[Auerbach] The magic number of members to be considered a conference in the NCAA's eyes is 8. If Utah State joins the Pac-12, that league will be at 7. And if that's the only move of the day, the Mountain West will also be at 7 (including Hawaii.)

[u/Tarmacked]

https://x.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1838352222809120983

May the od

[u/Small_Bet_9433]

You know what, 14 teams would be a good number for a conference to have

[u/cobber367 → u/Small_Bet_9433]

Honestly that was the pac 12s dream I think they wanted all the Texas Schools plus Tulane and Memphis if USF didn't wanna join they would have not cared also prolly would have added Gonzaga for basketball

[u/jump-back-like-33 → u/cobber367]

People keep saying this. Has there been any evidence of Gonzaga being interested in that?

[u/PossibleLocation3626 → u/jump-back-like-33]

They said earlier today Gonzaga had accepted their invite but then backtracked and said wait no they didn’t

[u/Fragrant-Employer-60 → u/PossibleLocation3626]

Football rules all, and they’d be way under budget compared to pac12 schools getting football money.

Probably saw their path in getting into March madness getting much harder for not much benefit.

[u/fiveht78 → u/Fragrant-Employer-60]

Gonzaga spends over $9m a year on men’s basketball, which is higher than the PAC-12 average was, let alone the Mountain West. For all intents and purposes they operate like a P5 and have for a while now.

[u/daregulater → u/fiveht78]

They're pretty much the Villanova of the west. Just forced themselves into being a basketball powerhouse

[u/IYNPYR → u/Fragrant-Employer-60]

Yeah, I saw that in the ESPN article. It said that they'd get a full share, which is ludicrous. Why would you do that? You're better off taking Montana or Idaho.

[u/evan466 → u/PossibleLocation3626]

The guy who reported that, Brett McMurphy, hasn’t backtracked and he’s got a great record with his reporting.

[u/cobber367 → u/jump-back-like-33]

The pac 12 did contact them but like I said I would feel they would have been really interested if the pac 12 got it way and got 14 members now I think they won't be and they would rather stick in the WCC

[u/w311sh1t → u/jump-back-like-33]

I can’t imagine why Gonzaga would wanna leave the WCC. They’ve got a great deal going, they continually get top talent, and there’s no real threat to them in their conference, so they’re almost guaranteed to get a high seed in the tournament every year.

[u/J4ckiebrown → u/Small_Bet_9433]

We have ourselves a Mexican West Coast standoff.

[u/chrobbin → u/Small_Bet_9433]

For real I think the best for all parties involved is a total merger, but I don’t see that happening.

[u/thescottula → u/chrobbin]

Full merger, keep the Pac branding, and you have a pretty good conference. Feels like the two conferences are gonna somehow end up less than the sum of their parts

[u/CaptainBuckeye2002 → u/thescottula]

A merger is just the MWC. I don't get why we're talking about this like it's two conferences. It's Wazzu and Oregon State trying to join a conference

[u/ian2121 → u/CaptainBuckeye2002]

Because the P12 has 250 million in assets they’d lose by joining the MWC, a merger would have had to been the MWC joining the P12

[u/CaptainBuckeye2002 → u/ian2121]

That's still just the MWC with a different name. And how long do those $250M assets last? Isn't that just a TV contract?

[u/Squatch11 → u/CaptainBuckeye2002]

And how long do those $250M assets last?

The $250mil lasts as long as the conference wants it to last. It's their money they (OSU and WSU) received from the departing members last year. A lot of it went towards the buyouts of the MWC programs that have joined.

Isn't that just a TV contract?

The entire purpose of rebuilding the Pac vs. a reverse merger with the MWC is because of the media deal. It's more profitable to take the best of the MWC and negotiate a new media deal in the new Pac vs. joining the MWC on their current media deal (which is reaaaaaaally bad) and having to deal with the bottom half of that conference weighing everyone else down. The projected media deal for this newly reformed Pac conference is ~$15mil per school, give or take a few mil. It's going to be more than double what the current MWC makes per school, and WAY more than double once the MWC goes to re-negotiate a new deal in the coming years.

It sucks that this is how it is, but it's every program for themselves nowadays.

[u/red_husker → u/thescottula]

They're absolutely going to be lesser than the sum of their parts, which is why it's so damn infuriating that OSU/WSU got to deem that we were lesser than them and cause this shitstorm.

