RE: Hawaii and San Diego State making statements for PAC 12 invites
San Diego State - enrollment would be in the same range as Colorado, Oregon State, Utah and Washington State; it's endowment would be dead last; it is a top-150 national university, but is in the 501-600 range in both Times/ARWU (would be dead last); SDSU is an affiliate in the PAC for men's soccer, so that counts for something.
Hawaii - enrollment would be second to last in the PAC (ahead of only Stanford); endowment would be second-to-last (assuming it came with SDSU; both programs have nearly $250 million less than the current last place endowed school in the PAC - OSU, $550 million); is a flagship/land grant institution - ARWU/Times = 201-300 (would be at same tier as Utah, higher than Washington State).
Ultimately, I think Hawaii looks much more of a fit on the surface from an institutional standpoint than San Diego State does, but I think they would be a complimentary addition to expansion and not the desired selection for expansion. They would need to be included with someone in order to make it work and for it to make sense IMO. Nobody from the MWC really makes sense from an expansion standpoint (whether by academic, athletic or institutional standards). From the Big 12, Kansas would make a ton of sense, as would - for an athletic extent - Texas and/or Oklahoma. However, everyone else, on their own (much like Hawaii) wouldn't be able to justify expansion by itself.
As I have stated previously, I think Houston should be considered a strong wild-card, long-term, for the PAC. Football and men's basketball improvements noteworthy, Houston has a strong enrollment (would be in range of Arizona, California, UCLA, USC and Washington), strong endowment (would be ahead of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah and Washington State), and has academic rankings that would be on-par with the bottom-tier of the conference. It is not AAU, but is part of the URA (like a majority of the PAC). Additionally, Houston would grant the PAC access to Texas and a new time zone. The hurdle for Houston would be involving other schools to come with them (like a Texas).
I don't see the PAC adding anyone in the next decade. If anything, they might actually get some members poached if the reports of dysfunction remain (i.e. Colorado to the B1G, or Arizona/ASU to the Big 12, etc.).
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