Paul Finebaum says things look 'grim' for Pac-12

Summertime is here, which means college baseball and conference realignment rumors are aplenty. After the seismic changes the last couple off-seasons — Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC, UCLA and USC to the Big Ten and several others to the Big 12 — there’s more whispers going around this June as well. Once again, the Big 12 is reportedly getting active in seeking new teams, with Arizona and Colorado the target of latest talks.

If those additions were to happen, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum believes it would just be another nail in the Pac-12’s coffin as a power conference. On a recent edition of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum was harsh on the Pac-12 when asked about their future aspirations.

“They’re grim,” answered Finebaum. “And making a change at the top may have helped perceptively but it hasn’t really changed the dynamics. And as far as George Kliavkoff, I don’t think there’s much he can do. You know, you could come up with any cliche from history, but if he was essentially given command of the Titanic right before we saw the iceberg. And he can steer any way he wants, but ultimately, if you’re one of those schools you mentioned, you’re probably better off getting out.”

Paul Finebaum then shifted the conversation towards the SEC, saying that the debate over how many league games to play is a tiny issue in comparison to what the flailing Pac-12 is dealing with.

“The one thing, you know, we talked about the situation with the SEC and ESPN, it’s still an incredible situation. We’re talking about a small amount of dollars to sweeten the pie to add a game. We’re talking about survival here in the Pac-12. And I know if I’m sitting there leading Arizona or Colorado, or even Oregon or Washington, I’m not terribly excited by Gonzaga and San Diego State. Those, you could argue, they bring a lot to the table in certain things, but they don’t bring the WOW factor.”

In one last final kick to the knee to the Pac-12, Finebaum piled the praise on the Big 12 in comparison to what their western counterpart has done during the latest round of realignment.

“The Biggest surprise, I think, if you go back nearly two years to the day that Oklahoma and Texas left the Big 12, is how well the Big 12 has managed. Yeah, they got a lot out of having a team in the CFP, but overall, this league has really gained a lot of respect. And I think it’s fair to say it’s moving into that coveted third position ahead of the ACC and about eight billion years ahead of the Pac-12.”

Certainly not a lot of positive thoughts shared there from Paul Finebaum on the current Pac-12 situation. Very grim, according to the SEC Network star.