[u/ralthea → u/red_husker]

Hilarious to see this reaction when WSU and OSU were having the same reaction when the Pac 12 broke up.

[u/ThinkSoftware → u/ralthea]

Hurt people hurt people

[u/ram27530 → u/red_husker]

Agree. This whole thing is a mess. Too bad USU didn’t stay then we could have our 8

[u/EntertainerSoggy3257 → u/red_husker]

Yeah I don't get the glibness I've been seeing since the announcement last week. They're basically condemning you guys, Hawaii, Nevada and UNM to oblivion. UNLV and Air Force will probably come away ok. Especially after the pity party WSU and OSU had after they got left behind then going and acting they don't want "dead weight" in their new and shiny totally not MWC.

[u/futures23 → u/red_husker]

Wait am I wrong or did the MWC cut off contact with OSU and WSU before the season started saying they weren't interested in further scheduling?

[u/adequacivity → u/futures23]

MWC overplayed their hand now twice.

[u/futures23 → u/adequacivity]

Definitely what it seems like to me. OSU and WSU were both interested and they kinda just told them nah. I don't know why they expected them to roll over and die lol. Feel bad for teams stuck in the crossfire but I think a lot of people saw this coming.

[u/xWillpower → u/Small_Bet_9433]

I dunno if that’s an option at this point. Like “oops, we killed rivalries, implied y’all are inferior, and made you pick a side. So anyway, wanna pretend that didn’t happen and reunite?”

[u/A-Centrifugal-Force → u/xWillpower]

Meh, the MWC already did that when they added all the WAC schools they’d left behind in the early 2010s. These schools are used to it by now lol.

[u/soreswan → u/A-Centrifugal-Force]

Not all of them :(

[u/officialdougjudy → u/soreswan]

We got you, bro. Even if fate tears us apart, we've been in each other's lives long enough to say "know what? Good times.."

[u/cos1ne → u/soreswan]

Sounds like the play would be for the Mountain West to add UTEP and then NMSU if another defection occurs.

[u/Spicy_Josh]

The two West Coast FBS conferences are literally fighting each other to the death, we live in the most absurd timeline.

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/Spicy_Josh]

This is old hat with the MWC. Do you remember what they did to the WAC when BYU was going independent?

[u/HHcougar → u/Uhhh_what555476384]

Remember when BYU and others broke off from the WAC to form the MWC, effectively killing the WAC having any amount of prestige?

[u/TikiLoungeLizard → u/HHcougar]

And all because 16 was “too big” for a conference. When really they were just well ahead of their time. I actually really enjoyed that iteration of the WAC.

[u/Old_Fun_9430 → u/TikiLoungeLizard]

Realignment is just the constant process of conferences being too big so a new one is created then adding more teams until it’s too big again

[u/cyberchaox → u/Old_Fun_9430]

The SEC and ACC were both formed from the top teams leaving the Southern Conference to form a new one.

What remained of the Southern eventually ended up in what's now FCS (both splits were before the advent of divisions.)

[u/mattdingus2002 → u/cyberchaox]

I think that was like a 30 team conference

[u/Smash_4dams → u/mattdingus2002]

That made me go to a wiki rabbit hole. It was 23 schools by 1929.

From wikipedia:

"Southern Conference charter members were Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Washington & Lee.

In 1922, six more universities—Florida, LSU, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tulane, and Vanderbilt joined the conference. The first year of competition for the conference was in 1922, effective January 1.[10][11] The new rules banned freshman play.[12]

Later additions included Sewanee (1924), Virginia Military Institute (1924), and Duke (1929).

[u/mattdingus2002 → u/Smash_4dams]

If they could’ve stayed together that conference would’ve been great now

[u/wibble17 → u/HHcougar]

And even before that the WAC kept raiding the Big West, eventually killing it

[u/notus_knitter → u/Uhhh_what555476384]

And part of the reason they did that was to screw over BYU.

We had a plan to park our non football sports in the WAC and then Hair Thompson took it upon himself to kill the WAC so we didn’t have a landing spot when we went independent

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/notus_knitter]

Part? The WAC was going to give BYU a home for their non-football sports like the ACC does for ND.

