Where should the remaining Pac go? hear me out.

[UTE98]

I haven’t heard this discussed but it may be a great option.

The PAC expands in the West and grabs San Diego St, UNLV, which are two remaining top 40 TV markets (size). We have the Bay area and the only possible added markets would be Sacramento, but not sure what team would pull that market (Modesto is included in the market so maybe Fresno St.)

Then go after Kansas/Kansas St to complete the Pac whatever.

Here is where it gets a bit odd. Combine with the ACC into one conference. What????? Yep, play each division in football/basketball as the East and West and one or two cross division games each year. Then have a championship game between the two division winners. In basketball the top 16 teams play in a tournament.

What are the advantages? TV money and eyballs. The Pac has suffered because of the late night games, but people on the East Coast stay up for Monday night and Sunday night NFL football and the news doesn’t come on until 11 in the Eastern time zone. They would be more likely to stay up for the West division games if their teams might play them in a championship game.

This puts the SEC as a regional conference, BIG as a sort of nationwide conference. SEC doesn’t have as many eyeballs as what this would provide. Good thing they took Texas, cause they brought a big market. You’ve got Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, and Tampa as the biggest markets.

And of course it prevents the Little XII from even getting started in the discussion. 

Fend off any other leagues from beating us to the punch. Plus Notre Dame… it puts them on further notice, get in or get out of the way.

[utefansince79]

One problem I have with such large conferences is you can go so long without playing other teams in most sports, in particular in a 8/9 game conference football schedule.

Back in 1996 when the WAC expanded to 16, they rotated divisions, each with with 2 “quads”, Utah’s quad included BYU, New Mexico, and UTEP, in 2 year cycles.  The first two seasons (1996-97) we played Rice, TCU, SMU (leftovers from when the Southwest imploded and the power Texas teams went to the Big 8) and Tulsa (yippee).  Then it was going to be Hawaii and the California schools (San Jose State, Fresno, SDSU) for 2 years and finally 2 years with long time rivals (Wyoming, CSU, Air Force) as well as UNLV.   (After 1998 the MWC schools broke off, largely because teams wanted to go back to long established rivalries such as Utah-Wyoming, BYU-Air Force, etc.) 

These ‘super-duper’ conferences going to 16, 20, likely even 24 teams are going to see lonnnggg stretches wihout any games at all against various league teams.

 

 

 

 

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