Details of 2Pac deals with MWC, WCC

[TripleGrad]

https://billfarley.substack.com/p/the-pac-2s-contracts-with-the-mwc

The interesting thing is that 2Pac is not required to take ALL the MWC if they choose to rebuild the PacX.  

 

[NT80]

New Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould considering all options

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/39625392/new-pac-12-commissioner-teresa-gould-considering-all-options

[NT80]

18 hours ago, TripleGrad said:

https://billfarley.substack.com/p/the-pac-2s-contracts-with-the-mwc

The interesting thing is that 2Pac is not required to take ALL the MWC if they choose to rebuild the PacX.  

 

Correct.  The MWC Commish is trying to put an "all or none" face on it, but in reality, any that the PAC ask will move over if the PAC payout vs buyout is positive.   I expect the PAC-2 to try and cherry pick the best of the MWC based on media rights opinions. 

[Greenrex]

All this hand wringing is silly and all for show. Disney is making all these decisions.

[Matt from A700]

I know there are many here who didn't like the idea of joining the MWC because of the travel and late start times, but if the Pac-2 take all 12 MWC teams in this inevitable merger (IMO), add in the three biggest metros in Texas (us, UTSA, Rice) and UTEP and you'd have a solid (better than the AAC) 18-team conference that I believe would be pretty safe from future realignment-caused poaching since most power conferences are based in and eastward of Texas.

You would have enough "eastern" teams in this hypothetical to where at worse, a divisional team would be only an hour behind us: Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, North Texas, Rice, UTEP, UTSA, Utah State, Wyoming. And all of those schools are not a bad drive to except for USU.

That being said, I know the Pac-2 wants to pick-and-choose, so which MWC schools wouldn't make the cut?

Edited March 4 by Matt from A700

[NT80]

1 hour ago, Matt from A700 said:

I know there are many here who didn't like the idea of joining the MWC because of the travel and late start times, but if the Pac-2 take all 12 MWC teams in this inevitable merger (IMO), add in the three biggest metros in Texas (us, UTSA, Rice) and UTEP and you'd have a solid (better than the AAC) 18-team conference that I believe would be pretty safe from future realignment-caused poaching since most power conferences are based in and eastward of Texas.

You would have enough "eastern" teams in this hypothetical to where at worse, a divisional team would be only an hour behind us: Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, North Texas, Rice, UTEP, UTSA, Utah State, Wyoming. And all of those schools are not a bad drive to except for USU.

That being said, I know the Pac-2 wants to pick-and-choose, so which MWC schools wouldn't make the cut?

ESPN, or another media rights bidder, will determine which school's brand have the most value to offer, as far as media goes, if they trim down the MWC roster.

Obviously, the PAC Conference brand > MWC brand in name recognition and media value.

8 schools is the NCAA minimum number to keep a conference whole.  There is a 2-year waiver if membership falls below that.  The 2-year clock for OSU/WSU starts with the 2024-25 sports year. 

If the PAC-2 / ESPN cherry pick from the MWC, I'd rank the programs as:

Boise, SDSU, Fresno, AF, UNLV, Colo St, Wyoming, Utah St, Nevada, UNM, Hawaii, SJSU

Major media city connections = San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, Honolulu, Reno, Albuquerque

Here is the current MWC map.  Oregon St and Washington St would fit in nicely but their fans will not be happy if it's under the MWC banner.....

 

 

[Matt from A700]

27 minutes ago, NT80 said:

ESPN, or another media rights bidder, will determine which school's brand have the most value to offer, as far as media goes, if they trim down the MWC roster.

Obviously, the PAC Conference brand > MWC brand in name recognition and media value.

8 schools is the NCAA minimum number to keep a conference whole.  There is a 2-year waiver if membership falls below that.  The 2-year clock for OSU/WSU starts with the 2024-25 sports year. 