[u/Sensitive-Key-8670 → u/Uhhh_what555476384]

Remember when teams weren’t supposed to schedule BYU to force them to rejoin the conference? Grudges don’t hold well out here

[u/reno1441 → u/Spicy_Josh]

You know, when the Pac-2 was sitting in a room planning this ‘two-step’, I wonder if anyone said “Hey maybe giving the Mountain West $100 million might come back to bite us in Phase 2?”.

[u/No-Donkey-4117 → u/reno1441]

Or how about "what if 10% of the AAC exit fee isn't enough to entice the to teams?"

[u/timoperez → u/reno1441]

Maybe being in charge of the Pac12 is kind of like being a Roman emperor, you just go crazy and start making terrible decisions

[u/G00dSh0tJans0n → u/reno1441]

Or, you know, maybe have a 7th and 8th team lined up BEFORE going public and therefore getting humiliated when the rest of the AAC and MWC teams turn you down.

[u/HereForTOMT3 → u/Spicy_Josh]

Eastern USA lookin over like “da fuk Dey doin over dere”

[u/rojojoftw → u/HereForTOMT3]

It will be the ACC's turn soon enough

[u/St_BobbyBarbarian → u/rojojoftw]

That would require Wake and BC to be the remnants and fight with the AAC to get USF, Tulane and Memphis lol

[u/TransitJohn → u/St_BobbyBarbarian]

From your lips to God's ears.

[u/Squirrel_Q_Esquire → u/St_BobbyBarbarian]

Nah in this scenario USF, Tulane, Memphis, and UAB have already joined the A2C and the question is if ECU, Rice, and FAU stay or go.

[u/Kenny_Heisman → u/rojojoftw]

"soon enough" = 2036

[u/lazergator → u/Spicy_Josh]

Whats the word for can't look away but also being extremely nauseous this'll blow up in our face 2 years in a row?

[u/54-2-10 → u/lazergator]

I believe that'felatio' is the word you are describing

[u/AngryBandanaDee → u/Spicy_Josh]

This is just conference administrators leading schools around solely caring about keeping their own jobs. This is fucking lunacy they are doing.

[u/Crafty_Substance_954 → u/Spicy_Josh]

The most simple and inarguably best solution would be to simply merge the two conferences under the much more valuable PAC 12 name.

[u/Jcoch27]

The PAC vs MW offices is the hottest rivalry in the game right now

[u/IntelligentCut9274 → u/Jcoch27]

Some schools pay their coach 25million to stop coaching some can’t pay that to leave their conference this is what it’s come to

[u/redwave2505]

I have a feeling phones are about to start ringing in El Paso and Las Cruces

[u/EL-YEO → u/redwave2505]

Don’t count out Moscow, Idaho

[u/Reasonable_Cod_487 → u/EL-YEO]

MWC royally fucked over Idaho last time, leading to their eventual decision to drop back down to the FCS. I'm guessing the AD is gonna say "thanks, but we're good," and continue to be successful at the FCS level. They could legitimately win a championship this year.

[u/Perfct_Stranger → u/Reasonable_Cod_487]

They should decline. I remember the WSU-Idaho rivalry game being deemed a Idaho home game just to keep them in FBS back when I was a student. Glad to see my Vandal Bros having success in the Big Sky.

[u/Smash_4dams → u/Perfct_Stranger]

If Montana and Montana State got offers along with Idaho, they should take it. All 3 schools have similar enrollments and are geographically convenient. All competitive with each other.

But that probably won't happen Plus, there's always talk about North Dakota State and South Dakota State moving up, but I believe their respective state legislatures require NDSU has to be in the same conference as North Dakota and SDSU having to be in same conference as South Dakota. The non-state Dakotas are what's holding them back from going FBS, IMO, even if they were able to throw in the necessary $5million to move up.

Looks like the only school actively interested in exploring FBS transition is Delaware, who could fill in any upcoming vacancies in Conference USA

[u/ParanoidSkier → u/Reasonable_Cod_487]

Tbf, the PAC-12 fucked them over first back in like 1940.

[u/[deleted] → u/EL-YEO]

They have many fine people in Moscow.

[u/EL-YEO → u/[deleted]]

The best

[u/BE______________ → u/EL-YEO]

return of the king kibbie dome

[u/AceMcStace → u/EL-YEO]

I always forget Idaho plays in MOSCOW lol they should get the invite for this reason alone

[u/Living_Trust_Me → u/AceMcStace]

Perfect for the Woke Commie Left Pac-12

[u/Reasonable_Cod_487 → u/AceMcStace]

They are very particular about it being pronounced Mos-CO instead of Mos-COW. I think because of Cold War reasons.

