Playing the Field: Reaction to Pac-10's Expansion Talk

Pacific 10 Conference commissioner Larry Scott's announcement that the league is "very seriously" looking at expansion in the next 12 months has created a buzz in cyberspace, and for good reason. A raid of another conference would alter the playing field in college football for years to come. A look at some of the reaction:

Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports.com: Expansion would boost the Pac-10 but leave a wake of disruption. Plus a look at potential winners and losers and how a reconfigured Mountain West, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-10 might look.

Jay Drew, Salt Lake Tribune: A former BYU athletics department official who had knowledge of the Pac-10's expansion talks in the 1990s told the Tribune he believes that Utah and Colorado are at the top of the conference's wish list (assuming Texas isn't interested in leaving the Big 12).

Addicted to Quack: Pac-10 expansion will happen, but only if Colorado wants to play.

Dirk Facer, Deseret News: BYU and Utah have not been contacted about the possibility of joining the Pac-10.

Ray Ratto, CBS Sports.com: This could be messy, and it will be bloody. Ratto also wrote a piece for the San Francisco Chronicle in which he says, "Scott clearly sees the Pac-10 as no longer the defender of the status quo, but as a victim of it."

Dick Harmon, Deseret News: The closest treasure bonanza for the Pac-10 would be Colorado and Texas. The most logical rivalry, travel partner and football package for the league would be Utah and Brigham Young.

Mike James, Fresno Bee: What happens in the next two years will decide the future of Fresno State athletics, whether it's headed in the direction of California or UC Santa Barbara.

Matt Hinton, Dr Saturday: A user's guide to hypothetical conference expansion.

Nick Daschel, Buster Sports: Expansion is as much about self-preservation as anything.

Ken Goe, Oregonian: Expansion? It's not going to happen tomorrow, and maybe not ever.

The Wiz: A reminder that his money was on Utah and Colorado way back in 2006.

Comments

[Brian McCormack]

After reviewing these articles, it is apparent that sports writers understand little about business. Any expansion must payoff and is a simple formula of does adding teams grow the pie enough to make the new slices bigger.