Death or Rise of the PAC?

[Little George]

Just want to throw out a few thoughts here.

For one thing many of us Aerizona fans want to see a new venue, a fresh start, and the Big 12 seems to be a good place to go to and yet that may very well happen. We could bask in the basketball rivalry with Baylor, Kansas, and take our presence all the way to the east coast.

Big what ifs?

Everything really rests on the money deal right now and IF we don't get enough we will see the fruitation of the change of conference. What IF we actually get a decent enough cut from the Apple offer? Here are a few thoughts. Apple takes the whole PAC TV deal, includes a single Friday night game on Amazon or CW which would add more money. Maybe a second game to the sdame option and then we would have one game on CW and one game on Amazon Prime tv. That would leave remaining games on Apple. Apple wants three or four games per week from my understanding. IF that is true then we also have to look at what expansion we do in adding more markets and the quality those schools bring. The PAC is still more of an academic conferenc ethan a sports one at this point and that should continue to be a part of the criteria. IF we add two teams we have six games to market. IF we add four teams we have seven games to market. That could be huge in possibly still getting a minor but additional game out there on ESPN. So IF we have six games weekly vs. seven games weekly would be a factor in our contracts.

Let's look at schools mentioned to be added.
The first is SDSU because we stay in the SoCal market. SDSU has a smaller, but brand new football stadium and some real footbal success as well as being very competetive in other sports. SoCal markets and recruiting presence can not be understated.
Second let's look at SMU. SMU was once a member of the Big 8 and a power program before the death sentence happened. There is some rich history there and they are a smaller part of a major tv market in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Again, we would be in the heart of Texas regularly and that would benefit recruiting and exposure as well as tv interest.

Other schools have been mentioned so let's point out a few of the things they bring.
Colorado State. CSU was mostly brought up to capture the Colorado market IF Colorado bolted to the B12. However, they too have a new stadium and and upward projectory. Do they add any real benefits? Well, IF Colorado bolts then yes! Keepiong the Colorado markets and frankly they are one of the next best options. If Colorado stays put? Well then we kind of have that presence already.
Fresno State? Decent sports programs and SoCal presence yes, but academics are really not there. Do they add that much more IF we already have the Bay area and SDSU? I do not think so, but my opinion only.
Boise? No tv market. No academic standing. Not really an option. Again, my opinion.
UNLV? Yes the market, but no on a real boost.

Two of my favorite options are Rice and Tulane.
Rice bring very high academics which should entice the bay area schools to entertain. Secondly it would put us right in the Houston market and recruting hot bed. Texas is a BIG state. I believe Rice could bloom again in many of it's sports programs.
Tulane is also a major plus in academics and their FB and other sports programs have been coming on as of late. This is also a new market inthe heart of the populated ares of Louisiana! I like both Rice and Tulane as options for expansion getting us to the 14 team level and a much bigger market footprint.

IF we can build and sustain the conference and build competetive programs? Colorado, ASU, and Arizona are all building FB, and the first two of SDSU and SMU start the growth for tv markets. Adding the second two of Rice and Tulane would be huge in both markets and academics.

Now going one step further there are a few more schools worth mentioning IF we were to try to get to 16 schools eventually. Because I do not belive our reach will ever get to the east coast without a contract between us and the ACC, I think Memphis is about as far as we get east. So Memphis? Markets yes! Academcis eh. The Liberty bowl where they play is TERRIBLE. They would need a new venue before I would consider them, but that Tennessee footprint could pay dividends in time. Tulsa brings a smaller market but does get us into that area. Academics not so much. I do not think it is a real option unless other team are gobbled up by B12 expansion.

Likely the better options at that point are another Texas school, Colorado State, UNLV, or someone not mentioned today.

Just my thoughts and the academic money is a huge factor in expansion talks within the PAC.
Research money is bigger than sports money. We see sports money because it shows it's face in our athletic programs, but the schools like Stanford and Cal thrive and survive on the academic money.


My first choice for additions are first SDSU and SMU which seem to be set. Secondly Rice and Tulane for obvious reasons. Then IF we reached further it would be a crap shoot, but I guess I would go with UNLV and Colorado State if we could not get another team from Texas. UTSA, N Texas, and UTEP do not stir my interest at all.

[KansasCityCats]

I think the writing is on the wall that the Pac-12 is going to either a) dissolve, or b) welcome mid-major schools to fill the void of the depleting universities.

Apple is not going to bring new viewers to the west coast.  It's a nice option for existing Pac-12 fans to find a medium to watch games...but it won't draw ratings that could compete with the major networks.

Rice, SDSU, UNLV, Tulane, CSU, Fresno and SMU are just "leftovers".  Yes, they backfill the markets of the high-major schools but they won't draw a realistic fanbase in SoCal, Texas, etc.  Those are desperation moves that will likely be necessary if/when Arizona leaves for the Big-12.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.  Yormark has the upper hand because USC/UCLA bailed for the inefficient allure of the B10.  The best case scenario is that Arizona jumps into the Big-12 and WVU goes back to the ACC.  UCF/Cincy are long hauls but otherwise, it makes sense for us to join forces with assu and the mountain schools.  Basketball and football would be extremely competitive...and we would likely host spring sports early so baseball/softball/tennis would improve for the existing Big-12 programs.

[CactusCat]

I think SDSU and UNLV will be better than leftovers...

SDSU has a good track record in football (better than the majority of the PAC12 for example) and a new stadium in a great media region.

UNLV is an awful football program which is a major problem but in a large and growing media market with a new stadium and a very attractive sports entertainment market as evident by the recent additions of NHL, NFL, NASCAR, Formula 1 and soon to be MLB professional sports.