If the PAC adds an 8th full member, then there's no rush to add AAC schools forcing them to leave early and pay out $27M each. They could join later and have a decreased payout which is much more manageable.
Which is why i believe the initial talk with those AAC members was NOT a desperate plead for help. I think it was simply a feeler and an informative meeting to let those members know the PAC's future intentions and to keep them in mind. The PAC trademarked a shit ton of labels from PAC8 all the way to PAC16. It knows what it is doing. Build with the right schools over time. Not desperation asking all to jump ship and join. It is grabbing who it needs in a sniper death kill. Adding Boise State, Fresno, SDSU, & CSU (Utah State likely for Basketball) unfortunately renders the Mountain West incapable of competing in the west in the longer term no matter whom they grab. If the PAC can eventually lure the top AAC schools away, then the PAC will have dispatched any other G5 conference competitors. They will be in the best position for a CFP spot and to compete with the Big 12 or ACC in other ways. I really think Memphis, Tulane, USF, and several other top AAC schools see the writing on the wall. It's probably not a matter of "IF", but a patient "when" for them to join or be left irrelevant. The ACC breaking up and shaking things up is the only life raft for the remaining conferences.
@@SurfCityBill I am a Boise State fan, but I am against them joining the MWC. It just painted us into a corner agreeing to the PAC 2's terms if we get an invite to the Big 12, and have to paid even a heavier fee to leave the PAC 2 schools.
@ I'm sure you meant the Pac, not the MWC. I agree there is some risk in moving. But I don't think Dickey see's any chance of a Big 12 invite anytime soon.
I’m a professor (of instruction) at Texas State and a lifelong fan of Boise State. I think building a South Central or Texas division of the PAC is a no-brainer. I think UNT, UTSA, and Texas State are great adds, and if you can lock down 3 more schools (hopefully Memphis, Tulane, and either Tulsa or Rice) one could build a 6 team regional schedule with a rotating 2 team schedule from the other division (1 home and 1 away) could create a strong conference and great rivalry game. If they do this, then I could also see the Pac try and poach UTEP as a natural bridge.
I don’t know that the PAC has enough clout to elevate the prestige of that many Texas schools, but out of the three I think Texas State has the greatest potential. I know it’s just a name, but the directional schools are at a disadvantage with brand value.
@@aBrewster29 Texas State used to be Southwest Texas State, but I don’t know that they need to elevate the Texas brands. What they need to do is capitalize on Texas recruiting and Texas Tv markets. Boise State has long had a California pipeline and a smaller Texas pipeline. The PAC capturing Dallas (UNT), San Antonio and Austin (UTSA and State), El Paso (UTEP) and Houston (Rice or Sam Houston) would expose Texas to PAC football as their city’s team would likely face a PAC team in the conference championship for playoff access. For my interests, this is great for Boise State. Familiarity builds recruiting pipelines. For the conference, tapping every major market in Texas, even with minor teams, makes money and challenges the Big 12 in every market.
@ you think they need all three of those schools to build a recruiting pipeline? That’s a pretty big share going out if the schools aren’t boosting the league’s brand value. I don’t know that the juice is worth the squeeze, but I agree with you that getting into Texas would be good.
@ I don’t think it would hurt. They have kids from Texas now, but teams like Baylor, Tech, TCU, and SMU have hit it big with “the big guy’s” leftovers in Texas. I believe the PAC can compete with the smaller Texas schools in recruiting if they are regularly playing Texas teams. I also think Texas brings in money, but I’m not a TV exec. I have no idea how much State and co can bring in, but I’m guessing if one hit it big they could raise to the current Big 12’s ratings.
Getting someone from central Texas (2-3 hours away from deep recruiting in Houston) and then UNT deep in Dallas/Fort Worth area. Getting to Texas should be PACs priority.
Just one day old and this is already your most watched video ever at 20k+ views You are crushing it JY. The algorithm and the public are starting to notice!!!🎉😊
Thank you! We just keep doing our thing. We aren’t driven by clicks, we are driven by our enjoyment of the topics, giving viewers content they seem to enjoy, and digging deeper into items than most are willing or able to do. We appreciate your comment!
Fantastic job. The PAC should definitely take Texas State, unless that's a deal breaker for Memphis, and the PAC is likely to get Memphis. Memphis still looks iffy, so yeah, take Texas State. Gonzaga won't be enthusiastic about Texas State, but I don't think that's a deal breaker.
Yeah, our basketball sucks. With that said, a move to the PAC will mean a huge upgrade to bobcat basketball in terms of funding. Most of the money earned would go to that sport.
@@wjsIII kinda moving the goal post but I’ll entertain you. When you combine Oregon State’s basketball and football programs they generate about 200k more than Gonzaga’s basketball team but, if you just take the overall revenue you’d see Oregon State’s bottom like is still like -7 million annually compared to Gonzaga who profits nearly 10 million annually.
@tsilgero edited my response after looking at the most recent data I could find (2023). I'll check back when I get time to review. I'd say overall program revenue is relevant and matters more than just one sport.
Critical factor in getting Memphis is the PAC12 getting a media deal that crushes the AAC's $7M payout per school. The $27.5M AAC exit fee and higher travel expense for all sports are big hurdles.
Pac is waiting for the lawsuits. They will make a decision about who comes in the conference in March. WCC keeps adding more schools. Memphis definitely wants to move to acc or big 12.
TxSt and UNT are two schools that have solid potential to grow in value given their location/size. Still think Memphis/Tulane are on the board and have a good chance of landing in the PAC. Still hoping a non-football member in central time gets added like Wichita or St Louis just to build up that footprint and help with travel.
