July 8, 2025 • 33 mins
On this episode the Chaps catch up on the news coming out of College Football this week...
- Texas State jumps to the PAC12 to revive the Conference
- Excluding Gonzaga, this is an 8 team conference - who joins to give 8 conference games?
- The ripple effect across College Football from these moves
- Texas Tech pays OT Ojo $5m to come play in Lubbock - what does this do for the game?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm not going to comment on that. I'll get fine
for the rest of my life if I get comment
on that national champion.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
That young girls.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Hey everyone, and welcome to the College Chaps podcast. On
this episode, we're going to do a quick recap of
some of the news coming out of college football as
excitement for the new season starts to ramp up. But
first we are the Chaps. I'm George and I am
joined by the dynamic due the dukes of hazard of
college football. If you will, Oliver and Alex, how.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Are you both? I feel like George, like week in,
week out must have more spare time than the week prior,
because the introductions seems to be getting like more, more
phenomenal the be friends. It must because it's college football
season coming Georgia's he's ramping up to his full creative
(01:10):
genius ahead of SEC and media days next week.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, by December it is gonna be gone going full
Bruce Buffer, big long introductions, holding his own microphone in
front of him, you know, full showers. I've already made
George almost crash out twice in the conversations that we've
been having, so the goal is to get him to
do it live on the recording.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
For the rest of this episode.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Twenty nine minutes of the podcast is dedicated to the
introduction to YouTube chaps. I can't think of anything better
to be a peerful and straight. We've used up enough
nonsense time. Let's talk about now. Anyone who's listened to
this podcast knows that we have been fans advocates for
(01:59):
everyone on to call of the Pack twelve for as
long as we've been recording, which isn't it. This is
never start of our seventh season, believe it or not,
And it was a very gloomy day when the Pack
twelve demise. But no, it's back.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
It is back.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Texas State has joined the PAC twelve, which gets so
we're not going to talk about Gonzaga because they don't
play football, but that guess it is back to eight,
the magnificent Pack eight. So before we get into the
weeds on this, let's rejoice the fact that the Pack
twelve is back. How do you boys feel about that?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah? I think any time that there is a rounded conference,
when there's more teams playing meaningful college football, I think
that's that's what everyone wants, right like Oregon State and
Washington State carried the PAC twelve for two years as
a two team establishment. Obviously, going into the second season
(02:58):
of just two teams have that fire burning, but it
hasn't meant anything. With all due respect to those two programs,
it's not it's not meant to deal from next year
twenty twenty six, we have a meaning for conference. And
I think you know what whatever shape or more fashion
that takes when you've got competitive football with good teams
(03:21):
and competitive teams regardless of you know, whether that's the
SEC in the Big Ten, whether it's the MAC and
it's the Mountain West, like I think, as the college
football is better or that now, some conferences that have
been impacted by the PAC twelve getting to eight teams
might not feel that way, but I do think it
(03:43):
puts us in a puts in a healthier spot as
a sport as a whole, because you have a two
team conference that doesn't mean anything. It's kind of I
don't want to say it's a staying on the sport
of the whole, but it certainly detracts from what we
should be talking about. You know, we should be talking
about football. We shouldn't be talking about politics. And when
you have two teams sat there as a as a
(04:06):
reminder of how we've got to this point. That's you know,
it's bringing politics more into the conversation of football. So yeah,
I can't wait. I'm very much looking forward to In
the fact twelve seems to have got a TV deal
in place, which isn't particularly great for the UK based
fans with being our CBS sports, but well we'll all
fighted away as we as we do every year, and yeah,
(04:30):
I think it's great. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, I broadly agree with you, Elie. I think it
is good for the sport. It's a big brand name.
You know, it was never going to benefit the sport
to lose one of the Power five conferences, right, And
I think the more that this sport spreads out over
the whole continental US and the more teams there are
(04:57):
in different time zones playing important matches. And I know
that we didn't lose teams in those time zones have
just moved into other conferences. But the more structures you
give teams opportunities to compete, especially with the leveling that's
going to happen with other structural changes to college football,
(05:19):
I think that is a good thing, because you're going
to start to get teams that are good in these conferences,
And as we've spoken about in the past, if conferences
have a direct spot into the College Football Playoff, then
suddenly it becomes attractive to be a big fish in
a small pond. And I think that's good for the sport.
(05:39):
We want to see the best teams in the playoff
every year. So I like the return and it just
feels right. It's something that feels right in the year
twenty twenty five, where things that feel right don't happen
very often, thank true.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Why is this world to come from Alex the youngest
in the group. Rumor has it you have to have
state at the end of your name to get into
this conference. So it'll be interesting to see what happens next.
Talking about what happens next, eight teams, eight football teams
get some seven conference games. We were talking about this
earlier on Chaps. To get to eight conference teams, they're
(06:22):
going to have to bring another school in because Gonzaga
don't play football. They're a well known blue blood in basketball,
but not in football. So let's talk a little bit
about who may join the pact. Twelve. Alex kind of
alluded to this a little bit. Regionality and geography doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Come into it any longer.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
We've got you know, we've got as much as we've
got Washington State, We've going to get Texas State playing
in this conference. We've got UCLA playing in the Big
the Big ten. So but there has been some whispers
and we know that the conference has been actively trying
to recruit. So what some of the names that are
(07:06):
are kicking about, I say, lately recruits.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
George, you mentioned their location, geography, and you know where
conference realignments concern. I think just before we look at
who's to come next, I think what a great move
by the PAC twelve to add Texas State from that perspective,
because it's a team that's far enough west to kind
(07:31):
of not make travel such a there's such a big
sticking point or talking point, you know. With however, much
of the off season we spend every year talking about
who's going to make those West coast to east coast
you know, Boston College playing at carl in the AA,
the ACC and things like that. Like Texas State is
(07:51):
far enough west to not have that conversation, but it
gives the PAC twelve the foothold in the Texas market.
