It’s not the old Pac-12, but San Diego State’s new conference beats the old one by a long shot – San Diego Union-Tribune

I say …

Not so long ago, this news would have been like the “Anvil Chorus” from “Il Trovatore,” Verdi blaring from the loudspeakers in our ears. But it was a jingle tapping on my wrist.

I’m excited that San Diego State – along with Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and at least two more to be named later – will be playing in the Pac-12/whatever in 2026 along with Washington State and Oregon State.

But I’m not crazy. It’s not the real Pac-12 that got razed to the ground, but it’s better than anything the Aztecs have ever been a part of. And who knows? Given the puzzling state of college sports, it might be the best and only conference they’ll ever be a part of.

Since the first of several lunches with Knute Rockne and Gus Dorais where we talked about what follows in this column—and in the process developed the passing game on napkins over French dips—it has been my dream to see SDSU in the Pac-8, Pac-10, Pac-12 or some kind of Pac.

For my alma mater, this is different than the PCAA, the WAC and the godforsaken Mountain West, where a sea-level team overcomes mountainous challenges by traveling and playing in the thin air of cities whose market size is equivalent to that of bodegas.

But joining one of the old Pacs, 8, 10 or 12, wasn’t an option. USC and UCLA didn’t want the Aztecs sharing their recruiting grounds. And then the Pac-12 botched it all, opening the door to everyone except Oregon State and Washington State to leave.

The Pac-6, as it stands, needs to grow by at least two schools to be recognized as a true conference by the FBS, which will happen. But it should probably grow to 12, which is probably what will happen. It would be much better if Stanford and Cal left the ACC and returned.

The thing is, I continue to worry about the Aztecs football program. It seems that the SDSU fan base only cares about men’s basketball and not much else. The football team couldn’t draw a crooked line when they were a winner every year going bowling.

It was beyond boring during Brady Hoke’s Woody Hayes era. And although his successor, Sean Lewis, was hired to add sparkle and zest to the offense, it’s too early to judge him (at least he’s talking 100 mph). No coach in the country has had to step off the boring scale more.

And the fancy new Snapdragon Stadium isn’t Petco Park, which has become a popular destination and was one when the Padres were bad for so long. SDSU basketball is one of the best programs in the country and sells out, but football pays the bill, and that program just doesn’t put the fans it has in the seats.

The best part will be the trip for everyone involved, especially for the basketball team, which currently has to play more games and avoid smaller places and the Winter Lion.

I have no problem with this move, which puts the Aztecs in a better position. The future of college sports cannot be viewed through a clear lens, so this is the best move.

What was once a football town is now baseball and basketball. SDSU has been cornered and this seems to be the only way out.

But let’s not confuse this with the Pac-12, the greatest sports conference in the history of the world. Let’s say the Aztecs will be better than they are now, but there are far too many unknowns out there – and that includes the halls of SDSU – to get carried away.

This is not a negative thing. It is simply the reality of an unrealistic college world. …

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Originally published: September 14, 2024 at 3:16 pm