Pac 10 Expansion?

[DoubleD86]

Pac 10 Expansion (http://www.cbssports.com/general/story/12905770/pac10-commish-conference-expansion-under-serious-evaluation)

Obviously just rumors and talks, but what does everyone else think? Who could be options?

Disclaimer: This is not a thread meant to talk about how Xavier will get into a big conference, but just a discussion.

[GoMuskies]

BYU and Utah is the only thing that makes sense for the Pac-10. It would keep their "travel partner" arrangement intact. It would also give them one good basketball team.

[Xman95]

Pac 10 Expansion (http://www.cbssports.com/general/story/12905770/pac10-commish-conference-expansion-under-serious-evaluation)

Obviously just rumors and talks, but what does everyone else think? Who could be options?

Disclaimer: This is not a thread meant to talk about how Xavier will get into a big conference, but just a discussion.

Are they bringing in the Little Sisters of the Poor so they can strengthen the basketball in the conference? Here's the team photo:

http://www.10000vocations.org/uploadimages/event59/Little%20Sisters%20pic.jpg

(That team's whiter than the '65-'66 UK Wildcats!)

[BandAid]

BYU and Utah is the only thing that makes sense for the Pac-10. It would keep their "travel partner" arrangement intact. It would also give them one good basketball team.

BYU and Utah would probably be the best bet due to their decent balance in both football and basketball. Boise and TCU will get a look due to their excellant football programs. UNLV and New Mexico could get a courtesy glance.

[ballyhoohoo]

BYU and Utah would probably be the best bet due to their decent balance in both football and basketball. Boise and TCU will get a look due to their excellant football programs. UNLV and New Mexico could get a courtesy glance.

I do not see Boise and TCU being brought in together due to the "travel partner" ideology

[BandAid]

I do not see Boise and TCU being brought in together due to the "travel partner" ideology

I do agree BYU and Utah make the most sense.

[xubrew]

BYU and Utah would probably be the best bet due to their decent balance in both football and basketball. Boise and TCU will get a look due to their excellant football programs. UNLV and New Mexico could get a courtesy glance.

unlv and nevada would be a more likely twosome than unlv and new mexico. nevada at least has some level of football worth speaking of, and they've done failry well in basketball as well, albiet new mexico is having a better year this year, nevada has been much better overall in the last five or six years. they're also a big rival of unlv and bring something to the table in football.

i still believe byu and utah would make the most sense. they have the most national interest and are good in both football and basketball.

[SM#24]

I think their top choice would be to raid the Big 12 and grab Oklahoma and Texas. I know they are not west, but I think traditional geographic lines are being broken every day. A plane flight is a plane flight. If the numbers ($$) work for Texas and Oklahoma, why not ?

After that, any combination of Utah/BYU/Colorado would be the only realisitic possibilities. I think at the end of the day, they will decide no expansion is better than New Mexixo, UNLV, Boise, Nevada, etc.

[STL_XUfan]

I think their top choice would be to raid the Big 12 and grab Oklahoma and Texas. I know they are not west, but I think traditional geographic lines are being broken every day. A plane flight is a plane flight. If the numbers ($$) work for Texas and Oklahoma, why not ?


I think hell would freeze over before these teams left the Big XII for the Pac 10.

[BandAid]

I know this is OT, but I wonder how Gonzaga feels about their conference. To the best of my knowledge they do not have a football team, which probably excludes them from most western conferences: WAC, MWC, PAC-10. But their basketball team is obviously top notch. We at least have the idea or possibility of the Big East (due to the split of basketball and football schools). There isn't a conference set up like the Big East out west (to my knowledge).

[boozehound]

I think their top choice would be to raid the Big 12 and grab Oklahoma and Texas. I know they are not west, but I think traditional geographic lines are being broken every day. A plane flight is a plane flight. If the numbers ($$) work for Texas and Oklahoma, why not ?

After that, any combination of Utah/BYU/Colorado would be the only realisitic possibilities. I think at the end of the day, they will decide no expansion is better than New Mexixo, UNLV, Boise, Nevada, etc.

Oklahoma and Texas? I don't see why on earth those schools would leave the Big 12 for the Pac 10.

[MHettel]

I heard the UW AD on the local Seattle radio, and he covered this briefly. He described it more as a defensive move.

He said they are really looking at scenarios, and how they might react to them. One scenario has the B10 expanding to 16 teams! They think the B10 will raid the BE of their 4 Northeast teams (didn't say which ones, so I guess Cuse, Rutgers, Pitt and WVU?), and also try to grab Missouri.

That then starts the domino's as the B12 could look at Arkansas, and then the SEC may consider Memphis etc.

Many local people prefer Utah and BYU, or Nevada and UNLV, with a wild card being Texas and TAMU.

Could be interesting.

[ballyhoohoo]

I had heard some rumbling that if the BE remains untouched we could see them try to grab Memphis, Central Florida, Eastern Carolina, and another to get to 12. Would that then push themt o seperate as to not have 20 schools in basketball?