I think that's huge for the for the Pac twelve
as a conference. I think it's huge for Texas State
to be a big part of that because that's an
up and coming program and that Alex touched on there
(08:12):
that you know, you want to be in a conference
where you can play for a place in the College
Football Playoff and Texas State is moving in that direction
to be a team that you know fits nicely along
them all the Boise State and some of these better
Group of five teams that consistently challenge for college football
plays so that college Football Playoff play. So I think
(08:34):
it's a stroke of genius from the Pac twelve to
add Texas State. I think it works great for the
Bobcats as a program. They're moving in the right direction
under GJ. But I also think that plays into what
the next move should be or could be because in
those discussions of expanding the Pac twelve, teams like UTSA
(09:00):
have been a big factor in that, you know, the
top tier AAC teams that also make a lot of
sense from a geographical location and a market standpoint. I
don't think there's a program that makes more sense really
from that of those boxers than ut essay. You know,
the road Runner is the location of San Antonio, what
(09:21):
that program means to San Antonio and how the community
has kind of built around that program and the Alamo
down over the last few years. That'd be a great
move for the PAC twelve to have a program that
has that fan base that has been a challenger in
multiple conferences. You know, it was one of the Conference
(09:42):
USA multiple types, came straight into the AAC and was
a challenger right at the very top, got great charismatic
coach and Jeff Trailer like that program is I think
right for the PIC. It's not the right way for
the PAC twelve, but it is. It's a team that
they should be targeted. And on one that I show.
You know, rumors of discussions around the top AAC teams
(10:06):
around too late, around Memphis, even around Navy, those conversations
for me kind of should should start and end with UTSA.
If they can get the road Runners to commit to
that conference, I think it is you know, a win
win for the Pact weelve.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Alex. Let me just pick up something all they said there,
because I know you've got from views on about the
traveling and well, we focus a lot on football, we
can sometimes forget that all the other sports programs have
to travel also. And I think last year we did
actually start to see the grumblings turning into full skial
(10:53):
crises for want of a bit of world of teams.
The amount of time not just a course, but the
amount of time is taking to get athletes across across country,
and we can of some things forget here. How big
the United States is? That really is a that really
is a problem. And it's not easily going to go away,
(11:13):
is it.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
No, Because we've become that there are now multiple conferences
that are cross country. They aren't regionalized anymore. As conferences
are looking to open up new TV markets and you know,
bringing schools from different states, it is going to move
that way where it is a little bit more national
(11:37):
and there is a lot more travel. It's not good
for the athletes, even from a football perspective, to be
traveling as much as they do. Takes a big toll
on the body. It stops their ability with road games
to properly recover and recuperate for a number of hours
after the game, going up in the air and flying
(12:00):
after playing or in the hours after playing is not
great for your body, you know. So there's a huge
player welfare issue, an athlete welfare issue, and even coach
welfare issue. And I know we these coaches get paid
a lot of money, but you know they're working twenty
four seven and the majority of that time is being
(12:23):
spent on a plane or cramped around their desk in
their office. You know, all of that doesn't add up
to a healthy lifestyle for anyone involved. But at the
same time, you've got to make money, and the more
money you make, the more you can spend on your roster.
And so teams and conferences are going to chase the
(12:47):
money because of the conferences where teams can make the
most money of the conferences that teams are going to
want to play in. I also think that any suggestion
of an extra team to join this conference without the
state in the name is just wrong. I think New
Mexico State, that's a new state for them. PAC twelve
(13:08):
not in New Mexico, doesn't have either of the New
Mexico schools signed up. I know, I know they've not
been very good for ever and ever and ever, but
you know, it's always nice every conference, every top conference
has got a whipping boy in there, haven't they. You know,
So you add that and you keep the state tradition alive.
(13:30):
You open up a new market at the same time,
and they're definitely going to beat the conference leader one
of these years in a nine to six classic in
at three am in the morning here in England, and
Ollie will be watching it, so you know, it just
keeps Pack twelve tradition alive. Unfortunately, there are no Division
(13:53):
one football schools in Alaska because that would be a
perfect place to add somewhere at a school to the
PAC twelve from. But unfortunately that there are no college
football playing Division one schools in Alaska, so you know,
lots of lots of potential to add. I think the
(14:14):
more chaos you can bring, the more welcoming we can
be as And you know, Ollie and I are card
carrying members of the Pac twelve Fang Club, so you
know we we should have a say. I believe in
this obviously, the fans should should run this sport. And yeah,
(14:35):
the more the more teams with stating their name we
can get in one conference, the better.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Just before we came on, I am I was looking
for something on the Internet and the AI overview of
Google's through me what is already apparently a solution to
the and issue for the PAC twelve, although this claims
(15:06):
AI overview to have actually been a resolution for the
Mountain West Board, which is completely wrong and ch a
I folks, the U see Davis throw a FCS powerhouse
into the PAC twelve. As soon as we're adding FCS
teams two more this year Delaware and Missouri State joining
(15:27):
Conference USA, why not throw a California based school into
the PAC twelve. You know, just put the cat among
the pigeons in this you know, era of Californian teams
playing on the Atlantic Coast Conference having too much. You
see Davis playing the PAC twelve. That would be awesome. Well,
it doesn't have state of the name. So Alex's mantra
(15:49):
is the back twelve commission.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
We can't us almost feels obligatory that you have a
Californian team in the pact. Wild right, but I mean here.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
San Diego, san Diego State there, so there is some
right California and representation a little too far south. I'm
not sure you see Davis like great school, great program,
done really good in the fcs just don't think they're
giving me the Pac twelve kind of vibe though.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
How you two lads are not at the heights of
college showbow administration. I don't know we're missing something here
drastically you should there, you go right, listen, let's move on.
