More Conference Movement Coming

[pogo]

Auburn? Or did you mean Clemson?

Yep that is what I meant.

[SubGod22]

It's about to begin. Pac-12 adding schools

ESPN - Sources: Boise State among four schools set to join Pac-12

Four schools are set to announce Thursday that they will depart the Mountain West Conference to join the Pac-12, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The Pac-12 board of directors unanimously approved applications from Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State for membership to begin in the 2026-27 academic year, sources said.

They would join Oregon State and Washington State, the conference's two remaining schools following the league's collapse in the summer of 2023.

MWC commissioner Gloria Nevarez released a statement late Wednesday to address reports the four schools were leaving the conference.

"The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead," Nevarez said. "All members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart. The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members. Our Board of Directors is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead."

Mountain West bylaws require departing schools to pay an exit fee of roughly $18 million with two years' notice, which is what the four schools expect to pay, a source said. (That number would jump to $36 million with one year's notice.)

Academics no longer are on the snobbish level in the PAC. My dream of adding Colorado State to the AAC is dead.

I would expect at least two more to be announced at least by next year. The PAC is in the first of a two year window to get back to eight schools.

This will weaken the MWC and possibly open up a couple of additions for the AAC. Right now I'd be thinking about New Mexico and possibly Air Force (Army/Navy). I don't know what New Mexico adds to football but they'd be a nice addition to the basketball side. AFA is more about prestige of being another academy school. If not AFA, one would think Utah State, UNLV, Nevada would be the next options to take the AAC to 16 for football.

[WuShockFan]

There's some talk that the Pac-12 could add Memphis. The AAC should be proactive and look at adding Air Force, New Mexico, and UNLV.

[SubGod22]

There's some talk that the Pac-12 could add Memphis. The AAC should be proactive and look at adding Air Force, New Mexico, and UNLV.

I don't think the AAC can be proactive as the MWC schools aren't going to move unless they know they're absolutely not getting into the PAC. With that said, I don't think New Mexico will get much of a look from the PAC and could be one that we could get and it would be a boost to basketball. I also wonder if they'd recruit Texas better in all sports having a few Texas teams in the conference.

I've heard Air Force is actually being considered by the PAC. I'm not sure if the AFA would like that though. The thing with the service academies is they've always been hesitant to put their non-football sports into stronger conferences as they don't feel that they could compete and it would do their student-athletes a disservice. It's why Navy and Army on football only in the AAC. Maybe AFA feels differently, but we'll have to wait and see. With the blowback they got from donors and such last time we tried to add them they're not coming unless they know the PAC is not an option. Could pretty much say that for all of them. Why jump into a southern/eastern league (for the most part) if you might get into the strongest western conference?

We absolutely take AFA if they're available. Sounds like UNLV is still expected to be in the mix for the PAC, but not guaranteed. I'd take Nevada though and Utah State if left behind. Wyoming isn't as sexy but they'll be available. I think those are really the only possible options. San Jose will probably be available but they don't really add much.

When it comes to school fit, beyond athletics, New Mexico, AFA, Utah State, Nevada, and UNLV make sense.

Though we'd also need a commitment from ESPN to raise the pay to add schools. The MWC schools aren't coming in for what the CUSA schools did.

[SubGod22]

ESPN - Oregon State AD: Pac-12 will look to add new schools quickly

Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said the newly rebuilt Pac-12 will look to add at least two more schools for 2026 as quickly as possible.

"I think John Wooden said it, 'Let's be quick but don't hurry,'" Barnes said Saturday. "Get it right, but it's in our best interest to move as quickly as we can."

The Conference of Champions, which collapsed with the departure of 10 of its teams, announced Thursday a new incarnation with four teams from the Mountain West joining Oregon State and Washington.

The revived Pac-12, with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State, will launch in 2026. But the league needs to have at least eight teams to qualify for automatic inclusion into NCAA championships and the College Football Playoff.

Asked whether the conference had seen any teams express interest in joining in the 48 hours after the realignment announcement, Barnes stated simply: "Bunches."

Barnes spoke before the rivalry game between Oregon State and former conference foe Oregon, which jumped to the Big Ten this season. He said the league could potentially add more than just the two schools needed to reach the NCAA and CFP thresholds.

"It's a lot like the processes we used to bring these foundational members in, in that the criteria will be very similar. We've already started in earnest with our first meeting yesterday to look at the landscape. There is great interest in this very early stage," Barnes said.

Sounds like the MWC could get over $100M between the four buyouts from the MWC schools leaving for the PAC and because there was a condition in the contract for the scheduling agreement this season that would impose fees on the PAC should they poach any MWC schools.

The remaining schools in the MWC will have little incentive to move for a few years as they collect the payouts from this. Odds are, the AAC won't be able to do much of anything regarding any leftover MWC schools until those payments are about done. I'm not sure what kind of time frame there will be to disperse those funds to the remaining schools. But if they would be open to leaving, they could sit on what they collect to help pay their own way out of the MWC to the AAC.

[C0|dB|00ded]

ESPN - Oregon State AD: Pac-12 will look to add new schools quickly



Sounds like the MWC could get over $100M between the four buyouts from the MWC schools leaving for the PAC and because there was a condition in the contract for the scheduling agreement this season that would impose fees on the PAC should they poach any MWC schools.

