Pac-12 will live

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

College Football Insider Confirms Two Pac-12 Expansion Candidates​

After about a year of the conference being viewed as a thing of the past, it was reported on Wednesday, September 11, that the Pac-12 had plans to expand.

The following morning, it was announced that Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State would officially be leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12. The programs are set to officially join in 2026, and while this is the most life we have seen out of the Pac-12 since losing 10 members ahead of 2023, it still needs two more members to maintain status as an FBS conference.

Fans and analysts have speculated about who could be next all week, and on Saturday, during Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff," college football insider Bruce Feldman confirmed who the Pac-12 has "interest" in.

"Rob, the Pac-12 has to add two more teams at least to get to eight," Feldman told Fox's Rob Stone. "And they have to do it by July of 2026. That would be in that two-year window where the NCAA allows them to basically reform itself. Now, here's the interesting part to this. Sources tell me that the Pac-12 has some interest in Tulane and Memphis from the AAC.

"There's a bunch of other schools that they're also considering. Keep in mind this is not going to be an automatic bid into the CFP (College Football Playoff) so we'll see how much interest comes on the other side of this as the league reforms itself."

Feldman also provided an update on UNLV, which, similar to the four new Pac-12 programs, is currently in the MWC. However, despite being one of the best Group of Five teams in the country, they didn't receive an invite.

"As for UNLV," Feldman said. "That's a program that seems to make a lot of sense in terms of it's a big market, it's very travel accessible and that football program under Barry Odom has really improved. But the problem with UNLV is they would have to probably take Nevada too since it's the same school board and that issue may make it a deterrent there."

Feldman also expressed that the ongoing court cases between Florida State and Clemson with the ACC is a wildcard in this situation.

There has been a thought that if the ACC collapses, former Pac-12 members Stanford and Cal may return.

We are far from conference realignment being done.

>> link <<

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

The Pac-12 sure f*cked up. I don't remember how it all went down, but it was like they gave up after the Big Ten raided their best programs. If they had retained everyone else, added those 4 MWC teams, grabbed BYU before they headed to the Big 12 and also took Okie St from them, they'd be a heck of a conference, and it would be the Big 12 and ACC fighting over who gets the likes of SMU, Memphis, Tulane and Tulsa.

 

[unclesammy]

College Football Insider Confirms Two Pac-12 Expansion Candidates​

After about a year of the conference being viewed as a thing of the past, it was reported on Wednesday, September 11, that the Pac-12 had plans to expand.

The following morning, it was announced that Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State would officially be leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12. The programs are set to officially join in 2026, and while this is the most life we have seen out of the Pac-12 since losing 10 members ahead of 2023, it still needs two more members to maintain status as an FBS conference.

Fans and analysts have speculated about who could be next all week, and on Saturday, during Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff," college football insider Bruce Feldman confirmed who the Pac-12 has "interest" in.

"Rob, the Pac-12 has to add two more teams at least to get to eight," Feldman told Fox's Rob Stone. "And they have to do it by July of 2026. That would be in that two-year window where the NCAA allows them to basically reform itself. Now, here's the interesting part to this. Sources tell me that the Pac-12 has some interest in Tulane and Memphis from the AAC.

"There's a bunch of other schools that they're also considering. Keep in mind this is not going to be an automatic bid into the CFP (College Football Playoff) so we'll see how much interest comes on the other side of this as the league reforms itself."

Feldman also provided an update on UNLV, which, similar to the four new Pac-12 programs, is currently in the MWC. However, despite being one of the best Group of Five teams in the country, they didn't receive an invite.

"As for UNLV," Feldman said. "That's a program that seems to make a lot of sense in terms of it's a big market, it's very travel accessible and that football program under Barry Odom has really improved. But the problem with UNLV is they would have to probably take Nevada too since it's the same school board and that issue may make it a deterrent there."

Feldman also expressed that the ongoing court cases between Florida State and Clemson with the ACC is a wildcard in this situation.

There has been a thought that if the ACC collapses, former Pac-12 members Stanford and Cal may return.

We are far from conference realignment being done.

>> link <<

It should be renamed the "States Conference."