I'm trying to keep this train in the tracks, and
it's getting hard and harder each week.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So all of our.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Tulane or Memphis or Utsea decide to jump ship and
move to the Pack nine as it would be. Then
I'm sure there's dow in the call up Pack twelve
for marketing purposes of nothing else. Well, now we saw
this a couple of years ago, only saw teams changing,
(17:02):
big team acc et cetera, et cetera. So those those
ripples start to reach out and became, you know, they
we questioned at that time about the future of college football,
and college football survived and move forward, but it does
cause ripples, and the conferences that these teams come from
are then left with a job of filling those spaces.
(17:25):
So what do you think then happens? If you know,
Tulane moves to the to the Pact health where do
they and you've touched on us a little bit. Where
the where does the replacement come from if indeed they
do secret replacement, which I.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Soon they do. Yeah, it's interesting because you know, we
talked about this in the in group chat before we came.
AM a big fan of equal numbers where college conference
is concern. Well, then we're operating an ACC with seventeen
teams right now. So we're going to have the ACC
with seventeen teams. We'll have the Mountain West with nine teams,
and the sun Bell where thirteen teams. The MAC this
(18:01):
year will operate an odd number of teams as well,
So I think it's a case of ultimately all the
dominoes fall into place and when the music stops. That's
a lot of mixed metapols in there. But yeah, I
think that for me, the big thing with the Sun Belt,
(18:23):
let's deal with what we're dealing with right now, is
Texas State from next year will be in the Pact
twelve and that only the Sun Belt with an unbalanced
number of teams. And that's kind of a bigger issue
for the Sun Belt than any other conference because they're
one that's still is tied to divisions within the conference.
So we've got a sixteen conference and a sixteen division
(18:43):
and a seventeen division, which obviously is optimal for a
balance of power. So you look at the teams that
have already got uneven teams twenty twenty six, Mountain West
has not been shy. They want to add teams. So
(19:04):
there's another sun Belt team jump to the jump to
the Mountain West, and that equals even to the numbers
up all all roads around the court. It's funny that
Alex mentioned New Mexico State because obviously, with New Mexico
(19:25):
being in the Mountain West, you could have a great
rivalry if you moved New Mexico State out of Conference
USA and into Mountain West and then shift the extra,
you know, extra sun Belt team into the Conference USA.
I'm not quite sure who you want to go make
that move from the Sun Belt Conference USA, but you know,
(19:46):
could have a local Virginia rivalry between Liberty and Old
Dominion or something like that as a Conference USA Classic.
I think there's there's a lot of I think there's
a lot of movement still to happen. I think that's
the belong shot of this is it's very difficult to
predict what the next domino to fall into place will
be but there's definitely going to be more dominated to come,
(20:08):
I think, and the like.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Say it does it? You know, I was talking about
you know the ripples that actually it's just the volcano
starting to you know, show it's teeth again, right do
we do? We see and actually wide our conference. I
can't call it realignment, but rejigging as a result of this,
does one move then create a whole you know, creative moves.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Well, I think the thing with that is is what
happens with the very top of college football. So it's
a different conversation altogether and could be an entire double
edis in College chap podcast episode because what happens at
the very top of college football I think is an
exercisemic movement. We had, you know, we've had Ross Dellinger
and we had Adam Rittenberg on in recent weeks. We
(21:00):
talked about, you know, the SEC and the Big Ten
they're alignment with each other. What does that look like
moving forward? There's always those rumblings in the background of
this kind of breakaway, and we hope that that's kind
of feels like it's not really at the forefront right now.
But I think that's the big seismic change. I think
(21:21):
I think that's when we had a commissioner in the
horizon from the Mountain West and she talked about she
felt like the the seismic change was done and there
was little ripples that were still to pume. And obviously
we had a big shift with the Mountain West and
the Pact twelve after that conversation. But I think there's
still a couple of little ripples from that shift set
(21:45):
to work themselves out over the next one two years.
But whether they work themselves out before the bigger geophysical
event of college football comes to passes is from our
ow entirely. I think.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
I think one of the big things to look at
is is there any shot that one of these teams
that's at the bottom of the pack in one of
the bigger conferences. Do they take a chance on the
PAC twelve so they take a chance on one of
(22:23):
these lower dropping down to a slightly lower conference. I
don't think at the minute, I don't think it makes
much sense financially or from a business standpoint, But you know,
could the Mountain West become appealing to the Kansas Jayhawks
(22:44):
to try and build something that can get them towards
a playoff from a football perspective in what is now
a very crowded Big twelve from both a football and
basketball perspective. You know, you know one of the teams
at the bottom of the Big Ten who's not that
(23:07):
haven't been super successful in recent years, could they drop
down into a different conference to try and get a
little bit more prestige and kind of rebuild up their program.
Your teams are changing conferences all the time nowadays. It
feels easy to do, and maybe rather than bringing up
(23:31):
FCS teams to fill the gaps, because there are gaps
now and the conferences at the top are ballooning in size,
and at some point though, the conferences are going to
want to cut and slim back and become a little
bit more efficient. Yeah, you're not going to want to
have two or three teams from the same state in
your conference unless there is a historic rivalry there that
(23:55):
you can sell as part of the fabric of the conference.
But I think you could start to see, especially these
conferences at the top, start to shift and shed some schools.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
I think that's a great point, and actually we're almost
looking at a potential full circle moment, because if in
the next one, two, three years, Stanford or Cal are
still at a right at the very bottom of the
ACC and they're still not making any noise in that conference.
They went there because there was nowhere else for them
to get. They wanted to avoid Washington State in Oregon
(24:33):
State scenario. They wanted to cling to a powerful conference.
