According to the story, article details, ACC, Pac 12 insiders are saying that the Pac 12 and ACC, are negotiating a alliance(not a merger, with ESPN doing a joint media deal that covers, for both the ACC and Pac 12.
SI said the alliance is not finalized, and that the media deal is not finalized, but that they are talking, negotiating in 3 way talks between ACC and Pac 12 and ESPN.
Under the would be alliance, media deal, each conference not allowed to raid the other conference. Not a merger, that the Pac 12 would expand, play their conference slate of games, and play intra conference between ACC, and Pac 12 for noncon games, and ACC would do same in playing ACC conference games, and playing noncon games vs Pac 12.
The ACC, and Pac 12 would split media deal money, then split media deal money to each conference team.
Ok now that said news about ACC/Pac 12 alliance, joint alliance media deal.
Here is my take.
Since ND insiders have said that ND go independent.
AND, COMBINED.
Since Oregon/UW turned down by Big 10 unless ND join Big 10(Which probably not happen)
And since WA Legislator Drew Stokesbary said legislation is being FASTRACKED to prevent UW from leaving WSU behind, and since Drew Stokesbary said that talked to UW's President, AD, Board of Regents and told them about the legislation, etc.
And since Big 12 OFFICIALLY announced that not going to raid Pac 12(I know that rumors, articles, sources have unofficially said that Big 12:targeting Pac 12. But which conference has the better teams? I would say that Pac 12, Oregon, UW, Stanford, Utah, Cal, Arizona, ASU, Colorado, WSU, Ore St, AS A CONFERENCE, even without USC, UCLA, is BETTER THEN the Big 12 conference. I think that the Pac 12 teams that contacted the Big 12, were panicking, knee jerking, thought that Oregon/UW, etc, was going to leave next, and that nobody wanted to be WSU, Ore St, as the only remaining Pac 12 members. I think that the commish and Pac 12 leadership, and leaders from the conference, met, talked found out, knew the things I pointed out above like UW/WSU becoming a future packaged deal, ND not going Big 10, Big 10 not wanting Oregon, UW, and that if they all stayed in Pac 12, that they were a better conference then Big 12 with only Ok St, etc, and that if they then raided Big 12 members, and got BSU, and UNLV, SDSU, Fresno, and that Pac 12 had already contacted them, that if they joined Pac 12, and since, if Pac 12 formed a alliance, with ACC, and did a new joint media deal with ACC, ESPN, that they would be a way the hell better conference, in a better situation, then Don't know they are dead yet Big 12, and that why would any Pac 12 college, join the Big 12 over the Pac 12 with all that? Big 10, SEC maybe, probably yes, but Big 10, and SEC is not interested.
I think that the Pac 12 colleges realize this or had it pointed out by Pac 12 leadership, and that for the next 6 to 9 months, at minimum, to 4 years at Maximum, that the Pac 12 has that long to raid the big 12, add BSU, UNLV, SDSU, Fresno St, Airforce, form a alliance, merge with ACC, finalize their joint with ACC,ESPN, joint .media deal, etc.)
And since Oregon, Arizona will probably follow Washington State legislature's example, and probably make Oregon/Oregon St, and Arizona/ASU into packaged deals, where can't leave Ore St, and ASU behind.
And since a ACC, Pac 12 Alliance, joint, alliance, ESPN media deal, might probably eventually lead to PAC 12 and ACC merging into their own 24 to 32 team super conference to become the 3rd best conference in USA, behind Big 10, SEC to be a P3, tier 1.5 conference behind the tier 1 SEC, Big 10.
And since a aligned or merged Pac 12/ACC conference can gobble up the rest of the Big 12, to become a 32 to 40 team tier 1, P3, super conference, with Rosebowl tie in, with 1,2,3 Playoff auto bids, and 1,2,3 at large playoff spots.
Then with all that in mind, the Pac 12 probably spends the next 3 months, to 1,2 years raiding the big 12, adding the best MWC teams, finalizing alliance, media deal with ACC, ESPN, Merger with ACC, etc.
And in case any ask that why haven't we heard anything about the Pac 12 targeting specific Big 12 teams, or Specific Big 12 teams leaking that the Pac 12 has contacted them etc?
To that I ask this question, why didnt we hear anything about the Big 10 targeting USC, UCLA, and why didn't we hear anything from USC, UCLA?
Answer, is that the Big 10 were ninja stealthing the Pac 12, so that the Pac 12 wouldn't be able to stop, prevent it.
And USC, UCLA, didn't say anything, because if things fell apart, they didn't want any fallout to happen to them.
Well same with Pac 12. If Pac 12 doesn't mention that targeting Big 12 teams, and is all ninja, stealth about it, the Big 12 wouldn't be able to stop, prevent it. And Big 12 teams, wouldn't let anything leak, in case they don't join Pac 12, so that they don't get fallout.
To those who say the Pac 12 wouldn't do that, the Pac 12 knows that Big 12 is trying to target them, and that they need to eliminate that threat, before that threat, conference eliminates Pac 12.
The Big 12:made a big mistake letting it get out that they were targeting the Pac 12. They should have followed the Big 10's, ninja stealth example.
To those who say, "But the Pac 12 said they will aggressively seek to expand, and that means they are targeting MWC, Big 12"
Big 12 might not know that. And the Pac 12 could just be going after MWC teams, for all they know, etc.
The way I see it is this. The Pac 12 is on life support for the next 4.5 to 6 months to 1.5 to 2 to 3.5 years. Pac 12 has that long to raid big 12, get some MWC teams, form alliance with ACC, do joint media deal with ACC, via ESPN, an or Merge with ACC/Big 12, etc.
If Pac 12 doesn't do that, then Big 12 will raid Pac 12, UW/WSU will either stay together in Pac 12, or Join the Big 12 together. Same probably with Oregon/Oregon St. Stanford goes independent, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, ASU, Cal goes Big 12, etc, and Pac 12 dies.
But until if then Pac 12 probably stay together, short,mid term and probably at least try to raid the Big 12, align with ACC, do new media deal with ACC, as partners, via ESPN.
Another bad thing in all of this, is if the ACC requires that Pac 12 Kickout WSU/Ore St. But by then UW/WSU will probably be a PACKAGED deal by then.