But I am partial to tweets that indicate the PAC12's demise. And I have a special sweet spot for tweets that go a step further and leave Utah out of any future B12/Power3 plans.

But thanks for playing along and I'd love to take my shot at your "let's say it's true" scenario.

OK then — the Big12 takes two of the "4 Corners" as an appetizer. I think they are by far the weakest link and most suseptable to Big12 expansion. However, they are not the most ideal option as a group of 4. The Pac12 expansion prize is capturing the Washington/Oregon pairing. I don't think OU/UW flinch unless all Pac12 hope is lost.

Big 12 likely takes Arizona schools first. I think Arizona is looking for an excuse to come and ASU will come along as well. ASU will get pushed by the weakness of the PAC12 media deal, but also pulled by their fellow rival. You can easily justify two schools in AZ being a state of 11M people. The Big 12 now sit back and waits.

What does the PAC12 do at that point? They could expand by 4 and save their conf, but their weak TV negotiation just got a lot weaker and backfilling with more MWC schools won't help. That PAC12 is virtually dead. At that point WA/OR has two choice — Big12 or Independence. Independence will be heavily weighed out, but in the end it's just too difficult to manage, scheduling 12 games is a nightmare (no BYU or Western US P5 schools) and they don't want their other sports to die in the MWC/WCC. Most of all NO PLAYOFF ACCESS.

So they make a deal with the Big12. I think they do get a feeling out period where they don't take on the full GOR upfront, but slowly build up to it. By year 4 they are fully fledged members though.

At that point I think the Big12 holds at 16. Possibly add Colorado, but in the end they decide to wait and see what the ACC does. If they can somehow score two from a group of Miami/UNC/NCState/Pitt/UL/UVA then it's a no-brainer.

And now you're a member of the P3 at 18 teams. You are also THE best Basketball conf in the land. You spilt the conference into two Div of 9 teams or three pods of 6 teams.