USA Today via Reuters
Dec 1, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A general overall view of Allegiant Stadium during the Pac-12 Championship game between the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 1, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A general overall view of Allegiant Stadium during the Pac-12 Championship game between the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Growing up studying at and playing for the University of Arizona, Richard Jefferson was not happy to hear that the Pac-12, of which the University was a part, was getting dissolved. Although the Pac-12 tried its best to renegotiate and find a better outcome, as the schools started leaving one by one, they were left with no other option than to dissolve the conference.
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As the recent news has heavily affected college sports fans, Richard Jefferson explains why the Pac-12 dissolution is one of the saddest moments in sports in 2023.
Richard Jefferson is disappointed with the Pac-12’s exit
In a recent episode of the Road Trippin podcast, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye were asked about their thoughts on the Pac-12 getting dissolved.
Imago
15 Feb 2001: Gilbert Arenas #9 of the Arizona Wildcats congratulates teammates Michael Wright #2, Richard Jefferson #44, Loren Woods #3 during the game against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The Bruins defeated the Wildcats 79-77.Mandatory Credit: Donald Miralle /Allsport
The former NBA champion of the Cleveland Cavaliers expressed his disappointment after hearing the news and said, “This is the worst thing that has happened because it was an entire western United States that has been dissolved because of TV money.”
Jefferson revealed that the main reason behind the dissolution was because the other conferences, such as the Big 12, were growing day by day while the Pac-12 was struggling to ink a TV deal to save itself.
The Pac-12 has been a major part of American college sports for years now, and their exit is a real loss for the diehard sports fans in the country. Having played at the University of Arizona and having experienced the impact of the Pac-12 on people, Jefferson knows the significance of the Pac-12’s exit.
The final nail in the Pac-12’s demise
Along with the TV deal not being signed, UCLA and USC announced they would be leaving the Pac-12 after the 2023 season. This was a major blow for the conference, as they were two of the richest schools in the conference.
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Since the Pac-12 was struggling to be on the same level as the rest of the conferences available in the USA, the heritage of the Pac-12 didn’t hold much value during the negotiation of the TV deals.
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What do you think of the Pac-12’s exit from collegiate sports? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Written by
Edited by
Caroline Joseph