Somebody remind me again why UT isn't going to the SEC? Seems like a much more natural fit all the way around.
In the end, I still believe that UT ends up in the ACC.
Somebody remind me again why UT isn't going to the SEC? Seems like a much more natural fit all the way around.
Same as being in the Big 12 North. It's a conference killer.
OSU = Oregon State. Notice there were actually two "OSUs", one in each division.
In the end, who cares? Stay at 12. It's the perfect number. I am confounded as to why we are even considering expansion at this point.
Agreed. The ACC craves football legitimacy. I think the LHN will be less of a sticking point in the ACC. It gains UT access to elite recruting grounds too. I think they're a bettwe cultural fit as well. There is also less of a problme integrating them into a division because the ACC is not aligned in a N/S or E/W format.
Stay at 12. If we must expand, take two. OU/KU. Put them on double secret academic probation from the get go.
Nik, you seem to think UT to ACC is likely. Any chance these conversations have not just been about saving the Big 12, but also taking OU to ACC?
best possible scenario would be Texas with Texas Tech tagging along to the ACC or Big East-
Why are we even considering expanding?
Nice thinking. It would be easy for uTerus to use this ploy, especially in light of their other moves the last 6 months or so. Yet, they'd better be careful -- if they rile up the 12-PAC prez's too much they may get the entire pie right back in their collective ugly-orange faces.Likely UT is making up an issue so that they can have a phantom issue to "negotiate" over. UT's A#1 goal is to keep their precious LHN. They may be thinking that if they stir the pot on division alignment when they know its a key issue for several schools then they can "relent" in exchange for concessions related to the LHN. The emphasis on issues like that and how the PAC is their last choice, but all the specific details on PAC issues screams to me that they are trying to gain as much leverage as possible for negotiating with the PAC. I suppose the ACC is a possibility since they are an ESPN league, so ESPN could be brokering the marriage, but the ACC also has the worst TV of the major leagues...well the Big East does, but they are due to renegotiate in the next year or two. Does ESPN really want to reopen their ACC deal to cost themselves a lot more money to retain a network they are already not making money on? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless the only game they are playing is containment of Larry Scott.
Believe scott mentioned that scheduling would be creative.out of curiosity, have there been any official mention of pods or zippers? i know Nik has championed some great sounding options....but is it just us pissing in the wind/way ahead of the curve...or could that actually happen?
Believe scott mentioned that scheduling would be creative.
Looks like a thorny recipe for no expansion to me.It's difficult to make this happen.
The northwest schools don't want to be in a pod because they're hoping that they'd get to LA every year with a divisional split. They don't like the current alignment. They currently get to LA every 2/3 years. Would they be willing to go 2/4 with pods if it gave them a game in Texas every 1/4? I don't know.
The California schools already compromised by being split up. They don't like it and would want to be in the same pod or the same division. I think they would fight the pod scenario where USC/UCLA paired with UA/ASU and Cal/Stan paired with CU/UU.
The Arizona schools do not want to be separated from the LA market. They'll fight divisional alignment that separates them into a different division. They would probably compromise if they saw LA a bit less but added a Texas presence, so they'd probably go for pods. They'd especially like being in a USC-UCLA-UA-ASU pod.
CU and UU are in the same camp as the Arizona schools. We might prefer being with Cal/Stan over UA/ASU too, but would probably be cool with it either way. We hate the division idea.
The new programs from the central time zone are not interested in joining the Pac only to be in divisions that don't put them in LA regularly. Pods might be a compromise they can live with, but they'll fight for more.
In the end, I don't think that divisions have the votes. The question is whether pods could have the votes. And if so, what pod format?
out of curiosity, have there been any official mention of pods or zippers? i know Nik has championed some great sounding options....but is it just us pissing in the wind/way ahead of the curve...or could that actually happen?
During a chat with the Seattle Times recently, Larry Scott mentioned that preserving California market access for everyone would be paramount and that no expansion could happen without that. What that specifically means.... I'm guessing pods or zipper, because divisions won't allow that.
Texass will get fewer games in Cali if they go independent. As in zero. If the Okies go west, all of Texass' options will be worse than the one they have now (Little10), so it is not necessary for the P12/14/16 to offer something that makes Texass better off.
Truth be told, it's fairly easy to get teams outside the original P8 media exposure in California. Just schedule non-conference games with conference partners. If Texass joins the P16 it already has two such games on its docket.
Don't think for a second that UT and OU don't have options. They can call up any conference in the country and be a member tomorrow. They are not backed into a corner in any way....The Pac-12 is also backed into a corner a bit geographically. If 16-team conferences are going to happen, our options suck if OU and UT decide to look elsewhere. We're hardly holding all the cards here, so don't make the mistake of thinking that we can simply dictate terms and OU/UT will accept them.
I'm seeing a softening of our opinion as to whether UT should be part of this conference of ours. Let me reiterate the answer so all will know it. When the question of expansion comes up, specifically with regards to the University of Texas joining the Pac, the only correct response is:
HELL NO.
Sacky is exhibiting a brand of dogmatism on this particular topic that I haven't seen since I asked Buffwings what he thought of Dan Hawkins as a coach.
I'm seeing a softening of our opinion as to whether UT should be part of this conference of ours. Let me reiterate the answer so all will know it. When the question of expansion comes up, specifically with regards to the University of Texas joining the Pac, the only correct response is:
HELL NO.