Dan Patrick reveals likeliness Pac-12 expansion candidates get the nod to join

The confusion around Pac-12 expansion has only grown since the end of June

The Pac-12 has been the subject of much discussion and equal parts criticism over the past year. 

The conference that once had Big 12 teams begging to join the conference is now figuring out a way to make up for the loss of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten in both the media rights realm, and expansion. While they will likely never be able to bring in the value they lost in those two programs, there is a route to keep the remaining 10 programs happy.

The conference has been working on assembling a media rights deal for some time now, and according to reports it likely won't be done by the July 21 Pac-12 Media Day. Another deadline that would come and go for the conference, which to be fair it seems like they have missed about 10 deadlines throughout the year. While most fans are curious what the deal could end up being, a lot of the attention has gone to who could be joining the Pac-12.

Teams such as San Diego State, SMU, Colorado State, UNLV, and even Tulane have all been thrown around, but it is San Diego State and SMU who have long been viewed as getting the nod. However, radio personality Dan Patrick recently revealed that the conference has a couple "long shot possibilities" that may get a look as well.

Patrick revealed that he was told both UNLV and Boise State have a chance.

DP shares more on the information he received about the possibilities of San Diego State, SMU, Boise State, and UNLV joining the PAC-12. pic.twitter.com/VWciAXLwfc

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 10, 2023

While confirming both San Diego State and SMU offer great markets for the conference and that he thinks they will be members of the Pac-12 eventually, Patrick also revealed that Boise State is a team he's heard has been linked to the Pac-12 but has some major flaws. 

"Academics will be a negative with Boise State with Pac-12 and their standards. Patrick continued. "And they don't have great sports teams in other sports, they had the novelty fun part of Boise State, the blue field, but my source said "they are also looking at do you have a good basketball team...Do you have other sports that you can contribute to the Pac-12.""

When asking about UNLV, and it being in a market the Pac-12 covets, Patrick revealed that they also have an uphill battle in joining the Pac-12.

"I asked about UNLV and my source said "I don't get it, but unless it's to have presence in Vegas then I understand that."

He later expressed that while many people are criticizing San Diego State for their situation with the Mountain West, that they knew what they were doing and were hoping the Pac-12 would help them out and bring them in. 

Something that the conference made clear they would not do until after they secured their media rights deal.