Notre Dame join a league, will Oregon and/or Washington go to the Big Ten, and could the Pac-12 actually no longer exist after the next set of moves that are likely to happen.

Tune into Unrivaled every Monday through Friday, 3-7 p .m. on 1280 The Zone and 97.5 FM, or subscribe to the podcast. Also, download the all-new KSL Sports app on iOS or Android.

Follow @JeremyMauss