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PAC'd 12 | Athlete Spotlight | Conference Realignment · PAC'd 12

• Brett Biermann: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Pac Twelve, episode three of the Pac Twelve Show. Thank you for joining us. Sorry we weren't able to get an episode out sooner. It's been very, very hectic ⁓ these past few weeks for Caden, Solo, and myself. As you see or as you hear, Solo isn't here today. It is I, Brett, stepping in the captain's chair ⁓ for Solomon today. we're still joined by Caden Bissett, all the way from from Alaska. Caden, how you doing, man? Hey man, last off day and I'm less than a week removed from going back to Texas, so I'm ecstatic. I'm excited for you to breathe this Texas air again, man. We need to get you back. And then we need to get you to studio too. Boys need to go win a chip first and then I'll be back. Yeah. So let's get started with ⁓ a little bit of Pac twelve news. First off, I did want to say thank you ⁓ to everyone who showed support on our our reels for our Texas State football preview. ⁓ especially the Texas State one that went pretty ⁓ pretty viral I would say in the San Marcus area. So thank you guys for that. Got us a lot of followers. It ⁓ upped our streams on YouTube and ⁓ Spotify as well. So thank you guys for for following along and liking the content. Yeah, a lot of good comments, Caden. I haven't seen many or if any bad comments at all so far. So I think we're doing pretty solid to start. How do you th how do you feel? I I will tell you they're coming at some point because there's no way to get away from ⁓ Yeah. They'll they're out there somewhere. But yeah, no, great stuff. I mean, ⁓ of course the Texas State one's gonna do good no good numbers. I think that has to do with where you're posting from or where we're posting from. But regardless, ⁓ more people listening, it it'll just trend outwards and upwards. ⁓ Twitter's been awesome. I saw even you were talking to a guy and dropped it in the comments to him and he went and listened to it. That was sick. ⁓ and he said he listened. That was awesome. Yeah, that's great. And he said he liked it too. So even better, you know, I I love the the support and I love getting the pot out there. I I you know, it's fun to get out there and ⁓ and publicize it and I I think we're doing pretty good. So but let's get into it. Episode three. No solo today. We we're originally planning on having a volleyball preview today. ⁓ there will be no volleyball preview today with solo out. ⁓ that is kind of like our main volleyball guy and I was kinda hoping he would lead this ship on that 'cause I don't know anything about volleyball. Cait I know you know quite a bit as well, so but but I would I would not be able to I would not be able to navigate that one today. So we'll save it for the next episode and we'll also have football superlatives out. We're just gonna have like a kind of a little fun episode today. We're gonna talk about Players that we're excited about ⁓ in any sport for the upcoming Pac twelve sports season and then we're gonna end it with ⁓ some expansion talk. So ⁓ Caden, you re you ready to get started, man? Yeah, let's do it. All right, let's do it. So the first piece of news I have is that the American Conference they won up me, brother. They they clap back at me pretty fast. ⁓ wasted no time. Wasted no time bringing John Gruden, Mr. Football, by the way. I would say maybe besides John Madden. I would say maybe John Gruden is probably number two in Mr. Football all time. He appeared at their Media Day. And and what makes it even worse is like this is after I I slandered the PAC, the Pac Twelve, for not having a Media Day and doing like these these little podcast releases, which has been fine. I've listened to a few of them. I've enjoyed them. But it just kind of stings a little bit, ⁓ point for the American. ⁓ we're tied up going into the football season, so Yeah. And not only that The only reason I knew that he was at Media Days, John Gruden that is, is because he opened the biggest box that he's ever had from the American and it was their new American conference mascot. Yeah, they really brought it. Yeah, and I don't know why a conference needs a mascot. ⁓ and it doesn't really look that good for i I mean it's an eagle it's pretty easy to nail an eagle, right? And I feel like it was like kind of a kind of a joke. But I think they were just kind of forcing it, but trying to do something that got clicks and views and it definitely worked 'cause it showed up on my feed, so Yeah, it showed up on mine as well. So again a win for the American. We'll leave it at that. But let's get into some more fun, kind of ascetic news. Washington State new football locker room. They r they ⁓ posted a few videos of it yesterday, I believe. As of the time of this recording, they released it yesterday. Holy cow, man. Talk about state of the art, man. And I I obviously this is the way that college sports is going, where like you have to have like the flashy stuff to kinda get recruits in. But obviously it's different now. Like money talks more than anything. I think a a nice paycheck goes way farther than you know, maybe ⁓ like a fancy locker room. But but either way, still a very cool locker room. It's gonna change the