Big12 went after market instead of product and look where that got them. Tsu and nt don't belong anywhere near the pac especially since neither don't have a proven track record. Not a good look for the conference trying to get back the auto bid
@ PAC already went after product with their first 6 additions. There are no more “product” additions out there other than Memphis and Tulane, who I already mentioned and who TxSt and UNT fit with geographically.
@stevedonnie4077 no track record in sports for either. Texas State just had their best year academicly with a 2.84 average gpa for athletics. You want a texas school go after Rice. Pretty much the same caliber as the other two atheltic wise but at least academics are good and their endowment is bigger than all the pac schools combined. Long shot, imo all texas schools left to add are garbage. Push for Tulane and Memphis. Win the lawsuit and grab UNLV and we won't have to touch Texas.
@@APBB84 The new PAC clearly doesn’t care about academics and Rice has shown no track record of success in athletics or any aspirations to invest in them. TxSt and UNT have at least shown a desire to grow in athletics and they’re big public schools with a lot of alumni to bring to the table. Yes Memphis and Tulane are the clear #1 targets, but building a supporting cast in Texas has its benefits.
Great video JY! I kind of figured that Sacramento State might go independent. I didn't even consider that the Pac-12 might do a scheduling arrangement with them. If that happens, hopefully they don't get screwed over and not get an invite to the Pac-12.
good move for the Pac-12 and it helps out the Sun Belt too, making their footprint smaller (lower travel cost for members schools). I would be glad if North Texas left the American, as lower costs for East Carolina University.
I can see a remote possibility that Conference USA could take Sac St, for football only, but I would think that they would have better candidates in the MVFC
Until things are settled, I would appreciate a visual list of current teams in the PAC (and MT. West) the doing updates on these conferences. You gentleman treat the show like its a radio program but you're in a visual media so a few graphics to spice up the show would help,
Thx for the suggestion. We always look to improve. Graphics take more production time, but we do want to create valuable and entertaining shows, so we will certainly take this into consideration.
I believe after Texas State, it creates more options. Because then it opens things up to some of those FCS schools like Sac State. It takes 2 years before you are reclassified, so if they were the 8th school it wouldn't help before the deadline. But if you have that 8th school, you can then take someone like Sac State and still be safe.
Good video... Regarding UTSA & UNT its worthwhile to note that they are on partial shares with the AAC, which makes them easier to add if they get bigger shares by joining the PAC. Also if they add them for 2027 their exit fees drop to 10M. Also, ESPN is looking at redoing their media deal with the AAC to lower it. Unless the AAC decides to give Mempbis a larger slice of the pie, that could be enough to let the PAC in to poach them.
Thanks JY!. I so hope you have this scoped right. I am an OSU alum and I have waited for the final spoke in the wheel. It has been a long miserable trip for OSU and WSU.
I think the school that all of you keep forgetting, even though they aren't a football power house is RICE. Rice has things that those other schools don't. They are in Houston, much bigger market. They are private so the money to leave the aac is nothing to them. They once were a big name school. And they fit the old blue print for the PAC being a academic first conference.
@@TheBigMountainPodcast No longer any AAU schools in the PAC, I wouldn't call them an academic first conference. Rice has a beautiful campus and great academics but their fanbase is so small it doesn't move the needle in regards to the Houston MSA.
@@wjsIII you are right but it is still better than UNT. I live in Dallas and UNT while big in attendance don't really turn out. But I do still agree that it is small. I am from Memphis so I have seen them play both in UNT and Rice. I just think they have the 3 of the 4 were UNT only have 1 of the 4 pieces. Either way it is fun to watch this play out.
You need a basketball school that helps you make up tv money with NCAA tournament shares. There is only one school that can do this and plays football Memphis. The PAC needs Memphis like MW need UNLV. I can see Texas state the rest do not move the tv ratings. It looks like you will end up with 3 Sunbealt schools maybe a CUSA school.
After Texas State, and assuming that Memphis and company doesn't work out, then I think that the PAC will choose North Texas. I like UTSA better, but Gonzaga would absolutely have heart failure at that point. UTSA's basketball would really hurt the conference, and North Texas could at least compete in the PAC in basketball and would be much better than Texas State. If it were up to me, I'd take North Texas over Texas State, but it looks like Texas state will be easier to get, and it's important to get 8.
I think the PAC goes back to Memphis and Tulane. WSU, OSU, Fresno St, Boise St, SDST, Utah State, Colorado St, Memphis, and Tulane is NOT the equal of the old PAC, and do not make the PAC P5 again. But, it should be enough to get the conference champ into the playoffs every year and with Gonzaga on the basketball side of things boosting the conference prestige, is a better situation than WSU and OSU just merging with the MW.
I would love an add Texas State and eventually get Memphis & Tulane. Pac-12 would never be a power conference but you’d have to think it would be the undisputed top G5 conference every year and therefore a bid to the CFP every year.
Great video JY. Once the PAC failed to get UNLV and the AAC teams before that, I always thought Texas State was probably getting the invite next (everyone’s got to get into Texas). I would prefer UNLV (sorry JY) as the final piece but I just don’t think that will happen. Great analysis as always, looking forward to the MW video.
@@scottyking7161 Memphis will never be invited into the ACC. Honestly, I have no idea why anyone brings this up when, in relation to academics, the ACC is even snobbier than the original Pac-12. If they wanted to lower their standards, they could've taken West Virginia eons ago, and Memphis is a crappier version of West Virginia with little to no upside. Memphis fans need to let it go, because it's not happening.
Truly hope you are correct. While I retired in Kansas, I've served on the faculties at both Colorado State and Utah State, and earned the Ph.D. from Wyoming. Would LOVE to see Texas State come on board ... would rather have seen Air Force and / or UNLV ... even New Mexico.
