The Pac-10 Conference struck first in college sports' frantic realignment chess game, adding the University of Colorado on Friday, and it isn't done yet.
But its next move may rest in the University of Nebraska's hands.
Nebraska is expected to decide soon whether to join the Big Ten Conference - the school's regents are scheduled to meet today - and a move could weaken the Big 12 Conference enough that the Pac-10 could nab five other targets: Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
If the Cornhuskers stay put, or if the Big 12 otherwise stays intact, the Pac-10 could instead just add the University of Utah and cap the league at 12 teams.
"I think there's still exciting opportunities ahead for the Pac-10," UA Athletic Director Greg Byrne said. "What they will be I don't think anybody knows. I think there's a still a lot of things that haven't happened yet."
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Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott would not comment on Nebraska and the Big Ten, saying only that the Pac-10 would "see what develops nationally before we decide what to do next."
Scott said early Thursday afternoon that he had not extended any other invitations but would not say if that meant he was simply waiting for Nebraska to decide.
Either way, it is likely the Pac-10 will rename itself, split into divisions and add a football championship game. If the Pac-10 winds up landing the other Big 12 schools, it is possible that Arizona and ASU would be placed in an eight-team eastern division while the rest of the current Pac-10 teams went to a coastal division.
Scott said he wanted to eventually rename the conference to "reflect the membership" but wouldn't consider a name or logo change until the expansion scenario plays out. "Pacific" has been a part of the conference's name since 1968, though the "Pac-8" became the "Pac-10" when Arizona and ASU joined in 1978. Before 1968, the conference had roots in the Athletic Associates of Western Universities (1959-68) and Pacific Coast Conference (1915-1959).
Scott wouldn't comment on potential divisions but said that the league, in conjunction with school officials, has looked into using "divisions and creative scheduling" to best minimize missed class time and travel for athletes.
He said divisions and scheduling would vary sport by sport, though in football, an eight-team eastern division could mean the UA would have to beat traditional powers Texas and Oklahoma in its division and then go on to defeat a coastal division champ such as USC in the Pac-10 championship game in order to reach the Rose Bowl.
Since the situation is still evolving, Byrne said football coach Mike Stoops and other UA coaches are not allowed to comment and the athletic director also declined to speculate on what a possible 16-team alignment would mean for Arizona.
Byrne said he met with the UA coaches Wednesday to discuss the situation briefly.
"All I did is talk to them and say, 'We don't know what the final result is going to be but let's be prepared to talk about the different challenges and issues,' " Byrne said. "I've asked for their feedback so that whether it's 11 teams … or whatever it ends up being we can make sure we're looking after the U of A in those discussions."
Stoops, along with basketball coaches Sean Miller and Niya Butts, issued brief statements about Colorado, which is in Boulder, on UA's athletic website.
"Colorado is a great university and this brings the Denver market into play for our conference," Stoops said. "CU has had great success in athletics and fits the profile of what the Pac-10 is all about."
Scott said the expansion would likely occur in 2012, coinciding with the end of the league's old television contract, and that he was not certain yet if there would be a football championship game in December 2012.
What was for sure, Scott said, was that the Pac-10 wanted the Colorado Buffaloes.
"We've been looking at Colorado for quite some time," Scott said. "We've been through a pretty exhausting process and it's clear that in any scenario we were going to consider Colorado a great fit. Out of last weekend (when the Pac-10 presidents and chancellors met in San Francisco) it was clear there were a number of scenarios and in every one of those scenarios Colorado would be a great fit."
Added Miller, in the UA's statement: "It's a great day for everyone in the Pac-10. To add a university, a state and a market like the Boulder-Denver market is amazing as we move forward. Its addition makes us a much stronger conference."
Colorado President Bruce Benson indicated the feelings were mutual.
"We look at it as a real class conference," Benson said. "You're judged by who you associate with and we want to be associated with the Pac-10 because it is such a great conference."
If nothing else, the Pac-10 proved it is an aggressive conference, signaling that it won't stand pat in an age where money and television markets are the driving forces.
"In my opinion we needed to be aggressive in our approach and Larry (Commissioner Scott) has obviously shown that that's the approach he's taking," Byrne said. "When you looking at what's taken place - whether anything (else) happens - the Pac-10 has been talked about more in the last five days than it has been in years. That's a good thing for our brand, our identity as a league, and obviously that has a positive impact on the University of Arizona because that makes our visibility even stronger across the country."
