Pac-12 Might Be Looking Hard At San Diego State
Could the Aztecs take over for USC and UCLA
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San Diego State to Pac-12?
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Realignment has basically slowed down at least what is going on out in the public. There have been a few things out in the public like the Big 12 and Pac-12 attempting to work together, but that clearly was going to fall.
Losing UCLA and USC is a big blow to the Pac-12 and its Southern California market, and that is where San Diego State might be able to come into play.
The Aztecs clearly can’t replicate the Los Angeles market but Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News thinks San Diego State is the clear and only choice if the Pac-12 decides to expand.
Wilner has five reasons why San Diego State should be a prime candidate for the Pac-12.
1. The competitive factor
2. The exposure factor
3. The valuation factor
4. The resource factor
5. The academic factor
Of those, the competitive factor is huge as the Aztecs have played extremely well against the Pac-12, and of the prior seven seasons, five of those years they had 10 wins. Really, it is six seasons since one of those years was 2020.
The competitive front they fit in just fine and even better than half of the conference.
Adding the Aztecs to the Pac-12 would help create some sort of foothold in that Southern California market, but not nearly as much of the Trojans and Bruins. The San Diego market is 28th and has just over a million people. That is more than other schools in the Pac-12 like Tucson, Boulder, Eugune, and Pullman.
It wouldn’t be a huge gain but it would help keep a presence for the recruiting hotbed that is Southern California.
The resource factor points directly to SnapDragon Stadium which is San Diego State’s brand new on-campus football stadium that also would fit right within the Pac-12.
As for academics, San Diego State is not on par with the Pac-12 but the league can’t be picky if it wants to add teams. There are few teams, if any, that can fit that academic profile, and it is not like the Pac-12 can be picky if it wants to invite new members.
San Diego State fits a lot of boxes like being a winning program, nice new stadium, solid market size, but more importantly being a top 25 team and by averaging 10 wins a year when excluding the 2020 pandemic season.
If the Pac-12 wants to add any team, Wilner might be right that San Diego State would. make the most sense.
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