PAC-12 Commissioner Will Visit Texas School Amid Expansion Push
The PAC-12 is apparently making moves to gauge the interest in adding SMU.
Commissioner George Kliavkoff will hop on a plane and visit the Mustangs at some point Wednesday amid expansion speculation, according to Brett McMurphy.
SMU and San Diego State are viewed as the two most likely candidates to replace UCLA and USC when they leave for the Big Ten.
Will the PAC-12 add SMU?
Right now, the PAC-12 is in the process of attempting to land a new media deal, and so far, it doesn't appear to be going very well.
The Big Ten scored a new media deal that will pay the conference north of $1 billion annually. The SEC also has a very rich media deal.
Meanwhile, the PAC-12 will lose its two most prestigious programs in 2024 to the B1G, and Kliavkoff is struggling to land a media deal that will move the needle.
Will the PAC-12 add SMU? (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The PAC-12 has to do something to survive.
In order to boost the conference's chances of a deal that will allow its survival, he needs to add more members. SMU and SDSU are right at the top of the list. Among the realistic options, SMU would be a great addition.
Adding the Mustangs would immediately bring in the Texas and Dallas market. Granted, SMU isn't even a top three or four program in the state for attention, but it would still expand the market.
The Mustangs also have plenty of money and resources for any new facilities or anything else the program might want.
Is SMU a great fit for the PAC-12? (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The average median income for a family with a student at SMU is just under $200,000, according to the latest data from the New York Times. More than 20% of the student body comes from the top 1% and that translates to a rich alumni base.
With USC and UCLA out the door to the B1G next year, the PAC-12 just has to accept it won't ever be a major power conference again. Soon, the two super conferences will be the B1G and SEC. Everyone else will be fighting for fourth place behind the ACC.
Should the PAC-12 pursue SMU? (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Adding SMU would be a great move that would provide some stability for the PAC-12 and George Kliavkoff. It won't fix the PAC-12's gaping holes with the Bruins and Trojans leaving, but it's a step in the right direction.