Love the built not bought ORST shirt.. let's understand this it don't make that kind of investment in Sacramento State unless you have a good idea that sooner or later you're going to get that invite! look at Delaware. And the only thing I can say is sac State might not be ready to be the 8th member but they'll probably be the 9th. Unless Sacramento State goes operation warp speed I don't think they'll be ready for pac-12 membership in the pac-12 doesn't have much time they got like 4 months... Sacramento state will not go independent they cannot go the Liberty route.
There's too much money in San Antonio for the PAC to ignore, but I think the PAC is too watered down to entice UTSA outright. IF Texas State joins the PAC, it's UTSA by a mile. The rivalry between UTSA and Texas State is deep seeded enough to make UTSA think twice about not joining. Not to mention, UTSA just announced their merger with UTHSC making them the 3rd largest research university in the state.
@@stephenmccray2984 what Money? What media deal? Nobody is paying to watch teams like San Jose State and North Texas play each other! Or UTSA vs Boise State hahahahaha. The AAC is a far better conference and it doesn't require absurd travel to and from games .
Texas-San Antonio's chances of joining the Pac will go down the toilet WHEN Texas State is added. Why go after a city near San Marcos when you can get Denton-Dallas (North Texas) and Houston (Rice) instead?
San Antonio has a large population of migrants and military and isn't exactly a young and affluent tech hub like Austin. I like the city and enjoyed my time there but fear support for UTSA football will dwindle when they get an NFL team. There's simply not enough eyes or $ to fully support both.
100% agree on Texas State. This move gets the needed 8th, and would make other schools look to the PAC as a better future. I secretly hope that the PAC and AAC approach the level of merger talks and get a really solid G5 potential P5 auto bid each year.
If the PAC has any hope of retaining/re-gaining its Power-5 status, this would be a terrible choice. Whoever fills the remaining spot(s) needs to be legit power-5 level team so any mention of teams like Texas State, Sac State, North Texas....adding teams like these would insane. All those teams that left the MWC for the PAC would essentially have left that conference to join an even weaker conference.
It makes sense for Texas State to join the revamped Pac-12. It would make all of them state schools. (Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State) As for adding a ninth school, if Stanford and Cal can be ACC members, could the Pac-12 add UConn as a football only member? (UConn wouldn't leave the Big East for basketball.)
I remember Boise St in the Big Sky, and look at them now. Folks ignoring Sac St (and their media market) is not seeing the potential that is there. Why bring in a school two time zones away, when you have someone right next to you, who is making strides to "get there"? 🤔.....
None of those schools push the needle except UNLV. Just step up & grab UNLV & make a run to get Cal & Stanford back, their ACC membership has been terrible. Why would they want to continue to cross the country for no money.
Sacramento State as an FCS Independent is interesting, but schools are prohibited by current NCAA rules from going to FBS, without a conference invite. (Liberty had to sue to get a waiver of the rule.) The rules could change, but they are unlikely to change to make it easier to become FBS, because of GREED. The scheduling agreement idea is interesting, but I see a couple of problems. First, Sac St would have to leave the Big Sky in football. Second, is there a cap on the number of FBS schools that a FCS school may schedule each year? Third, I'm not sure that it's a rule, but I don't remember an FBS team ever playing away at an FCS school. Why make stadium improvements, if all your games are away?
The PAC can take TXST to get to 8, wait till AAC schools drops to 10Mil and then add again. But in the meantime, to shoreup BB and Baseball by adding St. Mary's., no matter how old their coach is, they still bring in the bay area market.
I just realized what drives the new PAC12 is Utah Athletics. This new conference is compromised of schools left behind of leaped frog by Utah athletics. I use Utah as an example but the idea came to me while watching BYU vs. TCU in MBB this weekend. All three were MW members at one time. I picked Utah because they were the only one of the three that used to be in the PAC12. For the new PAC12 to compare their historical resumes to those 3 schools is laughable. Maybe not OSU and WSU as much but the new members are nuts if they think they are on those 3 schools level.
I honestly don't believe that any of the schools from the AAC will join the Pac-12 but I definitely could be wrong. If they don't manage to get them, I think they might take Louisiana along with Texas State from the Sun Belt.
@@thatcollegefootballguy if the PAC doesn't add any AAC schools in this round I think it'll be very likely AAC schools get added in 2027 when they can get out cheaper.
Texas State becomes the new Hawaii... another away game I will never go see because it's too far. We used to hit up away games in San Jose, Reno, and Vegas, but those days are gone. Washington St and Oregon St are too far, likewise Colorado and Boise. As of now, San Diego is the only away city that my family can reasonably afford to visit if we want to support the Dogs, except those silly FCS games against Sac St, Cal Poly, etc. There are no positives to come out of this realignment garbage. I'm seriously tired of people saying that this poop sandwich is somehow palatable by adding schools from Texas, CUSA, the MAC, and the FCS. Let's all be honest for a minute... there is the Power 3, basically a paid minor league comprised of the SEC 16, the Big 17, and the Big 16, and then there is everyone else--the equivalent of amateur ball with a chance to get picked up in the transfer portal. None of it makes sense anymore. May as well add FIU and UConn to the Pac, put Hawaii in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and let the 9th ranked team in the country have the #4 playoff spot. I feel like Will Ferrell in Zoolander... Is everyone taking crazy pills? None of this is ok. None of this makes the MW or the PAC better. They stay in exactlynthe same position--NOT in the Power 3.
Sadly, that is becoming the reality for all conferences except for the MAC. How many USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford fans travel to away conference games other than their one cross-town rival game? I would think not many.
