If you believe most of the reports, and I am inclined to do so, it appears that this time next week Texas will be apart of the Pac 10, or whatever they decide to call it. I don’t see how this is a good move for Texas. While I certainly believe that Texas has to go somewhere, I just don’t think the Pac 10 is the best choice. Its not just geography or money, it’s the fact that I don’t think the Pac 10 is that great a conference, especially when you consider that Texas could go to the Big Ten or SEC.
You can easily make the argument that the Pac 10 is behind both the Big Ten and SEC, a lot of that is because the Pac 10 gets less exposure. Remember, the Pac 10 is on the west coast, so most of its games are played late at night everywhere else in the country. Also, the Pac 10’s major television partner is FSN, not exactly a powerful outlet. The Pac 10 has a lot of conference games that aren’t even televised, and that with just 10 teams. Every Big 10 football and basketball game is televised to almost every household because of its contract with ESPN, CBS, and of course, the Big Ten Network.
Basketball is even worse. The Pac 10 has most of its games on FSN, and very few anywhere else. The Pac 10 tournament is practically an afterthought. Its played at an empty, lifeless Staples Center, and all the games are played on FSN until the Championship.
I’m sure that some of these things will improve in the coming years, but will that lift the Pac 10 above the Big 10? I doubt it, especially if the Big 10 is able too add the schools that it wants. The Big 10 will still be in more major markets, in television friendly time zones. You can talk about the Big 10 being a bad match for Texas geographically, but isn’t the Pac 10 even worse?
Texas has to make a move, but I just don’t see the Pac 10 as the best option.
**********UPDATE***********
Darren Rovell of CNBC says that the TV money might not be there for a Pac 16, at least the sort of money that these schools are expecting.
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