OP/ED
One of my favorite western films is Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.
Though the story takes many twists and turns, the basic premise is three men on the hunt for hidden confederate gold buried in a cemetery in Mexico, ending with the now iconic three-way gunfight.
Over in the world of college athletics, a similar standoff appears – at least from the outside – to be happening between Texas State and the Pac-12 Conference; The conference is in need of an eighth football playing member, and Texas State wants a full share of the media rights pie, which is worth more than triple than what the university makes in their current home of the Sun Belt Conference.
In the wake of Texas and Oklahoma leaving for the SEC from the Big 12, the Pac-12 Conference is trying to rebuild itself after being picked apart by the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 conferences, leaving only Oregon State and Washington State.
After entering a partnership with the Mountain West Conference, the Pac-12 then figuratively stabbed the Mountain West in the back, similar to how the characters of Blondie and Tuco from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” constantly double cross one another. The storied conference poached Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State before adding Gonzaga.
The Pac-12 attempted to add both UNLV and Air Force to the mix but were unsuccessful. The conference then tried to add Memphis and Tulane but were turned away, leaving the Pac-12 in a bit of a pickle.
Though at eight teams, the conference needs an eighth football playing member to remain in FBS.
With many of their options exhausted for an eighth football playing member, the Pac-12 has seemingly found their liferaft in San Marcos.
Texas State continues its push to be one of the best mid-majors athletic departments in the country attempting to reach the same level as Houston, SMU and TCU. With those goals in mind, entering a partnership with the Pac-12 Conference makes sense despite the geographic issues such a move would cause.
With the announcement of the Pac-12 entering a media rights deal on Monday with CBS Sports to become the conference’s anchor media platform for football and men’s basketball, Texas State now has the potential to be on the biggest stage in the history of its athletics program in front millions of people, highlighting the university itself and making the campus known on a national level rather than regional.
While it seems to be a cut and dry deal with both sides seemingly fulfilling the other’s needs, there seems to be a snag that has lingered. Or in some cases a bowl of soup.
In a cryptic tweet, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse posted the following.
“People sometimes think that I’d be happy with half a bowl of soup. After all, a cup of soup is better than no soup at all. But for me, it’s a full bowl or nothing.”
Of course, this may be about Damphousse’s love for soup, particularly lobster bisque. He is Canadian after all. But to others, it may be an insight on whether or not Texas State gets a full share as a new member of the Pac-12.
Joining the Pac-12 for Texas State is a major risk. The conference is loaded with members who compete at the highest levels of their sport, especially in football and men’s basketball. If Texas State were to join the conference, it means being 100% committed to being the best mid-major athletic program in the nation. Success means being elevated to a status the program has never seen before, whereas failure means being in the basement and everyone laughing at your defeat.
But the university has continued their commitment to becoming the best athletics program it can be with Texas State winning three Bubas Cups in a span of four years. The award is given to the most successful athletic department in the Sun Belt Conference. The university is ready to take the next step, but it cannot achieve that without the necessary funds. The university needs a full share of a media deal pie.
Much like in “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” you cannot enter this landscape of the Pac-12 with an unloaded gun. As Clint Eastwood said, there are two types of people, those with loaded guns and those who dig. For Texas State to achieve its dream of being the next TCU, Houston or SMU, they must be equipped to fight – or in Damphousse’s case, demand a full bowl of soup.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
Colton McWilliams Sports Editor