Sac State already has some cred as a good football program, having sent Cam Skatebo to Arizona State 2 years ago via the portal. Should CSUSac join the Pac, it absolutely bars the door to the Bay Area Pac refugees ever returning to the conference. Knowing California politics as I do, the UC and CSU systems are oil and water; they do not mix.
NDSU as a football affiliate. When the MWC talked to NDSU they reportedly were only interested in all-sports membership which is a lot of reaching for a school that is supposed to be desperate.
Thx for the comment. Please send us someone else confirming that TXST is in ongoing negotiations with the PAC. We do not believe that is out there anywhere right now, but we could be wrong. The TXST info is not an op-ed. it is sourced.
Texas State possibly going to go to the Pac 12, U.T.S.A. in San Antonio would be a great addition as the 9th. Member & would be a great rivalry with Texas State.
It would be very wise of the PAC 12 to try and give Montana Montana State Eastern Washington Weber State an invite though I doubt Montana n Montana State would jump to the PAC 12 but think about the huge positive the PAC 12 would get with the brawl of the wild yearly rivalry game between Montana and Montana State
UTEP isn't in the MWC, they accepted the mwc invite, but could they back out and maybe accept a pac12 invite? They're also a Texas program, why aren't they being mentioned?...
IMO Texas St will prefer a partner school to go to the PAC-12. North Texas makes sense but exit fees may be too steep to leave. If I were the PAC-12, I would go for Sam Houston St. growing program just north of Houston. Also C-USA exit fees much lower. Then go after North Texas. From a media perspective PAC-12 would have DFW, Houston and Austin/San Antonio.
If the PAC adds an 8th full member, then there's no rush to add AAC schools forcing them to leave early and pay out $27M each. They could join later and have a decreased payout which is much more manageable.
Which is why i believe the initial talk with those AAC members was NOT a desperate plead for help. I think it was simply a feeler and an informative meeting to let those members know the PAC's future intentions and to keep them in mind. The PAC trademarked a shit ton of labels from PAC8 all the way to PAC16. It knows what it is doing. Build with the right schools over time. Not desperation asking all to jump ship and join. It is grabbing who it needs in a sniper death kill. Adding Boise State, Fresno, SDSU, & CSU (Utah State likely for Basketball) unfortunately renders the Mountain West incapable of competing in the west in the longer term no matter whom they grab. If the PAC can eventually lure the top AAC schools away, then the PAC will have dispatched any other G5 conference competitors. They will be in the best position for a CFP spot and to compete with the Big 12 or ACC in other ways. I really think Memphis, Tulane, USF, and several other top AAC schools see the writing on the wall. It's probably not a matter of "IF", but a patient "when" for them to join or be left irrelevant. The ACC breaking up and shaking things up is the only life raft for the remaining conferences.
@umbluegray1 yes. As a Memphis fan I said come back to the table in 2026
But we also need a media deal
This makes sense. Great reporting for us expansion fanatics!
More coming tomorrow
Memphis Tigers fan listening in again... just in case. 😉
Boise St fan here. Memphis would be my first choice.
@SurfCityBill congrats for making the CFP! I was pulling for y'all. Looking forward to our return game in 2026.
@@SurfCityBill I am a Boise State fan, but I am against them joining the MWC. It just painted us into a corner agreeing to the PAC 2's terms if we get an invite to the Big 12, and have to paid even a heavier fee to leave the PAC 2 schools.
Welcome
@ I'm sure you meant the Pac, not the MWC. I agree there is some risk in moving. But I don't think Dickey see's any chance of a Big 12 invite anytime soon.
The Big Mountain keeps delivering the goods. Nice update getting interesting.
I live in San Marcos and am a Texas State fan. This is exciting news. Texas State will be a solid addition to the Pac-12
I just recently visited the campus, beautiful campus, they really need to get out of the sunbelt, they can be so good
I’m a professor (of instruction) at Texas State and a lifelong fan of Boise State. I think building a South Central or Texas division of the PAC is a no-brainer. I think UNT, UTSA, and Texas State are great adds, and if you can lock down 3 more schools (hopefully Memphis, Tulane, and either Tulsa or Rice) one could build a 6 team regional schedule with a rotating 2 team schedule from the other division (1 home and 1 away) could create a strong conference and great rivalry game. If they do this, then I could also see the Pac try and poach UTEP as a natural bridge.
Thanks for the view and comment!
I don’t know that the PAC has enough clout to elevate the prestige of that many Texas schools, but out of the three I think Texas State has the greatest potential. I know it’s just a name, but the directional schools are at a disadvantage with brand value.
@@aBrewster29 Texas State used to be Southwest Texas State, but I don’t know that they need to elevate the Texas brands. What they need to do is capitalize on Texas recruiting and Texas Tv markets. Boise State has long had a California pipeline and a smaller Texas pipeline. The PAC capturing Dallas (UNT), San Antonio and Austin (UTSA and State), El Paso (UTEP) and Houston (Rice or Sam Houston) would expose Texas to PAC football as their city’s team would likely face a PAC team in the conference championship for playoff access. For my interests, this is great for Boise State. Familiarity builds recruiting pipelines. For the conference, tapping every major market in Texas, even with minor teams, makes money and challenges the Big 12 in every market.
@ you think they need all three of those schools to build a recruiting pipeline? That’s a pretty big share going out if the schools aren’t boosting the league’s brand value. I don’t know that the juice is worth the squeeze, but I agree with you that getting into Texas would be good.
@ I don’t think it would hurt. They have kids from Texas now, but teams like Baylor, Tech, TCU, and SMU have hit it big with “the big guy’s” leftovers in Texas. I believe the PAC can compete with the smaller Texas schools in recruiting if they are regularly playing Texas teams. I also think Texas brings in money, but I’m not a TV exec. I have no idea how much State and co can bring in, but I’m guessing if one hit it big they could raise to the current Big 12’s ratings.
