Will UT go to PAC?

[MustangStealth]

The SEC would have added SMU already but all of the other schools threatened to leave because we would be so dominant.

[gostangs]

Everyone always talks about the Pac's academics, and yes the California schools have amazing academics - but the whole conference? Arizona St? Arizona? Washington st? Utah? Oregon St? There is a ton of academic baggage in that conference - no need to bow down to them except for Stanford.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Everyone always talks about the Pac's academics, and yes the California schools have amazing academics - but the whole conference? Arizona St? Arizona? Washington st? Utah? Oregon St? There is a ton of academic baggage in that conference - no need to bow down to them except for Stanford.

Exactly. It is just the California schools.

[Topper]

The SEC would have added SMU already but all of the other schools threatened to leave because we would be so dominant.

Cal, UCLA and USC all have better students than UT in terms of SAT. But however you slice it, the PAC 12 has more impressive academics than the Big 12 or the SEC based on the 4 California schools. I'm not sure how they compare to the Big 10 other than Northwestern, Michigan and Ohio State are either way ahead or similar to UT>

[AusTxPony]

Academics and Dallas population are angles to pitch, if UT goes west. FYI, of the top 60 in US News...
ACC - Has 8
Big 10 - 6 (NW, Mich, Ill, Wisc, PSU, OSU)
PAC - 5 (Stanford, Cal, USC, UCLA, UWash)
SEC - 3 (Vandy, Fla, Geo)
AAC - 2 (Tulane, SMU)
Big 12 - 1 (UT)
SMU and UT would push PAC ahead of Big 10.

[EastStang]

The SEC would have added SMU already but all of the other schools threatened to leave because we would be so dominant.

Actually because we could pay more than they do.

[mtrout]

Pay more? Like alumni commitment? Where's the IPF and baseball team at?

[TidePony]

I know this is insane to ask, but what is the status of the Indoor practice facility and new soccer field?

[Stallion]

Waiting for our alleged deep-pocket alumni to write the check

[orguy]

Why would the SEC be considered an academic joke to UT? Florida and Vanderbilt are both ranked considerably higher than UT. Tied with Georgia. Yeah, schools like MSU, LSU, Tennessee lag a little behind. UT is UT. A slightly above average big giant state school with lots of cash in a southern state that lags behind big state schools like Michigan, Cal, UCLA, Illinois, Washington and the aforementioned Florida.

UT would gain little in stature by moving to the PAC which is, at the end of the day, an athletic conference. Are people going to automatically associate UT with the California schools because they play them in Football every year? Is Utah in a better position by being in the PAC from an academic perspective because they play Stanford frequently? Hardly, utah is still uuutaaaahhhh.

The arrogance in Austin never ceases to amaze.

[TidePony]

Gotcha!

[leopold]

Why would the SEC be considered an academic joke to UT?

It's not. If it was all about academics (as you've correctly pointed out) they would have been out of the mediocrity that is the Big XII when two standard bearers, Nebraska and Missouri, left. It's about location and identity.

Are people going to automatically associate UT with the California schools because they play them in Football every year? Is Utah in a better position by being in the PAC from an academic perspective because they play Stanford frequently? Hardly, utah is still uuutaaaahhhh.

Believe it or not, yes. I've told people that college athletics is where the local meets the national, where common cultures compete. UT and A&M going there respective ways to different conferenes a perfect example of that to me.
Austin is the only part of Texas that looks to the West Coast for acceptance, and the word 'Austin' has resonance in places like San Fransisco, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle. While Texas A&M is now getting free daily coverage in the fastest growing region in the country, places like Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, etc. Austin wants that on the West Coast. Recruiting top students out California would get a BIG boost for them. I guarantee you it's gotten easier for Colorado and Utah.

Interesting fact: There is now a law in California restricting state employees from going to Texas due to Texas' stance on gay rights. UT ain't going to the PAC 12 as long as this is going on.

[AusTxPony]

Wonder if B1G would take OU as well as UT? Do I hear Nebraska is unhappy with B1G? Still believe PAC would benefit, at least for their Network, if they took 4 Texas teams and break North/South or even Coastal/Southwestern to help with travel. Best hope for SMU to P5, I think. Either way, UT would have to give up the LHN.

[gostangs]

Not sure why it is important for UT to draw better from Cali - when there are only a few spots for out of staters to begin with - and that isn't going to change. The legislature has made it clear their mission is to educate Texans - so I don't see any more Californians that they currently draw regardless. And the top kids are going to stay in state and pay in state tuition at Berkley or UCLA anyway. You could make the case it would mean more for SMU - who now pulls 35% of our student body from California.

Fun fact many don't understand - Dallas has more tech jobs than Austin. The best plan for the pac would be to pull in UT, and then also SMU on condition we add some sports and deck Ford. Then they would pull in meaningful TV geography from the two regions they care about (Austin and Dallas) and pick off the two best schools in Texas that aren't Rice.

[Pony147]

This could throw a wrench into realignment: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/state ... 41449.html