The PAC 10 expansion groundswell

[Jeff Lebowski]

Even though he gives BYU crap, I have always liked Wilner.

[Uncle Ted]

Do the Utes stay or do they go?

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The Utes should stay in the Pac 12-2... Someone has to turn the lights off.

[Uncle Ted]

Wow... USC/UCLA took 40% of the PAC's revenue:

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[Uncle Ted]

It seems they are at the bargaining stage of the grief cycle...

Conference realignment: Phil Knight resorts to cold calling for Oregon as Pac-12, Big 12, ACC seek lifelines
Resolution may come sooner than later with some well-known programs unfortunately being left out in the cold

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.
[...]
Oregon and Washington are the two best football programs "in play" considering the Pac-12 is down to 10 teams; however, there is a reason they haven't been considered prominently in realignment. Industry sources say neither brings requisite value to the Big Ten ($80 million-$100 million per year). The Pac-12 schools most prominently mentioned for the Big 12 are the so-called "Four Corners" schools: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah.

The Big 12 has been told by TV rights advisors that the two most important considerations for expansion are brand and geography. Geography pushed Oregon and Washington to the margins. (That doesn't mean the likes of Arizona and Arizona are necessarily "brands.")
[...]
One industry source called Oregon and Washington "tweeners" in realignment. They are certainly not USC and UCLA in terms of branding and marketability, but they're not Arizona and Arizona State, either. That's what realignment has revealed: The real things that make college football relevant to the only people that matter -- TV executives, programmers, advertisers -- are being exposed in increasing and specific detail.

Without Oregon and Washington, the Pac-12 might fall apart. With them, it may not matter.
[...]
Any conclusion to this round of realignment that leaves the new Big 12 whole is a win for the league. It is happy with the 12 current teams going forward in 2025. The worst-case fallback for the Pac-12 is some sort of hybrid merger with the Mountain West.
[...]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/conference-realignment-phil-knight-resorts-to-cold-calling-for-oregon-as-pac-12-big-12-acc-seek-lifelines/

Time for the PAC to accept the fact they are merging with the MWC.

[Uncle Ted]

My SMU friends are going crazy... they all believe that SMU is in:

The 10 remaining Pac-12 schools expected to stick together
Even with all the rumors of other conferences like the Big 12 and ACC looking to poach Pac-12 schools there is an expectation that they stick together
[...]
But even more interesting, Canzano asked two anonymous athletic directors from the Pac-12 about how they felt in regards to the chances of the conference remaining intact, and they both expressed more confidence than the rest of the country. While one of them said they were "confident" the other added a little tease as apart of their statement saying:

“Feel very confident — and we have good options.”

Even with the confidence of these two members, there is always a chance that another conference throws some money at a school that is too much to refuse. It will be interesting to see if and when the Pac-12 decides to start attempting to make some additions of their own from other conferences, or if they will partner up with a conference. Regardless of what they decide, there is simply no way that the conference can survive with just 10 members and will in fact need to make a move.

https://www.si.com/college/stanford/football/the-10-remaining-pac-12-schools-expected-to-stick-together

And Rice.

[Jeff Lebowski]

SMU? Lol. Non-AAU religious school. That would be funny.

They should add UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine. Banana slugs and anteaters.

[Uncle Ted]

SMU? Lol. Non-AAU religious school. That would be funny.

They should add UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine. Banana slugs and anteaters.

Yeah… it’s pretty funny. They didn’t talk to me for a while after BYU got the Big 12 invite and SMU didn’t.

[LVAllen]

Yep. Forget all that nonsense about playoff games, conference tie-ins, bowls, and Heismanns. Branding, is the real currency in FBS. What we are seeing is that despite conference affiliations that connect(ed) them with big name schools, there will come a time that no male or female sport will be able to endure on borrowed prestige. Each will have to be televised by the branding within. For if they themselves are not properly branded, how can they stand with the SEC?

[USUC]

Yep. Forget all that nonsense about playoff games, conference tie-ins, bowls, and Heismanns. Branding, is the real currency in FBS. What we are seeing is that despite conference affiliations that connect(ed) them with big name schools, there will come a time that no male or female sport will be able to endure on borrowed prestige. Each will have to be televised by the branding within. For if they themselves are not properly branded, how can they stand with the SEC?

How does a public university from the West brand itself at this point? Sustained winning at a high level will do that, much like Oregon. But how does ASU? Utah? Colorado? BYU is a unique school and is a brand. These other places aren't as unique.

[Applejack]

How does a public university from the West brand itself at this point? Sustained winning at a high level will do that, much like Oregon. But how does ASU? Utah? Colorado? BYU is a unique school and is a brand. These other places aren't as unique.

byu to the sec!!! If the south loves one thing, it is definitely “uniqueness”!!!

[Uncle Ted]

The PAC should add CSU and USU. Then Utah and Colorado will have "little brother", in-state rivals like UW and Oregon... and BYU could move on from having to play USU every damn year.

[Uncle Ted]

Fuller has been crunching the numbers...

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With 9.1% inflation money is going to get tight for the remaining PAC schools. Utah athletics might want to start selling cookies or something on the side for a little additional revenue.

[Uncle Ted]

Must be true... posted on UTE Nation:

SOURCES: Remaining Pac-12 Schools Expected to Announce Sticking Together

Isn't that right, guys?

[Jeff Lebowski]

That's a funny pic.

I don't expect any of them to do anything until they get some firm media deal numbers. But anyone who thinks this conference is stable is smoking something.

[All-American]

That's a funny pic.

I don't expect any of them to do anything until they get some firm media deal numbers. But anyone who thinks this conference is stable is smoking something.

It’s the PAC. We know that they are smoking, and we know what.