TCU will again be a conference member with Houston, Cincinnati, BYU but before the Big 12 announced plans to expand the Horned Frogs were close to earning an invite to another league.
Some might say painfully close.
According to sources close to this latest conference round of major conference re-alignment, the Pac-12 targeted both the University of Houston and TCU as its preferred expansion candidates.
Both schools were considered desirable by the league because of quality athletic departments in schools that are located in major metropolitan markets in the central time zone.
The conference was so far down the road on extending an invite to these two schools there was some confusion as to why TCU was contemplating altering its long standing tradition of having a pre-game prayer before home football games.
However, the Pac-12’s invite to the two former Southwest Conference schools never arrived, and it has nothing to do with TCU’s fading affiliation with the Disciples of Christ Church.
On Aug. 26, the Pac-12 issued a statement that it would not expand “at this time.”
The “at this time” was included for a reason.
Although the Big 12 has formally extended invitations to Houston, BYU, Central Florida and Cincinnati, the prevailing thought is that both TCU and U of H would/will drop everything to run west to join the Pac-12.
There is a reason why Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the Big 12 may not be done expanding. It’s a preemptive strike against the potential of more subtractions.
The Pac-12 is thought to be in a better position in the college football playoff, and as a Power conference, than the new look Big 12.
The Pac-12’s formal extension of the invitation to Houston and TCU may simply be a delayed formality.
The Pac-12’s media rights deal with ESPN and Fox Sports expires in the summer of 2023.
It is expected that new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff will want to do something to increase the value of the league for a bigger media right’s package; that would include expanding the conference into major TV markets located in the central time zone.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, and Pac-12 officials regard TCU covering all of the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
DFW is the fifth-largest media market in the U.S., and Houston is eighth.
Houston was originally approached about joining the league in men’s basketball and football only, but that proposal was a no-go.
There was some initial concern about the Pac-12’s preference not to have a school that has a religious affiliation, which would have prevented TCU’s potential inclusion.
Officials insist that all of the Power 5 conference schools, and their respective administrators, are beyond that. That these relationships and conference alignments are now all entirely about generating maximum revenue.
Over the last 20 years TCU has purposely made every effort not to be a university with any religious ties.
In 1996, high ranking school administrators sent a memo to all of its departments mandating that all university related material use the moniker, “TCU.” It no longer wanted to be called, “Texas Christian University.”
The distancing from those Christian-based roots has irritated some of the school’s older alums, some of whom have voiced their displeasure to TCU chancellor Victor Boschini.
In the week leading up to the TCU home opener, there was some internal debate about whether the tradition of the pregame prayer would still be included.
Some school officials have wanted to stop conducting the prayer before the start of football games; football games are the only TCU event that includes a prayer.
It had nothing to do with TCU trying to be more attractive to the Pac-12. It had more to do with trying to accommodate the band.
The prayer remains a part of the pre-game schedule, but if you listen carefully to the words the reading is fairly benign and safe. It’s hardly going to offend anyone.
The flap was merely a case of curious timing.
Whatever the case, TCU’s immediate future is again linked with Houston, this time not in the Southwest Conference but the Big 12.
Don’t be surprised if their future moves west to the Pac-12.