dynamic of that football program, definitely for years to come, especially with the way like sports science and sports medicine's going. Like all that all that recovery stuff is incredibly important, so what are your thoughts on the new locker room, Caden? I thought it was awesome. It looked sick. I mean, very rarely do you see a new locker room and get disappointed. ⁓ a renovated one especially. ⁓ it's super sick for Washington State. Guess what's about to happen? The recruiting's about to get even stronger. ⁓ it's a new league. They're gonna be more competitive in it maybe than they were in the original Pac twelve. ⁓ it's huge for Washington State facilities are such a big part of this transfer portal and NIL world and I understand why it is that way. You gotta have the facilities to take care of your guys and they've got it now. I mean we all saw it. It's it's legit over up in Pullman. Yeah, it's been it's been unreal. ⁓ talk about quite the the transformation as you go into this new conference. No more Pac twelve news. ⁓ so we will get right into Some players we're excited about this year, Caden. ⁓ I'll go first. I wanted I previewed him a little bit in our football preview when I talked about Boise State. ⁓ I can't get enough of Dylan Riley from Boise State, the running back. He's a junior last season a hundred ⁓ sorry, thousand a hundred and twenty five yards, ten touchdowns, and five point eight yards per game last season, or sorry, yards per gain ⁓ last season for Boise. He's nicknamed the Jet. And I I was watching some of his ⁓ highlights, his tape last night. I I came up with the ⁓ analogy that he he runs like force gump. You know how it's like as soon as he gets the ball, it's just it's all business and we're and we're just running straight. We're not really so worried about lateral movement. You see a whole North to South, baby. North to South, that's right. But but even so, like, even there's not a ton of lateral movement to his game, but even like the little bit that is there, it's pretty it's ⁓ he's pretty he's pretty dangerous. ⁓ but if he gets it straightaway, there's not a guy on any field who's gonna be able to catch him. I don't think I think he will be the best running back in the Pac twelve, but I think he's gonna be one of the best running backs as well, just overall in college football. I think this is a guy who will make noise come draft season like March, April. I think he's gonna put up ridiculous numbers this year. Boise State's gonna lean heavy on that on that run game, especially with kind of the limited pass game you have with Maddox Madsen. No dude sounds exciting from what I'm looking at. And we know Boise's gonna run the ball a lot. ⁓ they're gonna lean on that. So it's one of what, four to five schools there are gonna run the ball this upcoming fall. And you know Boise's probably gonna have They're probably gonna have one of the better attacks. Yeah, without a doubt. And then and they o and that's just kinda their game anyways. It's just just that head down, like you said, north to south, run the ball, football. And I ⁓ I don't know, it's I'm excited for it. All right. Caden, who do you ⁓ who are you excited for? I'm gonna stick with someone that I talked about in the preview as well, and it may be a total bust I'm even mentioning this, but from Washington State, ⁓ the guy coming in out of UC Davis, Caden Pennick. I when I just looked him up and was looking at his numbers at UC Davis, ⁓ man, I was really impressed by what Caden Pennick can be. And I know there's still a quarterback battle over in Pullman. ⁓ still up for grabs that job and maybe Pennick runs away with it. ⁓ I would hope so. I mean he he seems like maybe the most electric guy in the room, but you know, that's what camp's for. That's what all the work is done beforehand to find out who it's gonna be and I'm banking on Pennick. I really want to see Caden Pinnick out there. He he was highly decorated out of the big sky his last year, right? So I think he could be the dude for Washington State. I think he can too. I I really like that pick, Caden. Also too, just a unrelated note about him. I was playing college football ⁓ twenty seven last night and I I was like, let me let me play as Washington State and I was looking for Caden Pinnock is not on the game. I don't know why that is. Yeah, it it's strange. It's the forgive me, I don't know his name, but it's the backup that they're ⁓ that they're ⁓ I guess is competing with Caden Pennick for the starting job that is still in the game, but yeah, I thought that was interesting. I was I was very disappointed to see that. I wanted to kinda sling it with Caden Pennick a little bit and maybe kinda get into the hype train a little bit. I was excited, but but it's all good. You got anything else on Caden Pennick before we move on to this ⁓ to this next athlete? No, let's roll. Alright. So next one I got, I wanted to I wanted to kinda go into volleyball with the little research I did for the preview. ⁓ from Utah State, six four grad student Sophie Scott. ⁓ she spent her last four years at Cal Berkeley appearing in sixty-two total matches. Her career number is a hundred and seventy eight blocks, a hundred and ninety nine kills, and a point two four five hit percentage. Six four she's gonna be and