Chicken or Egg: School Brand vs Conference Brand?

Mike Jackson · August 28, 2021

So I am looking at the PAC-12 in this round of conference realignment and I am confused. Instead of critically examining the brand names of the teams that you might invite how about evaluating the impact your brand-name will have on a particular school? Now I completely understand the reluctance of bringing in religious institutions to a West Coast market in the broad sense. Therefore I am dismissing TCU, BYU, SMU and Baylor from this conversation. So if I am interested in adding major markets in the state of Texas with Austin off the table and San Antonio basically being an extension of the Austin market (central South Texas Market) off the table that leaves DFW area and Houston. My question is, if North Texas and the Houston Cougar are added to the Pac 12 how does it change the cultures at those two schools? Also is the change big enough to make their addition to the PAC 12 worth it to the conference?

I think this would be huge for the other athletic programs at North Texas but I wonder if we start consistently selling out Apogee Stadium’s current capacity to warrant expansion? I read arguments about winning and winning big and I’m just skeptical of that making an impact at the G5 level for anything less than a 5 year run averaging 2 losses or less a season. That is an extremely tall order for ANY program except for the top 5 college football brand names. (And usually the coaches that preside over such a run leave or are at a top 10 brand name program already 🤷🏽‍♂️)

So the questions I have are simple;

1. Hypothetically if counter to all reasonable expectations the PAC 12 adds UNT and Houston within the next 5 years and we are middle of the road program in that conference reaching a bowl game every other year (or one out of every 3) do we get 30k plus consistently at home?

2. And if that answer is no why is their such resistance to joining a majority Texas conference like the one proposed by the writer in Abilene?

untjim1995 · August 29, 2021

You lost me at UNT to the PAC…not one school in that conference would sponsor us. Hell, not one would sponsor anyone in Texas right now, except for maybe Texas Tech, and that is looking increasingly doubtful.

We need to desperately understand our place in the CFB world. If UH, UCF, BYU, Memphis, Cincy, or Boise State can’t get invited to the party, not to mention the drop kick that Tech, OSU, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, WVU, and maybe even KU just got, we have to realize that a lot of teams have fallen backwards towards us. But that falling back doesn’t mean that any of them care to actually assemble with us in a conference. Actually, they’ve shown us over and over that they don’t. Same as La Tech to ULM, same as ECU to those regional schools in Atlantic Coastal area.

Until the lower G5’s in the SBCUSA recognize this, like the MAC did, we will continue this path toward financial suicide by increasing travel costs to play teams that don’t care about each other. That’s a disaster of a plan that should have been rectified already.

drex · August 29, 2021

Liberal North Texas would be perfect fit for the PAC-12.

untjim1995 · August 29, 2021

2 minutes ago, drex said:

Liberal North Texas would be perfect fit for the PAC-12.

So would liberal New Mexico, liberal UNLV, liberal Nevada, liberal Kansas, and liberal UH…

Mike Jackson · August 29, 2021

3 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

So would liberal New Mexico, liberal UNLV, liberal Nevada, liberal Kansas, and liberal UH…

I wouldn’t call Kansas liberal in the slightest if you are comparing them to PAC 12 schools.

Mike Jackson · August 29, 2021

21 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

You lost me at UNT to the PAC…not one school in that conference would sponsor us. Hell, not one would sponsor anyone in Texas right now, except for maybe Texas Tech, and that is looking increasingly doubtful.

A lot these P5 conference moves don’t make sense considering the “TV market based” thought process we are told. PAC 12 wouldn’t consider Tech unless they can show market share in the major Texas TV markets when they aren’t playing, UT, OU, TAMU or other regional top dog.

I am all for AAC, SBC, and CUSA exchanging teams, capping conference size to 12 and reorganizing regionally but it doesn’t look like that is happening either. (I have voiced my support for regionally reorganization in other conversations here on gomeangreen.com)

My frustration (which I believe many other CFB fans share) is that the P4 is selling itself as a collective elite brands and that just isn’t the case. Except for maybe the new SEC each of these conferences have 4-5 at the max elite brands. If the PAC 12 believed strongly in its brand to increase viewership in new markets by adding teams in particular markets the Houston Cougars and another large public institution would be a no brainer move. These conferences are moving like the pie is growing when it is actually shrinking like all media market shares just due to the diversity of choices.

Putting all that aside, you didn’t answer the hypothetical. You Thanos snap North Texas and Houston into the PAC 12. And we are mediocre in the league. Does it change the culture here? If you believe it doesn’t what are we building the program towards? Because unless you go a long run of averaging 2 losses or less here nothing else really matters. Having beautiful newer stadium with Club Seats, Suites and Premium Seat you can’t fill and drawing numbers like you are a top flight FCS program isn’t something that can’t be sustained.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Mike Jackson