But if neither of those teams are still if either
of those teams are still kind of kicking around the
bottom being a whipping boy, and there's not a great
album for either of those teams for this coming season,
that's for sure does then let's go back to the
Pac twelve. Let's win the Pac twelve. Let's get a
(24:54):
college football playoff place as the winner of the best
that as the highest ranked group of five champions. Like,
that's not that's not a daft move, Especially if the
Pac twelve is becomes as financially stavvy and business savvy
as it hasn't always been traditionally, that would make a
(25:17):
great deal sound for one of our two teams.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah, I interest see how it plays out very quickly
before we finish up. I want to touch a little
bit on one of the headlines that caught my eye,
and I'm hopeful that we get someone to come on
and speak to us about Texas Tech for a full
episode in a couple of weeks time. But the headline
grabber was offensive tackle Felix Ojoe reportedly being paid five
(25:46):
million dollars through the NOIL collective as as an I
watering some of the money for recruit. Not someone who's
let's not get into the in al debate, but they're
effectively peeing him that to come now, let's put to
one side. Takes a tick and their financial background. But
(26:10):
what do you guys think about the I guess the
precedent of our high school recruit getting paid, well, it
seems like a huge amount of money.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Great for the kids. Great for the kids, horrible for
the program. You can't build a team this way. It
won't work. There'll be too much ego. There's too many
players on the on the field that have to build
for this to be successful. It works in the NFL
(26:40):
because everyone is getting paid close to life changing amounts
of money. The athletes are older, they're a little bit
more mature. There's a lot of guys in their thirties
in every locker room who can keep the younger guys
in line. You have none of that. You have a
(27:01):
head coach of positional coaches, but they aren't athletes. They're
not going to be able to keep people in line
from the inside. You also have a lot of young
staff in these football programs that are working for next
to no money, a lot of people volunteering for free.
It just to me, and it is happening everywhere, and
(27:23):
every program is paying out big money, maybe not this
big to recruits to get them to come in. But
I just don't think it's the right way to build
a comprehensive unit that's going to help you win a championship.
The guys that have won over long periods have built
(27:44):
great organizations and great groups where everyone feels valued. If
the guy next to you is making five million dollars
and you're making sixty k, then you're both performing well.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
You're not going to feel valued.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
And I think that is the the worrying future for
these programs because they cannot pay out five hundred million dollars.
They can't afford to pay everyone five million year. And
this isn't a quarterback, this is an offensive tackle. Right granted,
(28:21):
high high stakes position, Yeah, they get paid a lot
in the pros, but they don't get paid quarterback money
in the pros. And to me, maybe I'm wrong and
I'm not keeping up with the the nil figures, but
five million bucks, that's that's quarterback money that you're paying
this kid, and I just think it's nuts, absolutely nuts.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Yeah, Pullie, how much of this is a very Texas
tick making, not just a statement, but trying to take
the sport light away from the larger programs, which makes
them relevant. So there's a bit of a window here,
isn't there There's a window in terms of peeing the
players that this is well up until the first of
(29:09):
July that that was the wild waste period. You know,
you could effectively be at landish in that respect. So
how much of it is takes us take raising their
profile and probably this is not going to be repeated.
That probably can't be repeated going going forward.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, probably financially I can't repeater going forward. It's interesting
because Texas Tech is in a great spot on the
jury McGuire. It's a it's a it's a fashional, pro
fashionable program. Right now, he's built culture and they've recruited
well they've been able to mine the transfer port all well,
(29:48):
but they've also got a little bit of previous with
five star recruits who I think they're going to come
in and you know, lording over the rest of that roster.
And we saw that, we've seen that already with the program.
So it's going to be interesting to see and see
how it pays. It plays out of that they can't
afford to pay. It's a three year, five point one million.
(30:11):
There's one point seven million a year guarantee for an
offensive tackle. It is what is what it boils down to,
which is, you know more than what we understand that
Niko Yam Malaga is getting paid to play for UCLA
this year. And so there's there's a there's an there's
a there's a precedent there for sure to say there
(30:31):
is there is there is about twenty times before I
actually got my words at there's you know, they've got
to Texas Tech. I've got to do whatever they can
to compete in the largest football market in college football.
You know, Texas Longholds, Texas A and m Agis sorry Alex, like,
(30:53):
these are big brand names and Texas Tech wants to
be a player for you know, recruiting for a transfer
port or actual football product on the field. Like this year,
I wrote about Texas Tech today, I wrote about the
Big twelve today, And Texas Tech is a team of
expectations that has failed to meet for the past two
seasons in many respects, like Jo MacGuire has changed that
(31:17):
program for the better, and now there's an expectation that
they have to meet. And if they don't start meeting
it on the field, all the money in the world
doesn't mean anything. But there's such a high bar for
them to clear in that state with the Longhorns and
with the Aggies that you know, they've got to make
these flashy moves to a degree and show that they
(31:40):
mean business literally the most literal term of the phrase.
And so yeah, we'll see, you know, we're going to
see over the next few months, how not just this
situation with Texas Tech, players are but players aren't even
afraid to talk about money now, and they shouldn't be, right,
But like, there was a guy committed I can't even
(32:03):
remember his name, there was a high level recree this
week committed to Texas and he was like, it's the money, bro,
Like there's nothing else I can say like they're gonna
they're gonna pay any more, and like, yeah, great, we
want to the athletes, you know, get what they deserve.
But we can't. We can't sit and complain about it
(32:25):
when it happens, because it's going to happen, and it's
going to be out there and it's going to be clear,
and it's going to be a reason that players go
to play team. Now, I don't know how that three
point that five point one million, three year guarantee works
out for him if he decides he wants to enter
the transferall in December, Like, how does that work? There's
there's that's the whole different cattle fish and whole different ball.
(32:47):
I've just started ranting now and rambling like I'm not
even talking about Texas Tech anymore.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
No, no, no, we're seeing you. Obviously, the schools putting
in closes next to Georgia. I put closes into our contracts,
which are clowbacks effectively. So if you decide that you're
going to disappear and go somewhere else, is going to
pay you more money than you're going to have to
pay back your inn ur contract. But the writing was
in the wall when they were giving away Lamborghinis, and
there'sn't an offensive tackle in this world who can fit
(33:15):
into a Lamborghini, so they might have to pay them
in another way. We run over again, but it's been
pretty good to listen to these two chaps talk nonsense
for one of the better words. That's all from us
on this episode. Thanks to Alex and Olive for their
awesome input, and thanks to you for listening and continue
to support a Stacey from Well and catchill next time.
