Pac-10 College Football: Who Else Should They Add?
With the excessive amount of conference turbulence this offseason, it is hard to believe that the dust has completely settled on this upheaval of the college football landscape.
BYU, Fresno State, and Nevada created more waves in recent days departing conferences, trying to find the easiest ways to gain an automatic invitation into the most coveted and exclusive postseason dance in American sports.
The somewhat erratic moves by these schools seem to add another notch into the belt of the supporters of the alleged “super conference”, leading many to believe that the teams banking on at large-bids are staring right into a tradition-changing meteor.
While the Pac-10 and the Big 10 were the greenhouse toxins that ignited this global warming effect being felt by the entire college football world, Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott may not be done with increasing the size of his super conference footprint.
Although the Big 12 is apparently off limits to poach schools from for the time being, the Mountain West, Western Athletic, and Conference-USA schools are still clamoring to find a date to the BCS dance at the eleventh hour.
The Pac-10 has stuck by the statement that they have particular standards that schools must meet in order to join their conference and the addition of Utah and Colorado seem to follow these requirements, although some might say rather loosely.
In reality, the biggest requirement for any conference is the quality of their football (and basketball) team accompanied with the amount of dollars that are tied in with that school’s television market.
Assuming that university standards can be thrown out the window(at least for this exercise), let us power rank schools currently not associated with a BCS conference that could be on Scott’s list of possible additions.
10. UNLV Rebels
1 of 10
Bowls: 3 (3-0)
BCS Bowls: 0 (0-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 42nd (Las Vegas)
A National Title in basketball puts the Running Rebels ahead of some of the teams already in the Pac-10 but their performance on the football field leads many to wonder if UNLV would be a good fit for the conference.
Despite these shortcomings on the gridiron, the UNLV television market falls within the nation’s Top 50 and there are definitely dollars that can be collected from having a school playing in the "fun capital of the world."
Las Vegas casino bookies might have a problem with their inclusion though, as sports book patrons are not allowed to bet on any UNLV game. This would take away some of the most popular later game propositions on Saturday.
9. San Jose State Spartans
2 of 10
Bowls: 8 (5-3)
BCS Bowls: 0 (0-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 6th (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose)
A rich television market might be the only promising aspect of adding the San Jose Spartans to the Pac-10.
The Spartans have been stomped on by the WAC the past decade, posting only two above .500 record seasons since 2000.
San Jose State is not a stranger to playing Pac-10 teams, mainly as the warm cupcake role for the big boys. While the Spartans have only two wins against the Pac-10 over the past ten years, Washington State has only been slightly better in that time span and the two teams could fight it out for the worst in the conference if they received an invitation.
8. Hawaii Warriors
3 of 10
Bowls: 9 (5-4)
BCS Bowls: 1 (0-1)
TV Market DMA Rank: 71st (Honolulu)
As only one of two teams in the WAC to make an appearance in a BCS bowl, anything short of breaking into the dance will never be quite as sweet for the Hawaii Warriors.
While their 12-0 season allowed them to reach a bowl only few current Pac-10 teams have, this flash in the pan may not be enough to persuade the conference’s faithful to open the doors to their hallowed territory.
Hawaii’s success stems much deeper than their one undefeated season, though. Since losing every single game in 1998, the Warriors have won nine or more games six times and have made seven bowl appearances, beating two Pac-10 teams in those bowl games.
A sub-par DMA rank might be a deal breaker for the Warriors, though, as well as the distance it takes to play games in Honolulu. Trips to Hawaii may be great for the media, but players and coaches might think otherwise.
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7. Boise State Broncos
4 of 10
Bowls: 10 (6-4)
BCS Bowls: 2 (2-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 112th (Boise)
A TV DMA ranked in the upper 100’s will not exactly make Scott jump out of his seat screaming for Boise State to join the Pac-10, but their success over the past decade has to make any commissioner think twice if strengthening their conference is of any interest.
While Boise State has already committed to joining the Mountain West Conference, the idea of the Pac-10 stealing away the Broncos is slightly intriguing.
Seeing how Boise State stacks up in a much more difficult conference would be worth its weight in gold the first couple of seasons in the Pac-10, but if they become a regular whipping boy (a la Washington State) then people will quickly be singing a different tune.
Either way, adding this persistent BCS crasher to a BCS conference certainly sparks interest and would force people to pay immediate attention.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
5 of 10
Bowls: 29 (14-15)
BCS Bowls: 3 (0-3)
TV Market DMA Rank: National
Notre Dame would be an ideal addition to the Pac-10 considering their national television exposure and the amount of teams that they already play in the conference on a yearly basis.
