Pac 12 in its final days after USC, UCLA bolt?

College expansion is back in the news with the news Southern Cal and UCLA are set to join the Big 10 in 2024. 

This movie puts every geography buff into a hissy fit with two teams from LA joining a conference comprised almost exclusively with teams from the Great Lakes and RustBelt region of the United States. 

In the following days, the quartet of Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado were in preliminary talks to join the Big 12.

Set aside the comedy of Colorado crawling back to the Big 12 after leaving a little over a decade ago, these moves could signal the Pac 12 going the way of the Southwest or Big East conferences. 

If these moves all go through, the Pac 12 would be down to the Pac 6 with Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Cal and Stanford, and virtually dead in the water.

But I postulate a different future than those 6 remaining schools joining a different conference.

Let's get this first major domino out of the way - Hawaii is not an option. They instead are going to ACC, because if geography truly no longer matters, I see no reason a school in the middle of the Pacific Ocean can't  join the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

Step two: The Southern California TV market. 

It will be hard to get back the brand recognition lost with USC and UCLA, but the conference needs to attempt it. 

That is why the first additions need to be San Diego State and Fresno State. 

Step two, replace Arizona.

The conference needs a presence in the Soutwest, and needs a rivalry to replace the loss of the Grand Canyon state.

Enter New Mexico State from the Mountain West and New Mexico from the Western Athletic Conference. 

Step three, get a new brand to build around.

Again, the Mountain West will lose teams. This time Boise State finally steps out of its small conference success and becomes the hopeful anchor of a division. 

The conference also needs an attraction for the Denver market, enter Colorado State. 

With these additions, the league looks pretty similar to itself before the massive exodus.

Pac 12 North                                Pac 12 South

-Oregon                                       -New Mexico

-Oregon State                              -New Mexico State

-Washington                                -Colorado State

-Washington State                        -San Diego State

-Cal                                               -Fresno State

-Stanford

-Boise State

Under this scenario, the conference needs two more to fill out the south division. And there is not a program that screams Pacific Coast more than the Hurricanes of the midwest, Tulsa.

Finally, allow UNLV in, accomplishing two goals. One, get a corner on the Las Vegas TV market and two, open up the conference to legalized gambling on games.

Or, you could just have remaining schools join with what is left of the Big 12 and create a super conference, if you are into that type of boring, logical to-do. Call it the Frequent Flyermiles Conference, brought to you by Spirit Air.