and a grad student. Listen, I don't know much about volleyball. I'm not gonna sit here and act like I I know anything about anything with volleyball. That sounds like a recipe for for a disaster. Like in in the best possible way for Utah State. And they're already one of the best programs in the country. They finished last year ranked number twenty one. ⁓ so obvious by far and away the best program in the Pac twelve as we go into it. Texas State not far behind at forty five. ⁓ but then you start getting into these other schools who are like in the hundreds I think one of them was in like the two hundred, so it's gonna be it it's gonna be a battle of ⁓ of two schools in volleyball this year. And I think Sophie Scott at Utah State is really gonna lead that charge in the Pac twelve. I mean, you don't know that much about volleyball, so looking at those numbers, a hundred and seventy eight blocks, hundred and ninety nine kills. Yeah, that's that's really good. ⁓ I I'm not really worried about her swing percentage and when she's getting a hundred and seventy eight blocks either. ⁓ yeah, no, that's really impressive. ⁓ man, I am excited for Pac twelve volleyball too. Me personally, I started covering volleyball at Texas State not this past fall, but the year before that as well. So I've been an avid volleyball beat reporter and just watcher for the past two years now and Man, I love it, especially at Texas State. I I know we're not previewing volleyball today, but yeah, Utah State's gonna be in there, but Texas State as well. They're they're gonna be really good. They're always loaded up and even with some transfers going out too. Yeah, yeah. And I imagine Boise's loaded up too. I mean, they j it's Boise. Come on. I'll stick with football. ⁓ No, screw it, I gotta talk about my boy. ⁓ yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Oregon State baseball. ⁓ Fresh transfer out of Long Beach State, Jackson Baker. He actually been playing summer ball this summer in Alaska here. ⁓ in Palmer with the Matsue Miners where I'm broadcasting and got to meet Baker over the course of the summer. Unfortunately, and I have beef with them because of this. Oregon State shut him down. They made him go home early because well he was just absolutely dominating the league. It really wasn't fair and there was no reason to keep him up here. But Talking about Jackson Baker, the dude, he he was really working like fastball change up and maybe a curveball. I mean, every now and then. And that was at Long Beach State. And so what happened is he got here this summer. He wasn't coached that great at Long Beach State. He got here and now he's got the curveball and the slider working. He's a lefty. He's throwing about 93, 94 off the bump. ⁓ he's actually from Paloma Valley. High school in Calavor California and apparently, yeah, you might not know this either, because I didn't at first. He's a t s he's technically TikTok famous. Paloma Valley baseball. Apparently they were super TikTok famous. And Jackson Baker was a part of that. He was originally committed to Oregon, got his offer stripped for an injury, I believe, but Long Beach State, now at Oregon State, first day of the transfer portal open. They took him and He signed with Oregon State. The Beavers are gonna be ready to go locked and loaded in this new Pac twelve. And also, the reason why he left Alaska early, he had forty eight strikeouts and only six starts, and he leads the league still. He still leads the league and no one else there's one guy on this top five right now that could catch him and this guy's gonna get one more appearance and he's still thirteen strikeouts behind. So he's not gonna second place No, second place is twelve strikeouts behind. And these dudes all have more appearances than him, so yeah, I mean, if you're an Oregon State Beaver fan, you should be excited about your pickup and Baker. They're pretty legit, right, in baseball? Two national championships, yeah. They're pretty legit in the two thousands of the two thousands I'd consider them a college baseball blue blood. That's in that's insane. I don't know mu that much about college baseball either, so that's insane. I didn't know that. So we got college baseball royalty in a conference. That's awesome. ⁓ yeah. Dude, yeah. Beaver fans, Jackson Baker. He he may be the midweek starter, but he I I've seen him pitch time and time again. He's certainly capable of being a a Friday Saturday guy. That's great, man. Well, hopefully we get him in a few starts down here in San Marcus and we'll be able to talk about him and hopefully maybe get a few words with him. Especially since you kinda got a relationship with him. ⁓ that's my boy. That's Cheddar right there. Let's get into this next player. I think this will be my my last one. But I wanted I wanted to save the best for last. ⁓ I w cause I want to make Pac twelve fans aware of this guy. ⁓ and it is a homer pick. It is a Texas State basketball player. But I need the Pac twelve conglomeration and to know about DJ Hall. DJ Hall, Cadent, I mean, does that name What what does that name do for you when I when I say DJ Hall? ⁓ a dude that could have left and gone and probably played in the Big Twelve, Big Ten, maybe SEC, ⁓ and if he stays at Texas State for three more years, he could go down