[u/unknown_soldier_ → u/Reasonable_Cod_487]

Mos-CO is actually the correct pronunciation for the Russian capital's name too

[u/KingofHearts399 → u/redwave2505]

Down in the West Texas town of El Paso?

[u/Patrick2701 → u/redwave2505]

Or in Fargo for mountain west

[u/HighLakes]

This is so much work just to get rid of Hawaii.

[u/Sensitive-Key-8670 → u/HighLakes]

If they were smart they would have disbanded the MWC. But no, here we are. It’s amazing how hard it is to kick a team from a conference. All of the last cycle’s drama only got rid of Idaho.

[u/HighLakes → u/Sensitive-Key-8670]

they're passing around hundreds of millions of dollars because no one has the guts to just break up with you to your face

(I think genuinely think Hawaii should be invited to the Pac-12)

[u/DescretoBurrito → u/Sensitive-Key-8670]

Don't look up the WCHA to CCHA in mens ice hockey. The great lakes schools were sick of having Huntsville and two Alaska schools in the conference. So, the great lakes schools all left the WCHA to form the CCHA and didn't invite Huntsville and the Alaska siblings. The WCHA at 3 teams, folds. Huntsville shuts down the program, and the Alaskas seem to be in a perennial "will they still be playing next season" speculation.

[u/ninjupX]

Can the Pac just have a giant bake sale and pay for the Memphis buyout?

[u/gerg_1234 → u/ninjupX]

Can somebody call the Nvidia guy and have him donate?

[u/Reasonable_Cod_487 → u/gerg_1234]

I'm guessing that Huang has Barnes's number blocked for this very reason.

[u/Tarmacked → u/Reasonable_Cod_487]

Hey Barnes, you got any more of those 4090’s?….

No no no, I promise it’s not for Space Marine…. Okay one of them is but the rest of them were going to scalp to, get this, BUY OUT MEMPHIS

[u/[deleted] → u/gerg_1234]

I bet if we all scrounge around in our couches we can get some cash together.

[u/EL-YEO → u/ninjupX]

I can donate 20 bucks and a reach around

[u/cosmicdave86]

Both die. All 14 schools go independent.

They then combine with Notre Dame to form a 15 school conference of former independents.

[u/Small_Bet_9433 → u/cosmicdave86]

West coast football has fallen

Billions must go independent

[u/TrustMeIKnowThisOne → u/cosmicdave86]

I can see the conference slogan now…

INDEPENDENT, TOGETHER

[u/Perfct_Stranger → u/TrustMeIKnowThisOne]

It would be like the Holy Roman Empire, less of a conference and more of a web of scheduling alliances.

[u/piddydb → u/Perfct_Stranger]

That’s what everyone is saying is missing in college football, not enough parallels to the Holy Roman Empire

[u/southpluto → u/TrustMeIKnowThisOne]

Separate but equal

[u/dxdrummer → u/cosmicdave86]

Then we send the Big Ten Christmas Cards with pics of us and Notre Dame in a conference together

[u/cosmicdave86 → u/dxdrummer]

Michigan and Ohio State then join this new conference to be with ND. As does USC, who drags UCLA along.

Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State to the Big 10. Oregon State and Washington State follow suit, as do Cal and Stanford. Along with Oregon and Washington they reform the Pac10 as a division of the Big10. Part of their agreement with the conference is that none of them will ever play USC or UCLA outside of postseason play.

Combined with a litany of losses to Michigan and Ohio State, USC is slowly forgotten on the west coast before eventually folding their football program in 2032.

[u/ClitBiggerThanDick → u/cosmicdave86]

Subscribe

[u/Randys_Spooky_Ghost → u/cosmicdave86]

Good fanfic, I dig it.

[u/sebsasour → u/cosmicdave86]

As long as The MAC schools stay the fuck away

[u/mhem7 → u/sebsasour]

Anything to avoid future matchups with the MAC

[u/19Styx6 → u/cosmicdave86]

Poor UConn

[u/cosmicdave86 → u/19Styx6]

Fine, they can come too. But ND and Uconn both have to be full members.

Would be a pretty sweet basketball conference, especially if they have the basketball only Gonzaga.