If the PAC-2 / ESPN cherry pick from the MWC, I'd rank the programs as:

Boise, SDSU, Fresno, AF, UNLV, Colo St, Wyoming, Utah St, Nevada, UNM, Hawaii, SJSU

Major media city connections = San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, Honolulu, Reno, Albuquerque

Here is the current MWC map.  Oregon St and Washington St would fit in nicely but their fans will not be happy if it's under the MWC banner.....

 

 

I agree that the Pac-Whatever name would prevail.

I know it looks bad to be coming up with an exit plan for a conference we've been in for less than a year and haven't won a championship in, but always have to be looking ahead. Considering the conference has already lost one school since we've joined, and programs like Memphis, Tulane, and USF are trying to escape (probably trying to position themselves to join the ACC if that conference falls apart). The American I think is extremely succeptible of allowing future conference realignment/purging pushing it to look like CUSA 2.0.

While this hypothetical Pac-18 wouldn't have the prestige it did with all the schools that just bolted for the B10/B12, I do think there is a bigger sense of pride for the conference you play in when it boasts the name of the region it represents (Pac, SEC, ACC - although ACC is now the Any Coast Conference). The American, like CUSA, has a very random geographic footprint. Also, having institutions that are the University of their state (New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada, Wyoming), or the State University  of their state (CSU, USU, OSU, Wazzou) looks more big-time to me. Meanwhile in The American you've got a random collection of directional schools, schools that are branches of bigger institutions, small-name private schools, etc.)

[JT Hammons]

10 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

I agree that the Pac-Whatever name would prevail.

I know it looks bad to be coming up with an exit plan for a conference we've been in for less than a year and haven't won a championship in, but always have to be looking ahead. Considering the conference has already lost one school since we've joined, and programs like Memphis, Tulane, and USF are trying to escape (probably trying to position themselves to join the ACC if that conference falls apart). The American I think is extremely succeptible of allowing future conference realignment/purging pushing it to look like CUSA 2.0.

While this hypothetical Pac-18 wouldn't have the prestige it did with all the schools that just bolted for the B10/B12, I do think there is a bigger sense of pride for the conference you play in when it boasts the name of the region it represents (Pac, SEC, ACC - although ACC is now the Any Coast Conference). The American, like CUSA, has a very random geographic footprint. Also, having institutions that are the University of their state (New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada, Wyoming), or the State University  of their state (CSU, USU, OSU, Wazzou) looks more big-time to me. Meanwhile in The American you've got a random collection of directional schools, schools that are branches of bigger institutions, small-name private schools, etc.)

We are already struggling to compete in this conference as it is even with SMU leaving.  I am not sure that heading west would be a good move.  I do agree with you that we will probably lose some teams to ACC.  The key seems to be Florida State and what they do.  After being undefeated and not going to playoffs the writing is on the wall.

[Cooke County Kid]

Be prepared for the future, it can and does move quickly.

[SMU2006]

23 hours ago, JT Hammons said:

We are already struggling to compete in this conference as it is even with SMU leaving.  I am not sure that heading west would be a good move.  I do agree with you that we will probably lose some teams to ACC.  The key seems to be Florida State and what they do.  After being undefeated and not going to playoffs the writing is on the wall.

There will continue to be jockeying between the AAC/MWC/PAC to create a "best of the rest" conference that gets the conference champion access to the playoff.

[NT80]

On 3/4/2024 at 10:35 AM, JT Hammons said:

We are already struggling to compete in this conference as it is even with SMU leaving.  I am not sure that heading west would be a good move.  I do agree with you that we will probably lose some teams to ACC.  The key seems to be Florida State and what they do.  After being undefeated and not going to playoffs the writing is on the wall.

I don't think we are struggling in the AAC at all.  Football could have won vs Memphis and Tulane.  Very close games for a first year HC facing a new, tougher conference than CUSA.  Men's basketball was 10-8 and in the upper part of the conference with again several close losses to the top seeds. Women's basketball finished 2nd after being picked second to last.  Softball started conference with a 3-game sweep of 22-2 ECU.  

As for going West to the MWC/PAC I wouldn't be against it, especially if the AAC loses Memphis, USF and Tulane.  Brands matter.