as one of the greatest Texas State basketball players ever because I mean the dude is legit on the court ⁓ Sunbelt freshman of the year. That's only the second in Texas State's history. the dude he's that guy. He is that guy. So 32 games played last season, 15.6 points per gain, 7.7 rebounds, and a 54.2% field goal rate. ⁓ I'm we we all know him very well ⁓ in on this show. ⁓ but again, introducing him to the Pac 12 fan base, he is fun. He's only six seven, ⁓ but he plays like he's seven foot tall. ⁓ and you will not find a more physical paint presence in this conference. And there was another basketball player I was going to talk about, ⁓ Bradenhoff. I'll save him for another day. I think DJ Hall is the biggest bully down low in the Pac twelve. ⁓ and he's surprisingly a pretty efficient shoot efficient shooter. ⁓ at many points last year. He led Texas State in both points and rebounds throughout the game. And we I was at almost every home game. And I just remember Coach Terrence Johnson singing his praises at every press conference. Like, man, like we can't do it without him. He's he just does everything. He he's so good. ⁓ and he he was One of the best, if not the best player in the Sunbelt last year. I will I'll fight tooth and nail on that. ⁓ and I'm very excited to see him get matched up with better competition. ⁓ I'm really happy that Texas State is kinda getting out of the Sunbelt. It's great conference, a lot of fun. Thanks, Sunbelt, but this basketball season is gonna be one of the best in school, if not the best in school history as far as like just the impact it's gonna have. And I think DJ Hall's face is gonna be all over that. And well I hate to Harp on Texas State real quick here, but ⁓ like you know, it it's what we know. They've needed to be forced to be good at basketball. The Sunbelt wasn't going to do that for them. And, you know, there's football and there's men's basketball, right? Those are the top two. And Texas State was showing no progress in basketball. ⁓ maybe they've had a good year here and there, ⁓ but it was not looking good, especially the start of this season. And then DJ Hall. was getting his feet wet. That's for sure what the first half that season was. And then once he got going, when he was scoring, you know, twenty and twelve, ⁓ it it was pretty much over. They were winning every single game at home. And now they're going to be forced to be good. So ⁓ I do love college hoops, don't get me wrong. But it's not what baseball is to me. But man, I'm excited about the new Pac twelve when it comes to basketball. And DJ Hall is he's probably gonna be able To lead Texas State going on the road or against one of these better teams at right, I I don't think Texas State is anywhere near the middle or the top of the new pack twelve in basketball yet. But I think DJ Hall's a guy that can lead them to go steal a game against that middle to top of the pack. Yeah, I agree. And I think they can get there too by just playing better on the road. Obviously playing at Strayhand isn't a big deal for them. They they had one of the best records in college basketball last year, ⁓ at home. But the road record was pitiful. I think ⁓ only one loss came from home and all of like I think they w w they finished eighteen and twelve, the other eleven or twelve came from came from road games or neutral sites. So hopefully that's something that they they can ⁓ adjust this year. And I think I think they can I I agree with you, Caden, that as of right now, as it stands, they're kinda I would say They probably top out at fifth, maybe sixth in that pack twelve as far as basketball's concerned right now. ⁓ but I think I think better play on the road can get them very easily in that middle ground. And maybe and not compete with schools like Kinzaga or Boise yet, but you know, it at the very least show that like we're coming, you know, and this is a really good recruiting class coming too. I think th the team on the court this year will be the best team that Texas State has in school history. I'll call that now. ⁓ but we'll leave it at that. ⁓ I I need the Pac twelve to be aware of DJ Hall. ⁓ and that's that's really all I got on Caden. You got anything else on him before we move on? No, let's roll it. Let's roll. Do you got any other players or do you want to move on to expansion? no, I was just gonna talk football and just say ⁓ but everyone's already pretty much aware of of a guy Bo Sparks. ⁓ It seems like people are getting pretty familiar pretty quick. ⁓ which is good. ⁓ but then also, man, it's just still in the back of my mind, man, Malik Murphy. Man, I I need to see him throw the You're obsessed with this guy, man. Dude, I'm telling you, I've been following Malik Murphy since his freshman year of high school, which was mine as well, which that's that was like twenty eighteen. Mm-hmm. So eight years ago I've known about this dude. Watch him throw the football like seventy yards. There's some crazy overtime video. ⁓ But yeah, I'm excited for Malik Murphy football. He's gotta prove himself. He's got one more year left to do it. ⁓ and we'll see what happens. I'm definitely think Oregon State is rebuilding, but with Jamarcus Shepard, it's gonna happen a lot quicker. And but in Malik Murphy struggles, ⁓ they got a quarterback room, they