Jon, I don't know how serious you take suggestions for topics for the show from posters, but I was thinking you and Steve could have some interesting thoughts on this topic. In the early 90's after the break-up of the Southwest Conference, we know that the Texas legislature forced Texas to take Texas A&M if it was joining the SEC and then forced Texas and Texas A&M to take Texas Tech and Baylor when it joined the Big 8 to make the Big 12. What are the chances this happens again with the formation of the Pac 16?
The Pac 10 has a rule that all universities being considered for invitation to the league must be given unanimous approval by the current members to join the league. Texas is a lock and I think Colorado and Texas A&M would be pretty readily accepted by current Pac 10 schools. Oklahoma would probably have to give a presentation about raising their academic standards, investing in new infrastructure and increasing research expenditures (up to $275 million last year), but ultimately they are on par with Arizona State and Washington State academically so they should get accepted. But can you see Stanford, Cal or maybe even UCLA wanting Texas Tech or Oklahoma State (considered Tier 3 universities by U.S. News & World Reports - poor academic standards and little research funding) to be a member of the Pac 10. If even one of their presidents votes nay, then there may be a situation where one state university is uninvited to the Pac 10 while the other is invited. Would Texas/Texas A&M or Oklahoma go to court to try and fight the legislature if they prevented them from accepting the invitation without the other state university.
What if the Pac 10 invited Kansas which has been another option mentioned? Kansas has a lot of advantages that you and Steve have mentioned on-air (location, academics, basketball prowess, etc.). Would the Kansas legislature prevent Kansas from joining a new conference without Kansas State?
I was just thinking that a few limited government fellows like yourselves might have some very interesting thoughts on what role state governments should have in deciding the limitations individual public institutions have on changing conferences. Also, I think that this gives Iowa State the absolute lowest amount of bargaining potential out of the whole conference, potentially even less than Kansas State if the Kansas legislature steps in.
The Pac 10 has a rule that all universities being considered for invitation to the league must be given unanimous approval by the current members to join the league. Texas is a lock and I think Colorado and Texas A&M would be pretty readily accepted by current Pac 10 schools. Oklahoma would probably have to give a presentation about raising their academic standards, investing in new infrastructure and increasing research expenditures (up to $275 million last year), but ultimately they are on par with Arizona State and Washington State academically so they should get accepted. But can you see Stanford, Cal or maybe even UCLA wanting Texas Tech or Oklahoma State (considered Tier 3 universities by U.S. News & World Reports - poor academic standards and little research funding) to be a member of the Pac 10. If even one of their presidents votes nay, then there may be a situation where one state university is uninvited to the Pac 10 while the other is invited. Would Texas/Texas A&M or Oklahoma go to court to try and fight the legislature if they prevented them from accepting the invitation without the other state university.
What if the Pac 10 invited Kansas which has been another option mentioned? Kansas has a lot of advantages that you and Steve have mentioned on-air (location, academics, basketball prowess, etc.). Would the Kansas legislature prevent Kansas from joining a new conference without Kansas State?
I was just thinking that a few limited government fellows like yourselves might have some very interesting thoughts on what role state governments should have in deciding the limitations individual public institutions have on changing conferences. Also, I think that this gives Iowa State the absolute lowest amount of bargaining potential out of the whole conference, potentially even less than Kansas State if the Kansas legislature steps in.
