Pac 10 Expansion: Baylor or Colorado

There is a war a brewing that is going to destroy the Big 12. Whether it’s the Pac 10 or the Big 10, it has become evident that they’re going to get raided and whichever schools don’t get taken are going to be the losers. Two schools of the bubble of the six teams the Pac 10 are rumored to extend invites to are Colorado and Baylor.

With five of the spots already locked up by Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State…either Colorado or Baylor is going to get that final invitation. Initial reports had Colorado in and Baylor out. But now that the Pac 10 expansion has become widely known, the tables seem to be turning thanks largely in part to politicians.

The Teaxs legislator is already forcing the package deal of Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech…which are all state schools. And now the 15 Baylor alums in the Texas legislator are campaigning hard to have their school included as well in the package.

In an email to everyone in the Texas legislator, one of those Baylor alums, former House member Neal T. “Buddy” put it this way:

“If some schools in the Big 12 North feel compelled to go elsewhere…the next-best scenario is to keep all six schools from the Big 12 South as a package deal. Do not leave Baylor out. Make it clear that when it comes to our four Texas schools, it is all for one and one for all!! Please do not break up the history and working relationship we have nurtured over the decades.“

First off I don’t think politics and sports should be mixing like this, but it’s envitable so I’ll get over it. Secondly, what is this dude smoking?! I can understand wanting to keep all the Texas schools together, but there is no rivalry between them and the other schools. Baylor is the shittiest team in the Big 12 South and deserve to be dropped,

Colorado meanwhile makes the most sense economically and talent wise:

Of the four top-50 markets that would be available to expand into, one thing stands out:  Denver is the gold mine.  The addition of Denver would give the conference eight top-30 markets.  Denver itself adds almost three million viewers, the state of Colorado as a whole almost five million.  Salt Lake City then becomes the next most attractive market at number 33.  This is why you hear about Colorado as a school that the Pac-10 is targeting.

But some are saying that Colorado would decline an invitation from the Pac 10 because if they leave, they’ll have no rival in the new super conference. No Colorado State, no Missouri. So Baylor might get an invite by default.