Pac-12 and Mountain West merger? How it could happen and what it would mean for Colorado State

Colorado State fans joked with opposing fans in the stands nearly a year ago that this would happen.

The Rams were in Pullman, Washington for a football game against Pac-12 foe Washington State.

It felt to the traveling party like a Mountain West game. Not necessarily in an insulting way, but it seemed a fit.

Pullman, like many Mountain West towns, is a cool, funky spot in a somewhat random (non-big city) location. Combine the town, stadium and everything else, and it felt very similar to CSU folks (and myself) like a trip to Logan to face Utah State.

Some CSU fans poked fun at Washington State fans: "This will be a conference game soon." The Washington State response was often a shrug and response of, "Yeah, you may be right."

Here we are? Maybe. Probably?

The Mountain West and a few Pac-12 leftovers, such as Washington State, may soon all be together. Here's how, along with the good and bad if it does happen.

How would we get to a Mountain West and Pac-12 marriage?

Friday morning was an example of Twitter (er, "X") at its very best. Mayhem playing out in real-time via tweets from national reports.

Thursday night it appeared Arizona could be Big 12-bound and Oregon and Washington were creeping toward the Big 10.

BUT WAIT. Pac-12 presidents met Friday morning and it looked like the league might be saved, with the remaining nine schools (after Colorado's departure) about to sign a new media rights deal.

BUT WAIT AGAIN. Almost immediately that fell through, and soon national outlets reported Oregon and Washington are off to the Big 10, in what is close to a death shot for the Pac-12.

By Friday evening Arizona, Arizona State and Utah were all off to the Big 12. It's arguably the most historic day in college athletics history.

That leaves Stanford, Cal, Washington State and Oregon State in nowhere land. The Big 10 has flirted with Stanford and Cal but not offered.

The Mountain West could either swoop up the remaining members or merge the leagues (the only difference between adding them and merging them is more on the legal side than the practicality side).

Oregon State and Washington State, in particular, have nowhere to go.

How it would be good for Colorado State

OK, the Big 12 added the corner schools (Arizona, Arizona State and Utah).

The Mountain West could pick up Oregon State and Washington State. Cal is a wildcard. Stanford seems very unlikely to want to dip its academic standards to, say, Boise State. Nor would Stanford be thrilled about sending its actual Olympic-level athletes to compete in places like Laramie, or the poor facilities of San Jose State or even the "needs refreshing" Moby pool.

Still, if the Mountain West keeps its current members and adds Oregon State and Washington State, it is an improvement. Both football programs are in solid spots and, as mentioned earlier, they feel like fits.

It's not a huge upgrade in football (the driver of realignment), but a marginal benefit, especially if the conference's TV deal can be reworked to add in some extra cash. Keeping Cal and/or Stanford would be a significant boost, especially in adding more Bay Area power.

For Colorado State, the benefit of what didn't happen would almost be as big as the new additions. There was a very feasible path here where the Pac-12 had mostly stayed together and poached some of the Mountain West, but not CSU. That would have left the Rams in a greatly weakened, second-tier conference.

If the Rams are soon in a Mountain West/Pac-12 merger (Mountain Pac?), it would be an OK solution. Plus, the Rams would still keep rivalries alive.

Realignment has killed so many amazing rivalries. Losing the Border War matchup against Wyoming would not have felt good.

Also, if this league kept an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff when it expands next season, that would be a direct path to the money pot that is the CFP.

Buyouts are usually a big part of realignment discussions, but Pac-12 programs can currently leave the conference following this school year without financial penalty since no new media rights deal is in place. It seems highly unlikely any Mountain West team would pay the exit fee to leave for the remnants of the Pac-12.

How it's not perfect for CSU

No doubt, this wouldn't be the true "Power 5" move CSU has been aiming at for years now.

What the TV money would look like won't be known until the dust settles, but there's no doubt the Big 10, Big 12 and SEC are now miles and miles and miles ahead of everyone else.

CSU would be far from alone in this boat, but teams outside those conferences would be playing a different game than the possible "Big Three."

Likewise, if the "Mountain Pac" loses the direct path to the CFP, it would leave the Rams in a similar place to where they are now. Not a worse place, but no big improvement, either.

Other questions and options

Everything is crazy in this realignment world right now, so how about other options and thoughts?

Would this "Mountain Pac" league just take the remaining members and make a league? Or could there be some more shuffling?

Would the "Mountain" side try and shake Hawaii (football-only) off the contract? Are Nevada and San Jose State part of this, or are they at risk?

Could enough current MW schools band together to vote to dissolve the league and then start a "new" league with some of the Pac-12 leftovers but leave out a few current MW teams? In that scenario, would the new league aggressively try to poach other Group of 5 programs, such as SMU and Memphis?

In many ways, the difference in a dissolution to create a new league and the MW absorbing the Pac-12 remnants is about legal hurdles and trying to maintain the CFP spot.

How about additions? Would the "Mountain Pac" try and get aggressive and make sure it is the premier league outside of the Big 10, Big 12, SEC and ACC (which has its own problems right now)?

Could the "Mountain Pac" make a run at SMU, Memphis, Tulane or any other current Group of Five members? Could North Dakota State or Montana/Montana State be in the mix? How about a "Hail Mary" shot at Gonzaga and Saint Mary's as basketball-only members?

Any thing seems on the table now.

Stay tuned. It could all move quickly once again.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Pac-12 and Mountain West merger? How it could happen if Big 10 poaches Oregon, Washington