This  past spring, the Pacific Ten Conference comprised of Arizona, Arizona State,
California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington
State  was being forced  into an either expand or die scenario.  With the need to  sign
a new television contract or suffer lost revenue, Conference leadership started an
expansion campaign  to acquire a larger fan base and in their efforts they acquired
Utah and Colorado. 

Apparently, the Pac Ten or soon to be Pac 12 officials think this was a cure to their
inactivity since their addition of the Arizona schools in the late 1970’s. But this seems
pathetic.

The Conference went outside of California, obviously forgetting that 38 million people
live in this state, more than the combined populations of Oregon, Washington, Arizona,
Utah and Colorado.  Why they did not add schools from California is beyond logic. 
Given the population, major corporations/sponsors that exist in the state and the fact that
four bowl games including the Grand Daddy of them all - the Rose Bowl are played in the
state, it should have stood to reason the need to bring California schools, their alums and
the state population along in the fold.  But, the Conference adds two teams that bring no
existing rivalry either between themselves let alone with the existing Pac 10 teams. And
from an academic perspective, certainly they bring quality education but so do schools in
California.

The answer - screw the Pac 10 or 12!  California schools should dissent and create a
new conference called the ‘Golden State 8.’

This conference would include California, Stanford, USC and UCLA, Fresno State,
San Diego State and San Jose State and an eighth university yet to be named, either
UC Davis or Sacramento State, (both who play Pac 10 teams this weekend in Stanford
and Cal) to round out the conference.  The Capital region is as big as Salt Lake City
and San Diego County is as big in population as the state of Colorado.  California
schools have greater rivalries.  Additionally proposed new stadiums are being
considered for development across the state providing new and exciting venues coupled
with recent new or renovated facilities at Stanford, San Diego’s Qualcomm and the
pending California Memorial Stadium renovation. 

The Golden State 8 Conference would pass Schwarzenegger’s ‘Green Economy’ test given
that travel to and from schools would help to reduce the carbon footprint.  And let’s not forget
this conference will not require Californians to have snow shovels. But seriously, no matter
how Pac 10/12 conference officials repackage and rebrand, it is still about USC football and
UCLA basketball. 

So, if California teams bolt, the Pac 10/12 is left with a conference comprised of
teams like Washington State and Oregon State that have little if any fan base, two
new teams in Utah and Colorado that have no relationships to the existing teams and
Oregon, the fashion statement for college football.  Some league, it’s time for the
Golden State 8.

Your comments are always welcome.


Tim Johnson
tjohnson@californiabusinessminute.com