I did acknowledge the original author. 
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As was mentioned in the answer beneath, the ârushâ (a year really isnât a rush), was because it was the window to kill the conference. Make sure there was zero ability for them to recover as a power school.
While it wouldnât be great, a PAC-10 of ASU, Boise State, Cal, OSU, SDSU, SMU, Stanford, UNLV, WSU has some level of staying power with multiple large markets, 2 California teams, the main football program from the last few years, and an influx of programs that bring their own markets like San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas, etc.
Adding ASU and Utah rendered that moot. And added a premier football program in Utah (it really is very good), and a huge market and added late night inventory in ASU.
I had hoped SDSU and Stanford would leap them. But it wasnât to be.
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We really do need to get ahead on the conference nicknames. Here are my suggestions:
UA = Tech West
ASU = The Dirt Demons
UU = The Poots
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Why add anyone right now? We need to slow down and take a breath. Adding teams just for filler, especially when the SEC or Big10 arent interested in them, does not help us nor make sense.
If we are adding teams just because we want to get to 16 or 24 or whatever number is popular, then we are using the incorrect criteria for expansion. We need teams that will pump up the conference and that have a sniff at making the playoffs. Stanford or OSU and a number of others dont fit that criteria.There are some that might be available in a few years from the ACC but currently we need to back off and concentrate on beating the SEC and Big10 in all sports.
We should not be in a rush to add. There is no one currently available that the Big10 or SEC want. Why should we?
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I disagree on Stanford.
We donât add them for market value or athletic success. We add them for academic prestige to match up with the Big 10. I would even take Cal as an addition to Stanford. This way, once the ACC implodes, our academic profile wonât be a reason for top tier schools to reject a Big 12 invite like Miami or Duke or Georgia Tech.
However, schools like Oregon State or Washington State are an easy pass for me.
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The thing about the academic prestige I get but we need to earn our own, which we are doing, not rely on another school to make us look better through association.
Big12 is supposed to be a football conference (and some other sports). Let athletic success be won on the field and academic success be won by the administrators in the classrooms.
If a team brings both then by all means add them. If they are only bringing one, academics or athletics, let it be athletics.
Cal is coming? Special meeting. Thereâs your late night spot fill
So the ASU AD says heâs not going to Morgantown?!
Lolololololo
Yea. Because he doesnât want to see his program thrashed by 40 that far from home.
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Might have been Robbins, but that feels like a Oregon/Washington play to call BIGâs bluff, just like they did by supposedly leaking they were going to be staying in Pac-9. They are the only oneâs with animus against OSU and Wazzu to leave them out of the boat.
Is this guy just difficult by nature?
Who, Ray Anderson? Both he and ASU President Michael Crow are head up their as/sht donât stink sorts with regards to ASU and Crow definitely liked to coattail Stanford research into academic viability.
Yeah they are difficult.
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Interesting tidbitâŠ
After USC and UCLA announced they would leave the Pac-12 for the Big 10 last July, the Pac-12 explored expansion. The top candidates were TCU and Houston. That invitation nearly came, and both Houston and TCU would have said yes. The Pac-12 passed on expansion, and badly miscalculated its potential value to ESPN, Fox or any other TV partner.
Why the TCU athletic director felt âremorseâ at the Big 12 adding three more schools (yahoo.com)
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Ima,
You make great points about taking a breather from expansion and all Big12 members focusing on football and improving our academic status for the time being. I agreed with every point you made.
But those thoughts are falling on deaf ears. The people in these forums just want to talk about the sensation news of the day.
Which I was caught up in for awhile.
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Boy was that a bullet dodged. The conference would have collapsed anyway the moment the Big Ten decided to take Oregon and Washington. The Big 12 wonât be handing us life rafts either. We and TCU would be set back all the way to 1996.
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After reading these never ending threads, I have a few thoughts. Maybe the B12 outlasted the P12 simply because we are a better league top to bottom. Why are there 4 teams still looking for a landing spot from the P12? Who would our bottom 4 be??? I donât think we have 4. Regarding SDSU - I am coming around to the idea, mainly because of B12 Mexico, PST, California and recruiting, strong in football and basketball, etc. I wouldnât be upset. In fact, I take them over UConn.
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Rocky Long!
Trust me when i say this, New Mexico could be in the SEC and their fanbase would still be too high on whippets
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Just to prove to you how fast things were changing during that weekâŠ
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I think itâs more than just the four bottom feeders.
OSU and Wazzu have geography going against them too.
Cal is really at an existential crisis. They have a horrendous debt situation. they need to figure out what theyâre going to do. When they incurred the debt, it was assumed they would have a steady income stream of ~ $30M per year. That ship has sailed. But the loan payments(interest only right now) still come due every month. Do they want to participate in intercollegiate athletics? If so, at what level? And, are you playing just to service the debt load?
Stanford is in a similar situation as Cal, but without the debt load. Unless youâre ND, independence is extremely difficult. Little to no media rights. No bowl tie-in. Itâs a really tough row to hoe.