Big 12 vs Pac 10 – do we have preferences?

[EmersonUte]

I’ve seen a lot of posts about what may happen in the B1G, SEC, Pac 12(10), Big 12 etc.  So I have a question for Ute fans: what is your preference among the following choices?

1) Pac 10 status quo

2) join Big 12 with ASU/AZ/CO

3) Pac 10 + add in some Big 12 schools

4) Pac 10 + add in some Mountain West schools (SDSU, Fresno, UNLV, Boise)

I am sure I’m in the minority, but I actually prefer option 4. 

Option1: I think option 1 is just sailing the ship into oblivion.   I assume Oregon and Washington are gone as soon as they get the chance.  Once Notre Dame settles, it will come down to them (and/or Stanford).  As a Utah and Cal alum, these are both crappy scenarios.  By the way, I’d be shocked as a Cal alum if they just “quit football” as is being discussed.  Cal owes a king’s ransom on that stadium.  They can’t afford to quit.  Either way, we don’t want to sit and wait to be Pac 8 or 7.

Option 2: this is probably more stable than 1, but it will include greatly reduced enjoyment of road trips, and the possible reunion of the BYU game in November.  Not my favorite option, but preferrable to #1.

Option 3: I like this option a lot as long as it doesn’t include BYU.  I do think we go ahead and add 4 under the assumption that Washington and Oregon are leaving.  My preference is also to do it entirely based on football so I would add TCU, Baylor, Houston, and either Texas Tech or OK State.

Option 4:  My favorite for a couple reasons.  First, San Diego and Vegas are fine spots to put on the road trip list.  Second, the Central Valley is actually a bigger market than Utah and Boise is a solid growing market very similar to Utah.  Also I feel all 4 of these schools have chips on their shoulder – similar to how we used to be.  Also, I believe all these markets will grow.  I’d prefer California to Texas in terms of recruiting territory.  We need a little of both, but I don’t want to lose SoCal.

Finally, the new Pac 10/12/14 whatever –  buys in and we don’t schedule UCLA or USC in anything ever.  Make those turds fly to the central time zone at minimum to get a decent game.  

[ProudUte]

Option 4 may work if you could guarantee Oregon and UW never left.  That’s not possible.  So, I see option 4 as very risky.

 

[Brettski]

I agree. My top scenario at this point is to take the remaining pac schools and merge with the best of the big 12. Then if oregon or Washington take off we can just replace as needed.

West Division
Utah
ASU
Arizona
Oregon State
Oregon
Washington state
Washington
Cal
Stanford
Add: SDSU

East:
BYU
Ok State
Baylor
Tex Tech
TCU
Kansas
K State
Iowa State
Colorado
UCF (Keep Florida recruiting)

Drop Cincinnati and West Virginia

[Charlie]

I think this is likely, however, it probably will not be 20 teams. I think the top 14 teams can get pretty much the same money as 20. Those driving this conference will want to have as much money as possible trying to match the ACC. Hopefully, it is attractive to Washington and Oregon. Oregon State, Washington State, Kansas, Kansas State and the nee Big 12 schools may be apprehensive right now. If the SEC and BIG do not schedule non-conference games, this new conference should work out a deal with the ACC for a game each year to create the national aspect. The last teams into the SEC and BIG may take a long time to compete for a title so the teams that leave the Pac may have more money but less enjoyment for sometime to come.

[EmersonUte]

I’m assuming Oregon and Washington end up gone in all scenarios. Is there anything that could be done to keep them?

[noneyadb]

Option 1- Status quo. Improve their OOC schedule. Win the conference, keep playing in the Rose Bowl and get the invite to the B1G.

[ThurstonW]

Option 4.5  

Stick with the PAC and add Kansas from the B12 and Rice from the CUSA.  Both are AAU schools.  As well, Rice gets the conference into Texas and specifically into the Houston market (top 10).

CBS is undoubtedly scrambling to put something together with the PAC.  If you recall, they lost out on the new SEC contract and indicated they were looking at working with other conference(s).  If they can pull it off, maybe they keep UW and OR in place…  Losing the LA market is a huge gut punch, but even then, the PAC minus LA is still more interesting than the B12, loaded with G5 garbage.

[AZUTE]

The Pac12 is dead. The sooner you realize it the better off you’ll be.

No team from the Big12 is leaving to join a unstable conference like the Pac12

No group of 4 from the MWC is going to fix losing the marquee teams that have left and will be leaving eventually. You’d be well behind the Big12 and light years behind the Big10 and SEC.

The Utes can’t sit around and see where the cards fall. They have to prepare now for the inevitable which is the complete collapse of the Pac12.

They are only getting into the Big10 or SEC if they expand to 20+ teams. That’s not a guarantee so if Utah waited to see if that happened they would get squeezed out of the Big12 and end up back in the MWC. Which would set the program back a decade or more.

The Big12 is a lifeboat get in it for survival right now and figure out your next more in 5 years.

If the Big12 offers you take it.

[UtesRock]

Join with the ACC new conference COAST TO COAST.

[UteHorn21]

You’re from California so I get it. But California is almost behind Georgia as far as recruiting is concerned. It won’t be much longer until Georgia takes their spot at number 3.

Texas puts out the most D1 recruits every year with Florida a close second. In the new Big 12 Utah would play in both of these states along with Ohio which also puts out some great players.

Holding onto Socal as if it’s an option for Utah is like eating 30 Tylenol for a headache. Sure it’ll solve the problem but you won’t survive it….

[UteFanatic]

Option 2 is where this is headed. Not a bad result and things could certainly be worse.

Wazzu and Oregon State would kill for option 2. Perspective is important.