Robert Robbins 'anxiously awaiting' next move in conference realignment

Conference realignment remains a big issue across college sports, and the Pac-12 is at the center of it. The conference, already losing USC and UCLA in 2024, still doesn’t have a media rights deal and some of its programs have been linked to leagues such as the Big 12 that might want to expand.

Despite the chatter, Arizona president Robert Robbins made it clear he doesn’t think any realignment dominoes are going to fall soon.

“I think so,” Robbins told On3’s Pete Nakos when asked if he thought the realignment world was frozen.

Communication is key when talking about conference realignment as different universities check the temperature of the landscape. Robbins confirmed he’s had plenty of conversations with his colleagues, and not everyone is as calm about where things stand.

That said, all eyes are on what’s next — whatever that might be.

“We talk all the time,” Robbins said from Washington, D.C. “There’s some of my colleagues will probably have more angst than I do about this. I think that’d be fair to say. But I think for the most part we are anxiously awaiting. We’re cautiously optimistic.”

Reports have connected the Four Corners schools — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, which are all in the Pac-12 — to the Big 12 as commissioner Brett Yormark looks to expand westward. With the Pac-12’s media rights negotiations still ongoing, despite multiple twists and turns, reports and rumors have suggested uncertainty within the league.

Robbins dispelled that idea.

“I’m not anxious about this,” Robbins said. “I know it’s important, but I have full confidence that we’re gonna get to where we need to be. If we don’t, then we’ll have to consider options B, C, and D, whatever it is.”

Why this could be an ‘unsettling’ summer on the conference realignment front

The Big 12 has made it clear it plans to be aggressive on the realignment front. Reports have suggested UConn, the reigning national champion, could be a target and the league has reportedly had multiple talks with Gonzaga as it looks to build up its stature in basketball.

With that in mind, the Pac-12 is still looking to replace its two highest-profile schools in USC and UCLA. San Diego State has been linked to the conference, and Aztecs head basketball coach Brian Dutcher made his case for the Pac-12 to invite them during his team’s March Madness run.

That’s why, as On3’s Eric Prisbell reported, it’s going to be another long summer when it comes to realignment.

“This summer will be unsettling,” one conference commissioner told On3. “Something’s gotta give. There is a lot of uncertainty right now.”