#1 - The PAC brand has been tarnished, but it is still ahead of the MWC and AAC. With OSU + Wazzu and the cream of the MWC crop, it is already forming into the frontrunner for the 5th best conference.

In addition, Memphis is pouring massive resources into its stadium and is very frustrated with a bad AAC home lineup after losing Houston, Cincy and UCF to the Big 12. Their 2024 AAC home schedule is: North Texas, Charlotte, Rice, UAB. Yuck! I will be surprised if Memphis doesn't make the move to the PAC and bring along Tulane with them...and may be even South Florida.

#2 - OSU and Wazzu were two of the weakest 'power' programs. Small fan bases and small stadiums for power-level programs. They are and have long been MWC-level programs, institutions, and fan bases that were propped up by their big in-state brothers and the PAC affiliation and media deals. They will fit well with SDSU, CSU, Boise State, and Fresno State. That is essentially the top half of what the MWC would have been had OSU and Wazzu joined the MWC.

If the PAC adds Memphis and Tulane and may be a couple of others, they will look and feel like a 'best of the rest' conference and have pole position on the 5th CFP conference-champion autobid. Most of the expanded PAC teams would be on a short-list for backfill candidates if the ACC or Big 12 lose any members. But, they aren't going to get a power-level media deal and they won't be able to sneak into the power conference conversation without some real sustained success and massive improvement in ticket sales and fan support for at least a couple of the programs.