I see Mizzou to the Big10, Arkansas to the Big 12, USF or an ACC School to the SEC, if an ACC school then the replenish with Rutgers (provides a geographic partner for BC).

The PAC10 will take BYU & Utah, if it is Colorado then maybe the Big12 picks up Boise, Utah, TCU, etc.

[STL_XUfan]

I am one that loves watching train-wrecks in slow motion. Like a coaching carousel this could be very entertaining to watch as all of the conferences blow up trying to compete with each other.

[dc_x]

The driver behind this is TV money. The PAC 10 has a deal with Fox that expires in 2012 and they are looking to seriously increase the TV revenue after that deal.


The conference (PAC 10) realized $43 million from its combined deals with Fox and ABC/ESPN in 2008, at the same time the Big Ten Network pulled in $66 million alone.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/09/SPTB1BUVCC.DTL

The next step is a PAC 10 network which, as the Big 10 showed, is the best way to monetize your TV rights. When they explore expansion it's going to be based on TV markets and the development of the PAC 10 Network.

That's why adding OU and Texas is not crazy. A PAC 10 that covers Seattle, San Fran, LA, Phoenix, and Dallas/Houston would be a huge money maker and better than anything the Big 12 could put together with OU/Texas.

That's also why I think the Big 10 looks to expand Northeast. It wouldn't surprise me if in 5 years you end up with 3 mega-football conferences each with its own TV network. It makes sense to have the PAC 10 covering the west coast and southwest, the SEC in the South, and the BIG 10 in the midwest and northeast.

[wkrq59]

Don't get too jacked about this but here is something I heard recently about Xavier and conference affiliation. When the Big Ten expands they will take Rutgers from the BE. The BE will in turn take Temple from the A10--MAC (hoops and football) and the A10 wants to bring in DePaul to replace Temple. The A10 would then drop Fordham and replace them with another Midwest team, possibly Marquette as a hedge against St. Louis bolting for the MVC. I don't put a whole lot of stock in this, but the source has usually been reliable. ]:D:D:D

[rhyno2110]

Don't get too jacked about this but here is something I heard recently about Xavier and conference affiliation. When the Big Ten expands they will take Rutgers from the BE. The BE will in turn take Temple from the A10--MAC (hoops and football) and the A10 wants to bring in DePaul to replace Temple. The A10 would then drop Fordham and replace them with another Midwest team, possibly Marquette as a hedge against St. Louis bolting for the MVC. I don't put a whole lot of stock in this, but the source has usually been reliable. ]:D:D:D

That would be fine with me.

While we lose Temple, we still would get Depaul, who is overmatched in the BE but wouldn't be in the A10. Then dropping F--m is what we all have been waiting for. If Marquette comes to the A10, that would be amazing.

If all of this occurs, then the A10 conference would be taking big leaps forward.

[XU 87]

I'm not sure why DePaul, or Marquette, would want to leave the Big East and all that tv money to come to the A-10. DePaul may be in over their head, but money usually drives these decisions.

[xubrew]

The BE will in turn take Temple from the A10--MAC (hoops and football) and the A10 wants to bring in DePaul to replace Temple

the big east can have temple. hell, we'll even let temple keep their ncaa tournament money and not have to buy out of the conference in any way shape or form....on one condition.

the big east must also take fordham, la salle and saint bonaventure. that's the deal.

we replace no one. we become a league of ten, one division with a balanced schedule where everyone plays everyone home and home.

either that, or give us depaul and marquette. we could have a decent east and west division.

slu, xu, ud, dep, marq, duq,

rich, gw, sju, char, umass, rhody


if only conference realignment worked like free agency did where schools could be traded that easily.

[danaandvictory]

Pac 10 expansion requires a unanimous vote of the member schools, according to an article I read the other day. Anyone really believe that the powers that be at Berkeley, Stanford, Oregon, and UCLA are going to want to affiliate themselves with Brigham Young University? BYU is an extremely socially conservative institution with a very questionable history on race matters and brings little graduate/research heft to the table. I just don't see it. Nevada and UNLV don't contribute academically, nor does Boise. If the Pac 10 expands, I expect the new schools to be Utah and Colorado -- both fit the academic and cultural profile of the other conference members.

[Frank D.]

I'm not sure why DePaul, or Marquette, would want to leave the Big East and all that tv money to come to the A-10. DePaul may be in over their head, but money usually drives these decisions.

Yeah, I can't see Marquette willingly making this move. As opposed to DePaul, who has gotten eaten up in the Big East, Marquette has thrived.

[BandAid]

Another possible pairing I have heard for the Pac-10 is Houston/TCU. Just throwing it out there...


My crystal ball: Pac-10 won't add anyone, but the Big 10 will add one team. The two top candidates are Pitt and Missouri.

If Missouri goes to the Big 10: Arkansas replaces Mizzou in the Big 12. Memphis? to the SEC

If Pitt goes to the Big 10: Memphis to the Big East.

[XUglow]

That then starts the domino's as the B12 could look at Arkansas, and then the SEC may consider Memphis etc.