can just swap him out and go with the future. I will say though too something to say about that in college football nowadays is that it's very hard to retain, especially like a starting quarterback. So to see him like have the struggles he had last year and still stick with, you know, the plan that they you know, the the new the new regime and the new plan that they brought in, I think that's pretty honorable and I think that like I think it will help him. I don't think he would have stayed if he didn't think it was gonna benefit him. And I I think I think he'll be Pretty good. I wish we would have had Sparty on to yell at you because he hates Malik Murphy. Hey, and I will say fun. He's also probably not transferring 'cause that would be his his fourth school. Yeah. I mean but also TJ Finley didn't really give a you know, he didn't really care about that. Man went to like eight schools. Texas State being one of them. Alrighty, well let's move on to some expansion talk. Because I I I've been wanting to do this for a little bit where it's we we talked about it a little bit before with Pac 12 expansion. So as of right now it stands at nine nine teams and give or take with baseball, some other sports, or some other schools sprinkled in there. But as of right now, the nine main schools kind of are are what they are and and it'll be what it is. ⁓ but I want to talk about expansion because obviously you can't be named. Pac twelve with nine teams. So you ⁓ and of course in this growing landscape of college sports, conference realignment is something that we worry about every single year. So I wanted to suggest some schools and maybe like propose to you, you know, and to the masses, why I would wanna bring these schools into the Pac twelve and maybe you can retort or agree with me. So Whatever y whatever you want to do, Caden, I'm totally fine with it. But I got three yeah, I got three teams here that I want to bring into the Pac twelve and this would be like the three on my wish list. And and we're being totally realistic about it. I'm not gonna say like Alabama or like LSU. Like I'm talking like some schools that I think could could take that next step in the Pac twelve. Okay, yeah. You start with ⁓ with one and then I'll bounce back with another. That sounds good. My number one team that I want in the Pac-Twelve are the Memphis Tigers. No one I want more. So if you want to add some culture to this conference, look no further than Memphis, Tennessee, man. They're competitive in football and basketball. They got good facilities. I would host some really fun conference games. ⁓ Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, their football stadium. So it's it's it's a cool looking stadium, man. The aesthetic is awesome. And obviously you have the FedEx Forum for basketball. ⁓ And also too, some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life has come from Memphis. ⁓ and it's a I think it'd be a super fun city to travel to if like you got like Washington State fans or Oregon State fans who are like coming in for a baseball weekend or coming in for a an a road away game in football or basketball. Memphis is the perfect weekend city. The perfect weekend city. Some of the best food like I said, some of the best food I've ever eaten. Some of the most like unique tourist stuff that you that you that you can do. And it's just the people are so nice, so friendly. I love the city personally. I've been I've been many times, so of course I'm a little biased. And also too, I want you to I want you to do something for me, Caden. Close your eyes real quick. I want you to imagine we're watching Memphis versus Washington State in Memphis. All right. We're ⁓ we're at commercial break. We're flashing back on the CW broadcast. And you see the Bass Pro Shop pyramid coming back from commercial break as the broadcasters are coming back in, bringing us back into the game. It's seven nothing in the second quarter. Tell me that doesn't just like tickle your fancy. Kills. Kills, right? My eyes are actually closed, by the way. Yeah, I was saying wake up, man. But yeah, I that that is that is my number one team that I want in the pack twelve. I I love Memphis. I'm kind of biased towards them a little bit. Like I said, I've been many times. I think it's a very underrated city. And I think it would just be a lot of fun to kind of see their, you know, their coll the the popularity of their college team around the city and maybe even the state kind of grow a little bit. Because also the the uncertainty around the Memphis Grizzlies, and that's something for another time. It's not for this show. ⁓ I think could really help them have something to lean back on. And if you have like a fun school that's in a good competitive conference That is something a city like Memphis could lean on. Yeah. I I think Memphis is a great pick and you know that they're trying to get out and go somewhere else, right? We saw them trying to get to the Big Twelve really bad. And I think they're ready to go to a conference like the Big Twelve that is proven a little bit more than this new Pac twelve is as of right now. And also got way more schools. That makes the conference automatically stronger when you've got more schools. Yeah, when you got sixteen teams compared to nine. