Allow me to become the one millionth sportswriter in history to quote “The Wire” when I recall a line from season 4, episode 4 of the critically acclaimed HBO series. Former policeman and current teacher Roland “Prez” Pryzbylewski is watching a football game between NC State and Maryland when his wife asks him who is winning.
“No one wins,” he answers. “One side just loses more slowly.”
It’s a poignant line about many facets of life and one that came to me this week with Colorado’s unanimous vote to return to the Big 12. On the surface, it looks like a coup for the Big 12 and I understand why. Ever since Oklahoma and Texas announced they were leaving for the SEC, and with USC and UCLA following with a move to the Big Ten, the Big 12 and Pac-12 have been pitted against one another in a battle for survival.
For whatever reason, we all decided only one could survive. The past year has been filled with rumors of the Big 12 poaching Pac-12 schools (which, to be clear, the Big 12 was more than happy to put out there). The Pac-12 denied it by telling the world how everybody was thrilled with their situation. It was only a matter of time, you see, until a new media rights deal came through — and it was going to…
