PAC is back

[NM Green]

My thoughts about them not taking all of the MWC is that they got who they want. Now it’s time to raid the AAC. 

If we stay put the AAC replenishes with Air Force (no brainer), Texas State (natural rival for UTSA Texas up and coming), New Mexico (natural bridge for AFA). 

GMG

[wardly]

  Proving that once again that I have never been correct on realignment [ but I keep trying ], new podcasts have thrown out a $100 million value for a 10 team PAC with UNT, UTSA, Rice, and Memphis as potential targets. With a $10 million per school payout that will get any AAC member's attention. At any rate stick a fork in me.  I'm through reporting ,guessing, and hoping on what the PAC will do next.

[UNTLifer]

I challenge the notion that CO St delivers the Denver market. 

[UNTFan23]

Why are some so high on Rice? Athletics are a distant second thought, as evidenced by the quality of most (all?) of their athletic facilities. I get their academics but honestly that is ALL they bring to the table. 

[UNTLifer]

7 hours ago, Cougar King said:

Land grant school that has everything needed to be in a power conference except being able to win consistently. 

Shut up. I wasn’t talking to you and your winless school. 

[Cougar King]

23 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Shut up. I wasn’t talking to you and your winless school. 

Still more accomplished than yours 

[NT80]

5 minutes ago, Cougar King said:

Still more accomplished than yours 

You are right, UH is better at some athletic events than we are...

The University of Houston's football program was placed on probation by the NCAA in 1988 and again in 2019

 

 

[MDH]

47 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

I challenge the notion that CO St delivers the Denver market. 

Denverite here. They deliver it more than unt does for Dfw. Their fanbase is pretty solid.

[Green Otaku]

48 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

Why are some so high on Rice? Athletics are a distant second thought, as evidenced by the quality of most (all?) of their athletic facilities. I get their academics but honestly that is ALL they bring to the table. 

I think the thought is that they have the money and donors to really up their athletics if they wanted to. The impression is that they could even outspend SMU if they wanted.

[DentonStang]

https://youtu.be/U_Ya-r5qvRo?si=MpGA9jQ92kg66jQ1

[cousin oliver]

Just read an article in the Washington Post (paywalled) and it looks like they are rebuilding and gutting the Mountain West teams and will also go after Cal and Stanford to come back and rejoin.  Sounds like they are also considering Tulane and Memphis.

[cousin oliver]

Sounds like Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State & San Diego State are officially joining so I am guessing that the Mountain West will come after us and UTSA eventually since they need more members.

[SMU2006]

There is a zero percent chance that CAL and Stanford are risking ACC litigation and forfeiture of roughly $150m over the next decade so they can play Fresno State and Boise State (two schools they turned their noses up at while a member of the PAC).  Stanford/CAL love the academic fit in the ACC.

 

I do think eastward expansion is the only choice for the PAC.  Some combination of Memphis, Tulane, UNT, UTSA, Texas State, and USF.  

[rcade]

8 hours ago, MDH said:

Denverite here. They deliver it more than unt does for Dfw. Their fanbase is pretty solid.

When I lived in Denver for a year I don't remember anybody talking about Colorado State football. Some of this may have been because it was during Bill McCartney's epic run at Colorado and Sonny Lubick was just starting to lift Colorado State out of mediocrity, but Fort Collins is 75 miles from Denver and not part of the Denver area (yet?).

The Rams are a good program, though. I'd love to see UNT get a home and home with them. The last time they played Lubick's team beat UNT in the New Orleans Bowl in 2001.

Edited September 13 by rcade

[NT93]

There’s already a thread discussing this.

[KingDL1]

37 minutes ago, NT93 said:

There’s already a thread discussing this.

Merged now

[rcade]

"What conference are we going to be in next year?" is starting to feel like another "what players are going to play for us next year?" College football has taken a jackhammer to the entire foundation of the sport.

[GMG_Dallas]

1 hour ago, SMU2006 said:

I do think eastward expansion is the only choice for the PAC.  Some combination of Memphis, Tulane, UNT, UTSA, Texas State, and USF.  

For those who've mentioned the travel if UNT joined the Pac, this above would make it work minus USF. An "eastern" division with a combination of Colorado State, UNT, Texas State, Tulane, Memphis, and UTSA or even Tulsa depending on how many programs you'd want would make it work in my opinion.

Currently we have to travel to Philadelphia for Temple, West Point (closest airport in New Windsor) for Army, Miami for FAU, and Annapolis for Navy. An eastern division with a couple cross-division games per year wouldn't result in any significant additional travel than what we currently in the AAC.

I hope if we get the call, we answer the phone, and make the jump.

[SMU2006]

29 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

For those who've mentioned the travel if UNT joined the Pac, this above would make it work minus USF. An "eastern" division with a combination of Colorado State, UNT, Texas State, Tulane, Memphis, and UTSA or even Tulsa depending on how many programs you'd want would make it work in my opinion.

Currently we have to travel to Philadelphia for Temple, West Point (closest airport in New Windsor) for Army, Miami for FAU, and Annapolis for Navy. An eastern division with a couple cross-division games per year wouldn't result in any significant additional travel than what we currently in the AAC.