I'm not going to comment on that. I'll get fine
for the rest of my life if I get comment
on that national champion.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
That young girls.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Hey everyone, and welcome to the College Chaps podcast. On
this episode, we're going to do a quick recap of
some of the news coming out of college football as
excitement for the new season starts to ramp up. But
first we are the Chaps. I'm George and I am
joined by the dynamic due the dukes of hazard of
college football. If you will, Oliver and Alex, how.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Are you both? I feel like George, like week in,
week out must have more spare time than the week prior,
because the introductions seems to be getting like more, more
phenomenal the be friends. It must because it's college football
season coming Georgia's he's ramping up to his full creative
(01:10):
genius ahead of SEC and media days next week.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, by December it is gonna be gone going full
Bruce Buffer, big long introductions, holding his own microphone in
front of him, you know, full showers. I've already made
George almost crash out twice in the conversations that we've
been having, so the goal is to get him to
do it live on the recording.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
For the rest of this episode.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Twenty nine minutes of the podcast is dedicated to the
introduction to YouTube chaps. I can't think of anything better
to be a peerful and straight. We've used up enough
nonsense time. Let's talk about now. Anyone who's listened to
this podcast knows that we have been fans advocates for
(01:59):
everyone on to call of the Pack twelve for as
long as we've been recording, which isn't it. This is
never start of our seventh season, believe it or not,
And it was a very gloomy day when the Pack
twelve demise. But no, it's back.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
It is back.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Texas State has joined the PAC twelve, which gets so
we're not going to talk about Gonzaga because they don't
play football, but that guess it is back to eight,
the magnificent Pack eight. So before we get into the
weeds on this, let's rejoice the fact that the Pack
twelve is back. How do you boys feel about that?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah? I think any time that there is a rounded conference,
when there's more teams playing meaningful college football, I think
that's that's what everyone wants, right like Oregon State and
Washington State carried the PAC twelve for two years as
a two team establishment. Obviously, going into the second season
(02:58):
of just two teams have that fire burning, but it
hasn't meant anything. With all due respect to those two programs,
it's not it's not meant to deal from next year
twenty twenty six, we have a meaning for conference. And
I think you know what whatever shape or more fashion
that takes when you've got competitive football with good teams
(03:21):
and competitive teams regardless of you know, whether that's the
SEC in the Big Ten, whether it's the MAC and
it's the Mountain West, like I think, as the college
football is better or that now, some conferences that have
been impacted by the PAC twelve getting to eight teams
might not feel that way, but I do think it
(03:43):
puts us in a puts in a healthier spot as
a sport as a whole, because you have a two
team conference that doesn't mean anything. It's kind of I
don't want to say it's a staying on the sport
of the whole, but it certainly detracts from what we
should be talking about. You know, we should be talking
about football. We shouldn't be talking about politics. And when
you have two teams sat there as a as a
(04:06):
reminder of how we've got to this point. That's you know,
it's bringing politics more into the conversation of football. So yeah,
I can't wait. I'm very much looking forward to In
the fact twelve seems to have got a TV deal
in place, which isn't particularly great for the UK based
fans with being our CBS sports, but well we'll all
fighted away as we as we do every year, and yeah,
(04:30):
I think it's great. I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, I broadly agree with you, Elie. I think it
is good for the sport. It's a big brand name.
You know, it was never going to benefit the sport
to lose one of the Power five conferences, right, And
I think the more that this sport spreads out over
the whole continental US and the more teams there are
(04:57):
in different time zones playing important matches. And I know
that we didn't lose teams in those time zones have
just moved into other conferences. But the more structures you
give teams opportunities to compete, especially with the leveling that's
going to happen with other structural changes to college football,
(05:19):
I think that is a good thing, because you're going
to start to get teams that are good in these conferences,
And as we've spoken about in the past, if conferences
have a direct spot into the College Football Playoff, then
suddenly it becomes attractive to be a big fish in
a small pond. And I think that's good for the sport.
(05:39):
We want to see the best teams in the playoff
every year. So I like the return and it just
feels right. It's something that feels right in the year
twenty twenty five, where things that feel right don't happen
very often, thank true.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Why is this world to come from Alex the youngest
in the group. Rumor has it you have to have
state at the end of your name to get into
this conference. So it'll be interesting to see what happens next.
Talking about what happens next, eight teams, eight football teams
get some seven conference games. We were talking about this
earlier on Chaps. To get to eight conference teams, they're
(06:22):
going to have to bring another school in because Gonzaga
don't play football. They're a well known blue blood in basketball,
but not in football. So let's talk a little bit
about who may join the pact. Twelve. Alex kind of
alluded to this a little bit. Regionality and geography doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Come into it any longer.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
We've got you know, we've got as much as we've
got Washington State, We've going to get Texas State playing
in this conference. We've got UCLA playing in the Big
the Big ten. So but there has been some whispers
and we know that the conference has been actively trying
to recruit. So what some of the names that are
(07:06):
are kicking about, I say, lately recruits.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
George, you mentioned their location, geography, and you know where
conference realignments concern. I think just before we look at
who's to come next, I think what a great move
by the PAC twelve to add Texas State from that perspective,
because it's a team that's far enough west to kind
(07:31):
of not make travel such a there's such a big
sticking point or talking point, you know. With however, much
of the off season we spend every year talking about
who's going to make those West coast to east coast
you know, Boston College playing at carl in the AA,
the ACC and things like that. Like Texas State is
(07:51):
far enough west to not have that conversation, but it
gives the PAC twelve the foothold in the Texas market.