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ I do think I it's hard to tell if like somebody joins the new Pac twelve by you know July first, twenty twenty seven. It's really hard to tell if it happens that quick. ⁓ because then you get into the whole conversation ⁓ about you know, what is your contract with the conference, what is your buyout gonna be. ⁓ like for example, a lot of people talked about UTSA joining the Pac twelve, which would be cool to have another school in Texas, of course, Tech State's rivals But they are gonna owe so much money to the American Conference to leave. ⁓ they're already broke and they don't pay, you know, they don't have a good NIL budget. They have a terrible baseball stadium, so they they really wouldn't want to spend all that money on a buyout and if they did, they're idiots, right? There's no reason for them to not stay where they are when they can compete for conference chips. Right. But then, you know, a school like Memphis, they're they're at the top of the American. We we all know that. ⁓ there's no reason for them not to try and go somewhere else. And I think the American has really strong T V deal, but the Pac twelves is just a little bit better, right? The money, ⁓ I don't know what the Americans ⁓ each member gets. And I imagine the Pac twelve may just be a little bit more. But there's not as many schools, so it could be a little different. ⁓ Yeah, and a little easier to maybe take over the conference, you know, like as I like you said, we're already at the top of the American But like imagine like being on the top of a conference with teams like Wazoo and Oregon State, Boise State, you know, very prominent football and basketball programs, you know. And I did have something on UTSA that we can transition to later if you want. But yeah, I think Memphis is a great pick for the Pac twelve. Yeah, a hundred percent. I I can go ahead and throw one out there that it's not like very thought through, it just feels very simple. ⁓ it it's Stanford. Of course. Yeah. I mean Yeah. ⁓ yeah, Cal too, right? ⁓ You could bundle them together. I think that's fair. Yeah. ⁓ there's no reason to be in the ACC, right? We're talking about the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts, right? I mean, what are we doing, guys? Literally exactly opposite from each other. Like, save some money. Right? I imagine the Americ or the ACC has more money than This Pac twelve does right now. That's fine. You're freaking Stanford, all right? You're Cal Berkeley. Like, you've got the money. Right? Come and save money when you travel. How about that, guys? That's kinda what I was thinking too. Like, is is the money really that big of a difference that like s stuff that you're paying for, like travel, lodging, food for all these athletes when they're constantly traveling coast to coast? Like, you know, like I I'm just wondering like cost efficiency there, you know, but But again, it's not me on me to pocket watch, but y it just doesn't make sense for them to be in the ACC. I agree with you, Caden. No, there's no reason for them to be going all the way over to Boston College or Florida State. Like what are we doing, guys? Save some money. The new conference and I think Stanford specifically, athletic wise, not what they used to be, right? I don't know what's going on, but they're not the same. ⁓ I I think that maybe going down a step would allow them to go up again two steps. Yeah, sometimes to go forward you gotta go back. And I think that that would be the best like go back move to help you go forward. I agree. Yeah. And I mean Cal, we saw what was it last year or was it the year before that? I wanna say it was last year, like week two, college game day went there and it was like five in the morning on the west coast and they were playing Penn State. They were like two or no, three and that place is electric, right? They've held a college game tape. We know ⁓ you know, Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch from there. They've got good alumni, great alumni base. ⁓ it'd be a great school to add, ⁓ I think and it keeps people on the West Coast ⁓ like they should be. I mean, you know, I Texas State is in Texas. You know, we're all the way in Texas talking about the West Coast, but ⁓ we got a piece of the pie, right? ⁓ and it's I yeah, I think exactly what you said to to go forward you gotta take a set back first. And that's what I think Cal and Stanford need to do. ⁓ I think they're the schools that jump ship out of the old Pac twelve. are much fitting for the new one as well though. Yeah, I agree. I think they would slide in perfectly and seamlessly with this new Pac twelve. And I I just think like Even at the level they're at, which is like obviously they they would come into this conference, the two best schools, immediately. They would run the show, right? But but it's also doesn't seem like it's that far off, right? Like a school like Texas State, Boise State, these schools from the mountain west, like it's not that far off. Like and I understand like the resources is what does it, but like but I'm pretty sure Colorado State is operating at a much higher costs than schools like Berkeley and and Stanford, you know? Like that's just I mean I I I don't know that the top of my head, but like already