Xavier has as much chance of landing in the SEC as does Memphis. Memphis is in the backyard of Ole Miss, and Ole Miss would veto them in a heartbeat. If Arkansas ever jumped ship, look for the SEC to go east to GaTech, Clemson, etc. Even if Memphis wasn't in the Ole Miss backyard, they wouldn't be accepted because they don't have a large fan base, and they don't have a well-rounded athletic program.

[xubrew]

i always felt like iowa state was a displaced big ten team. they're a natural rival and traveling partner for iowa. unlike notre dame, they may actually want to join the conference. i just think pitt and rutgers and the like have a pretty good thing going with the big east.

if you look at the big conferences, the institutions as a whole actually have as much in common (if not more) than just the athletic departments. iowa state seems to have more of a big ten feel than pitt or rutgers or syracuse. i know that iowa state isn't the most dominant athletic department, but it isn't bad either and it has some potential. i'm a little surprised that they don't even appear to be in the discussion for expansion.

[xubrew]

Xavier has as much chance of landing in the SEC as does Memphis. Memphis is in the backyard of Ole Miss, and Ole Miss would veto them in a heartbeat. If Arkansas ever jumped ship, look for the SEC to go east to GaTech, Clemson, etc. Even if Memphis wasn't in the Ole Miss backyard, they wouldn't be accepted because they don't have a large fan base, and they don't have a well-rounded athletic program.

memphis would also be the only tier four school in the sec. memphis makes geographic sense, and it makes some athletic sense, but as an institution as a whole i don't think the sec will give them a serious look.

[GoMuskies]

memphis would also be the only tier four school in the sec. memphis makes geographic sense, and it makes some athletic sense, but as an institution as a whole i don't think the sec will give them a serious look.

Memphis would instantly become tier 3 if they joined the SEC. It happened for Louisville and the Big East.

Not that I disagree about Memphis having no chance in hell at getting in.

[XUglow]

Memphis would instantly become tier 3 if they joined the SEC. It happened for Louisville and the Big East.

Not that I disagree about Memphis having no chance in hell at getting in.

Lousiville would be a WAY better choice for the SEC than Memphis. UK and UL love each other so much, it would be a natural fit.

[XUglow]

I grew up in the PAC 8. AZ and ASU are the schools that you went to if you wanted to party. They were very much on the level of the Cal State schools at the time. The Pac 8 did not go after them for their academics, and I imagine that this expansion wouldn't be much different. Travel in the Pac 10 is stupid anyway. Adding Utah and BYU wouldn't make any difference there.

[PMI]

the big east can have temple. hell, we'll even let temple keep their ncaa tournament money and not have to buy out of the conference in any way shape or form....on one condition.

the big east must also take fordham, la salle and saint bonaventure. that's the deal.

we replace no one. we become a league of ten, one division with a balanced schedule where everyone plays everyone home and home.

either that, or give us depaul and marquette. we could have a decent east and west division.

slu, xu, ud, dep, marq, duq,

rich, gw, sju, char, umass, rhody


if only conference realignment worked like free agency did where schools could be traded that easily.

I like that dream scenario. Fordham in the Big East would be similar to me playing in the NBA.

Are you telling me St. Bonaventure wouldn't win the A10?

[SM#24]

I think hell would freeze over before these teams left the Big XII for the Pac 10.


Oklahoma and Texas? I don't see why on earth those schools would leave the Big 12 for the Pac 10.

I really believe for obvious reasons, these two schools would be the Pac 10's top choice out of anyone west of the Mississippi. Now whether they would jump is another matter. For Tex & OU, there would be a lot of pros and cons, but if the $$ work out, personally, I could see them jumping. Although, I do not see one leaving without the other.

If TV $$ drive this, Texas brings some pretty big markets in Dallas (9), Houston (10), San Antonio (30), Austin (38). Oklahoma not so much (OKC 49 and Tulsa 59), but OU does strengthen the Texas market and brings a lot of prestige.

After that, the pickings are pretty slim. Colorado would be the next choice since that would give you the Denver market (19). BYU & Utah share a market (SLC 36) so I do not think it makes much sense to bring them both in. As I stated in my previous post, I really do not think anyone else brings that much to the table, maybe UNLV, but that's about it.

As for the Big 10, I think their #1 priority is the NYC market, which means either Syracuse or Rutgers. Syracuse is probably more popular and a better ratings school in NYC than Rutgers is. Ruthers is located right there but it is still New Jersey's school not New York's. Or heck, maybe they grab all 5 in the NE, (Syr, Rutgers, Pitt, UConn and WVa) and create a mega conference 16 team conference where everyone plays football. Have two 8-team divisions.

[dc_x]

There are reports that the Big 10 is targeting Texas. Anyone who thinks these expansion talks are about anything other than the TV networks is wrong. Travel distance, travel partners, academics are insignificant compared to the money these leagues can make on their TV networks.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/feb/11/big-ten-making-overtures-texas/?sports

[SkyWalker]

I think Utah and Colorado make more sense to the PAC 10 than BYU.