Awesome! I love the Fighting Armadillos!
I have been following them since Paul Blake was QB and Ed Generro was head coach.
Don't forget the kicker Kathy Ireland
Getting someone from central Texas (2-3 hours away from deep recruiting in Houston) and then UNT deep in Dallas/Fort Worth area. Getting to Texas should be PACs priority.
college sports is eating itself. eventually no one will care. going the way of nascar and the nba
Just one day old and this is already your most watched video ever at 20k+ views
You are crushing it JY. The algorithm and the public are starting to notice!!!🎉😊
Thank you!
We just keep doing our thing. We aren’t driven by clicks, we are driven by our enjoyment of the topics, giving viewers content they seem to enjoy, and digging deeper into items than most are willing or able to do.
We appreciate your comment!
Fantastic job. The PAC should definitely take Texas State, unless that's a deal breaker for Memphis, and the PAC is likely to get Memphis. Memphis still looks iffy, so yeah, take Texas State. Gonzaga won't be enthusiastic about Texas State, but I don't think that's a deal breaker.
Yeah, our basketball sucks. With that said, a move to the PAC will mean a huge upgrade to bobcat basketball in terms of funding. Most of the money earned would go to that sport.
But football accounts for the lion's share of revenues and I'm not sure a one-trick pony like Gonzaga has a leg to stand on
@@wjsIIIquite sure Gonzaga makes more money in basketball than Oregon state makes in football
@@wjsIII kinda moving the goal post but I’ll entertain you. When you combine Oregon State’s basketball and football programs they generate about 200k more than Gonzaga’s basketball team but, if you just take the overall revenue you’d see Oregon State’s bottom like is still like -7 million annually compared to Gonzaga who profits nearly 10 million annually.
@tsilgero edited my response after looking at the most recent data I could find (2023). I'll check back when I get time to review. I'd say overall program revenue is relevant and matters more than just one sport.
Have really started to enjoy this page! Thank you for the content.
You’re very welcome
Great analysis, makes HUGE sense. Who knows what will actually happen, but I can say it SHOULD shake out that way!
Critical factor in getting Memphis is the PAC12 getting a media deal that crushes the AAC's $7M payout per school. The $27.5M AAC exit fee and higher travel expense for all sports are big hurdles.
It drops to 17.9 this year
Pac is waiting for the lawsuits. They will make a decision about who comes in the conference in March. WCC keeps adding more schools. Memphis definitely wants to move to acc or big 12.
I have a feeling Memphis and UConn will move to the Big12 together (ACC if they lose members)
TxSt and UNT are two schools that have solid potential to grow in value given their location/size. Still think Memphis/Tulane are on the board and have a good chance of landing in the PAC.
Still hoping a non-football member in central time gets added like Wichita or St Louis just to build up that footprint and help with travel.
Big12 went after market instead of product and look where that got them. Tsu and nt don't belong anywhere near the pac especially since neither don't have a proven track record. Not a good look for the conference trying to get back the auto bid
@ PAC already went after product with their first 6 additions. There are no more “product” additions out there other than Memphis and Tulane, who I already mentioned and who TxSt and UNT fit with geographically.
@stevedonnie4077 no track record in sports for either. Texas State just had their best year academicly with a 2.84 average gpa for athletics.
You want a texas school go after Rice. Pretty much the same caliber as the other two atheltic wise but at least academics are good and their endowment is bigger than all the pac schools combined. Long shot, imo all texas schools left to add are garbage.
Push for Tulane and Memphis. Win the lawsuit and grab UNLV and we won't have to touch Texas.
@@APBB84 The new PAC clearly doesn’t care about academics and Rice has shown no track record of success in athletics or any aspirations to invest in them.
TxSt and UNT have at least shown a desire to grow in athletics and they’re big public schools with a lot of alumni to bring to the table.
Yes Memphis and Tulane are the clear #1 targets, but building a supporting cast in Texas has its benefits.
That would definitely make sense for Sac St to do just that, if they want to become FBS. If l remember correctly, that's what Liberty did.
Very good analysis. I feel the Sac-State scheduling agreement speculation was the most interesting and definitely a take I hadn’t heard yet
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great video JY! I kind of figured that Sacramento State might go independent. I didn't even consider that the Pac-12 might do a scheduling arrangement with them.
If that happens, hopefully they don't get screwed over and not get an invite to the Pac-12.
Thx TCFG.
Sch agreement is outside the box and a statement. That’s what Sac St is all about right now. Pushing that envelope.
good move for the Pac-12 and it helps out the Sun Belt too, making their footprint smaller (lower travel cost for members schools). I would be glad if North Texas left the American, as lower costs for East Carolina University.
I can see a remote possibility that Conference USA could take Sac St, for football only, but I would think that they would have better candidates in the MVFC
Until things are settled, I would appreciate a visual list of current teams in the PAC (and MT. West) the doing updates on these conferences. You gentleman treat the show like its a radio program but you're in a visual media so a few graphics to spice up the show would help,
Thx for the suggestion.
We always look to improve.
Graphics take more production time, but we do want to create valuable and entertaining shows, so we will certainly take this into consideration.
I believe after Texas State, it creates more options. Because then it opens things up to some of those FCS schools like Sac State. It takes 2 years before you are reclassified, so if they were the 8th school it wouldn't help before the deadline. But if you have that 8th school, you can then take someone like Sac State and still be safe.
Sac State ain’t jointing the PAC,
Good for Tx State
Good video...
