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**Lzen** · 09-07-2011, 11:14 AM

CU president leery of Pac-12 adding more teams

By John Henderson
The Denver Post
Posted: 09/06/2011 09:43:25 AM MDT
Updated: 09/06/2011 10:52:14 AM MDT

University of Colorado president Bruce Benson said this morning he is wary of further Pac-12 expansion, particularly if Colorado is placed in an "East" division with former rivals from the Big 12 such as Oklahoma and Texas.
Benson said he would discuss the situation with university chancellor Phil DiStefano later today. Expansion talks have heated up in the aftermath of the Big 12 losing Texas A&M last week, and widespread speculation that Oklahoma and Texas might now bolt, possibly to the Pac 12.
"One of the reasons - and there are a lot of reasons - we got in the Pac 12 is to play regularly on the West Coast," Benson said. "When I hear things like East-West divisions, we're going back to the Big 12 again. I don't know who's possibly going, but I sure don't want to get shorted out of the West Coast."
The Pac-12, which expanded with Colorado and Utah last spring, could possibly become the Pac-16. Oklahoma officials have indicated its priority, if the Big 12 doesn't stay solvent, is joining the Pac-12. Should OU commit to a move it could push others to join, such as Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
Benson and DiStefano always maintained a major reason for CU joining the Pac-12 was that the schools matched Colorado's academic mission. While Oklahoma and Texas are on a par with CU academically, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State may not be.
"I believe that we should have a robust academic atmosphere among all schools in the league," Benson said. "What schools have cinch courses or gut courses? We don't have any and never will. The Pac-12 doesn't. Some Big 12 schools do."
Benson said he hasn't talked to Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott recently and doesn't know what his plans are or what a potential expansion would mean financially to the current members. Scott signed TV contracts that guarantee each school around $20 million a year in TV revenue in future years.
"I'm not sure if there is any more money per school," Benson said. "We'll wait and see. We'll see what Texas does with their (Longhorn) network. Texas likes things Texas's way."
The Longhorn Network will earn the school $15 million a year for 20 years. Scott's refusal to allow Texas to have the network if it was a Pac-12 member is believed to be a factor in why Texas didn't jump last year.
How Scott accommodates Texas, particularly with the Pac-12's four new regional networks, may be a key to whether the Pac-12 becomes the Pac-16.
"Look at the whole Texas funding," Benson said. "Boulder's (athletic) budget was $48 million before the new contract. Texas was $122 million and maybe that's a year old. That's before they got the bigger (TV) contract."
The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that most Pac-12 CEOs favor standing pat and not expanding. They like the idea of six-team North and South divisions.
"That's kind of how I look at it," Benson said. "I just don't want to change this dynamic. Every year we're in Northern and Southern California. We want that. Every year we're in Arizona. We want that. We're in Washington. We want that."
Pac-12 expansion could happen soon. If it does, divisional alignment will be a major problem for Colorado if it's in the same division as the Texas and Oklahoma schools.
"I'm not happy at all if we go that way," Benson said. "I'm sure I'll make a lot of noise."

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_...estid=10730518

09-07-2011, 11:14 AM	#8806
Lzen Banded Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Oz Casino cash: $-519308	CU president leery of Pac-12 adding more teams By John Henderson The Denver Post Posted: 09/06/2011 09:43:25 AM MDT Updated: 09/06/2011 10:52:14 AM MDT University of Colorado president Bruce Benson said this morning he is wary of further Pac-12 expansion, particularly if Colorado is placed in an "East" division with former rivals from the Big 12 such as Oklahoma and Texas. Benson said he would discuss the situation with university chancellor Phil DiStefano later today. Expansion talks have heated up in the aftermath of the Big 12 losing Texas A&M last week, and widespread speculation that Oklahoma and Texas might now bolt, possibly to the Pac 12. "One of the reasons - and there are a lot of reasons - we got in the Pac 12 is to play regularly on the West Coast," Benson said. "When I hear things like East-West divisions, we're going back to the Big 12 again. I don't know who's possibly going, but I sure don't want to get shorted out of the West Coast." The Pac-12, which expanded with Colorado and Utah last spring, could possibly become the Pac-16. Oklahoma officials have indicated its priority, if the Big 12 doesn't stay solvent, is joining the Pac-12. Should OU commit to a move it could push others to join, such as Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Benson and DiStefano always maintained a major reason for CU joining the Pac-12 was that the schools matched Colorado's academic mission. While Oklahoma and Texas are on a par with CU academically, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State may not be. "I believe that we should have a robust academic atmosphere among all schools in the league," Benson said. "What schools have cinch courses or gut courses? We don't have any and never will. The Pac-12 doesn't. Some Big 12 schools do." Benson said he hasn't talked to Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott recently and doesn't know what his plans are or what a potential expansion would mean financially to the current members. Scott signed TV contracts that guarantee each school around $20 million a year in TV revenue in future years. "I'm not sure if there is any more money per school," Benson said. "We'll wait and see. We'll see what Texas does with their (Longhorn) network. Texas likes things Texas's way." The Longhorn Network will earn the school $15 million a year for 20 years. Scott's refusal to allow Texas to have the network if it was a Pac-12 member is believed to be a factor in why Texas didn't jump last year. How Scott accommodates Texas, particularly with the Pac-12's four new regional networks, may be a key to whether the Pac-12 becomes the Pac-16. "Look at the whole Texas funding," Benson said. "Boulder's (athletic) budget was $48 million before the new contract. Texas was $122 million and maybe that's a year old. That's before they got the bigger (TV) contract." The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that most Pac-12 CEOs favor standing pat and not expanding. They like the idea of six-team North and South divisions. "That's kind of how I look at it," Benson said. "I just don't want to change this dynamic. Every year we're in Northern and Southern California. We want that. Every year we're in Arizona. We want that. We're in Washington. We want that." Pac-12 expansion could happen soon. If it does, divisional alignment will be a major problem for Colorado if it's in the same division as the Texas and Oklahoma schools. "I'm not happy at all if we go that way," Benson said. "I'm sure I'll make a lot of noise." http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_...estid=10730518 __________________ Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.
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