I hope if we get the call, we answer the phone, and make the jump.

Agreed.  Set up divisions or (at very least) three or four conference games against teams that are regional.  Cuts down on travel costs and maintains at least a few annual rivalries.  

Something to consider though is how desperate are some of the leftover MWC to get that PAC invite?  I got a feeling the PAC is going to leverage the fear of being left in the lurch to incentive potential expansion candidates to forego media revenue and/or "pay" to join.  If you're UNLV right now you are probably willing to do just about anything not be left out of the PAC.  Same goes for the other MWC teams.  Will that have a trickle down effect to schools like Memphis, Tulane, and USF?  

Edited September 13 by SMU2006

[MeanGreenGlory]

25 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

For those who've mentioned the travel if UNT joined the Pac, this above would make it work minus USF. An "eastern" division with a combination of Colorado State, UNT, Texas State, Tulane, Memphis, and UTSA or even Tulsa depending on how many programs you'd want would make it work in my opinion.

Currently we have to travel to Philadelphia for Temple, West Point (closest airport in New Windsor) for Army, Miami for FAU, and Annapolis for Navy. An eastern division with a couple cross-division games per year wouldn't result in any significant additional travel than what we currently in the AAC.

I hope if we get the call, we answer the phone, and make the jump.

This. 100%. 
 

As part of an Eastern pod in the PAC, our travel wouldn’t be terribly worse than it is now and we wouldn’t have too many late night games. 

The upside is that we’d 1) likely get more media revenue and 2) be part of what will be considered “the best of the rest,” which helps us stay closer to the top of the pecking order during the next big wave of realignment when the SEC and BIG10 break away. 

Call me crazy, but in addition to UTSA and Memphis, I’d MUCH rather play Washington State, Oregon State, Boise State, Colorado State, and San Diego State in football and basketball over the likes of Tulsa, Temple, UAB, FAU, and Eastern Carolina. 
 

It’s not a difficult choice for me. I’d be on the phone with the PAC right now making our pitch and laying the ground work for an invite. 

[MeanGreenGlory]

It’s also worth evaluating the cost of inaction or NOT moving to the PAC. 
 

If some combination of UTSA, Memphis, Tulane, and Rice or USF go to the PAC and we remain in the AAC, is the AAC still a great place for us? 
 

I think not. 
 

Pull out all the stops. Join the new PAC. 

[SMU2006]

9 minutes ago, MeanGreenGlory said:

It’s also worth evaluating the cost of inaction or NOT moving to the PAC. 
 

If some combination of UTSA, Memphis, Tulane, and Rice or USF go to the PAC and we remain in the AAC, is the AAC still a great place for us? 
 

I think not. 
 

Pull out all the stops. Join the new PAC. 

I think the best bet is to go in tandem with UTSA and Tulane.  Try to sell the PAC on having a footprint in DFW, San Antonio, and New Orleans.  That might be enough to get it done.

The PAC needs media markets in the worst way.  Wazzu, Oregon State, Fresno State, and Boise State are complete non-starters.  SDSU at least is in a major market.  CO State is close enough to Denver you could make the argument.  UNLV, Memphis, UNT, UTSA, Tulane, and USF are all in major markets.  That should be the play.

[Coffee and TV]

1 hour ago, rcade said:

When I lived in Denver for a year I don't remember anybody talking about Colorado State football. Some of this may have been because it was during Bill McCartney's epic run at Colorado and Sonny Lubick was just starting to lift Colorado State out of mediocrity, but Fort Collins is 75 miles from Denver and not part of the Denver area (yet?).

Could make the same argument about UNT except it's a little closer, and all of the front range along I-5 is sort of considered the Denver market until you get closer to Colorado Springs. I'm betting a ton of CSU alumni live in the metro area like we do in DFW. 

[MeanGreenGlory]

17 minutes ago, SMU2006 said:

I think the best bet is to go in tandem with UTSA and Tulane.  Try to sell the PAC on having a footprint in DFW, San Antonio, and New Orleans.  That might be enough to get it done.

The PAC needs media markets in the worst way.  Wazzu, Oregon State, Fresno State, and Boise State are complete non-starters.  SDSU at least is in a major market.  CO State is close enough to Denver you could make the argument.  UNLV, Memphis, UNT, UTSA, Tulane, and USF are all in major markets.  That should be the play.

Agree

[keith]

12 hours ago, NM Green said:

My thoughts about them not taking all of the MWC is that they got who they want. Now it’s time to raid the AAC. 

If we stay put the AAC replenishes with Air Force (no brainer), Texas State (natural rival for UTSA Texas up and coming), New Mexico (natural bridge for AFA). 

GMG

Maybe the PAC only took 4 from the MWC in order to leave the MWC intact as a conference at 8.  Something tells me they didn't want to destroy the conference right out of the gate.  They may end up doing that anyway as it looks east (but not too far east) to round out its membership.  My guess is they would like the AFA, but may feel that the AAC has a better chance of pulling them in with the other service academies.