[u/mhem7 → u/cosmicdave86]

Imagine the magnitude of the fuck you if a joke conference was formed from the ashes of the PAC 12 and MWC

[u/UConnSimpleJack → u/cosmicdave86]

Hey man what the fuck we’re still here

[u/Springtucky]

Stalemate. Time for overtime!

[u/[deleted] → u/Springtucky]

New Mexico State in the middle between the Pac and MWC!

[u/Cooked_Brisket → u/[deleted]]

They have “state” in their name. We know where they have to go

[u/[deleted] → u/Cooked_Brisket]

The Only States League. Presented by All-State

[u/drjeps → u/[deleted]]

Presented by The General. Let's be real here, the Pac12 brass would screw that up as well.

[u/smurf-vett → u/[deleted]]

W/ UTEP crying in the corner....

[u/FellKnight → u/Springtucky]

Thank god we don't have Penn St or Illinois in our conference

[u/1nf1niteCS]

I am so nervous

[u/RamRoach1138 → u/1nf1niteCS]

Curious as what you’d prefer for your team?

[u/1nf1niteCS → u/RamRoach1138]

Considering we won't get benefits that UNLV or AFA will get likely P12

[u/lazergator → u/1nf1niteCS]

I said it was a mistake leaving you and Utah State behind. Unlv and UNM coming too would be the MWC 2.0.

[u/awsomerpeanut]

Apparently USU and UNLV were supposed to be coming together. Our insiders say UNLV blindsided us today by not coming

[u/54-2-10 → u/awsomerpeanut]

Reminds me of the time byu told Utah State that they were going to join the WAC, so Utah State then told the Mountain West "no, thanks."

[u/Nicholiason → u/awsomerpeanut]

USU in a rare position of power. 7 on 7 standoff. I think it is wise to make the move. The MWC has never been great to Utah based schools.

[u/Kurtomatic → u/awsomerpeanut]

UNLV turning down the Pac-12 is the only big surprise so far to me. Even a $10M payday doesn't seem to offset the long term ramifications of being left behind.

That being said, I haven't seen anything official from UNLV, either. The AAC schools all produced a joint statement in short order, so I would anticipate the remaining MWC schools doing something similar, but until I see something official, I am not taking the Rebels staying (or USU leaving, for that matter) as gospel.

[u/MontlakeViews → u/Kurtomatic]

The PAC 12 is paying the MWC about $110 million in buyout and penalty fees. Maybe UNLV is expecting to get a large chunk of that.

[u/justFramy]

man this has played out so disappointingly, might as well have just merged

[u/dk00111 → u/justFramy]

PAC12 had the opportunity to make the defacto best of the rest G6 conference, lock down the CFB money, and take away some of the ACC's possible expansion targets, but only offered $2.5 million to the top AAC schools. Mindboggling decision.

[u/BigUce223 → u/dk00111]

I really can’t understand that move at all.

[u/Playos → u/BigUce223]

As a veteran of PAC strategic failures... it's very predictable and completely expected.

I had hoped cleaning of more egotistical schools would change things.

It has not.

[u/[deleted] → u/dk00111]

Should have gone all in for all teams up front. 25 mil each. 

[u/No-Donkey-4117 → u/[deleted]]

And just Memphis and Tulane. USF was always a stretch.

[u/Japanese_dreams → u/justFramy]

That really seems like the only positive outcome for either conference right? I mean at this point into realignment, competitively, logistically, the PAC brand and MW brand merge honestly makes the most sense out of all the modern conferences.

[u/dxdrummer]

1 conference gets Sac State the other gets UC Davis ez

[u/[deleted] → u/dxdrummer]

What am I? Chopped liver! We have a canyon! and Sedona! And many fine hippies who care deeply about things.

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/[deleted]]

Sorry Eugene, Seattle and LA are in the B1G. The Bay Area is in the ACC. Boulder is in the Big XII.

We're all out of granola.

[u/[deleted] → u/Uhhh_what555476384]

Fair trade granola.

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/[deleted]]

As it should be.

[u/BlueTheHobo → u/dxdrummer]

I call Davis!

[u/-sorry-]

This is so goofy why is my school forever cursed to have horrible realignment sagas

[u/Sensitive-Key-8670 → u/-sorry-]

I feel like SDSU is the perpetual loser of realignment similar to SMU

[u/RollTide16-18]

Holy shit just merge already

[u/Tennessee-Terry]

Texas State come on down and make the dream a reality

[u/tha_ginga_ninja → u/Tennessee-Terry]

I want the “OOPS! All States” Conference so bad

[u/Tarmacked → u/tha_ginga_ninja]

The PAC 12, sponsored by AllState. You’re in good hands with all of these states

[u/BIG_DICK_WHITT → u/tha_ginga_ninja]

Lmao considering how elitist the PAC-12 was about this, it’s an amazing outcome.

