Could the Mountain West and Pac-12 merge into a single, 16-team conference?

[huskymedic]

Assisted access <<

-> One option is an old-fashioned corporate takeover, where one league raids the other. The remnants of the Pac-12 — Stanford, Cal, Oregon State and Washington State — could play the prestige card and restock from the cream of the Mountain West and American Athletic Conference. Or the Mountain West, being the larger and more stable entity, could simply swallow the Pac-12 leftovers.

Those scenarios come with drawbacks, though. There isn’t enough financial upside for Mountain West schools to each pay an estimated $34 million exit fee to depart by 2024. And abandoning the Pac-12 could leave behind tens of millions of dollars in College Football Playoff and NCAA Tournament distributions, along with a seat at the table of college sports’ powerbrokers as an “autonomous five” — aka Power 5 — conference.

The other option, which multiple Mountain West sources said is gaining traction, is more merger than acquisition. You dissolve the Mountain West in name only to eliminate exit fees, then move most or all members (and their NCAA Tournament units) into the Pac-12 shell so you can retain its name and power conference status. Then entice Gonzaga to join as a non-football affiliate to further enhance an already solid collection of men’s basketball programs.

Sources said several athletic directors and presidents from both conferences discussed the idea on a preliminary level Saturday. More substantive talks are expected Monday. <-

 

[huskymedic]

 

[djct1999]

This is really sad for Stanford. Can’t wait for the Cardinal to play colorado state on the cw on a Tuesday. Ugh.

Fwiw, this is the equivalent to the acc taking James Madison and app state.

 

[shizzle787]

The real question is do Cal and Stanford believe the CFP will keep the same format in 2026. If it goes to a straight 12 format, they might as well go independent and join the Big East with Gonzaga.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Stanford and Cal should approach the Ivies and other elite academic schools about some kind of alliance. Go on offense.

 

[bendm]

Stanford and Cal should approach the Ivies and other elite academic schools about some kind of alliance. Go on offense.

Dropping down to FCS football to play the Ivies is your definition of going on offense?

 

[djct1999]

Stanford and Cal should approach the Ivies and other elite academic schools about some kind of alliance. Go on offense.

As prestigious as Stanford is, the ivies aren’t picking up the phone. There is zero chance they would fly out west for a conference game.

 

[bendm]

This is really sad for Stanford. Can’t wait for the Cardinal to play colorado state on the cw on a Tuesday. Ugh.

Fwiw, this is the equivalent to the acc taking James Madison and app state.

You’re comparing adding Tulane and SDSU with adding a team that was in the FCS up until last year?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

As prestigious as Stanford is, the ivies aren’t picking up the phone. There is zero chance they would fly out west for a conference game.

The Ivies have been evaluating getting more competitive in the NIL era. The might not say yes, but they would answer the call.

 

[bendm]

OP says "all or most" of the mtn west teams need to agree to dissolve the conference to merge with the PAC. i don't think 4 or 5 of the 12 teams leaving would be enough for dissolution.

I'm a Cal football fan and i don't want to see another conference pillaged anyways. i'd like to see a full on merger (4+12) plus SMU and Tulane for 18 teams.

 

[bendm]

PAC18 (3 pods of 6)

1. Wazzu
2. OR St
3. Boise
4. Nevada
5. UNLV
6. Utah St

1. Cal
2. Stanford
3. SJSU
4. Fresno
5. SDSU
6. Hawaii

1. Wyoming
2. CSU
3. AFA
4. UNM
5. SMU
6. Tulane

 

[WestCoastHusky]

OP says "all or most" of the mtn west teams need to agree to dissolve the conference to merge with the PAC. i don't think 4 or 5 of the 12 teams leaving would be enough for dissolution.

I'm a Cal football fan and i don't want to see another conference pillaged anyways. i'd like to see a full on merger (4+12) plus SMU and Tulane for 18 teams.

I am in the Bay Area and I know many graduates of Berkeley and Stanford. It really sucks what happened to the Cal. Bears. I hope both of your teams end up in the B1G, but I doubt the TV networks will pay for that despite B1G presidents want you two.

