here is a link

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-pac-10expansion&prov=ap&type=lgns



I am

Boise State is a must. Fresno State would be solid. I really don't like the idea of adding Utah and getting away from geographic sense; at least Idaho borders a Pacific 10 state. Utah is practically the rocky mountains! If only Nevada or Hawaii were kicking ass and taking names, this decision would be a lot easier.

I found the comments on this topic's various articles interesting. Because the starting point of the discussion is with college football, it seems we want to assume they're going to go after football schools.

To hear people out there talk, schools like Boise State, Fresno, and BYU have absolutely zero chance of getting in because of the academics (research being an important factor). However, apparently Boise State's wrestling program has been participating in (and mostly winning) the Pac 10 for four years now?

The other thing is that even though there are some good football programs being mentioned, those schools still don't necessarily fit in some other key areas - financially, attendance, market, etc.

It is interesting to see Colorado as the most common name being mentioned. The Big XII would be put in a little bit of a bind in that case, especially if Missouri is also a candidate to jump to the Big Ten. It will be fun to see this all play out.

enigmaax wrote:It is interesting to see Colorado as the most common name being mentioned. The Big XII would be put in a little bit of a bind in that case, especially if Missouri is also a candidate to jump to the Big Ten. It will be fun to see this all play out.

I think the B12 already is anticipating this looking at Arkansas and TCU.

sjmvsfscs08 wrote: Boise State is a must. Fresno State would be solid. I really don't like the idea of adding Utah and getting away from geographic sense; at least Idaho borders a Pacific 10 state. Utah is practically the rocky mountains! If only Nevada or Hawaii were kicking ass and taking names, this decision would be a lot easier.

Utah borders Arizona to the North

Speculation has covered practically every state in the west at this point, though I wonder no one has said, "New Mexico and New Mexico State"?

Sonofanump wrote: I think the B12 already is anticipating this looking at Arkansas and TCU.

Interesting, I hadn't heard Arkansas. Do you know if that is something they'd actually entertain, given they left the Texas schools once? In fact, isn't it the little Texas alliance that feeds the thought that Missouri and Colorado would even look to get out?

This is my feeling on how the PAC 10 and Big XII will shake out after this is all done.....

Pac10 North
Boise St
Washington
Washington St
Oregon
Oregon St
Stanford
Fresno St

Pac 10 South
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona St
Cal
Colorado
Utah


Big XII North
Nebraska
Arkansas
TCU
Kansas
Kansas St
Iowa St

Big XII South
Texas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Baylor

gibby - So you have Missouri going to the Big Ten? Who you betting on to replace Arkansas in the SEC?

General question - with all the talk about TCU, Utah, and Boise State (I guess throw Fresno in there too) finding AQ conference homes, is BYU going to be ass out in the big picture? Seems like no one considers them a real candidate for any major conference and without the other "little big dogs" they wouldn't have an easy time getting any national love by beating up the remaining castaways.

If a couple of these things fall into place, the Big East is probably going to rape CUSA again and that will leave a big cluster of crappy MWC, WAC, and CUSA teams to combine?

Another question - I know TCU's recent football success leads to the talk about a move back to the Big XII, but why wouldn't Houston get the first crack at that? Wouldn't they bring more across the board than TCU/

enigmaax wrote:

Sonofanump wrote: I think the B12 already is anticipating this looking at Arkansas and TCU.

Interesting, I hadn't heard Arkansas. Do you know if that is something they'd actually entertain, given they left the Texas schools once? In fact, isn't it the little Texas alliance that feeds the thought that Missouri and Colorado would even look to get out?

Arkansas wants back in the B12. They are just waiting for a chance.

I really hope that the Pac-10 doesn't add two crappy teams just to be adding them.

I know in articles before they were talking that the Pac 10 may consider coming a little further east than their traditional territory and plucking a couple from the Big 12.

The article focused on how if this happened, and Mizzou went to the Big Ten, it could signal the beginning of the end for the Big 12... especially if the Big Ten decided to go to 14 and yanks another school (or 2)

Sonofanump wrote:

enigmaax wrote:

Sonofanump wrote: I think the B12 already is anticipating this looking at Arkansas and TCU.

Interesting, I hadn't heard Arkansas. Do you know if that is something they'd actually entertain, given they left the Texas schools once? In fact, isn't it the little Texas alliance that feeds the thought that Missouri and Colorado would even look to get out?

Arkansas wants back in the B12. They are just waiting for a chance.

I actually lived in that neck of the woods for a spell. Arkansas and Texas actually are long storied rivals in sports. There have been some really good matchups throughout history in both CFB and basketball. These two schools and states hate each other with a passion.

Geographically, socially and in practicality, Arkansas is much more like Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas than Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia.

