Bumpus: WSU, other small schools ‘going to suffer’ after Pac-12 shakeup
Jul 1, 2022, 8:44 AM | Updated: Jul 18, 2022, 3:47 pm
The Pac-12 conference we’ve grown accustomed to is about to get shaken up in a big way.
On Thursday, it was announced that both USC and UCLA will be departing the conference in 2024 to join the Big Ten. That leave’s the Pac-12’s future in doubt, and clouds the future for the conference’s other 10 universities.
What USC and UCLA leaving Pac-12 means for UW and WSU
So what should we make of the big news? And what’s the impact? Former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus, who starred for the WSU Cougars in the then-Pac-10, broke it down in his latest video for Seattle Sports 710 AM’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full video at this link or in the video player below.
So why would USC and UCLA want to leave the Pac-12 after such a long tenure?
“It’s simple. They want more exposure,” Bumpus said. “The Pac-12, it is so hard to see Pac-12 games. And these young recruits, these young guys, they are all about exposure.”
Bumpus said that money is playing a big part in this as well, and that more dollars and exposure is too good to pass up for those two schools.
But what about the 10 remaining Pac-12 teams? Bumpus thinks a few are clearly going to be negatively impacted by the conference’s shakeup.
“It is going to hurt all these other schools like Washington State, Oregon State, Utah,” Bumpus said. “We are going to struggle.”
USC and UCLA have been “marquee” schools for the Pac-12 for a long time, and those universities moving on will have some of the other top schools moving on as well.
“They’re going to make the move and I think other teams are going to follow. I think Oregon is next. I think the University of Washington is next. And I think Arizona is next,” Bumpus said. ” … The smaller schools are going to suffer.”