I think that's huge for the for the Pac twelve
as a conference. I think it's huge for Texas State
to be a big part of that because that's an
up and coming program and that Alex touched on there
(08:12):
that you know, you want to be in a conference
where you can play for a place in the College
Football Playoff and Texas State is moving in that direction
to be a team that you know fits nicely along
them all the Boise State and some of these better
Group of five teams that consistently challenge for college football
plays so that college Football Playoff play. So I think
(08:34):
it's a stroke of genius from the Pac twelve to
add Texas State. I think it works great for the
Bobcats as a program. They're moving in the right direction
under GJ. But I also think that plays into what
the next move should be or could be because in
those discussions of expanding the Pac twelve, teams like UTSA
(09:00):
have been a big factor in that, you know, the
top tier AAC teams that also make a lot of
sense from a geographical location and a market standpoint. I
don't think there's a program that makes more sense really
from that of those boxers than ut essay. You know,
the road Runner is the location of San Antonio, what
(09:21):
that program means to San Antonio and how the community
has kind of built around that program and the Alamo
down over the last few years. That'd be a great
move for the PAC twelve to have a program that
has that fan base that has been a challenger in
multiple conferences. You know, it was one of the Conference
(09:42):
USA multiple types, came straight into the AAC and was
a challenger right at the very top, got great charismatic
coach and Jeff Trailer like that program is I think
right for the PIC. It's not the right way for
the PAC twelve, but it is. It's a team that
they should be targeted. And on one that I show.
You know, rumors of discussions around the top AAC teams
(10:06):
around too late, around Memphis, even around Navy, those conversations
for me kind of should should start and end with UTSA.
If they can get the road Runners to commit to
that conference, I think it is you know, a win
win for the Pact weelve.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Alex. Let me just pick up something all they said there,
because I know you've got from views on about the
traveling and well, we focus a lot on football, we
can sometimes forget that all the other sports programs have
to travel also. And I think last year we did
actually start to see the grumblings turning into full skial
(10:53):
crises for want of a bit of world of teams.
The amount of time not just a course, but the
amount of time is taking to get athletes across across country,
and we can of some things forget here. How big
the United States is? That really is a that really
is a problem. And it's not easily going to go away,
(11:13):
is it.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
No, Because we've become that there are now multiple conferences
that are cross country. They aren't regionalized anymore. As conferences
are looking to open up new TV markets and you know,
bringing schools from different states, it is going to move
that way where it is a little bit more national
(11:37):
and there is a lot more travel. It's not good
for the athletes, even from a football perspective, to be
traveling as much as they do. Takes a big toll
on the body. It stops their ability with road games
to properly recover and recuperate for a number of hours
after the game, going up in the air and flying
(12:00):
after playing or in the hours after playing is not
great for your body, you know. So there's a huge
player welfare issue, an athlete welfare issue, and even coach
welfare issue. And I know we these coaches get paid
a lot of money, but you know they're working twenty
four seven and the majority of that time is being
(12:23):
spent on a plane or cramped around their desk in
their office. You know, all of that doesn't add up
to a healthy lifestyle for anyone involved. But at the
same time, you've got to make money, and the more
money you make, the more you can spend on your roster.
And so teams and conferences are going to chase the
(12:47):
money because of the conferences where teams can make the
most money of the conferences that teams are going to
want to play in. I also think that any suggestion
of an extra team to join this conference without the
state in the name is just wrong. I think New
Mexico State, that's a new state for them. PAC twelve
(13:08):
not in New Mexico, doesn't have either of the New
Mexico schools signed up. I know, I know they've not
been very good for ever and ever and ever, but
you know, it's always nice every conference, every top conference
has got a whipping boy in there, haven't they. You know,
So you add that and you keep the state tradition alive.
(13:30):
You open up a new market at the same time,
and they're definitely going to beat the conference leader one
of these years in a nine to six classic in
at three am in the morning here in England, and
Ollie will be watching it, so you know, it just
keeps Pack twelve tradition alive. Unfortunately, there are no Division
(13:53):
one football schools in Alaska because that would be a
perfect place to add somewhere at a school to the
PAC twelve from. But unfortunately that there are no college
football playing Division one schools in Alaska, so you know,
lots of lots of potential to add. I think the
(14:14):
more chaos you can bring, the more welcoming we can
be as And you know, Ollie and I are card
carrying members of the Pac twelve Fang Club, so you
know we we should have a say. I believe in
this obviously, the fans should should run this sport. And yeah,
(14:35):
the more the more teams with stating their name we
can get in one conference, the better.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Just before we came on, I am I was looking
for something on the Internet and the AI overview of
Google's through me what is already apparently a solution to
the and issue for the PAC twelve, although this claims
(15:06):
AI overview to have actually been a resolution for the
Mountain West Board, which is completely wrong and ch a
I folks, the U see Davis throw a FCS powerhouse
into the PAC twelve. As soon as we're adding FCS
teams two more this year Delaware and Missouri State joining
(15:27):
Conference USA, why not throw a California based school into
the PAC twelve. You know, just put the cat among
the pigeons in this you know, era of Californian teams
playing on the Atlantic Coast Conference having too much. You
see Davis playing the PAC twelve. That would be awesome. Well,
it doesn't have state of the name. So Alex's mantra
(15:49):
is the back twelve commission.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
We can't us almost feels obligatory that you have a
Californian team in the pact. Wild right, but I mean here.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
San Diego, san Diego State there, so there is some
right California and representation a little too far south. I'm
not sure you see Davis like great school, great program,
done really good in the fcs just don't think they're
giving me the Pac twelve kind of vibe though.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
How you two lads are not at the heights of
college showbow administration. I don't know we're missing something here
drastically you should there, you go right, listen, let's move on.
I'm trying to keep this train in the tracks, and
it's getting hard and harder each week.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So all of our.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Tulane or Memphis or Utsea decide to jump ship and
move to the Pack nine as it would be. Then
I'm sure there's dow in the call up Pack twelve
for marketing purposes of nothing else. Well, now we saw
this a couple of years ago, only saw teams changing,
(17:02):
big team acc et cetera, et cetera. So those those
ripples start to reach out and became, you know, they
we questioned at that time about the future of college football,
and college football survived and move forward, but it does
cause ripples, and the conferences that these teams come from
are then left with a job of filling those spaces.