Little Danny wrote: I actually lived in that neck of the woods for a spell. Arkansas and Texas actually are long storied rivals in sports. There have been some really good matchups throughout history in both CFB and basketball. These two schools and states hate each other with a passion.

Geographically, socially and in practicality, Arkansas is much more like Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas than Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia.

Yeah, the 60s and 70s Arkansas-Texas rivalry is interesting to me. Was actually kind of disappointed to see Arkansas leave the old SWC in the first place and they have always seemed out of place in the SEC to me. I assume they saw more dollars with the SEC's expansion concept originally. Now maybe there is not as significant of a difference?

Competitively, it should be a good move for them.

I wonder who the SEC would go after in this scenario? I know they would LOVE to add Georgia Tech back. Not only would it make sense geographically, it would dominate Atlanta (not that it isn't already with UGA and many other huge SEC alumni contingents being in Atlanta) and academically it would really raise the profile of the conference.

I'd trade Arkansas for Georgia Tech any day!

enigmaax wrote: gibby - So you have Missouri going to the Big Ten? Who you betting on to replace Arkansas in the SEC?

General question - with all the talk about TCU, Utah, and Boise State (I guess throw Fresno in there too) finding AQ conference homes, is BYU going to be ass out in the big picture? Seems like no one considers them a real candidate for any major conference and without the other "little big dogs" they wouldn't have an easy time getting any national love by beating up the remaining castaways.

If a couple of these things fall into place, the Big East is probably going to rape CUSA again and that will leave a big cluster of crappy MWC, WAC, and CUSA teams to combine?

Another question - I know TCU's recent football success leads to the talk about a move back to the Big XII, but why wouldn't Houston get the first crack at that? Wouldn't they bring more across the board than TCU/

South Florida seems like the most logical choice

All of these conference expansions/poaching threds crack me up. Everyone has someone else they covet or some other school that makes sense in another conference (ie. Georgia Tech to the SEC, well why not South Carolina to the ACC?).

Maybe they should just start over from scratch and re-build the six AQ conferences. A lot of the teams in Conference A made sense at one time but presently they do not ( really, does Vanderbilt make sense in the SEC, Duke/Wake Forest in the ACC or Northwestern in the B10).

^^^

Georiga Tech to the SEC does make sence

Azubuike24 wrote: I'd trade Arkansas for Georgia Tech any day!

Yeah, GT was my first thought, with South Florida replacing them in the ACC.

Arkansas originated in the SWC, they moved.

Georgia Tech was a charter member of the SEC, they moved.

Those 2 moves make a lot of sense.

Vanderbilt fits in the SEC if Tennessee and Kentucky do. Also, the SEC LOVES Vanderbilt's academic profile, even if their athletics are sub-par and they go about things a little differently.

I agree that talks of huge re-alignment is far-fetched, but I do think the recent development with the Pac-10 might have a significant trickle down impact.

ccrunner609 wrote: There is no way that Arkansas is going to the PAC 10 or B12

The Pac 10...no. The Big 12, that's where they originated and they have long-time rivalries with Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Arkansas makes more sense in almost every capacity in the Big 12.

Little Danny wrote: All of these conference expansions/poaching threds crack me up. Everyone has someone else they covet or some other school that makes sense in another conference (ie. Georgia Tech to the SEC, well why not South Carolina to the ACC?).

Maybe they should just start over from scratch and re-build the six AQ conferences. A lot of the teams in Conference A made sense at one time but presently they do not ( really, does Vanderbilt make sense in the SEC, Duke/Wake Forest in the ACC or Northwestern in the B10).

The fact is that if even one team leaves a major conference, it will have a domino effect. With two of the three remaining AQ conferences w/o title games publically stating an interest in expansion, there's a reason to talk about it more than ever.

Personally, I'm in favor of the super conference structure throughout the division and am glad the two "tens" may have finally caught onto the idea. The NCAA could never makes conferences do this, but now that there's a lean in that direction, it could open a lot of other doors for positive change in the overall system.

ok...dont kill me for this, but...why not put all AQ teams in one big-mega-super conference and have a play-off!! (by the way, I am not in favor of any kind of playoff)


I am

ccrunner609 wrote: There is no way that Arkansas is going to the PAC 10 or B12

Pac-10...no

Big 12? Yeah... why wouldn't they? As others have said they fit in there much better. And they played alot of the Big 12 teams for years

From what we've heard on the West Coast, the first school that supposedly will be invited is Utah.

The second invite is anybody's guess. Colorado has been mentioned, but most don't believe Colorado would leave the Big XII. Boise State lacks the academics and doesn't bring much in terms of a market. BYU doesn't play any games on Sundays.