With Pac-12 nearing death, Sun Bowl may look to Big 12 or Big 10 for 2024 and '25
The Pac-12 death spiral's ripple effects seem likely to have the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl looking for a new conference partner for 2024 and 2025.
The Pac-12 and Sun Bowl have been partners since 1995 with the Pac-12 supplying a team to the Sun Bowl for all but one year since then. In 2010 the Pac-12 didn't have enough bowl eligible teams. But with the Pac-12 nearing extinction, the Sun Bowl may have to look to the Big 12 or Big 10 for the last two years of its deal, which runs through 2025.
"We don't have anything on paper but obviously we'll be looking," Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas said. "We don't want to jump the gun on anything, but we have two conferences that have more teams and they're going to need more bowls.
"I know there are bowls that are going to be looking. If (the Pac-12) stops existing — I don't see how they'll survive — we'll start looking."
The Sun Bowl's contract with it's other partner, the ACC, stipulates that the Sun Bowl will have a power conference team to play opposite the ACC team and a merger between the Pac-12 and Mountain West likely would not rate as a power conference.
That means the Sun Bowl will be contractually obligated to supply a team from the SEC, Big 12 or Big 10 and Olivas said he doesn't expect the SEC to be looking for more bowl tie-ins.
"The SEC is pretty full, the Big 10 and Big 12 make the most sense," Olivas said. "Geographically the Big 12 makes a lot more sense but the Big 10 has a great menu of teams too. We'll see what we need and we'll do the best we can do for us."
The Sun Bowl partnered with the Big 10 from 1995-2005 then the Big 12 (along with the ACC in an alternating deal) from 2009-12.
Obviously the next move for the Sun Bowl will be to wait a few days to see what becomes of the Pac-12, which by Friday night was down to four teams from 2024 forward: Washington State, Oregon State, Cal and Stanford.
"I have not spoken with the Pac-12," Olivas said. "I'll wait until next week to call them and see what their thoughts are."
If the Mountain West picks up the four Pac-12 teams, or if the conferences merge, that would create a 16-team league that would likely consider itself full and not looking to add any more teams. If Stanford was to go independent in football, that could mean a 15-team Mountain West that might look for a 16th team.
Obviously UTEP would like to be that team, but that is nothing more than speculation at the moment.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: With Pac-12 nearing death, Sun Bowl may look to Big 12 or Big 10