 

[ICWestfan]

The Pac-12 sure f*cked up. I don't remember how it all went down, but it was like they gave up after the Big Ten raided their best programs. If they had retained everyone else, added those 4 MWC teams, grabbed BYU before they headed to the Big 12 and also took Okie St from them, they'd be a heck of a conference, and it would be the Big 12 and ACC fighting over who gets the likes of SMU, Memphis, Tulane and Tulsa.

I think you have to look at the TV contract/s the PAC 12 had as the main reason the conference disbanded. The PAC12 was getting beans compared to BIG/SEC/Big 8/ and even the ACC.

 

[Beattheohiostate]

I can see the day when conferences return to their roots. It might take 15 or 20 years, but I don't see these coast-to-coast conferences lasting long. The world was a better place when we had regional conferences, when the Big Ten had 10 teams, when the Big 8 had eight teams, when the Pac-10 had 10 teams. I understand how the PAC-12 folded. The lack of a competitive TV contract did them in. Poor leadership did them in. But it's too bad, IMHO, and I hope that, someday, we'll go back to the future in college sports. In terms of conferences, that is. Pay for play, in some form, is here to stay, as it should be.

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

I can see the day when conferences return to their roots. It might take 15 or 20 years, but I don't see these coast-to-coast conferences lasting long. The world was a better place when we had regional conferences, when the Big Ten had 10 teams, when the Big 8 had eight teams, when the Pac-10 had 10 teams. I understand how the PAC-12 folded. The lack of a competitive TV contract did them in. Poor leadership did them in. But it's too bad, IMHO, and I hope that, someday, we'll go back to the future in college sports. In terms of conferences, that is. Pay for play, in some form, is here to stay, as it should be.

I can see the day when I have a threesome with Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift. Of course, that has about the same chance of happening as the Big Ten having 10 teams again.

 

[TXHCHawk]

I can see the day when I have a threesome with Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift. Of course, that has about the same chance of happening as the Big Ten having 10 teams again.

Gotta throw a brunette in there. Then again, maybe one of them is…report back after it happens.

 

[SA_Hawk]

They should add the two New Mexico schools and Wyoming.

 

[AEG82]

I can see the day when conferences return to their roots. It might take 15 or 20 years, but I don't see these coast-to-coast conferences lasting long. The world was a better place when we had regional conferences, when the Big Ten had 10 teams, when the Big 8 had eight teams, when the Pac-10 had 10 teams. I understand how the PAC-12 folded. The lack of a competitive TV contract did them in. Poor leadership did them in. But it's too bad, IMHO, and I hope that, someday, we'll go back to the future in college sports. In terms of conferences, that is. Pay for play, in some form, is here to stay, as it should be.

I gotta disagree with this. The precedent has been set. It's going to be two conferences similar to the AFC/NFC model with the SEC and B1G instead. 32 or so teams for each with a playoff model similar.

 

[cidsports]

I gotta disagree with this. The precedent has been set. It's going to be two conferences similar to the AFC/NFC model with the SEC and B1G instead. 32 or so teams for each with a playoff model similar.

34 is the number now.

 

[mro1978]

that lineup is not make it a power conference again

 

[Jimmy McGill]

that lineup is not make it a power conference again

probably not.....but I can see it happening eventually. A lot of money in those schools.

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

I haven't paid attention... Are there former Pac-12 teams that are just playing without a conference this year?

The Pac-12 still has enough name recognition, that they can probably survive by raiding the Mountain West and other smaller conferences. Doubtful that they'll return to a top level conference tho.

 

[Dauminator]

This year, there are two PAC-12 teams, as in they hold all the conference rights and branding. But two teams do not a conference make. They're effectively independent this year, and looks like they're scrambling to make the best conference they can, starting with these four.

 

[pink shizzle]

I can see the day when I have a threesome with Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift. Of course, that has about the same chance of happening as the Big Ten having 10 teams again.

I believe in you. Get it!

 

[AEG82]

34 is the number now.

Yeah, I said it wrong in my previous post. I'm saying both the B1G and SEC will have about 24-32 teams each. I see only teams from those two conferences ever being in the playoffs. It's going to be a semi-pro league with about 48-64 participants in all. The other conferences/teams outside of that will essentially be what FCS is now or they will be in that vein themselves.