(17:25):
So what do you think then happens? If you know,
Tulane moves to the to the Pact health where do
they and you've touched on us a little bit. Where
the where does the replacement come from if indeed they
do secret replacement, which I.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Soon they do. Yeah, it's interesting because you know, we
talked about this in the in group chat before we came.
AM a big fan of equal numbers where college conference
is concern. Well, then we're operating an ACC with seventeen
teams right now. So we're going to have the ACC
with seventeen teams. We'll have the Mountain West with nine teams,
and the sun Bell where thirteen teams. The MAC this
(18:01):
year will operate an odd number of teams as well,
So I think it's a case of ultimately all the
dominoes fall into place and when the music stops. That's
a lot of mixed metapols in there. But yeah, I
think that for me, the big thing with the Sun Belt,
(18:23):
let's deal with what we're dealing with right now, is
Texas State from next year will be in the Pact
twelve and that only the Sun Belt with an unbalanced
number of teams. And that's kind of a bigger issue
for the Sun Belt than any other conference because they're
one that's still is tied to divisions within the conference.
So we've got a sixteen conference and a sixteen division
(18:43):
and a seventeen division, which obviously is optimal for a
balance of power. So you look at the teams that
have already got uneven teams twenty twenty six, Mountain West
has not been shy. They want to add teams. So
(19:04):
there's another sun Belt team jump to the jump to
the Mountain West, and that equals even to the numbers
up all all roads around the court. It's funny that
Alex mentioned New Mexico State because obviously, with New Mexico
(19:25):
being in the Mountain West, you could have a great
rivalry if you moved New Mexico State out of Conference
USA and into Mountain West and then shift the extra,
you know, extra sun Belt team into the Conference USA.
I'm not quite sure who you want to go make
that move from the Sun Belt Conference USA, but you know,
(19:46):
could have a local Virginia rivalry between Liberty and Old
Dominion or something like that as a Conference USA Classic.
I think there's there's a lot of I think there's
a lot of movement still to happen. I think that's
the belong shot of this is it's very difficult to
predict what the next domino to fall into place will
be but there's definitely going to be more dominated to come,
(20:08):
I think, and the like.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Say it does it? You know, I was talking about
you know the ripples that actually it's just the volcano
starting to you know, show it's teeth again, right do
we do? We see and actually wide our conference. I
can't call it realignment, but rejigging as a result of this,
does one move then create a whole you know, creative moves.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Well, I think the thing with that is is what
happens with the very top of college football. So it's
a different conversation altogether and could be an entire double
edis in College chap podcast episode because what happens at
the very top of college football I think is an
exercisemic movement. We had, you know, we've had Ross Dellinger
and we had Adam Rittenberg on in recent weeks. We
(21:00):
talked about, you know, the SEC and the Big Ten
they're alignment with each other. What does that look like
moving forward? There's always those rumblings in the background of
this kind of breakaway, and we hope that that's kind
of feels like it's not really at the forefront right now.
But I think that's the big seismic change. I think
(21:21):
I think that's when we had a commissioner in the
horizon from the Mountain West and she talked about she
felt like the the seismic change was done and there
was little ripples that were still to pume. And obviously
we had a big shift with the Mountain West and
the Pact twelve after that conversation. But I think there's
still a couple of little ripples from that shift set
(21:45):
to work themselves out over the next one two years.
But whether they work themselves out before the bigger geophysical
event of college football comes to passes is from our
ow entirely. I think.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
I think one of the big things to look at
is is there any shot that one of these teams
that's at the bottom of the pack in one of
the bigger conferences. Do they take a chance on the
PAC twelve so they take a chance on one of
(22:23):
these lower dropping down to a slightly lower conference. I
don't think at the minute, I don't think it makes
much sense financially or from a business standpoint, But you know,
could the Mountain West become appealing to the Kansas Jayhawks
(22:44):
to try and build something that can get them towards
a playoff from a football perspective in what is now
a very crowded Big twelve from both a football and
basketball perspective. You know, you know one of the teams
at the bottom of the Big Ten who's not that
(23:07):
haven't been super successful in recent years, could they drop
down into a different conference to try and get a
little bit more prestige and kind of rebuild up their program.
Your teams are changing conferences all the time nowadays. It
feels easy to do, and maybe rather than bringing up
(23:31):
FCS teams to fill the gaps, because there are gaps
now and the conferences at the top are ballooning in size,
and at some point though, the conferences are going to
want to cut and slim back and become a little
bit more efficient. Yeah, you're not going to want to
have two or three teams from the same state in
your conference unless there is a historic rivalry there that
(23:55):
you can sell as part of the fabric of the conference.
But I think you could start to see, especially these
conferences at the top, start to shift and shed some schools.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
I think that's a great point, and actually we're almost
looking at a potential full circle moment, because if in
the next one, two, three years, Stanford or Cal are
still at a right at the very bottom of the
ACC and they're still not making any noise in that conference.
They went there because there was nowhere else for them
to get. They wanted to avoid Washington State in Oregon
(24:33):
State scenario. They wanted to cling to a powerful conference.