The remaining schools in the MWC will have little incentive to move for a few years as they collect the payouts from this. Odds are, the AAC won't be able to do much of anything regarding any leftover MWC schools until those payments are about done. I'm not sure what kind of time frame there will be to disperse those funds to the remaining schools. But if they would be open to leaving, they could sit on what they collect to help pay their own way out of the MWC to the AAC.

Time for a MWC/AAC merger? East-West divisions?

[SubGod22]

Time for a MWC/AAC merger? East-West divisions?

Probably not as I'm sure adding all of what will be left from the MWC to the AAC would lower overall payouts for most, if not all, schools involved. Do you really want San Jose State?

I'll be curious to see who the next 2-4 they add. The truth is, there is nothing the AAC can do right now until more is known about the PAC and who they target and what their media deal is/will be. There are schools that would need some pretty firm numbers to jump. We're talking about the two least valuable PAC schools joining with some good MWC schools that weren't generating much despite being the top of their conference. As others have said, I'm sure someone is willing to overpay, but if I remember correctly their best (most lucrative) offer before all of the defections was a streaming service and most of those schools didn't want to be primarily relegated to streaming. Maybe that won't matter for others. Maybe Fox or CBS will throw more money at them simply because of the later time slots.

The AAC should pretty much go to 20 max and that's if ESPN is willing to at the very least maintain the payouts as planned. 20 is a lot of schools for a conference. I really hate the idea of any conference having more than 16 and that seems pretty damn big.

New Mexico, Air Force, UNLV, Nevada, and Utah State offer value. I wouldn't be surprised if two of those are in the PAC by '26. Most likely UNLV and Air Force. I'd have no problem adding New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah State to add to/replenish the AAC. I'd feel bad for Wyoming, Hawaii, and San Jose trying to rebuild off of that, but if it comes down to it there are teams in CUSA and FCS that might be willing to join them. New Mexico State and UTEP might have a chance since New Mexico would be gone. They'd have to go hard after the Dakota schools and maybe the Montana schools. They seem to be the most likely FCS schools to be able to compete and build that would make sense for a western conference. Pretty sure the WAC has a few FCS schools that were hoping to move up in the future.

But if the AAC were to lose Memphis and Tulane to the PAC and were replaced with New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah State I don't think it would be a massive downfall for the AAC. The MWC will be open for picking off teams especially if they lose two more. Add Wyoming as well if you need a fourth, or I still like the idea of Toledo to get back into Ohio.

[ShockTalk]

Was there not a reason Oregon St and Washington St were left behind? Same thing goes about those MWC teams not getting picked up by a real "power conference". Only in their imagination does this move make them anywhere near a "Power Conference".

If the AAC makes a move on some of the remaining MWC teams, they need to be very picky.

[SubGod22]

Was there not a reason Oregon St and Washington St were left behind? Same thing goes about those MWC teams not getting picked up by a real "power conference". Only in their imagination does this move make them anywhere near a "Power Conference".

If the AAC makes a move on some of the remaining MWC teams, they need to be very picky.

I could see the four being chosen by the PAC as "obvious" choices. San Diego State was a no-brainer. Boise made a ton of sense if academics were no longer a major sticking point. Colorado State has been mentioned with a lot of scenarios for multiple conferences and just been on the outside looking in, or backing out in the case of the AAC. Fresno also made sense, especially since the PAC lost 4? California schools. San Diego State gets you into SoCal and Fresno I think is considered NorCal. Or is it kind of in the middle? I need to look at a map.

I've read reports where UNLV was thought to be in, so some wonder if there's some reason that is being held up or if they'll be announced with the next group of 2-4. Air Force being an academy is always in play. If the PAC doesn't take them the AAC absolutely will. Though personally they were more attractive when being grouped with CSU.

Remaining schools

Hawaii (football only in MWC) doesn't make any sense for the American. I've wondered if the PAC might consider them, but travel seems to always be the hold up there. I think that's why the NCAA allows an extra football game to teams that play Hawaii. Or is it play at Hawaii? Is that still a thing? I know it used to be.

UNLV if left behind makes some sense. They've traditionally not been good at football, though playing in the dome now may help them there. It's an easy destination to get to no matter where you're at.

Nevada I think has the better athletics program in general, but doesn't carry the same hype and recognition as UNLV. Reno isn't as sexy as Las Vegas.

Utah State is pretty solid in both major sports. Could be considered a bridge of sorts to either Nevada school.

Air Force is an academy and we have Navy and Army as football only. AFA would probably need to be all in, but might be willing to put their Olympic sports in the WAC.

Wyoming is reasonably closer in footprint than some. They've had some solid teams. Not the least bit sexy and really I think only gets an invite if AFA and/or New Mexico make a stink about it.

New Mexico makes a lot of sense from the basketball side. One of the best venues to college basketball and a lot of history. Being in a conference with Texas schools couldn't hurt it.

San Jose State makes no sense. Generally not that good at much of anything. Only purpose would be to get into California and I don't think it's that important.

So really, I think you could make arguments for five of them. I don't expect all of those five to be available. They all fit fairly well with the whole urban research university aspect the conference has going on as well. A couple are R1 universities. The Nevada schools could offer the AAC a couple of later time slots that may or may not be attractive to ESPN. Not sure if the Mountain Time Zone falls into that or not.