One of the big questions surrounding the Pac-12 right now is when they’re going to get a new media rights deal done and how much will it be worth. As a possible sign of them nearing an announcement, the 10 Pac-12 Conference Board Members (Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, and Washington State) issued the following statement on Monday, February 13th, 2023:
“The 10 Pac-12 universities look forward to consummating successful media rights deal(s) in the very near future. Based upon positive conversations with multiple potential media rights partners over the past weeks, we remain highly confident in our future growth and success as a conference and united in our commitment to one another.”
It will be interesting to see if there will be a media rights deal announced before the announcement of new members of the conference or if this new deal will be contingent on the league expanding to 12 teams or more. San Diego State and SMU have been the two schools considered the front runners for expansion for obvious reasons. San Diego State would help the Pac-12 regain a footprint in Southern California while also getting access to a very underrated media market. SMU would expand the Pac-12 footprint into the state of Texas and get them exposure in a very solid Dallas media market as well.
On top of them residing in good media markets, San Diego State and SMU are also very solid academic schools with solid athletic programs. Both schools have been really solid in men’s basketball and football over the years, which are the two sports that matter the most. When you consider all that, it’s no surprise those are the two schools talked about the most when it comes to Pac-12 expansion.
As far as other options are concerned, I think if the Pac-12 were to expand to 14 schools, it would make sense to give San Diego State and SMU some regional travel partners that can lighten the travel burden on them and also give them some sort of local rivalry that they can build.
For San Diego State, I think fellow Mountain West Conference member Fresno State makes the most sense. Fresno State competes in a really solid media market as well as part of that whole Central Valley region of California. They’re also solid in football and men’s basketball while also possessing a passionate fanbase. Pairing two CSUs together would also have a nice ring to it from an academic standpoint.
For SMU, there are more options to consider. If they want to go the in-state route, the Pac-12 could invite Rice, who plays in Houston. Rice is a top-flight academic school and would be a perfect fit from an academic standpoint while also competing in a really good media market. The problem with Rice is they’re just not very good in either football or men’s basketball. Maybe the Pac-12 would be willing to add them just because of their location and academics, but the lack of having competitive teams in the two major sports is a problem for Rice.
Another possible addition to consider to pair with SMU would be New Mexico. They’re a big enough school to fit academically and it would also expand the Pac-12’s footprint into a whole new state as well. The Lobos are pretty solid in both football and men’s basketball with a strong fanbase that would embrace a move to the Pac-12. Plus, Albuquerque is about as far away from Dallas as Salt Lake City is from Boulder, so the distance is close enough that they could serve as a travel partner for SMU.
If the Pac-12 really wanted to expand east, Tulane in New Orleans could be an interesting candidate as well. It’s a great academic school that would expand their footprint into SEC territory and on top of that, Tulane football just had a really strong season as they won the Cotton Bowl and finished the season ranked inside the top ten. They also have a solid men’s basketball team as well.
Of those three options, I feel like New Mexico is probably the best option. Just because their location is better and they’re also a strong enough fit academically and athletically as well. I think if the Pac-12 were to look at expanding to 14 with partners for SDSU and SMU, they should roll with Fresno State and New Mexico as the 13th and 14th additions. Rice would be a great and better fit were it not for their teams being so bad, but perhaps their academics will keep them in play.
Finally, if the league just wants to add eyeballs and expand to 16, I really think the league would be well served by adding Utah State and Colorado State. Utah State has a strong rivalry with Utah while Colorado State has a strong rivalry with Colorado. Utah and Colorado as rivals kinda works, but it’s a bit artificial. I think both the Utah and Colorado fanbases would much rather have an in-state rival to be paired with.
In addition to brining great in-state rivalries, Utah State and Colorado State are both good enough academic schools to make the cut and they both have solid traditions in football and men’s basketball. They would be solid additions from a competition standpoint while also helping to get more eyeballs on the conference.
Anyways, I’ve been meaning to share my thoughts on Pac-12 expansion and this announcement by the Pac-12 gave me the opportunity to share what’s been on my mind. If the Pac-12 looks to expand to 12, give me San Diego State and SMU. If they want to go to 14, add Fresno State and New Mexico. And then if they feel like they must expand to 16, then I would propose they add Utah State and Colorado State. It’ll be interesting to see what moves the conference makes in the coming months, what kind of media deal they secure, and who if any schools they’ll welcome into the fold.
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