Well, accepting the current proposal would put it on life support for a few years. But other than that, I agree.
If it happens, I’m sad about Wazzu, they always were an accessible but fun Pac school for Bay Area kids to go to college and have a real experience. I have friends that played there. Loved Mike Leach of course.
For Utah it’s starting to look more lateral. The Pac got Utah into the AAU and the exposure. There are a lot of silver linings as well like playing in full stadiums and really dictating its own destiny. In the Bay Area in our nicer areas, teams have kids playing both ways since there’s so little interest in actually putting their kids out there.
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It seems like a big part of the problem was the timing of the PAC’s media deal renewing when ESPN is losing a lot of money. If ESPN were still making a lot of money I think they would be part of the negotiations, which would drive up the value of the PAC’s deal. With ESPN’s value in the crapper, there aren’t any other bidders going after a TV deal.
If the B12, without OU and Texas, were negotiating a deal right now, they wouldn’t be any better off than the PAC.
I understand the Stanford & Cal value to the B1G but neither school has any fans. Sure, they like to talk about the Bay area TV sets but nobody is watching Cal or Stanford play sports. I know realistically, Utah will never be a better option for the B1G over Stanford or Cal, but the sports programs at Utah are much better than either of those schools.
I’ve always said that the B12 is the worst case scenario for Utah and it looks like that option is now the only option.
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I’ve always wondered with the lack of fan interest, mediocre booster interest, empty stadiums, and athletic dept deficits why Cal (and Stanford) don’t got FCS for football. Still Div 1 (and all other sports, especially olympic sports). If Stanford was not on the opposite coast, they’d probably already just try to join football to the Ivy League.
In all this, I wonder if future valuations will be based more on fans/viewers of games rather than market size which just doesn’t seem like the right proxy for value.
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It was a fun ride while it lasted. (SDUF wipes away a tear)
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Heh. Since none of us are up front and advising on decision making, as Jack Nicholson said, “might as well lay back and enjoy the ride”.
There is a steroid-serious upside to going to the Big-12: it would crush the euphoria on Cougarboard.
They’re pooping their pants at the prospect, right now.
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instead of the Big 10 grabbing Berkley and having 2 mediocre CA schools, I’d rather see the U go to the Big10 …and let Cougarboard keep their pants or whatever is in them.
But if we do have to go to the Big12 yeah…guess it will be a small amount of satisfaction taking their toys away and breaking them…repeatedly.
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Now we’re starting to get some clarity. Instead of Utah being the kings of a small league with a CFP bid, we will end up in the big 12, where 20 teams fight for 1 bid while the B1G/SEC get the other 11.
What’s frustrating is we’re so close to a B1G invite and then we’d be set forever. Athletics and academics are spot on, but geographically/financially I’m afraid we come up just short.
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Letting the booger eaters on cougarboard squirm just might make being in the Big 12 worth it for that alone.
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Meh…let college football fail and broadcasters lose their shirts. Yeeehaaaaaaa! 
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I think the chances are slim-maybe-zero, but Utah would add a mountain time zone school with respectable academics and an up and coming brand for football. Ohio State fans give us props, certainly.
If UO and UW are looking at a half share on money, I certainly wouldn’t pass that up to be in that league. That would make a 7 team western wing, which would go a LONG way toward easing the travel issues for west coast teams.
If the Arizona schools go and we don’t announce… nah, don’t go there.
As Mrs. Ma’ake says (quoting me, quoting a 90s cartoon show): Settle down, Beavis
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I don’t think so. Why do you say this?
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i understood the pac affiliation provided a benefit, i could be misinformed. I’m unclear on the benefits of pac affiliation as far as academics are directly concerned. (beyond harder to measure indirect criteria such as “prestige” or “culture”)
Say hypothetically, for example, the SEC, prior to OU and Texas and UCLA and USC moves, had come for Utah based primarily on football. Would it have been bad either directly or indirectly for Utah overall to leave the Pac 12 and join the SEC?
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You can’t be serious? You would take that junk over the B12?
Utah is not getting a B10 invite, no way no how.
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I agree the chances are pretty slim but there was an article a few months ago saying that Utah was one of the schools that the B1G had vetted.
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I am not trashing Utes btw. You guys kicked the snot out of us last time in Ames 04/05? You guys will enjoy the B12. I notice your BYU hate is what we have for Iowa, I like it.
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You are not wrong. He screwed you guys big time.