What is the realignment outlook for Arizona and Arizona State?

One of the big-picture uncertainties of college sports realignment is whether the Big 12 and Pac-12 will merge. It is unlikely, but given that no one anticipated the USC-UCLA move to the Big Ten, we’re all sitting here speculating about the future, and no turn of events would be too surprising. At the very least, nothing would be more surprising than USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten.

If the Big 12 and Pac-12 don’t merge, the Pac-12 would have to fend off efforts from the Big Ten to poach Oregon and Washington, maybe also Stanford and even California. It is clear that if George Kliavkoff has a priority list of which schools to keep in the fold, that list begins with Oregon, Washington, and Stanford. He badly needs the Ducks and Huskies if the Pac-12 is going to retain a certain degree of football heft, but if Kliavkoff can at least keep Stanford, he can preserve what would be a respectable basketball conference with considerable Olympic sports chops.

Yet, while Kliavkoff is focused on the northern half of the Pac-12 footprint, what about the Arizona schools?

Jon Wilner of the Wilner Hotline has more:

USC and UCLA were the connective tissue that helped justify Pac-12 membership for Arizona and Arizona State, which joined the conference in 1978, and for Utah and Colorado, which came aboard in 2011.

Without the financial and recruiting benefits brought by affiliation with the Los Angeles schools, the motivation to remain in the conference could wane.

Don’t be surprised if, together or individually, they seek membership in the Big 12, which suddenly looks far more inviting than it did two days ago.

And within the foursome, keep a particular eye on Arizona and ASU.

The cultural and institutional fit for the Arizona schools in the Big 12 might not be great, but compared to the West Coast Pac-12 schools, it wouldn’t be nearly as incongruent. If ASU and Arizona do leave the Pac, it will be for the Big 12 and nowhere else.

One key question: Will the Arizona…