KANSAS CITY, Mo. — College football is fast approaching and there could more shift in which schools play in what conference.
CBS college football writer Dennis Dodd explains the latest conference realignment involving six new Pac 12 schools potentially joining the Big 12.
This news comes just days after two other Pac 12 teams — USC and UCLA — announced their plans to leave the conference and head to the Big 10.
The conference realignment continuing almost a full calendar year after Texas and Oklahoma officially announced their intention to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference on July 1st, 2025.
"Last July as a matter of fact, it looked like the Big 12 was going to break apart, but then they reorganized," Dodd said.
Now the race for the number three spot among the Power 5 conferences is on.
According to Dodd, The Big 10 and Southeastern Conference are dominating.
"I think those schools at the top are going to make it an exclusive club, they're going to include only those teams they need to stage a legitimate playoff," Dodd said. "The Big 12 is in there, maybe the ACC, but I don't know if the Pac 12 is in there."
The Pac 12 now enters a 30 day negotiation window with ESPN and FOX, according to Dodd.
Indications are the Pac-12 will begin an exclusive 30-day negotiation window with ESPN and Fox. Other bidders can then weigh in after that if a deal isn't done.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) July 5, 2022
If a deal isn't reached, and the Big 12 can snag all six schools, the number three spot may become locked up.
"We're going to see the money form around the biggest brands, and if the Big 12 can get those expansions teams from the Pac 12, then they may have what amounts to the number three conference and that's a big deal," he said.
But there might not even be a Power Five to be concerned about when the dust settles.
Super conferences are a possibility as college football continues to reinvent itself once again.
According to Dodd, College Football 2.0 is well on it's way.
"FBS was going to break away from the NCAA, and the 132 teams that make up the highest division and do their own thing," he said.
Part III of our series "CFB 2.0", Where Do We Go From Here? @CBSSportsHQ @dennisdoddcbs @ShehanJeyarajah https://t.co/obAGxXPybG
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) July 1, 2022
The timeline for finalizing these conference changes is unknown.
According to Dodd, college football fans should have more answers come late July or the end of August.
Week zero fast approaching though, as the 2022 season kicks off Aug. 27.
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