It no longer matters what moves the Big 12 or ACC make in the grand scheme of things. It's a matter of when, not if, the two major conferences decide to expand to create this scenario, which, they've already shown clearly their intent, especially the B1G. The disparity in future money distribution will render any team in those conferences uncompetitive which is why everyone is trying to get out of the ACC now. They can't afford to wait a decade to get out of it because by then, they'll have fallen behind by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Especially after the B1G signs their next TV deal in 2027. That one will be gargantuan and even more of a disparity than the one we have now, which is unbelievable as it is in comparison.

Meanwhile, the Big 12 has no choice but to wait for their demise. This recent contract they got is only a temporary solution. They're never going to get better numbers than right now because they have no population to support it and no power programs that are of national interest or historical relevancy. Their best teams are in locations that have little interest to the B1G and SEC. The cash cows have been taken already leaving the likes of Oklahoma St., Utah, Colorado in Wait and See mode. They're all just biding their time and trying to make the cut. Hell, Stanford couldn't even do it, which surprised me, so these programs really aren't a concern at the moment. Eventually, the B1G will take Stanford and Cal. I think the conference is just waiting for the SEC to make their decisions on what they want so it stays close in terms of conference size. Neither conference wants everyone to blame them for all of this but, it's pretty obvious really that they're both the villains in this endeavor.

The B1G and SEC will take what they want from the ACC and much of the remaining Big 12 will be in the SEC eventually. I think the divide will mostly stop at the mason-dixon line, with exceptions, to keep a North-South divide for the country. Obviously the B1G will be North and the SEC will be South.

I've always thought, and now more than ever, that the SEC and B1G are working together in this process to divide the teams for this platform. FSU won't be a B1G team for that reason alone. It'll be kept geographically sound for the most part going forward now that the dam has burst and the big hurdle of integrating the West Coast into the B1G has already occurred, by design of course.

Sorry for the lecture here. You probably already know all this already.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Pac-12 sues Mountain West over ‘invalid and unenforceable’ fees​

The battle for conference survival between the Pac-12 and Mountain West has moved from the boardroom to the courtroom.

As UNLV continues to ponder whether to remain a member of the Mountain West or join the five schools that have broken away to join the Pac-12, the power struggle between the leagues is now the subject of a federal lawsuit.

The Pac-12 filed the lawsuit against the Mountain West in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California on Tuesday, hoping to vacate the so-called “poaching fees” that were part of a scheduling agreement between the two leagues.

The agreement required the Pac-12 to pay the Mountain West a fee if it added a school from the Mountain West, with the amount escalating for each additional defection.

🍿

>> Full Story <<

____________________________________________________

UNLV reconsidering MW commitment after Utah State bolts for Pac-12​

UNLV’s renewal of vows with the Mountain West might have lasted just a few hours.

School officials, soon after deciding to remain in the league, were reconsidering late Monday after Utah State surprised them with a decision to bolt for the reconstructed Pac-12.

The Aggies’ move left both the Mountain West and Pac-12 with seven members, one short of the NCAA-mandated minimum for a conference.

That uncertainty gave UNLV officials reason to rethink their decision to remain in a league that now might have to scramble to fill its ranks with lower-tier programs.

>> Full Story <<

 

[Rambler Hawk]

Gotta throw a brunette in there. Then again, maybe one of them is…report back after it happens.

What about a redhead too?🤪 Amy Adam’s?🤔

 

[amahawk]

Why couldn't they have figure out a merger?

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Why couldn't they have figure out a merger?

PAC-12 still has the media contract and a brand name to leverage.

Also, they may not want San Jose State or Wyoming.

 

[cidsports]

Inside College Football's Rick Neuheisel has a simple idea.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Related, MW in deep discussions about adding UTEP (and Texas State): *LINK*

...looks like there will not be any further poaching or merger.

This follows the news that UNLV and Air Force will remain in the MW rather than jump to the Pac-12.

Also, both Memphis and Tulane have opted to remain in the AAC rather than join the Pac-12.

 

[Dauminator]

Then where can the Pac, uh... 7?, turn for member 8?

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Then where can the Pac, uh... 7?, turn for member 8?

Stanford and Cal should repent and return.

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

Stanford and Cal should repent and return.

I think they very well could after the ACC inevitably blows up. That might actually be why the Pac 12 isn’t expanding too aggressively.