But if neither of those teams are still if either
of those teams are still kind of kicking around the
bottom being a whipping boy, and there's not a great
album for either of those teams for this coming season,
that's for sure does then let's go back to the
Pac twelve. Let's win the Pac twelve. Let's get a
(24:54):
college football playoff place as the winner of the best
that as the highest ranked group of five champions. Like,
that's not that's not a daft move, Especially if the
Pac twelve is becomes as financially stavvy and business savvy
as it hasn't always been traditionally, that would make a
(25:17):
great deal sound for one of our two teams.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah, I interest see how it plays out very quickly
before we finish up. I want to touch a little
bit on one of the headlines that caught my eye,
and I'm hopeful that we get someone to come on
and speak to us about Texas Tech for a full
episode in a couple of weeks time. But the headline
grabber was offensive tackle Felix Ojoe reportedly being paid five
(25:46):
million dollars through the NOIL collective as as an I
watering some of the money for recruit. Not someone who's
let's not get into the in al debate, but they're
effectively peeing him that to come now, let's put to
one side. Takes a tick and their financial background. But
(26:10):
what do you guys think about the I guess the
precedent of our high school recruit getting paid, well, it
seems like a huge amount of money.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Great for the kids. Great for the kids, horrible for
the program. You can't build a team this way. It
won't work. There'll be too much ego. There's too many
players on the on the field that have to build
for this to be successful. It works in the NFL
(26:40):
because everyone is getting paid close to life changing amounts
of money. The athletes are older, they're a little bit
more mature. There's a lot of guys in their thirties
in every locker room who can keep the younger guys
in line. You have none of that. You have a
(27:01):
head coach of positional coaches, but they aren't athletes. They're
not going to be able to keep people in line
from the inside. You also have a lot of young
staff in these football programs that are working for next
to no money, a lot of people volunteering for free.
It just to me, and it is happening everywhere, and
(27:23):
every program is paying out big money, maybe not this
big to recruits to get them to come in. But
I just don't think it's the right way to build
a comprehensive unit that's going to help you win a championship.
The guys that have won over long periods have built
(27:44):
great organizations and great groups where everyone feels valued. If
the guy next to you is making five million dollars
and you're making sixty k, then you're both performing well.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
You're not going to feel valued.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
And I think that is the the worrying future for
these programs because they cannot pay out five hundred million dollars.
They can't afford to pay everyone five million year. And
this isn't a quarterback, this is an offensive tackle. Right granted,
(28:21):
high high stakes position, Yeah, they get paid a lot
in the pros, but they don't get paid quarterback money
in the pros. And to me, maybe I'm wrong and
I'm not keeping up with the the nil figures, but
five million bucks, that's that's quarterback money that you're paying
this kid, and I just think it's nuts, absolutely nuts.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Yeah, Pullie, how much of this is a very Texas
tick making, not just a statement, but trying to take
the sport light away from the larger programs, which makes
them relevant. So there's a bit of a window here,
isn't there There's a window in terms of peeing the
players that this is well up until the first of
(29:09):
July that that was the wild waste period. You know,
you could effectively be at landish in that respect. So
how much of it is takes us take raising their
profile and probably this is not going to be repeated.
That probably can't be repeated going going forward.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Yeah, probably financially I can't repeater going forward. It's interesting
because Texas Tech is in a great spot on the
jury McGuire. It's a it's a it's a fashional, pro
fashionable program. Right now, he's built culture and they've recruited
well they've been able to mine the transfer port all well,
(29:48):
but they've also got a little bit of previous with
five star recruits who I think they're going to come
in and you know, lording over the rest of that roster.
And we saw that, we've seen that already with the program.
So it's going to be interesting to see and see
how it pays. It plays out of that they can't
afford to pay. It's a three year, five point one million.
(30:11):
There's one point seven million a year guarantee for an
offensive tackle. It is what is what it boils down to,
which is, you know more than what we understand that
Niko Yam Malaga is getting paid to play for UCLA
this year. And so there's there's a there's an there's
a there's a precedent there for sure to say there
(30:31):
is there is there is about twenty times before I
actually got my words at there's you know, they've got
to Texas Tech. I've got to do whatever they can
to compete in the largest football market in college football.
You know, Texas Longholds, Texas A and m Agis sorry Alex, like,
(30:53):
these are big brand names and Texas Tech wants to
be a player for you know, recruiting for a transfer
port or actual football product on the field. Like this year,
I wrote about Texas Tech today, I wrote about the
Big twelve today, And Texas Tech is a team of
expectations that has failed to meet for the past two
seasons in many respects, like Jo MacGuire has changed that
(31:17):
program for the better, and now there's an expectation that
they have to meet. And if they don't start meeting
it on the field, all the money in the world
doesn't mean anything. But there's such a high bar for
them to clear in that state with the Longhorns and
with the Aggies that you know, they've got to make
these flashy moves to a degree and show that they
(31:40):
mean business literally the most literal term of the phrase.
And so yeah, we'll see, you know, we're going to
see over the next few months, how not just this
situation with Texas Tech, players are but players aren't even
afraid to talk about money now, and they shouldn't be, right,
But like, there was a guy committed I can't even
(32:03):
remember his name, there was a high level recree this
week committed to Texas and he was like, it's the money, bro,
Like there's nothing else I can say like they're gonna
they're gonna pay any more, and like, yeah, great, we
want to the athletes, you know, get what they deserve.
But we can't. We can't sit and complain about it
(32:25):
when it happens, because it's going to happen, and it's
going to be out there and it's going to be clear,
and it's going to be a reason that players go
to play team. Now, I don't know how that three
point that five point one million, three year guarantee works
out for him if he decides he wants to enter
the transferall in December, Like, how does that work? There's
there's that's the whole different cattle fish and whole different ball.
(32:47):
I've just started ranting now and rambling like I'm not
even talking about Texas Tech anymore.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
No, no, no, we're seeing you. Obviously, the schools putting
in closes next to Georgia. I put closes into our contracts,
which are clowbacks effectively. So if you decide that you're
going to disappear and go somewhere else, is going to
pay you more money than you're going to have to
pay back your inn ur contract. But the writing was
in the wall when they were giving away Lamborghinis, and
there'sn't an offensive tackle in this world who can fit
(33:15):
into a Lamborghini, so they might have to pay them
in another way. We run over again, but it's been
pretty good to listen to these two chaps talk nonsense
for one of the better words. That's all from us
on this episode. Thanks to Alex and Olive for their
awesome input, and thanks to you for listening and continue
to support a Stacey from Well and catchill next time.
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