it seems like these schools are trying to compete at that level and I don't think it would be long before the the Pac 12 would catch up with schools like Stanford and Cal. I did have one thing on UTSA. We mentioned UTSA already about them coming in. They are on my list, but just for silly reasons. So and we'll and we'll go through it quick. ⁓ so the main reason I have here is that it's kind of like Memphis where it's like Besides the NBA, it doesn't really have like a team to sink into. And I think it'd be cool to see San Antonio kind of really, really embrace UTSA as like their own. I haven't really seen that yet. ⁓ it just kinda seems like a a very niche, small fan base that I don't know, it doesn't s I don't I don't know. Maybe it's just like where they play games, like the environment just doesn't seem fun, whatever. But but I also think it would be really fun and this is like kind of my my funny one. Like imagine someone like Isaac Melcher like mingling with like a Washington State fan. Like like just for that alone is would be the reason I want it. ⁓ but yeah, that's that's really all I got on UTSA. I don't have much. I I don't like them at all. It's a school that's never caught my eye. It's a school that never really seemed like that serious to me. So like why reward them with something better if they can't do anything with what they have. And I know it's not much, but it's just not that. I'll tell you what right now, look up if you're listening to this, look up their basketball gym and then you'll just look at that right there and see that they have no business being in the new Pac twelve because of their facilities. Also, look up their baseball field too. Trash. It's like the equivalent of like a mid level high school like And then people people will tell you, ⁓ well they play in the Alamo Dome like Sure, it's cool they rent it out, it's not even theirs. Yeah, I mean it's it's yeah. It's lifeless, it's not theirs. Yeah, it's it's just like in Texas, you can't put that in the Alamo Dome. Like the very like bland, boring Alamo Dome that you don't even fill out the lower bowl for any of your games, so like it doesn't create a good environment. I just like Yeah, I don't they have a lot of stuff they need to work on before they would even consider that, I think. ⁓ change in the facilities is ⁓ is number one. Do you got another school, Caden, before I get to my last school here? Honestly, I don't really want to keep picking at the American because I know what their buyouts are and they're all super high and that's where most people are looking towards, like especially like North Texas maybe too. Yeah, I've heard that one. Trying to get an another foot in Texas, but honestly, not really 'cause it's really hard to say. I mean, I even feel like Outside of Cal and Stanford, there may be just one other school that left that comes back. Mm-hmm. I don't know who it is, but I just have a hunch about it. And 'cause ⁓ it's obviously not gonna be the big dogs that are now in the big ten, you know. ⁓ I don't see that happening. No, you y you you hit gold going into the big ten, especially with the recent success of the conference. Yeah, and then Big Twelve, I'm thinking Colorado, BYU Arizona State, Arizona and Colorado would be one that would come back. Like if I had to pick one out of that you were thinking that too? I was thinking that, yeah. Just and just because like I was too. Yeah, just because like I don't think like they've necessarily matched the success that they need to have in the you know, I don't know. It just seems like football's kind of been a disaster since, you know, the whole Dion thing and basketball's never really been serious. You know, they've always just kind of been like a yeah, program and like a team that can maybe get you some upsets but I mean besides that, yeah, it it seems like that could be a a cool that could come back to the pack twelve. But I just think the Big Twelve is it's just too easy of a moneymaker for ⁓ Like why would they leave? And then and it's not like they're gonna kick ⁓ out, you know, so yeah, get that get that bread. But I got one more school. That was my exact thoughts. ⁓ there it's just too easy to make money in the Big Twelve. You're you're making more money, doesn't really matter. It's unlimited money. Yeah, unless their donors are like, Hey, you need to like start winning. Or go somewhere where you can or otherwise we're out. Right. And they would do something, but it's probably not gonna happen. So Yeah I mean they got that deal with Monster and people were hating on it. It's got more money than your conference, right? First ones to at least get everyone else paid. Yeah, that's true. And I saw a clip of ⁓ Baylor practicing ⁓ basketball the other day on Twitter and ⁓ people were absolutely crucifying the monster logo being on the court on the free throw line and I I d Listen, I I understand like the purists and stuff who just want, you know, to keep the game keep all that stuff out of the game, but like this is this is how you bring eyes to the sport and it what brings money, you know, and it's how you can get good players in the door and it's what keeps your program relevant. So unfortunately it's just one of those things that like, yeah, is it aesthetically pleasing? No. Is it