Pac 10 regrets expansion?

[Husker_Power]

Dickey: Latest additions to Pac-10 Conference not all positive

 

(AP) SAN FRANCISCO — The expansion of the Pac-10 Conference to include Colorado and Utah is not set in stone. It's meeting some strong opposition, most notably from former UCLA chancellor Chuck Young, who is still on the Knight's Commission for intercollegiate athletics.

 

Young was UCLA chancellor for a 30-year period, 1968-97, during which time the school advanced into the top tier of public universities. He has been sending e-mails to the chancellors and presidents of Pac-10 schools, urging them to block the expansion. He has promised not to make the content of the e-mails public (though ESPN has failed to do that) but he agreed to talk to me about his opposition.

 

Part of it is based on academic grounds. Among major conferences, the Pac-10 is the best academically, largely because of Stanford, Cal and UCLA. "Colorado is on a par with Oregon," he said. "Utah isn't even in the picture."

 

Young also feels the existing Pac-10 has a geographical sense.

 

"You have two schools in Washington, two in Oregon, two in northern California, two in southern California, two in Arizona, so you can have a complete round robin in football. I don't see any way the other schools can be brought in without affecting the rivalries between the southern and northern California schools, for instance."

 

That's especially critical for Cal and UCLA because there's more than a football game involved. When the Bears and Bruins play, it's All-U weekend on whichever campus is hosting the game, with numerous events for alumni and students from all the schools in the UC system. UCLA-Colorado or Cal-Utah wouldn't have the same significance.

 

Young is by no means an anti-sports academic. In fact, he was often on the sidelines for UCLA football when he was chancellor; he remembers the 1965 season with special fondness, when sophomore quarterback Gary Beban took the Bruins to the Rose Bowl, where they upset Michigan State, 14-12.

 

But, he's also a realist. "The goal is to bring in more money, but that won't go to the nonrevenue sports," he said. "It will be spent by football and basketball, mostly football. They'll hire more coaches, pay the coaches more. The new commissioner [Larry Scott] has already paid for a private jet to fly the conference coaches to the East to meet with media. As if that will make a difference. The basic problem of time zones remains. The Eastern media won't see many of the Pac-10 games, and they won't care."

 

I share Chancellor Young's sentiments. This has been a bad idea from the get-go.

 

Scott's original idea was to entice Texas to bolt from the Big 12 and lead other Texas and Oklahoma schools into a separate wing of what would be the "Pac-16." But, Texas had no incentive to leave the Big 12. It was only using the Pac-10 as a bargaining tool with the Big 12.

 

Now, the Pac-10 is left with the worst of two worlds. Adding Utah and Colorado will do nothing to enhance its TV viability. Figuring added travel costs, "It may be a net loss," Young said.

 

The chancellors and presidents still have to give final approval. Let's hope they stop this freight train in its tracks.

 

 

link: http://www.sfexamine...l#ixzz0xAdtHZ8B

[funhusker]

This expansion stuff is very entertaining. What would happen if Colorado and Utah are denied the Pac10? Would Colorado come begging back to the Big12 and bring Utah with them, or would they get stuck in the MWC or WAC?

 

I kind felt a kinship with Colorado when Nebraska joined the Big10, but now thankfully I realized it was just pity when the state of Texas tried to edge out the Buffs in favor of Baylor.

[Judoka]

This expansion stuff is very entertaining. What would happen if Colorado and Utah are denied the Pac10? Would Colorado come begging back to the Big12 and bring Utah with them, or would they get stuck in the MWC or WAC?

 

I kind felt a kinship with Colorado when Nebraska joined the Big10, but now thankfully I realized it was just pity when the state of Texas tried to edge out the Buffs in favor of Baylor.

I can see the remaining Big XII schools (Texas) telling CU to stick it. MWC might not be a bad landing spot for them.

[gratefullred]

I notice Mr. Young mentions nothing of the revenue to be gained by a conference championship game. If the PAC were to dump Colorado and Utah at this point they would look worse than the Big 12. A little too late to be stating your opinion.

[huKSer]

This expansion stuff is very entertaining. What would happen if Colorado and Utah are denied the Pac10? Would Colorado come begging back to the Big12 and bring Utah with them, or would they get stuck in the MWC or WAC?

 

I kind felt a kinship with Colorado when Nebraska joined the Big10, but now thankfully I realized it was just pity when the state of Texas tried to edge out the Buffs in favor of Baylor.

I can see the remaining Big XII schools (Texas) telling CU to stick it. MWC might not be a bad landing spot for them.

Well, they might be able to win a few more games. The money would suck, though

[RedDenver]

The only source quoted in this article is a former chancellor from over a decade ago. I doubt the credibility of this article's premise.

[Redmusky]

The lawyers would make a killing and the Pac 10 would be bankrupt after the court battles.

[zoogs]

This is a sucky time for Utah and CU fans. Way to make them feel welcome.

[irafreak]

Ah it's just one loud mouth. The pac10 picked the only people they really could. Who else would they take geographically? A CCG is now a must with the big 10 getting one. I think the MWC is also pursing that CCG so the pac 10 has to keep up and hope that texas will eventually lose their monopoly in the big12 and need a home.

[HuskerDu]

Ah it's just one loud mouth. The pac10 picked the only people they really could. Who else would they take geographically? A CCG is now a must with the big 10 getting one. I think the MWC is also pursing that CCG so the pac 10 has to keep up and hope that texas will eventually lose their monopoly in the big12 and need a home.

 

 

I just hope the Pac-10, Big Ten and SEC all get to 16 teams within a few years. I don't want to draw this out for a decade. That would be torture. A Pac-16 and 16 team Big Ten and SEC would give an ideal balance of powers and give us 3 major powers that keep any one from getting too dominant. Honestly, the Pac-10, Big Ten and SEC commishioners should just meet like the Allies did after World War 2 and draw up the most fair way to balance it out for the long term and still make geographic sense. That might even be possible except for the fact that Texas is such a pain in the butt..hence why we left!

[kansas husker]

I notice Mr. Young mentions nothing of the revenue to be gained by a conference championship game. If the PAC were to dump Colorado and Utah at this point they would look worse than the Big 12. A little too late to be stating your opinion.

I noticed that too, he talks about it being a net loss. I would be hard pressed to belive that the ccg game would not offset all of the travel costs involved, let alone adding colorado opens a pretty epic championship game in invesco if they chose a traveling championship.

[Danimal]

This article is just trying to stir the pot, Utah and CU to the PAC is happening. Plus calling the PAC the top acedemic con is just garbage, ya their teams at top are impressive but the lower-half are nothing to brag about. Top to bottom the 10 is stronger and the ACC is at least as good.