Regarding UTSA & UNT its worthwhile to note that they are on partial shares with the AAC, which makes them easier to add if they get bigger shares by joining the PAC. Also if they add them for 2027 their exit fees drop to 10M.
Also, ESPN is looking at redoing their media deal with the AAC to lower it. Unless the AAC decides to give Mempbis a larger slice of the pie, that could be enough to let the PAC in to poach them.
I love how you analyze everything. I really enjoy your channel.
Thanks JY!. I so hope you have this scoped right. I am an OSU alum and I have waited for the final spoke in the wheel. It has been a long miserable trip for OSU and WSU.
I’m confident in this report as of it’s posting.
Thanks for the update JY, I look forward to hearing Steve's take on this.
Besides Memphis, UNT is the only other AAC school that actually plays basketball. Memphis is a basketball school
With 11 straight bowl seasons
@@scottyking7161 Go to the head of the Class...Memphis is the diamond because they are extremely good in football and basketball...PERIOD!!!
@@futurecolemaniii5191 i bleed blue!
I think the school that all of you keep forgetting, even though they aren't a football power house is RICE. Rice has things that those other schools don't. They are in Houston, much bigger market. They are private so the money to leave the aac is nothing to them. They once were a big name school. And they fit the old blue print for the PAC being a academic first conference.
While you make a solid point, I have no information on Rice.
@@TheBigMountainPodcast No longer any AAU schools in the PAC, I wouldn't call them an academic first conference. Rice has a beautiful campus and great academics but their fanbase is so small it doesn't move the needle in regards to the Houston MSA.
@@wjsIII you are right but it is still better than UNT. I live in Dallas and UNT while big in attendance don't really turn out. But I do still agree that it is small. I am from Memphis so I have seen them play both in UNT and Rice. I just think they have the 3 of the 4 were UNT only have 1 of the 4 pieces. Either way it is fun to watch this play out.
@@HanshinagiUNT had a higher attendance this year than both Texas state and utsa.
@matt11899 heard but still Denton.. I am surprised more than utsa but they are playing in the dome. Well played sir.
Texas State in '26, UTSA in '27, Sac State '28. This gives you two Texas and three Cali schools for recruiting and media.
You need a basketball school that helps you make up tv money with NCAA tournament shares. There is only one school that can do this and plays football Memphis. The PAC needs Memphis like MW need UNLV. I can see Texas state the rest do not move the tv ratings. It looks like you will end up with 3 Sunbealt schools maybe a CUSA school.
After Texas State, and assuming that Memphis and company doesn't work out, then I think that the PAC will choose North Texas. I like UTSA better, but Gonzaga would absolutely have heart failure at that point. UTSA's basketball would really hurt the conference, and North Texas could at least compete in the PAC in basketball and would be much better than Texas State. If it were up to me, I'd take North Texas over Texas State, but it looks like Texas state will be easier to get, and it's important to get 8.
TXST's bb isn't bad, they're having a down year but made an NIT appearance in 2022.
I think the PAC goes back to Memphis and Tulane. WSU, OSU, Fresno St, Boise St, SDST, Utah State, Colorado St, Memphis, and Tulane is NOT the equal of the old PAC, and do not make the PAC P5 again. But, it should be enough to get the conference champ into the playoffs every year and with Gonzaga on the basketball side of things boosting the conference prestige, is a better situation than WSU and OSU just merging with the MW.
Take Cal and Stanford back let Memphis go to ACC
I would love an add Texas State and eventually get Memphis & Tulane. Pac-12 would never be a power conference but you’d have to think it would be the undisputed top G5 conference every year and therefore a bid to the CFP every year.
I agree. Unless the power conferences decide to exclude all non-power teams for any playoff bids.
When they open the playoff up to 14 teams, the G5 will have a good shot at getting two in every year
@ you would think but the Big10 & SEC will want to secure a certain amount of “auto bids” for their conferences
Great video JY. Once the PAC failed to get UNLV and the AAC teams before that, I always thought Texas State was probably getting the invite next (everyone’s got to get into Texas). I would prefer UNLV (sorry JY) as the final piece but I just don’t think that will happen. Great analysis as always, looking forward to the MW video.
they can get UNLV if they win the lawsuit...MW won't be able to pay them if they lose
Would Tualne and Memphis really let UTSA and UNT jump to PAC and just be like “well I think we’re doing alright here” their fan bases might riot
Not really. Memphis,tulane, and USF really want UCONN to go with them to the ACC. Its way better travel
@ that’s true but the ACC is trending towards a settlement where nobody leaves. Unless someone leaves I don’t think the ACC expands
@@scottyking7161 Memphis will never be invited into the ACC. Honestly, I have no idea why anyone brings this up when, in relation to academics, the ACC is even snobbier than the original Pac-12. If they wanted to lower their standards, they could've taken West Virginia eons ago, and Memphis is a crappier version of West Virginia with little to no upside. Memphis fans need to let it go, because it's not happening.
@robertgoodson5528 Memphis A.D is really good buddies with Jim Phillips. He just took over in july.
@ yeah it could happen but I wouldn’t be betting on it.
Truly hope you are correct. While I retired in Kansas, I've served on the faculties at both Colorado State and Utah State, and earned the Ph.D. from Wyoming. Would LOVE to see Texas State come on board ... would rather have seen Air Force and / or UNLV ... even New Mexico.
Love the built not bought ORST shirt.. let's understand this it don't make that kind of investment in Sacramento State unless you have a good idea that sooner or later you're going to get that invite! look at Delaware. And the only thing I can say is sac State might not be ready to be the 8th member but they'll probably be the 9th. Unless Sacramento State goes operation warp speed I don't think they'll be ready for pac-12 membership in the pac-12 doesn't have much time they got like 4 months... Sacramento state will not go independent they cannot go the Liberty route.
