Realignment Update

[ponyboy]

It’s not about one year, flash in the pan. It’s about overall cultural fit, academic profile, media market, and potential.

By the way, it looks as if five-star WR Hudson Jordan is about to transfer from TCU to SMU.

[EastStang]

I know they don't want to go to 14, but Tulane would make a good travel partner and give Stanford two private school partners as well. Adding UNLV would give them another state footprint out west to go along with SDSU. That would make 14. You could have two divisions. South and North. South would be TU, SMU, ASU, AU, CO, SDSU, UU. North Division: UNLV, SU, Cal, UO, OSU, WU, WSU.

[Charleston Pony]

I know they don't want to go to 14, but Tulane would make a good travel partner and give Stanford two private school partners as well. Adding UNLV would give them another state footprint out west to go along with SDSU. That would make 14. You could have two divisions. South and North. South would be TU, SMU, ASU, AU, CO, SDSU, UU. North Division: UNLV, SU, Cal, UO, OSU, WU, WSU.

I like that idea but would be really surprised to see it happen

[Dukie]

I know they don't want to go to 14, but Tulane would make a good travel partner and give Stanford two private school partners as well. Adding UNLV would give them another state footprint out west to go along with SDSU. That would make 14. You could have two divisions. South and North. South would be TU, SMU, ASU, AU, CO, SDSU, UU. North Division: UNLV, SU, Cal, UO, OSU, WU, WSU.

I like that idea but would be really surprised to see it happen

If you put the 4 Corners schools in that division, with no U Dub or UO or Cal or Stanford, you might as well send them to the Big 12 the next day.

[mustangxc]

I know they don't want to go to 14, but Tulane would make a good travel partner and give Stanford two private school partners as well. Adding UNLV would give them another state footprint out west to go along with SDSU. That would make 14. You could have two divisions. South and North. South would be TU, SMU, ASU, AU, CO, SDSU, UU. North Division: UNLV, SU, Cal, UO, OSU, WU, WSU.

You add Tulane and you dilute the PAC-12 brand. They are already dilluting the brand by adding us and San Diego State. We need to grow into the brand and then maybe start to look at additional candidates. You add too many at once and the members will want to jump ship.

[Charleston Pony]

Selfishly I'd love to have another conference mate reasonably close and even Tulane would be more than 500 miles from SMU. Would be nice if Rice invested in athletics and had value but I agree the PAC-12 has to be concerned about losing it's P5 status, especially knowing the Big 10 pretty much controls their fate. As much as I would prefer competing in the Big XII against schools in our region, I suppose the hangover effect from the death penalty days makes that highly unlikely to ever occur.

[peruna81]

This may be a "Big East redux" event for SMU if we do get the invite....but this time we will need to have an immediate impact on the PAC if invited, as there are likely more moves and shuffling to continue in the coming years. To keep ourselves from looking from the outside yet again, WIN BIG.

[gostangs]

Selfishly I'd love to have another conference mate reasonably close and even Tulane would be more than 500 miles from SMU. Would be nice if Rice invested in athletics and had value but I agree the PAC-12 has to be concerned about losing it's P5 status, especially knowing the Big 10 pretty much controls their fate. As much as I would prefer competing in the Big XII against schools in our region, I suppose the hangover effect from the death penalty days makes that highly unlikely to ever occur.

Nobody really wants to add small privates. The only reason we are in the hunt for Pac 12 is 1) Dallas market and central time zone and 2) USC (private) is leaving. Also i would add we are close enough to strong academics to make the cut.

No way that the TV guys will get excited about adding Rice - one of only three D-1 schools smaller than us or Tulane - a small TV market.

We are a unicorn in todays realignment - a small private with something to bring to the table. Doesn't really exist anywhere else in the G-5. They are looking for maximum eyeballs.

[AusTxPony]

Last year TCU proved that small privates can win and prove their worth. The PAC needs to add and who is available? That's likely to be SDSU and SMU due to location and investment in sports. Tulane, Rice and UNLV will still be available if there is another realignment scenario when ACC breaks up.

