Conference realignment: Phil Knight resorts to cold calling for Oregon as Pac-12, Big 12, ACC seek lifelines

The true impact of this latest round of conference realignment is the image of one of the world’s most powerful sports figures “working the phones.” That’s how one source this week described Phil Knight’s level of desperation.

A marketing genius, benefactor, philanthropist and multi-billionaire, the Shoe Dog himself is apparently using all his resources to find a home for Oregon, a program Knight has made one of the most recognizable college sports brands as a de facto offshoot of his Nike empire.

Knight has been reduced to cold-calling telemarketer. And that’s a sad situation.

The migration of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten in 2024 has made it such. In the past week, we have again been reminded of the ruthlessness of this system.

The Pac-12 may or may not survive, but after the loss of its two flagship programs, it is forever altered. All that with a reminder that the ACC is scrambling to keep its top teams, while the Big 12 may be on its fourth round of reorganization since 2010.

What we’re witnessing in real time is the consolidation of the best brands atop the sport. Everything else be damned. When Knight is being reduced to speed-dialing to save his Ducks, well, that takes potential exclusion to another level.

You may have noticed: The SEC and Big Ten are a Notre Dame (or so) away from staging their own playoff. Maybe they don’t even need the Fighting Irish, who are again deciding whether to join a conference after 130 years of independence.

What you can see is access and relevance slipping away for all but the elites — and those lucky enough to be in their conferences. Certain ACC schools are freaking out. They are looking at being $50 million per year behind the SEC and Big Ten in annual rights fees.

One industry source said it might take $500 million for a school to exit the ACC given the league’s ironclad grant of rights that keeps schools in the conference until 2036. You can buy a lot of superstar coaches, $1 million coordinators, facilities and swag copters for that kind of money.

Some of the pressure has shifted to boosters. Will they make up the difference? Can the current rate of spend be sustained?

A source at one high-resource football program says the donors are tapped out.

Someday soon, the SEC and Big Ten could decide to flex by funding 95 scholarships instead of the current 85. There might be some outside the top two conferences who can…