I think texas state is the next logical move if you want to convince Memphis and tulan to come over
There's too much money in San Antonio for the PAC to ignore, but I think the PAC is too watered down to entice UTSA outright. IF Texas State joins the PAC, it's UTSA by a mile. The rivalry between UTSA and Texas State is deep seeded enough to make UTSA think twice about not joining. Not to mention, UTSA just announced their merger with UTHSC making them the 3rd largest research university in the state.
@@stephenmccray2984 what Money? What media deal? Nobody is paying to watch teams like San Jose State and North Texas play each other! Or UTSA vs Boise State hahahahaha. The AAC is a far better conference and it doesn't require absurd travel to and from games .
@@MichaelClarkJr-m9h - San Jose State plays in the Mountain West, you
Diane-Uma-Mary-Brian-Sal-Harry-Ingrid-Tom
Stanford fan!
Texas-San Antonio's chances of joining the Pac will go down the toilet WHEN Texas State is added. Why go after a city near San Marcos when you can get Denton-Dallas (North Texas) and Houston (Rice) instead?
San Antonio has a large population of migrants and military and isn't exactly a young and affluent tech hub like Austin. I like the city and enjoyed my time there but fear support for UTSA football will dwindle when they get an NFL team. There's simply not enough eyes or $ to fully support both.
@@wjsIII What NFL team? Jerry ain't allowing that.
100% agree on Texas State. This move gets the needed 8th, and would make other schools look to the PAC as a better future.
I secretly hope that the PAC and AAC approach the level of merger talks and get a really solid G5 potential P5 auto bid each year.
I'm down with Texas State, good addition 👌
Good video and love the pac12 content. I probably have higher odds on Memphis and Tulane than ya'll do but agree Texas State is very likely.
Thank you
If the PAC has any hope of retaining/re-gaining its Power-5 status, this would be a terrible choice. Whoever fills the remaining spot(s) needs to be legit power-5 level team so any mention of teams like Texas State, Sac State, North Texas....adding teams like these would insane. All those teams that left the MWC for the PAC would essentially have left that conference to join an even weaker conference.
And what's YOUR brilliant idea of getting Stanford and California back!?!
Love the shirt. Good show. Hope we add TX State. Your idea of a plan for SACST sounds like something they might try.
One of our long time dwellers gifted it to us! 🙏
The Sac St idea popped into my brain and it made far too much sense for me to not speculate on it.
Texas State!
I think Sacramento State got some promises if they hit certain benchmarks they will get invited
Pseudo Independence is a gamble for SAC st
Yes. It is. But they have shown that they aren’t afraid to take risks.
One of your best episodes.
Thank you.
NM State + PAC = PERFECT ADDITION
The Pac would pay the big bucks for the Lobos long before they touch the Aggies, and the Lobos were REJECTED too!
Welcome Texas State (if it happens)...Love that the Pac going south into the great State of Texas!...Hey Memphis and Tulane you are next up!!!
Texas is about as great as Russia. Especially cities like Waco, Lubbock and Corpus Christi!
@@psychopathyoutubeemployees280 User name checks out
SS could just as easily take a Davis-style deal (all sports except football) to join the Pac w/a scheduling-only agreement for football.
It makes sense for Texas State to join the revamped Pac-12. It would make all of them state schools. (Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State) As for adding a ninth school, if Stanford and Cal can be ACC members, could the Pac-12 add UConn as a football only member? (UConn wouldn't leave the Big East for basketball.)
It doesn't make sense for Tulane to go to the PAC 12 that crazy Tulane not even ready for it
Sac State isn't on the table for 2026 but would be later
they need to show success at the higher level and a fan base first.
I remember Boise St in the Big Sky, and look at them now. Folks ignoring Sac St (and their media market) is not seeing the potential that is there. Why bring in a school two time zones away, when you have someone right next to you, who is making strides to "get there"? 🤔.....
Sunbelt will replace with Sam Houston state!
None of those schools push the needle except UNLV. Just step up & grab UNLV & make a run to get Cal & Stanford back, their ACC membership has been terrible. Why would they want to continue to cross the country for no money.
The PAC-12 is the new Mountain West
Sacramento State as an FCS Independent is interesting, but schools are prohibited by current NCAA rules from going to FBS, without a conference invite. (Liberty had to sue to get a waiver of the rule.) The rules could change, but they are unlikely to change to make it easier to become FBS, because of GREED. The scheduling agreement idea is interesting, but I see a couple of problems. First, Sac St would have to leave the Big Sky in football. Second, is there a cap on the number of FBS schools that a FCS school may schedule each year? Third, I'm not sure that it's a rule, but I don't remember an FBS team ever playing away at an FCS school. Why make stadium improvements, if all your games are away?
If Sac St did try an sched alliance with the PAC the would probably be no more than six games.
The PAC can take TXST to get to 8, wait till AAC schools drops to 10Mil and then add again. But in the meantime, to shoreup BB and Baseball by adding St. Mary's., no matter how old their coach is, they still bring in the bay area market.
Go Rebels!
I have loved the AAC but they are a shell of what they were and it is time for Memphis to move to what is now the best non-power conference.
I just realized what drives the new PAC12 is Utah Athletics. This new conference is compromised of schools left behind of leaped frog by Utah athletics. I use Utah as an example but the idea came to me while watching BYU vs. TCU in MBB this weekend. All three were MW members at one time. I picked Utah because they were the only one of the three that used to be in the PAC12. For the new PAC12 to compare their historical resumes to those 3 schools is laughable. Maybe not OSU and WSU as much but the new members are nuts if they think they are on those 3 schools level.
