Big 12 expansion: Arizona State's Michael Crow must humble ...

Arizona State President Michael Crow has long been a staunch supporter of the Pac-12.

A very staunch supporter.

With Oregon and Washington reportedly close to exiting the conference for the Big Ten, and Arizona possibly leaving for the Big 12, Crow needs to swallow his pride and fight for a spot in the Big 12 for his university.

Because it's looking like that may be the only way for ASU to survive athletically.

Without Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Colorado (already going to the Big 12 in 2024) and USC and UCLA (going to the Big Ten in 2024), the once proud Pac-12 will be down to six teams: Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington State, California, Stanford and Utah, with the Utes perhaps in the same boat as the Sun Devils in trying to join the Big 12.

Not exactly a power conference, even if the Pac-12 were to add some Mountain West teams such as San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State and others in an attempt to save the conference.

Big 12 expansion:Arizona State's Michael Crow implored to let Sun Devils leave Pac-12

In 2019, Crow made headlines (which have resurfaced recently amid further college conference expansion and realignment chatter) when he said this about the Pac-12 under former Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, of whom he was an ardent supporter:

"By my standard, we’re on track, we’re doing well, we’re making progress and we’re positioning ourselves for greatness going forward," Crow told The Arizona Republic's Jeff Metcalfe in an interview. "What somebody will be writing about three years from now or four years will be, 'How did the Pac-12 get ahead of us.' "

Oops. Talk about a freezing cold take.

More:Who is in the Big 12? And why are Pac-12 schools leaving for it? Your questions answered

Crow continued in that interview:  "Several of us including myself decided we needed to go in a new trajectory. We decided to acquire a new commissioner, do a new television contract and launch a network. Also to expand the conference from 10 to 12. 

"Of the 10 presidents that were in the room at the time, three of us are still there. All the others have traded out. Now what we have is people arriving on the scene now and they’re looking around and saying look at all the resources the SEC has and look at all the resources the Big Ten has, and we don’t have the same resources. We’re like no, but as soon as our contracts are renegotiated, we’ll have more and we’re extremely well positioned with our network to do all kinds of things."

Needless to say, it hasn't worked out for the Pac-12, with the Big 12 expansion and Big Ten expansion with Pac-12 teams as just one sliver of evidence.

Big 12, Big Ten expansion predictions:Where will Pac-12 schools end up in realignment?

While Crow said that the Pac-12 "needed to go in a new trajectory" back then, it's imperative that Crow change the course and trajectory of Arizona State now.

Do whatever it takes to join the Big 12, or see his school left in college football purgatory, with no chance at earning major college revenue and even just the dream of competing for national championships in major sports very far-fetched.

Fans are on board with Arizona State going to the Big 12 (just check out the sheer volume and intensity of their pleas for the Sun Devils to leave the Pac-12 on social media).

It's time for Crow to get on board too. Because each second of delay brings it closer to the possibility of being too late.

More:Big 12 expansion rumors swirl around Arizona, ASU, Pac-12 amid Board of Regents meeting

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.