Analyst predicts Pac-12 survival due to new members from the Mountain West and AAC

Sportskeeda's Farouk Yusuf believes the Pac-12 will survive as a conference with help from Mountain West and AAC schools; claiming that the current two-team conference looks "primed for survival."

"The Pac-12 now looks primed for survival in the college athletics landscape despite having just two members left," Yusuf prefaced before saying, "The conference is expected to expand before the expiration of a two-year grace period handed by the NCAA. While the Pac-12 expansion process is not anticipated to begin immediately, prospective expansion candidates for the Group of Five are expected to move ahead. There will be a lot of lobbying for considerations from several schools in a bid to attain Power Five status.

"The league is projected to consider teams mostly from the Mountain West Conference and the American Athletic Conference. This will be another game-changer in the conference realignment landscape."

Longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim may have poked a hole in this plan with his implication that Oregon State and Wazzu may soon receive Big 12 invites.

"Good news coming soon for those of us who believe that (Oregon State) and (Wazzu) belong in the Big 12," tweeted Swaim.

Oregon State and Wazzu hold all the cards for the Pac-12

If the Pac-12 survives, it'll be because of the Pac-2, Oregon State and Wazzu, keeping it alive. The two schools recently finalized a TV deal with the CW and FOX, and if they stay afloat financially as quasi-independents.

Adding Mountain West and AAC schools to the Pac-12 can be beneficial depending on the markets the conference pursues. Memphis would be a boon given their FedEx deal, and schools like San Diego State and Boise State would add prestige given their historical success in the two main revenue sports (football, men's basketball).

But if Oregon State and Wazzu don't want them, or take the Big 12 invites if/when they come, there will be no Pac-12 in the future.