However, they are an extreme long shot to make the leap to a conference where most of the teams lie on the west coast and they would be the farthest team east. Also, the Irish’s current by-laws in the BCS contract makes the attraction of leaping into any conference (especially one that they are not 100-percent in love with) minimal.
While Notre Dame is probably high on Scott’s want list, it drops way down in the ranking due to the likelihood of it actually happening.
5. Air Force Falcons
6 of 10
Bowls: 20 (9-10-1)
BCS Bowls: 0 (0-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 16th (Denver)
A Colorado college that ranks high academically, the Air Force certainly has the grades in the classroom to be a part of the Pac-10 and is slowly gaining more respect on the gridiron to make them even more enticing.
While not a true rival with soon-to-be Pac-10 member Colorado, the closeness in vicinity could force these two teams to create a new rivalry if Scott is desperate to gain more exposure in the Denver area.
The Falcons have had some decent success in the past few years, posting back-to-back double digit win seasons in 1997 and 1998 and more recently, riding a three-year bowl game streak.
The Air Force definitely has the potential to make some noise in a bigger conference, but the commitment that recruits have to make by joining this school can often be a turn off.
4. Colorado State Rams
7 of 10
Bowls: 12 (5-7)
BCS Bowls: 0 (0-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 16th (Denver)
With the addition of Colorado already in the books, an in-state rival would be a logical step if Commissioner Larry Scott does seek to add more to the Pac-12 in the upcoming years.
The Colorado/Colorado State rivalry has been burning strong for over a century and the Rams recent success in the late 1990s and the early 2000s has provided this program with a little more legitimacy.
Since 2000, Colorado State has been invited to six bowl games, winning three of them – the most recent against Fresno State in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl.
The Rams do pull in a share of that Denver television air time and despite a few bad seasons the past couple years, they could be an excellent addition to the conference.
3. Houston Cougars
8 of 10
Bowls: 20 (8-11-1)
BCS Bowls: 0 (0-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 10th (Houston)
The opportunity to actively recruit in Texas parlayed with the 10th ranked television market in the United States are two excellent reasons why adding Houston to the Pac-10 makes a ton of sense.
But besides their recent success (two 10-win seasons in the past four years), Houston will not be confused by many as football powerhouse and this will draw criticism from the devoted Pac-10 masses.
The addition of a Texas school and their massive television dollars is something that commissioner Larry Scott is seeking to boost Pac-10 ratings, and his original dream was pulled from under him when the Texas Longhorns and the Big 12 decided to decline his most generous offer.
Houston is probably not the best replacement to fill the shoes of those teams, but this poor man’s version could get the job done, especially if they could contend for a Pac-10 title every season.
2. BYU Cougars
9 of 10
Bowls: 28 (10-17-1)
BCS Bowls: 0 (0-0)
TV Market DMA Rank: 31st (Salt Lake City)
BYU’s recent revelation of their intent to become an independent school in football would probably be thwarted by one thing…an invitation to a BCS Conference.
While Commissioner Larry Scott apparently passed on BYU the first time around, if push came to shove and super conferences started to align, a bid for the Cougars seems like a plausible play.
BYU is rich in tradition and has experienced a bevy of success throughout their football history - none more so than over the past four years. The Cougars have completed four straight seasons with at least 10 wins (the longest in school history) but have yet to receive a bid to a BCS bowl despite being eligible for an “at-large” selection.
The Cougars' frustration is understandable and this power play by them could work to their advantage if conferences start to see the writing on the wall.
With the addition of Utah already in the books, tacking on an in-state rival as close as Provo seems like a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, things are never as easy as they appear.
1. TCU Horned Frogs
10 of 10
Bowls: 26 (11-14-1)
BCS Bowls: 1 (0-1)
TV Market DMA Rank: 5th (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Since 2000, the TCU Horned Frogs have won less than 10 games only three times. While some will scoff at this feat claiming that they are merely a product of their sub-par division, consistency at this caliber has to be given some sort of praise no matter what teams they are facing.
The product that TCU puts on the field year in and year out has to make people wonder just how well they would do in a much stronger conference.
Although the TCU Horned Frogs are hardly the Texas Longhorns, their consistency with success, Fort Worth’s top 5 television market, and the opening of recruiting in the Lone Star State makes them an ideal pick for Commissioner Larry Scott if he does decide to reopen the gates to the Pac-10.
TCU has already hopped conferences two times in the past 10 years so it would not be outlandish for them to jump ship again if provided the opportunity…even with the bevy of changes being made to the Mountain West.
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