PonyFans.com

sbsmith wrote:Still doesn't address the issue of them supposedly being kicked out of the in-crowd for not having a battle-tested champion. And if we can't help deliver DirectTV to the Pac-12, they basically just agreed to subsidize four brand-diluting charity cases for nothing.

Expanded geography, timezones, and inventory would help deliver DirecTV plus the local markets that the 4 would come from (Dallas, Houston, and two more).

And SMU/Houston/etc. are far better on the football field than WSU and Colorado, so we would actually be strengthening the conference.

1) As long as the PAC play 9 conference games every year, the other conferences with 8 conference games can't really say the PAC champ is "untested".
2) The PAC won't invite a religious school. Houston has a better shot than SMU.

Boise and SDSU are out of the Big East now (I also think UCONN and Cinci will go to the ACC while the B1G will hold at 14 waiting to see what ND does).

MWC 16 is on par with whatever is left of the Big East (UCF, USF, Navy, Tulane, ECU, Temple).
East:
-Mem, Tulsa, SMU, Hou
-UNM, AFA, CSU, Wyo
West:
-HI, SJSU, FSU, SDSU
-BSU, USU, UNLV, UNR

CalallenStang wrote:

sbsmith wrote:Still doesn't address the issue of them supposedly being kicked out of the in-crowd for not having a battle-tested champion. And if we can't help deliver DirectTV to the Pac-12, they basically just agreed to subsidize four brand-diluting charity cases for nothing.

Expanded geography, timezones, and inventory would help deliver DirecTV plus the local markets that the 4 would come from (Dallas, Houston, and two more).

And SMU/Houston/etc. are far better on the football field than WSU and Colorado, so we would actually be strengthening the conference.

In this scenario the Pac-12 still gets kicked out of the in-crowd for not having a battle-tested champion because you're not going to get anyone in the Big 12, Big 10 or SEC to believe that adding us, Coog High and two other lightweights strengthens the Pac-12 in any significant way.

SMU is not a religious school. you don't even have to take a religion class. The PAC knows that - it is no secret. BYU is a religious school - we are not.

colorado and utah didn't strengthen them at all. none of these conferences are being strengthened in football - they are being expanded for TV coverage. in that regard we add quite a bit to the PAC

gostangs wrote:SMU is not a religious school. you don't even have to take a religion class. The PAC knows that - it is no secret. BYU is a religious school - we are not.

Of course they know that. Many of SMU's administrators are formerly administrators at PAC schools...and you'd better believe they still talk to their former colleagues.

Colorado and Utah had the best markets of schools meeting the PAC's criteria for academic culture (both top 50 research institutions), completeness of graduate programs, and commitment to olympic sports (both top 50 in national championships, Colorado with 23 and Utah with 20). Utah still had to agree to upgrade all olympic facilities as a requisite for membership and is completing $150 million in upgrades to Olympic facilities in the first 5 years of membership.

Market only goes so far. There are no other Western schools (outside the BigXii) that meet the PAC's criteria.

Exactly why they will change their criteria. Neither Utah nor Colorado are good academically. High research does not mean quality. Arizona and Arizona state are both a joke. Both Oregon schools are average. Washington state is no big deal. The PAC will compromise because they will have to - and the only thing that grows the pie is adding media markets. Dallas and Houston are the closest top ten markets they aren't already in.

Gostangs! I sure hope you're right!
This conference turmoil is crazy.

Its just impossible to tell at this point.

The MWC 16 would be great. Easy way for the SW schools to keep rivalries and have some fun games for fans to travel to out west.

I think the whole transcontinental thing is a giant cluster f and not worth it. What seems to be lost on everyone is that everyone is in the same boat now. Period. The MWC has had more schools break out into BCS games than any other conference. The winner of that championship game (if they were undefeated) would have a pretty good shot @ #4 and having a chance to play for the NC.

I dont understand why this is a nightmare. Its honestly better basketball league that SMU was joining. Who among the C7 has really done anything lately? Georgetown, Nova and Marquette. Sub that for UNLV, SDSU, UNM and its an even swap. SMU basketball actually thrived during the WAC with a really bad coach. With a LB SMU would thrive. Especially when you throw UTEP and Tulsa in the mix. Nevada is always good, BOise is getting better, CSU went to the tourney. Wyoming is getting a lot of votes right now. You really dont have any bottom feeders in this league.