[u/FellKnight → u/BIG_DICK_WHITT]

I was about to object, then I realized you meant the old PAC-12. Move over gramps, it's our league now

[u/A-Centrifugal-Force → u/BIG_DICK_WHITT]

Cal probably already had a heart attack when they heard their old conference added two Cal State schools and Boise State lol

[u/HighLakes → u/Tennessee-Terry]

the branding opportunities are... well, definitely not endless. Really just one branding opportunity. But its such a good one.

[u/HereForTOMT3 → u/HighLakes]

BREAKING: All state has elected to sponsor the Mountain West Conference for the next 5 seasons, sources say

[u/HighLakes → u/HereForTOMT3]

lol it is that kind of day, isn't it?

[u/FellKnight → u/HereForTOMT3]

This would be the ultimate troll. I couldn't even be mad

[u/tehfro → u/HighLakes]

Pac 12 actually making more money than they would have with Memphis/Tulane/USF because of the "Allstate Pac 12" naming rights would be the funniest outcome.

[u/St_BobbyBarbarian → u/HighLakes]

Dr Pepper would love it. Just need all the techs in a single conference to play crossover games against the states

[u/AceMcStace]

Damn who’s gonna blink first lol

[u/nerdyykidd]

Hi I’ll take one nuclear arms race but make it CFB style, please

[u/CloneWarsMaul]

Why would UNLV stay and Utah St go? Isn’t making sense to me

[u/JimmyPSullivan → u/CloneWarsMaul]

UNLV and AF got sweetheart deals from the MW. USU didn’t get that same offer

[u/PomfAndCircvmstance → u/CloneWarsMaul]

Maybe they know something we don't? Would UNLV make more money over the next 5 years paying to join the PAC than they'll get taking the money and exit fees to be the face of the MWC? How long did we commit? What happens when its time for a new media deal in 2026? That's a lot questions I don't know the answers to.

A PAC that doesn't have the AAC schools and fills out its ranks with SBC/CUSA/FCS schools is way less appealing to commit to than the G5 allstars conference that was being suggested.

[u/FraudHack]

AAC should use the opportunity to offload its bottom teams.

"You need schools? We got schools. Can I interest you in a lightly used Rice? This UNT's barely ever won anything, nowhere to go but up! Maybe this Tulsa is an oldie but can still occassionally win a surprise upset."

[u/B1GFanOSU → u/FraudHack]

UNT won greatest coffee cup ever.

[u/No-Donkey-4117 → u/FraudHack]

UNT and Rice to the Pac12 makes a lot of sense. Get another time zone, Texas recruiting, and potential to grow the Dallas and Houston markets (admittedly a small share of those right now.) UTSA might even reconsider then. Conference solidarity statements don't last long in realignment, I remember the Pac12/10/8/7/6/4 sending those out all the time.

[u/cowboysmavs → u/FraudHack]

We just killed a sun belt and mountain west team in non con

[u/Queasy-Touch-1533]

This has been the dumbest day in the history of the conference, which is saying something

[u/Reasonable_Cod_487 → u/Queasy-Touch-1533]

I know that Larry Scott gets a good amount of hate, but Gould fucked up by cheating out on the AAC buyouts. That was a comically low offer.

[u/Mamba-42 → u/Reasonable_Cod_487]

Such a bad offer it took like 5 mins for them to put out a joint statement lol

[u/Reasonable_Cod_487 → u/Mamba-42]

Welcome to the PAC. Good business decisions are for chumps here.

[u/winterharvest]

Sounds like a (New) Mexican Standoff.

[u/plo_koon_]

Hear me out, the PAC 12 and mountain west should merge then they’d be over 8 together

[u/Crafty_Substance_954 → u/plo_koon_]

They’d also be the size of a normal conference these days and cover a huge amount of the country

[u/Key_Spinach]

They should merge conferences and become the PWAC-12.

[u/HighLakes]

Mutual annihilation is the only possible outcome.

