Bruce Feldman analyzes Arizona's mindset amid uncertainty in Pac-12

Colorado kick-started the latest wave of conference realignment news and rumors when they aborted the Pac-12 to move over to the Big 12. Now, there’s smoke that some other Pac-12 powers could do the same, with discussions mainly zeroing in on the two Arizona schools.

During a recent edition of the Rich Eisen Show, Fox college football analyst Bruce Feldman joined the set to break down the current situation with the Pac-12, especially in regards to the Arizona Wildcats, whose name has been all over the news in realignment stories. Not so fast, though, says Feldman, who believes Arizona is committed to seeing it through with the Pac-12 before they jump ship.

“From everything I’ve heard, they have wanted to be as patient as possible with the Pac-12,” shared Feldman of Arizona. So he thinks they’ll still consider staying in the conference, but at the end of the day, sometimes you just have to jump off a sinking ship before someone else steals your raft.

“I don’t know if their their patience has run out or if they’re getting jumpy feeling like… ‘Hey, the Big 12 may only have 14 and if we don’t take it and Utah swoops in…’ — which I don’t know. Utah has been very loyal and their leadership has kind of diffused a lot of this stuff. But I think right now people are thinking all bets are off.”

Eisen then asked if the new TV deal has anything to do with these teams’ attitudes towards leaving the conference:

“Is Apple coming in with a deal that appears to be subscriber-based and paying money… something that member schools would say ‘okay, we’re good,’ just everyone runs for the hills?”

And that’s the million dollar question. The current TV offer is definitely looking at significantly lower total figures than the Big Ten or the SEC and with a service that’s not as easily accessible as the cable networks that games from those other conferences often play on.

With USC, UCLA and Colorado already running for those hills and Washington + Oregon rumored to be next, perhaps Arizona ought to make like tree in the next couple of weeks — or days at the current rate of conference realignment. For the Wildcats, it’s leave now and head to the revived Big 12 without looking back… or wait and see how this Pac-12 mess gets resolved.