(03-26-2020 08:39 AM)Thiefery Wrote:  

(03-24-2020 11:55 AM)Transic_nyc Wrote:  

(03-24-2020 10:32 AM)SMUstang Wrote:  After several iterations:

PAC-14
Arizona
Arizona St.
California
Colorado
Kansas
Oklahoma
Oregon
Stanford
Texas
Texas Tech
UCLA
USC
Utah
Washington

This is right along with my thinking on this issue. I could quibble on who the 14th program would be but, being that Kansas would be preferred over Oklahoma State due to content beyond football season, it's not an issue I should consider to be a deal-breaker.

This way, neither side appears to have gotten one over the other. While there is more drag on the Big 12 side there's also drag on the PAC side. This is not me being trollish but seeing from an objective standpoint.

In any case, any conference with that profile would have to be division-less. The Arizona schools would want to play in CA and TX as much as possible.

Of course, nothing can happen until both sides set aside their egos and pride to start working together. Well, I have a better chance at winning Powerball...

As a Texas fan I would hope more schools from the current Big 12 would be included in this. There's a glaring reason why the Pac is in bad shape now. Not sure why people feel if they purge Washington St, Oregon St it would be enough. Cal, Colorado would be on my chopping list too. I'm not sure what to think of Stanford, seems like they are the biggest reason why the conference is currently in such a bad spot.

I understand that the Big 12 is only Texas, ou and Kansas but even so they can keep other "not so prestigious schools" relevant and in good financial spaces.

Which is why i feel both conferences could trim down to 8 schools, form divisions and merge or create a new conference..Big 16 with the Pac and Central divisions. If not, then Texas/ou should put all the pressure on SC to join the Big 12 because let's face it.. No one is gonna swoop in and save the current Pac 12. If SC falls, others will be wanting a life raft as well..imo of course.

Now there's a contradiction. How do you trim down each conference to eight and also keep the "not so prestigious schools" relevant and in good spaces? By definition, half of every conference's members are below average. To trim each conference to eight means that some of the perennial bottom feeders would have to be dumped.

The purpose of conference realignment should be to create regionally relevant associations of like-minded institutions who are eager and demonstrably able to compete on the field and court. That's the stuff of which lasting rivalries are made.