Was the demise of the Pac-12, finally revived after a dying season, simply bad timing?

In the spring of 2022, when the Big Ten was approaching USC and UCLA about the possibility of leaving the historic Pac-12 home and joining a Midwest-based league, economic concerns were everywhere, while the Pac-12 was heading into negotiations with a floundering football product.

No team from the league had made the College Football Playoff since Washington in the 2016 season. In the previous two seasons, only one game not involving an LA school (Oregon vs. Washington in 2021) had drawn more than 4 million viewers,so USC and UCLA moved to the Big Ten starting in 2024,and the Pac-12 was able to get a team to play in the Big Ten in 2024. A year later,Oregon and Washington followedalthough their Big 10 revenue share was limited,

Arizona and Arizona State announced their move to the Big 12,and desperateCalifornia and Stanford signed lower rate contracts to join the ACC to join the ACC. OnlyWashington State and Oregon State remained,and in 2022 and 2023, when the remaining Pac-12 schools were looking for viable broadcast partners,