Six schools that the Pac-12 should consider adding

The Pac-12 needs a contingency plan for the days after USC and UCLA and expansion may be the way to go

The Pac-12 lost its two Los Angeles schools to the Big Ten in what really was the blink of an eye.

USC and UCLA who had been working in the shadows to make the move, and possibly sabotaging the Pac-12 on their way out, will now be heading to the Big Ten for the 2024 season. This has left the Pac-12 with 10 teams and fighting for their lives to simply exist as a conference. 

However, recent news that ESPN backed out of media rights negotiations with the Big Ten indicates that there may be light at the end of the tunnel for the Pac-12 who are still viewed as having value for the evening time slots. That's right, conference expansion and all of the negations are based off how much value and eye balls conference's can get on the T.V. for whoever is televising the games. 

Thus making it vital that the Pac-12 adds at least two more teams, but the optimal number would be six. Getting back to 12 is a must, but the conference needs to be on the offensive side of things for once and get ahead of the Big 12 and ACC when it comes to forming larger mega-conferences. The Big Ten and the SEC are already destined and in position to form their mega-conference, everyone else is playing catch-up. Now granted, there aren't any teams out there that will bring the value and prestige that the conference lost with USC and UCLA, but more teams equates to more markets, which equals more money. 

Most of, if not all of the options for the Pac-12 are Group of Five schools but again do not focus on what conference they are in now, look more at where they reside. 

Another thing that the Pac-12 may have to eliminate or at least loosen, are their requirements to join the conference such as being a Tier 1 research institute. They no longer have that luxury of being picky, maybe if they didn't listen to Carol Folt about not taking in Big 12 teams looking for homes, they could have been. 

Either way, the conference needs to add more schools and there are still viable options that while they won't all move the needle in terms of on the field performance, they secure major markets for the conference. In honor of football starting soon, I felt it was necessary for one last realignment argument. Let's take a look at the six teams that I think the Pac-12 needs to add in order of importance/likeness to happen. 

San Diego State

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San Diego State is currently viewed as the most attractive and the most likely team to enter the Pac-12 ranks. They give the conference access to the Los Angeles market again, and in terms of competitiveness they have faired well against the Pac-12.

They already have a couple sports that have joined the conference as affiliates, in women's lacrosse in 2024 and men's soccer who has been a member since 2005. The conference could really use a school in Southern California for market reasons, and having a program who has been apart of the top 25 in four out of the last six seasons would be a major boost. The Aztecs also beat the conference champion Utah Utes this past season. San Diego State is also home to a very good basketball program, that frequently makes the March Madness tournament and likely will be near the top of the Pac-12, should they join. The Aztecs have been waiting for a chance to join, and they may finally get their shot.

SMU

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SMU was overlooked by the Big 12 in their expansion, but would give the Pac-12 a Dallas connect that they don't have. Similar to San Diego State they are not a R1 research institute. However SMU does possess an endowment of more than $2 billion and are No. 68 in the latest U.S, News and World Report rankings of national universities, which is higher than every remaining school in the Pac-12 except Stanford, Cal and Washington. Not to mention, they recently announced an NIL deal with Boulevard Collective (SMU Alumni) that will pay football and basketball athletes $36,000 a year. The "Pony Express" days are now allowed, and SMU is looking mighty attractive.

Aside from giving the Pac-12 access to the Dallas market, SMU has been one of the best Group of Five programs in the country and would instantly compete in the Pac-12. Schools having an in when it comes to recruiting in the state of Texas, would only boost the level of play as well. 

UNLV

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Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff was the President of MGM Sports and Entertainment prior to taking the gig as Pac-12 Commissioner, so he knows just as well as anyone how valuable the Las Vegas market can be. Las Vegas is becoming a sports hub with the NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, and WNBA all thriving there, and rumors that NBA, MLS, and possibly MLB could be on their way. The Pac-12 have also held their conference championships there. 

On the down side UNLV's football program has been a habitual bottom feeder, as 2013 was their last winning season prior to their previous one in 2000. However, a jump up to the Pac-12 may make the program a hotter commodity. Especially when you consider the facilities that they have at their disposal such as the Fertitta Football Complex and Allegiant Stadium. Their basketball program is usually extremely competitive, and would fit right in. Adding UNLV would be more of a market based move, if their programs compete that's an added bonus. 

Fresno State

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One of the other Mountain West schools that likely is vying for a nod to join the Pac-12 is Fresno State, who mind you beat UCLA this past season. The program has been competing at a very high level, makes sense geographically (as if that matters anymore), and they have had success playing against the conference in the past having at least a .500 record against five of the schools in the conference. 

In terms of revenue, like I previously mentioned there aren't many programs that will be able to equate the value lost. However, if the Pac-12 can add a Southern California market with San Diego State, the Las Vegas market with UNLV, and the Dallas market that comes with SMU the conference can afford to add teams for the sake of competitiveness. 

Boise State

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The Broncos have been one of the most successful Group of 5 programs in recent history, and are mentioned anytime conference realignment talk surfaces. The football program would be a very good competitive addition to the conference, but other than that the rest of their programs are not nationally competing. Academically they don't meet the standards of the Pac-12, but again, the conference should consider making adjustments for the sake of its existence. They also make sense when it comes to geographical location.

Houston

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Let's get petty! The Big 12 and Pac-12 have become enemies in the past couple months, as Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff has not been shy about firing shots at the conference that attempted to poach Pac-12 schools. Kliavkoff can best his enemy with the ultimate power move of poaching a school that hasn't even been apart of the Big 12 yet. Houston was apart of the schools added to the Big 12 after the departure of Texas and Oklahoma, and would be another fantastic addition to the Pac-12. Despite the common thought that the Big 12 is in a better position, when you compare the viewership of the remaining schools of each conference along with the schools the Big 12 will add, the difference isn't that big according to Pac-12 insider John Canzano:

The Pac-12 (minus USC and UCLA) will have 12.5 million television households in its remaining markets. The Big 12 currently has only 10.2 million TV homes, but will expand to about 15 million after the additions of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, and Houston. 

If the Pac-12 can add the three first schools I mentioned, they will surely surpass that mark of the new Big 12 and can pitch that to Houston. ESPN also seems to be valuing the Pac-12 more than the Big 12, which could also be enticing. 

When it comes to on the field/court performance there is a reason that Houston was accepted into a Power 5 already, they are uber competitive in both. They had 10 wins last season in football and consistently have been making deep March Madness runs in basketball. Adding Houston would be the ultimate chess move by Kliavkoff, and would really be a nice addition to the revamped Pac-12.