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Pac-12 Seeking "More Modern" Conference Structure

DuckTownHusker

Blackshirt Sith Lord
10 Year Member
Mods, this is the offseason and I figured it might affect the NCAA landscape but feel free to move to Other Teams if needed...


So this is primarily about business structure, not conference alignment although I see the two as being very tightly linked. The reality is that Larry Scott screwed over the Pac-12 when they couldn't swing the Pac-16 deal (lifting CU, OU, OSU, UT, Baylor and TTU from the Big XII) and he further pushed them into a corner with a crappy TV deal consisting of 6 regional networks (Oregon/Oregon State, USC/UCLA, etc). Everyone has seen the tremendous revenue in leveraging an entire conference's inventory of games like the B1G and SEC have done. Even the ACC has made big strides and their attempt at legitimizing Notre Dame as a 15th member has been well received. That basically left the Pac-12 and Big XII, although the Dirt Burglar Conference still managed to make massive bank solely on the backs of the Sooners and Horns.

Being the smallest revenue Power 5 conference has put the Pac-12 in a bind and their geography isn't helping with potential candidates. Hawaii, Fresno, Boise State or BYU seem like possible targets, but they're lackluster (hello Maryland and Rutgers) at best. Historically, the Pac-12 has been snobbish about only inviting academic powerhouse schools and specifically about avoiding religious or private schools. USC and Stanford are obviously grandfathered in as private universities, but this has been a long-time barrier for the conference in considering BYU (religious) or Boise State (academics).

I'm curious if this will spark future expansion of the conference, and if so, whether the Pac-12 merely wants to keep pace with the other 14-team conferences.

If they keep pace, I have to think Boise State and BYU make the most sense. If they decide to go nuclear, I could see a new commissioner trying to take a second shot at Texas. With the perceived instability of the B1G, I have to wonder if they might consider some kind of Hail Mary option of Oklahoma-Texas-Nebraska-??? (BYU?) that would put the schools into an eastern division with Colorado, Utah, Arizona and ASU. It would restore the old Pac-8 as the western side of the conference.

While I don't particularly see Nebraska as a West Coast team (wave to Callahan and Riley, kids!) it's a really intriguing thought to get annual games with OU, UT and Colorado, plus we'd restore our old recruiting grounds in Texas and gain more footing in California and Arizona. From just a recruitment standpoint, I have to think that would be more advantageous than farming the Rust Belt for the same 8 kids that we have to fight over with Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State.
 
Selfishly I love the idea. Living out west it would be great to have options to see live games, but there is no way the P-12 can compete financially with the B-10.
 
Selfishly I love the idea. Living out west it would be great to have options to see live games, but there is no way the P-12 can compete financially with the B-10.

I don't know what the PAC 12 teams get for annual revenue but you'd have to think that adding the schools mentioned above that the conference, with a new commissioner, could put together a much better TV package.

And wouldn't it be a breath of fresh air to be in a conference without all the BS from the B1G CCP's with their secret encrypted emails?
 



I agree with your thoughts here..... but..... the very idea of taking on Texass as a partner should be very concerning to them.

They went down that road a few years ago, and if they did any due diligence at all, they would know Texass for what it is, and that they are completely all about themselves, the word partner doesnt exist to them.

Now maybe you can say that about every King of every conference (Ohio St, Mich, USC, Florida, Alab, Clem, NC, Okla ) but I really dont think they are quite as self centered as Texass is. The bigshots all get preferential treatment, lets be honest.
 
Boise St and BYU would add a few more viewers, but not that many, they probably get all the Pacific coast games anyway. But that would add 2 pretty nice teams to the conference, football wise.
 
One constant challenge is that many east coast residents are in bed before many PAC 12 games start, thus limiting ratings and TV revenue. Expansion eastward to play more games in windows more favorable for larger viewing audiences could be strategic, but it also creates lots of travel time/expense. I'm annoyed with the B1G, but it is still stable. The PAC 12 and the Big 12 are the two conferences I see as the least stable. The PAC 12 was in position to decimate the Big 12 at one time but the Big 12 is the stronger conference now. There aren't a lot of obvious moves. The most likely thing to shake up the landscape would be changes to the CFP.
 



First I've heard of this. Typo?

No, but instability wasn't the best word. I was referring to the growing fracture between Nebraska and the Big Ten. Covid really highlighted that the conference does not particularly care about any individual school, except maybe Ohio State.
 
Not a chance NU would work in the Pac. If you think we're the step-child in the B1G, wait until the Pac gets a hold of us. Talk about a culture shock.
Many out that way think Nebraska is one of the most culturally regressive states. I don't think they'd ever even consider inviting Nebraska, even if TV was stellar. It'd be about as likely as them inviting Mississippi.
 
I'm all for any scenario that puts us in the same conference as Oklahoma, but I don't think the Pac-12 is the place to do it. I still think going back to the Big Xll eventually is the answer.

Yes, the profit-sharing isn't as good, but who's to say that during the next round of tv package negotiations, the Big Xll doesn't work out a deal that gets them close to the B1G. It very well could happen.

I know this would mean being in the same conference as Texas, but what else can they throw their weight around and take away from us at this point? Nothing really. So it would all come down to shutting them up by beating them on the field.
 



I'm all for any scenario that puts us in the same conference as Oklahoma, but I don't think the Pac-12 is the place to do it. I still think going back to the Big Xll eventually is the answer.

Yes, the profit-sharing isn't as good, but who's to say that during the next round of tv package negotiations, the Big Xll doesn't work out a deal that gets them close to the B1G. It very well could happen.

I know this would mean being in the same conference as Texas, but what else can they throw their weight around and take away from us at this point? Nothing really. So it would all come down to shutting them up by beating them on the field.
Best chance to reunite Nebraska and our old Big 8 foes is lengthening the season and entering into long-term scheduling agreements. Since so many of us Big 8 schools are spread out in different conferences now, it seems like we could easily figure something out with Colorado/a Big 8 school from the Big XII/Missouri where we play 1-3 games annually within that pool without interfering with other nonconference or conference schedules. It could be like the Big 5 from college basketball: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Big_5 We could even negotiate a side TV deal of sorts.
 

Boise St and BYU would add a few more viewers, but not that many, they probably get all the Pacific coast games anyway. But that would add 2 pretty nice teams to the conference, football wise.

BSU is actually pretty solid at a lot of sports, not just football. They play decent men's and women's bball. Their volleyball is decent. They have a good women's gymnastics team. They were just starting up baseball again last spring and then dropped it due to covid.

Academically they do not fit the PAC 12 model, but are getting better.
 

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