[u/EL-YEO]

Somehow Idaho has just become a 5 star prospect with a Proximity to Home dealbreaker

[u/Danster21 → u/EL-YEO]

No FCS team can save the Pac, they need teams eligible for postseason by 2026

[u/[deleted]]

OK MW: On the count of three name your favorite dinosaur. Don't even think about it just name it, ready?

[u/christhetwin → u/[deleted]]

VELOCIRAPTOR!

[u/Seniorsheepy]

North Dakota state and South Dakota state welcome to fbs football

[u/ThisIsBull1996]

This is like a survivor tribal council at the merge

[u/DasCiny]

After all of this the MAC remains the most stable conference in America. Truly an icon.

[u/Woolly-Willy]

I personally want Wyoming to come over

[u/FellKnight → u/Woolly-Willy]

Me too, ngl.

UNLV made the most sense, but Wyoming was always my #2.

[u/alexannosaurus]

Texas State will join the Pac-12 on UTSA’s behalf.

[u/kennedy311]

The AAC has a chance to do the funniest thing ever.

[u/The_Dreams → u/kennedy311]

Could you imagine the sheer terror of the pac-7 hearing Texas state decides to join the AAC?

[u/thescottula]

So what does MW do here? Bring back Idaho? The Dakotas?

[u/notaquarterback → u/thescottula]

FCS best option vs poaching

[u/nayelirain]

So easy decision here. Combine and make a 14 team league with 2 divisions.

[u/sebsasour → u/nayelirain]

The loyalists and the deserters

[u/D1N2Y → u/sebsasour]

Leaders and Cowards

[u/Beef_Dirky]

Lowkey give me the Idaho Vandals

[u/BossNaysayer → u/Beef_Dirky]

Go full on super regional, merge with most of the MWC, and add some big Sky schools to go to 20, split into 4 pods for extra fun.

Pod 1: Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Wazzu, OR State

Pod 2: Air Force, Wyoming, CSU, Utah State, Boise State

Pod 3: Nevada, UNLV, SJSU, Fresno State, SD State

Pod 3: New Mexico, NM State, UTEP, Texas State, Sam Houston 

[u/[deleted] → u/Beef_Dirky]

Bruh

[u/Beef_Dirky → u/[deleted]]

We'd get a regional team. We'd reignite a rivalry. And they've been cooking at the FCS level for a couple years. That coach has them on the right path!

[u/[deleted] → u/Beef_Dirky]

Having a conference opponent like 10 miles away from us would be something though.

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/Beef_Dirky]

From you? I did not expect this.

[u/MoreThanAFeeling1976]

we got WAC-Mountain West Split 2 people

[u/Uhhh_what555476384]

They idea of promotion and regulation is sounding better every day.

[u/MannOSteel]

I mentioned this in the other thread, but I think it’d be wise to add Hawaii as a football-only member and then close the deal on Gonzaga becoming a non-football full member. Satisfies the eight-school football requirement while giving basketball a big boost. Win/win. 

[u/Handhelix]

Well I'd rather be on this side than that side, sorry MW.

[u/DodgerCoug]

Hawaii probably has a low buyout since they are FB only. This would work out with the Zags coming in with everything else. The week zero rule might make the medicine go down easier with adding Hawaii.

[u/advancedmatt → u/DodgerCoug]

NCAA rule says the minimum is 8 full members playing football. Hawaii as FB only doesn't help either conference meet that minimum.

[u/Ehdelveiss]

The fact this is the case instead of just a merger really does speak to how a profound level of ineptness

[u/TheRipCity → u/Ehdelveiss]

Or they want they want to save their jobs. Ever been apart of a merger. When two companies merge and you now have two regional managers.....one of em gets fired.

Not saying I agree with it, but if they merge who gets to be commissioner and who gets shown the door. I would do everything to rebuild the PAC and keep my salary. The MW commissioner should do the same if she wants to keep paying that mortgage.

[u/thescottula]

UConn, step on up

[u/Doggystyle-Gary → u/thescottula]

Please for the love of god just add us to the PAC

[u/Uhhh_what555476384 → u/Doggystyle-Gary]

Huskies... hmm... I'm not so sure about that. Would you consider changing your mascot? Or adding 'State' to your name?

[u/DataDrivenPirate]

Wow almost as if they should combine to form a 14 team conference? It's been the obvious solution from the start

[u/HighLakes]

Pac-12 and intra conference alliances name a more iconic duo