peak capitalism? Yes. But your team is good, so who cares, right? Like Alright. Well, I got one more school that I want to hop hop on real quick and then we'll we'll hop off Caden for the for the for the week and then we'll let you lock in in your last few days in Alaska. ⁓ this one I think could actually very seriously happen within the next year. UNLV. ⁓ I I hesitate to pull another team from the Mountain West, but I think that this should be if if they are gonna go that route, that this should be an obvious choice. Las Vegas, obviously the epitome of entertainment in the country. The Pac twelve basketball tournaments are already being played there. Right. So what more needs to be said? ⁓ I I don't know. I just think you bring in a market like Las Vegas in the Pac twelve, that could be that could be a lot of fun. Yeah, I like that. ⁓ I'm thinking football wise and basketball. ⁓ I know they got Dan Mullen as a coach. They they've been so close to winning the Mountain West. Unfortunately, Boise State just happened to still be in the conference. That's pretty much the luck that they just happen to run into and I like UNLV as a pick too. I'm not really worried about picking from the Mountain West and I don't not bothered by it. I think it's a school that could be on the up and up. They've they've got the money, they've got the success. ⁓ that's a big thing. And while we're on the topic, remember they just put their basketball team quote unquote up for sale for ten million? That's right. Yeah. Should we should we start to go fund me? And we we can run the red re the running rebels. And then the coach ⁓ posted like the next day and was like, ⁓ we're sorry, we're not selling the team. People didn't get it. ⁓ they were obviously saying you donate ten million, we're gonna give you some benefits, but Right. But it but it kind of essentially is ownership, right? Like, I you're paying for the team. Yeah, it's you're obvious and you're getting benefits of it. Yeah, think about the big donors at like schools like Texas and Ohio State. I mean, they there's a group of very wealthy people that are pretty much just owners. Yeah. And and and whether you want to call it that or not, it's exactly like what you said. That's what it is. Cause ⁓ the it's these guys who are funneling the money into the program. So it's it's there's really no no other thing to call them. I think donors just kind of a fancy word for owner. The second NIL entered the world and then people started teams started getting general managers, that's how you know they became organizations and brands and not college football programs. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, it's it's a totally different landscape now. But but yeah, I think those would be three pretty good teams that are the Pac 12. Obviously, UTSA has their issues. ⁓ if we're just talking about like the Texas connection though of like wanting one more team in Texas. Go Caden, sorry. No, you're good. Finish up, finish up. I have one team though in my back of my mind. No, go ahead. I was gonna wrap it up, so go ahead. North Dakota State. Give them two more years. Yeah, give me the bison. Yeah, I agree. I would love I would just love to see Texas State in the Fargo Dome. Like if I'm being honest with you, I think. Yeah, there's absolutely no benefit to it beside but I mean for them obviously it would be and it'd be a lot of fun for the Pac twelve, but I just think that seeing GJ Kinney like at the Fargo Dome would just kind of be very funny. I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a place he would ever like willingly be. No. ⁓ I do yeah, I think you give North Dakota State two to three years. ⁓ in the Mountain West and I think they're gonna be very successful. ⁓ I think they have a chance to win the conference in year one and I think so too, man. I think their FCS history's gonna carry over. Yeah, I think they're just gonna be very dominant ⁓ coming in early and they may start turning into you know what Boise State was in the Mountain West and be able to jump ship sooner than later. Yeah. I did have some honorable mentions for basketball only, ⁓ St. Mary's or Creighton. And the only point I have on that is just for my selfish, gluttonous college basketball fandom. So that's really all I got on that. But just to you know, some s a wish list, a short little wish list of Kane, do you got anything else before we wrap it up here on the third episode of Pac Twelve? Hey, the fourth episode that hasn't obviously not been recorded yet, but it'll be the first one with all three of us in person, 'cause I will be back in about in San Marcus in probably about ten ish days. I'm excited to have you back, man, and I'm excited to get that episode shot. But I'm glad that you took the time to get this third episode filmed with me ⁓ before you start this grind of calling baseball games. So thank you again, Caden, for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me. Thank you all for listening to Pact Twelve Pod. Give us a follow on our socials at Pac Twelve Pod. You can follow us on all of our personal socials as well. I won't I won't say them all because I don't know ⁓ all. But enjoy the rest of your afternoon, folks. Enjoy the rest of your day, wherever you may be listening. And this has been Pac Twelve.