2024 football attendance: UNT 23k, Texas State 22k, Utsa 21k
Great data
Im kind of hoping for a hail Mary and Memphis comes over. If the Pac wants to be the premier G6 conf they need some proven programs.
The problem is the Memphis AD.
so their (pac12) looking to be a group of 5 member, WHY???
They lost their autonomy last year and don’t have a say in the matter.
I honestly don't believe that any of the schools from the AAC will join the Pac-12 but I definitely could be wrong.
If they don't manage to get them, I think they might take Louisiana along with Texas State from the Sun Belt.
@@thatcollegefootballguy if the PAC doesn't add any AAC schools in this round I think it'll be very likely AAC schools get added in 2027 when they can get out cheaper.
If UTSA & NT are on partial shares then there may be a possibility there.
@@rumblingcds
That's been my thinking all along.
The MWC can use the payout money to pay their players
The Pac-12 might follow the Mountain West's lead? The Mountain West already snagged UTEP.
Unless they have inked a new television deal, press F for doubt if they are adding anyone. Texas State turned down the MWC already
Are you really comparing the MW to the nPac ?
Silly boy.
@ yes considering that the PAC-12 did not mind poaching teams from there.
Texas State becomes the new Hawaii... another away game I will never go see because it's too far. We used to hit up away games in San Jose, Reno, and Vegas, but those days are gone. Washington St and Oregon St are too far, likewise Colorado and Boise. As of now, San Diego is the only away city that my family can reasonably afford to visit if we want to support the Dogs, except those silly FCS games against Sac St, Cal Poly, etc.
There are no positives to come out of this realignment garbage. I'm seriously tired of people saying that this poop sandwich is somehow palatable by adding schools from Texas, CUSA, the MAC, and the FCS.
Let's all be honest for a minute... there is the Power 3, basically a paid minor league comprised of the SEC 16, the Big 17, and the Big 16, and then there is everyone else--the equivalent of amateur ball with a chance to get picked up in the transfer portal. None of it makes sense anymore. May as well add FIU and UConn to the Pac, put Hawaii in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and let the 9th ranked team in the country have the #4 playoff spot.
I feel like Will Ferrell in Zoolander... Is everyone taking crazy pills? None of this is ok. None of this makes the MW or the PAC better. They stay in exactlynthe same position--NOT in the Power 3.
I feel your pain.
Sadly, that is becoming the reality for all conferences except for the MAC. How many USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford fans travel to away conference games other than their one cross-town rival game? I would think not many.
Won’t be any worst the Hawaii and La tech in the wac.
Texas state is a sleeping giant
Sac State already has some cred as a good football program, having sent Cam Skatebo to Arizona State 2 years ago via the portal. Should CSUSac join the Pac, it absolutely bars the door to the Bay Area Pac refugees ever returning to the conference. Knowing California politics as I do, the UC and CSU systems are oil and water; they do not mix.
OSU teeshirt. Go beavs!
I like the SAC story sign them up.
If Sac State is worth scheduling a whole season with, they are worth an invite.
I know this doesn't seem likely, but after texas state, maybe new mexico state cause they would join forsure.
If the Pac wanted a footprint in New Mexico, they would have taken the Lobos when they had the chance. No chance the Aggies gets in before the Lobos.
pac 12 should add UC Davis there better than sac state
Can the Pac-12 please get Utah to go back?
UC Davis stadium will be 30.000 seating
Mountain pac conference
Rice would be the BEST Choice to add with Texas State
PAC 2's best idea of the reverse merger, then try to grab AAC schools.
The Pac Whatever is like Schlitz. Or Austria. Big brands in the past, still exists, not really big anymore
Wow
NDSU as a football affiliate. When the MWC talked to NDSU they reportedly were only interested in all-sports membership which is a lot of reaching for a school that is supposed to be desperate.
No new info. This is literally just a 15 minute op-ed video.
Thx for the comment.
Please send us someone else confirming that TXST is in ongoing negotiations with the PAC. We do not believe that is out there anywhere right now, but we could be wrong.
The TXST info is not an op-ed. it is sourced.
@@TheBigMountainPodcast you guys on twitter? I can DM you there. Not gonna out sources in YT comments.
@ Yeah that's what I expected. No response. Just bad faith engagement. What a joke.
@@MarathonMan117 yes we are on X. Our X info is in the description to our videos.
Cool shirt. Go Beavs!!
Texas State possibly going to go to the Pac 12, U.T.S.A. in San Antonio would be a great addition as the 9th. Member & would be a great rivalry with Texas State.
To much suspicious doubtful information!
UTSA, North Texas, and Texas State would be good.
UNT please
It would be very wise of the PAC 12 to try and give Montana Montana State Eastern Washington Weber State an invite though I doubt Montana n Montana State would jump to the PAC 12 but think about the huge positive the PAC 12 would get with the brawl of the wild yearly rivalry game between Montana and Montana State
UTEP isn't in the MWC, they accepted the mwc invite, but could they back out and maybe accept a pac12 invite? They're also a Texas program, why aren't they being mentioned?...
Because UTEP's combination of football record, attendance and TV Viewership numbers only appeal to C-USA and the MWC.
UC Davis is better football team
SuckState can’t even consistently win in the Big Sky
Which is why the Pac doesn't want them. Sacramento State is going to have to suck it up in the Mountain West for now.
UC Davis building a new stadium
IMO Texas St will prefer a partner school to go to the PAC-12. North Texas makes sense but exit fees may be too steep to leave. If I were the PAC-12, I would go for Sam Houston St. growing program just north of Houston. Also C-USA exit fees much lower. Then go after North Texas. From a media perspective PAC-12 would have DFW, Houston and Austin/San Antonio.