I am okay with the PAC staying intact.

The conferences with sixteen or more teams are going to collapse. Remember what happened with the sixteen team WAC conference. It’s better to stay the course with a smaller conference, and stable regional partners. The television money will still be there, especially after the “super conferences” collapse. ESPN is the villain in all of this conference re-alignment, and the corrupt “College Football Playoff”.

I think I’d take my chances with a mediocre TV contract divided by 10 as opposed to a mediocre TV contract divided by 24.  Like you, I think I’m good with seeing what a 10-team conference can do.  Now if Oregon and Washington bolt, then wrap it up.  We’re going to be staying home watching Dirty Dancing with our ugly girlfriends while all the hot and popular kids are going to the prom.

No SMU.  We don’t need SMU.  All we need is to add SDSU, Okla St, and 2 of the following 3 TX schools:  Tx Tech, Baylor, and TCU.

Adding those schools won’t increase our per-team payout.  It’ll most likely lower it.  But adding them will ensure the survival of the Pac-12.  After adding them, just sit tight and wait to see what the BigTen and SEC do — because realistically, there’s no available scenario wherein we’ll be able to outmaneuver either of them.  If they poach from us, circle back and grab whatever’s best of the permanently weakened Big 12 and/or ACC.  

Bottom line:  If we don’t crush the Big 12 now, we might not have another shot.  They’ve already put us in their crosshairs, and if we don’t raid them now — before the BigTen and/or SEC raid us again — it’ll be too late, and the remaining Pac-12 teams will be at the mercy of the Big 12.  We have the upper hand now, so let’s not fold.  Call the Big 12’s bluff, and play it.

I don’t think Utah can rely on Oregon, Washington and Stanford being in the conference in the future (whether that is two years, six years or ten). The BIG10 media rights are up before the PAC and my guess is the BIG10 will make some decisions on those 3 in the course of those media rights negotiations. Those 3 will put off doing anything more than the status quo until that happens. Utah, CU, ASU and UA are in the same boat and need to work to keep the PAC together while at the same time back channeling with BIG12. We know where Utah will be for next two years. Big12 is set for next 3 years. Nothing needs to be done today except to chart a path that does not leave us in MWC.