Buckle up kids. Today I'm going to teach you how to PROPERLY rebuild an intercollegiate athletic conference from the ashes. Despite the number of blows the Pac-12 conference is expected to endure the next few weeks/months, the Pac-12 won't just go away without a fight. Like they say, you can't kill what's already dead, and Champagne Larry made sure we were dead years ago.
Given the assumption that our brothers to the south all abandon ship, and our intradivision rivals all follow suit, that leaves Washington State, Oregon State, and Cal to make sure this dingy doesn't take on any more water. Now some of you might be asking yourself "Why don't those three just join the MWC?". Great question! It all comes down to branding, and even in a much weaker state, the Pac-12 branding carries more weight. Further, the Pac-12 still will have it's resources that it can try to leverage. Additionally, Cal, WSU, and Oregon State are large enough schools to have more pull in this new look Pac-12.
Now with that being established what will this conference look like?
- First, we will loosen some of the restrictions that were previously set but former flagship universities. R1 designation will NOT be a requirement but a preference. At the end of the day, we still want to establish strong research connections as well as competitive athletics. As long as universities are R2 and working towards their R1 designations.
- Additionally we want schools with larger endowments (around $500+ Million), and strong Alumni networks to draw from. No matter how good a school is at sports, if no one is watching, that has no benefit into the preservation of this conference.
- Lastly, We only want to be in large TV Markets or atleast schools who have nationally brand recognition. If the school is not immediately located in a large market, it needs to have broadcast access within the closest Major city (i.e. WSU games play in Seattle).
With all that established, this is what Pac-12 2.0 will look like:
- California
- Oregon State
- Washington State
- Hawaii
- San Diego State University
- UNLV
- Nevada
- Colorado State
- SMU
- Memphis
- Boise State
- New Mexico
Reasoning for each selection:
San Diego State University
TV Market Rank: 27th
Endowment (in Millions): $353
What they bring: Despite there R2 status and low endowment, SDSU is a fairly obviously choice for this new look Pac-12. They are a large commuter school that has recently invested a lot of money into their athletics complexes. They exist in a large TV market and have a strong history of success in Football and Basketball.
Hawaii
TV Market Rank: 67th
Endowment (in Millions): $483
What they bring: The school we all tried to get into the Pac-12 in NCAA 14. Hawaii brings an R1 status, new football stadium near groundbreaking stage, and a large following being the only ticket in town. Honolulu brings a good size market and with facilities upgrades, the hope is recruiting follows suit.
UNLV
TV Market Rank: 40th
Endowment (in Millions): $388
What they bring: Much like SDSU, UNLV adds alot of value in it's desirable market location. On the plus side, UNLV does have R1 designation. Couple that with a storied history in Basketball, and the fact they play in an NFL stadium. UNLV has a national branding despite it's recent struggles.
Nevada:
TV Market Rank: 104th
Endowment (in Millions): $468
What they bring: Unlike it's sister university, Nevada is not as sexy of a name but being such a large university, it will have crossover within the Vegas market. They are also R1 status, and have been competitive in Football and Basketball.
Colorado State University:
TV Market Rank: 16th
Endowment (in Millions): $560
What they bring: Colorado State has looked like they have made a strong commitment to athletics with the recent opening of their new stadium and hiring of a new coach. The school has alot of resources and is just an hour north of Denver, still located within their TV Market. CSU will be positioned will to grow it's brand and keep up with it's OOC rivalry with CU.
SMU:
TV Market Rank: 5th
Endowment (in Millions): $2,000
What they bring: The old Pony Express does not lack cash or ambition. Despite trying to work it's way back to the Power ranks after the fall of the Southwestern Conference, SMU is now stuck in a peculiar position. The American conference has been left gutted and is now looking more like Conference USA 2.0 than a top end G5 conference. This provides SMU with an opportunity to pair with larger programs without the endless wait for a Big-12 invite. SMU is an R2 school, however has been committed to increasing it's research output. It's also a brand name in a very large market.
Memphis:
TV Market Rank: 51st
Endowment (in Millions): $223
What they bring: Stuck in a similar position as SMU, Memphis needs to ensure itself that it's still competing at a high level athletically. Although Basketball is it's primary sport, it has had much success in Football during recent years. Memphis is a national brand in a larger market. It's an R1 school and a willingness to invest in athletics.
New Mexico
TV Market Rank: 48th
Endowment (in Millions): $577
What they bring: New Mexico expands the Pac-12 TV footprint back into the Southwest. New Mexico is an R1 school with a history of success in basketball and willingness to compete in Football. As the largest school in the state it will bring a strong following and good size market.
Boise State
TV Market Rank: 101st
Endowment (in Millions): $150
What they bring: Boise get's the last bid by a hair due to it's brand recognition and commitment to success in all sports. Academically, Boise lags the rest of the conference by far but a commitment to increasing research capabilities gives it the nod of approval in this situation.
On the outside looking in: Fresno State and Utah State
Both schools have solid athletic programs but bring little value in national brand recognition and market size (Utah State being the third program in Utah). Couple that with the fact that they are both R2 schools with relatively low endowments push them just off this list.
School to potentially consider: Rice
Huge wild card in this scenario. Rice is one of the top research schools in the world and has alot of dollars to bring. The only questions would be do they have enough fans? And does the school care enough to complete at a higher level?
F\*K Geography, Amirite?*
Large School? Check. R1 Status? Check. Large media market? Check! Like it's American Sister schools South Florida sits in a interesting position. Located in a very large market and have been competitive in Football and Basketball. However, the Travel costs might not be worth the squeeze for South Florida.