I hope you merger will work. If the champ has access to the playoff in the new format, it is probably the best situation for the 4 leftovers.

The other option is go indy in football and join the Big East for everything else. UConn would love to play Cal and Stanford in football.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Cal and Stanford have some serious muscle at the state and Federal level, in addition to the marketplace. The only way they go quietly into the night is if they choose to go quietly.

 

[djct1999]

Cal and Stanford have some serious muscle at the state and Federal level, in addition to the marketplace. The only way they go quietly into the night is if they choose to go quietly.

Its going to be fascinating to watch for sure. The key is Stanford. Incredible academics, incredible athetics, incredible athletic alumni, incredible facilities, incredible history and tradition(did i miss anything?)

The two most interesting things to me now is 1. Stanfords reaction 2. The Acc's reaction. Their respective responses, silence, or acceptance will be very telling.

 

[djct1999]

The Ivies have been evaluating getting more competitive in the NIL era. The might not say yes, but they would answer the call.

Its not an athletic fit for either side. The Ivies are sitting on some of the largest endowments in education. Surely they can figure out how to get more competetive with NIL.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Its going to be fascinating to watch for sure. The key is Stanford. Incredible academics, incredible athetics, incredible athletic alumni, incredible facilities, incredible history and tradition(did i miss anything?)

All good points, but the bigger issue is that no university with their political muscle, prestige or alumni network has ever been bounced out of the P5 club. I don’t think some sports reporter throwing a bunch of school names on a list captures the gravity of what just happened.

 

[Stinger92860]

Its not an athletic fit for either side. The Ivies are sitting on some of the largest endowments in education. Surely they can figure out how to get more competetive with NIL.

I’m not sure the ivies care about NIL. In reality if you are smart enough to graduate and create a network your NIL payout comes after graduation in yearly installments.

 

[djct1999]

All good points, but the bigger issue is that no university with their political muscle, prestige or alumni network has ever been bounced out of the P5 club. I don’t think some sports reporter throwing a bunch of school names on a list captures the gravity of what just happened.

I am shocked that the Big 10 analysis came back the way it did. I would think they would love to add Stanford. Cal, I get. But Stanford seems like a perfect fit on all accounts.

 

[djct1999]

I’m not sure the ivies care about NIL. In reality if you are smart enough to graduate and create a network your NIL payout comes after graduation in yearly installments.

And most kids on the basketball team, especially the stars, have a direct line to the most successful almuni. They can get any job at any firm the want.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Its not an athletic fit for either side. The Ivies are sitting on some of the largest endowments in education. Surely they can figure out how to get more competetive with NIL.

And in a streaming world, they don’t need to find channel space on ESPN or Fox. They can just go direct. One of the problems they would have to consider is the regional nature of an ivy streaming service, but Stanford and Cal, and say Rice, solve that. This would be a platform for streaming games, so they don’t need to play each other in every sport, even football.

If Stanford, Cal, Rice, the service academies and Ivies were all on the streaming platform, and it was marketed as a return to the true “student athlete” roots of college athletics, any “elite” university that wasn’t on it might as well be Auburn as far as that schools’ alumni would be concerned.

It is a conversation worth having.

 

[djct1999]

You’re comparing adding Tulane and SDSU with adding a team that was in the FCS up until last year?

It’s hyperbole. But, yes, Stanford does not belong in that conference.

 

[bendm]

It’s hyperbole. But, yes, Stanford does not belong in that conference.

Sure and neither does Cal and neither does UConn as an Indy

 

[Pat125]

I heard they will call it BrokePac Mountain conference. (Saw this elsewhere).

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I am in the Bay Area and I know many graduates of Berkeley and Stanford. It really sucks what happened to the Cal. Bears. I hope both of your teams end up in the B1G, but I doubt the TV networks will pay for that despite B1G presidents want you two.

I hope you merger will work. If the champ has access to the playoff in the new format, it is probably the best situation for the 4 leftovers.

The other option is go indy in football and join the Big East for everything else. UConn would love to play Cal and Stanford in football.

westcoast is right. stanford is a research/academics model nationwide for private universities. cal is a model nationwide for state universities.

 

[huskymedic]