[JasonB]

Selfishly I'd love to have another conference mate reasonably close and even Tulane would be more than 500 miles from SMU. Would be nice if Rice invested in athletics and had value but I agree the PAC-12 has to be concerned about losing it's P5 status, especially knowing the Big 10 pretty much controls their fate. As much as I would prefer competing in the Big XII against schools in our region, I suppose the hangover effect from the death penalty days makes that highly unlikely to ever occur.

Nobody really wants to add small privates. The only reason we are in the hunt for Pac 12 is 1) Dallas market and central time zone and 2) USC (private) is leaving. Also i would add we are close enough to strong academics to make the cut.

No way that the TV guys will get excited about adding Rice - one of only three D-1 schools smaller than us or Tulane - a small TV market.

We are a unicorn in todays realignment - a small private with something to bring to the table. Doesn't really exist anywhere else in the G-5. They are looking for maximum eyeballs.

The research dollars that would be accessible by adding Dallas and Houston would dwarf anything that the media deal for sports could pay out.

[Water Pony]

Selfishly I'd love to have another conference mate reasonably close and even Tulane would be more than 500 miles from SMU. Would be nice if Rice invested in athletics and had value but I agree the PAC-12 has to be concerned about losing it's P5 status, especially knowing the Big 10 pretty much controls their fate. As much as I would prefer competing in the Big XII against schools in our region, I suppose the hangover effect from the death penalty days makes that highly unlikely to ever occur.

Nobody really wants to add small privates. The only reason we are in the hunt for Pac 12 is 1) Dallas market and central time zone and 2) USC (private) is leaving. Also i would add we are close enough to strong academics to make the cut.

No way that the TV guys will get excited about adding Rice - one of only three D-1 schools smaller than us or Tulane - a small TV market.

We are a unicorn in todays realignment - a small private with something to bring to the table. Doesn't really exist anywhere else in the G-5. They are looking for maximum eyeballs.

The research dollars that would be accessible by adding Dallas and Houston would dwarf anything that the media deal for sports could pay out.

JasonB, your comment is true and Rice is in an enviable position with its academic chops next to the largest medical center in the world, the Texas Medical Center. How does that appeal to the PAC-12 financially?

[GotMyESPY]

Nobody really wants to add small privates. The only reason we are in the hunt for Pac 12 is 1) Dallas market and central time zone and 2) USC (private) is leaving. Also i would add we are close enough to strong academics to make the cut.

No way that the TV guys will get excited about adding Rice - one of only three D-1 schools smaller than us or Tulane - a small TV market.

We are a unicorn in todays realignment - a small private with something to bring to the table. Doesn't really exist anywhere else in the G-5. They are looking for maximum eyeballs.

I forget if it was Wilner or Canzano who wrote it, but I thought one of the biggest reasons SMU overcomes the "small/private" stigma is the size of the school's endowment and the vast riches that flow in from deep-pocketed donors. The small/private issue typically stems from having a lack of resources to direct toward athletics, something state funding can overcome. But state funding also triggers a lot of red tape at public schools and a lot of voices on where that money has to be allocated. Private schools make that determination internally as to what's best for the school.

While I agree that the Dallas market has something to do with it (both from a student and athlete recruiting angle and a TV market angle) and the central time zone has something to do with it (mostly a media angle), I think SMU's ability to raise capital and its fervor to use those resources to compete nationally again in football are not to be overlooked.

[PlanoStang]

ESPN out for PAC 12 primary option rights?

CBS writer cites unknown Big 12 administrator. More fake news propaganda from Big 12 as a source?

[This is the] first time publicly [ESPN] said, 'We're not doing anything with the Pac-12,'" a Big 12 administrator aware of the exchange told CBS Sports under the condition of anonymity.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/pac-12s-murky-future-finds-shred-of-clarity-with-espn-appearing-out-as-option-for-primary-media-rights/

[AusTxPony]

This CBS article by Dodds was debunked by a couple of other reporters who say ESPN and PAC are still negotiating. Who knows?

[ponyboy]

Dodd is 100% full of horse puckey. You should know this by now. Getting tired of repeating it. ESPN still very much in. In fact, their part is done - they just cannot announce now due to optics.