AWWWWWW, RAT FARTS. The Big Ten and Pac-12 had gone and created a really great football scheduling idea, whereby schools in each conference would play each other one-at-a-time in an out-of-conference series lasting until the end of time and leading into the Rose Bowl, but that’s all done with now. “Complications associated with coordinating a football schedule for 24 teams across two conferences proved to be too difficult,” said Big Ten commish Jim Delany in a statement.
Big Ten, Pac-12 Suspend Football Scheduling Arrangement
For the time being, at least.
'Big Ten, Pac-12 suspend plans for scheduling collaboration' - well, there's a disappointing email subject line.
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) July 13, 2012
We’ll always have Pasadena.
The new playoff arrangement could’ve changed things, but the Pac-12 was perhaps the biggest proponent of a strength-of-schedule component for the selection committee to consider, so it’s surprising to see the Pac-12 might’ve been the league more concerned with the partnership.
We’ll assume that Michigan-Utah series is still on, as it’s scheduled to happen earlier than the actual series was.
The statements:
Statement from Pac-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott:
"After extensive deliberation and consultation with member institutions, television partners and others, the Pac-12 and Big Ten have decided not to pursue the previously announced plans for enhanced scheduling collaboration across all sports at this time. While we continue to value our close relationship, particularly our partnership in the Rose Bowl, the Pac-12 came to the conclusion that it's in our best interests to maintain our 9-game conference schedule and maximum flexibility in out-of-conference scheduling. Thus, the Pac-12 decided not to lock into the proposed mandatory 12-game schedule in football."
Statement from Big Ten Conference Commissioner James E. Delany:
"We are disappointed to announce today that the Big Ten Pac-12 strategic collaboration announced jointly in December 2011 unfortunately will not be consummated. We recently learned from Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott that the complications associated with coordinating a non-conference football schedule for 24 teams across two conferences proved to be too difficult. Those complications, among other things, included the Pac-12's nine-game conference schedule and previous nonconference commitments.
"A great effort was made by both conference staffs to create football schedules that would address the variety of complexities, but in the end, we were just not able to do so."While everyone at the Big Ten is disappointed by the news, we look forward to continuing the historic partnership that we have with the Pac-12 and to working together on other matters in the future."
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