SAN FRANCISCO — For the record, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds did not strut through the lobby of the Westin St. Francis here Friday with a Pac-10 ball cap on his head and a rose in his teeth.
As the Pac-10 summer meetings began, a proposed 16-team conference is only one of the numerous options the league is considering. While reports out of the Big 12 meetings in Kansas City, Mo., this week had Nebraska receiving a deadline to decide which conference it wants, what came out here Friday afternoon is that it’s way too early to say the Pac-10 has a definite plan.
Said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, “We’re evaluating various options that include everything from looking at expanded conferences — and you can pick the number — to staying pat.”
Thursday’s report from that the Pac-10 is ready to invite six Big 12 schools, including Colorado, took everyone here by surprise. Washington State AD Bill Moos was shaving when he heard it.
“We met with the Big 12 in Phoenix (in April) and it was just a casual deal, and what we were primarily talking about was scheduling nonconference games,” Moos said. “We didn’t get anything serious about this, even though there were rumors about the Big Ten buzzing around.”
Guerrero said: “There’s no fait accompli. There’s nothing imminent as we speak today.”
The big key to all the realignment talk is TV money. Last month the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference received a $1.86 billion, 12-year deal from ESPN, doubling the ACC’s revenue. Can the Pac-10 do the same only by getting bigger?
“Define big,” Oregon State AD Bob De Carolis said. “Take a look at what the ACC did as a benchmark. They stayed somewhat status quo, but they certainly increased their market value.”
Two major factors the Pac-10 is considering amid the expansion talks are travel and scheduling. Texas isn’t an ideal geographic fit for the Pac-10.
Coaches and ADs also value the Pac-10’s pure round-robin schedule, not feasible with 12, 14 or 16 teams.
“When I was at Oregon, I worked very hard to get that nine-game football schedule and preserve the 18-game basketball schedule so our schools up in the Northwest have that exposure in Los Angeles and the Bay Area every year for recruiting,” Moos said. “That’s one thing I want to make sure we preserve if we are going to add institutions.”
If the Pac-10 does expand, Colorado remains a good fit.
“They’re very, very respected both athletically and academically,” Moos said. “If we’re going to attract somebody, it’s going to be a like institution and, of course, they have a rich tradition in intercollegiate athletics and a great television market. So if TV is the driving force, that one probably makes some sense.”
Commissioner Larry Scott said he won’t comment until after meeting with the league presidents Sunday morning.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
“Take a look at what the ACC did as a benchmark. They stayed somewhat status quo, but they certainly increased their market value.”
Bob De Carolis, Oregon State athletic director
