With the official announcement of Colorado’s settlement with the Big 12 Tuesday coupled with Utah’s previously announced move from the Mountain West, the Pac-10 will in the very near future be known as the Pac-12.
In addition to figuring out how to split the league into two six-team divisions, there’s also the little matter of an inaugural conference title game to be held -- more than likely -- following the 2011 regular season.
While we don’t know yet where it would potentially be held or, obviously, who would be the first two schools to play for a Pac-12 title, we do know one school that (probably) won’t get to play for the right.
USC was banned from the postseason -- or a 13th game that doesn’t involve Hawaii -- for two years as part of the sanctions handed down by the NCAA earlier this year. Unless they are successful in appealing that aspect of the sanctions, that ban will extend to a Pac-12 title game as well.
“Due to USC’s ban from bowl competition, it would be ineligible for a Pac-12 title game in 2011, should the Conference conduct such a championship,” conference spokesman Dave Hirsch told ESPN Los Angeles.com.
Of course, this will be just one more thing Reggie Bush won’t feel the need to apologize for, even as his actions are what’s caused the current players to take the hits from the NCAA.