OT: why is the PAC-12 so lame lately?

Submitted by Human Torpedo on January 4th, 2019 at 8:57 PM

I mean seriously they don't even perform like a major conference anymore in football and basketball. Could likely be a one bid league this year. Has lost countless bowl games of late. Nobody is separating from the PAC to make the Playoff. Is this mostly only a recruiting issue or is it something else?

MGoBoard

bluepalooza

January 5th, 2019 at 8:20 AM ^

I remember a recent interview with David Long.  He talked about how poorly games are attended out west.  When he came to Michigan he was surprised how everyone is dialed into sports in the Midwest.  I really think there is a couple issues.  Apathy with fans and many of the schools don't pay up for coaches.  In short, the best coaches don't reside in the PAC.  Not to say there are not good coaches.  I am saying, that in balance the B1G, Big 12 and SEC have the best CFB coaches, while the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and B1G have the best CBB coaches.  College football and basketball are coach centric.

Joined: 09/02/2017

MGoPoints: 2776

JPC

January 5th, 2019 at 10:39 AM ^

There's simply not a college sports culture in the Pac 12. I was a Cal season ticket holder for six years, went to away games/bowls, and never experienced anything even remotely similar to my first UM/ND home game. 

It's just different in the B1G and the SEC.  

Joined: 10/13/2018

MGoPoints: 12224

KalkaskaWolverine

January 5th, 2019 at 10:31 AM ^

I almost never watch pac 10 football, the games start so late at night for an eastern time zone early riser. I'm sure that has to effect the TV ratings and the subsequent social media references. 

Joined: 04/08/2017

MGoPoints: 3045

Go for two

January 5th, 2019 at 10:36 AM ^

Anyone watch the PAC 12 championship game? The Michigan high school football championship game was similarly attended. The talent is there, the interest is not

Joined: 12/23/2016

MGoPoints: 20309

RLARCADIACA

January 6th, 2019 at 9:49 PM ^

So I've been a UCLA Season Ticket holder for 15 years now. Why do I go when the product is so bad? I live 8 miles from the Rose Bowl, it's easy to get to Old Town Pasedena and then down to the RB, I need some close up front College FB and the Coliseum (for USC) is more difficult to get too, and going to the game with either my son (now 24) and previously daughter (who is 26 and now living in Texas) has always been a good outing for us all. The Rose Bowl has been upgraded with well over 250 Million in upgrades since 15 years ago and it is a good stadium to visit and for College FB games. UCLA has been hampered by limitations in coaching salaries (mostly Assistant coaches) for many years so whether you have good players or not without the best coaches most notably Assistants it's difficult to compete. This is self perpetuating in not getting high level recruits and such. If an Assistant coach who might get say 500k has the choice of UCLA or any Midwest or Texas or South school for the same salary they take something outside of Taxifornia. Housing costs, freeway travel finding a place for school for your kids it all makes the UCLA salary even if they paid 750k for that 500k job non tenable. UCLA outside of spurts just does not seem good at FB, maybe Kelly does it maybe not. UCLA makes the claim of most College National Championships at something around 120 but only one in FB, most are in Volleyball, tennis, swimming, diving etc etc. With the RB about 30 miles east of campus and school usually not in session till after 9/24 each year (usually 4 games into a season) student attendance and therefore backing of the FB team is small. That coupled with so much else to do in SoCal does not light the fire for College FB like say Ann Arbor, College Station etc etc. Those dynamics and most notably having to drive LA Freeways to the RB just does not make UCLA FB very attractive for most fans. UCLA and the RB continue to attempt to make the RB experience better and better and they are succeeding but that is limited to a large extent by all that is against good consistent FB at the RB. UCLA academic standards even if softened for athletics work against what you might see in the SEC or Big 12. Stanford, CAL and USC have some of the same issues mentioned above with the private two schools having distinct advantages because of their private non state school basis. Playing games late in comparison to the Eastern Time zone works against the PAC 12 in all they do, in who sees games, who judges games, the poll voters etc. That's what I see and you just have to live here to really understand all the dynamics.

Joined: 01/08/2010

MGoPoints: 668