[Farm93]

I suppose I will get use to SDSU and SMU being in the PAC-12.  My first reaction is I don't like it.  Although SMU is a pretty reputable academic institution.  And of course SMU being in Dallas is a big TV market and a good location for recruiting in just about all sports.  What little I know about SMU is despite its name the school is nonsectarian.

It seems like SDSU gets the offer because of TV revenue for sports and geographic location.

Being overrun by sectarian religious fervor is probably not a big risk for PAC ?   SMU probably above midpoint academically of remaining PAC? Schools.   I’ve not seen SDSU I for but they have to be more selective than ASU, Oregon.. or am I wrong about those institutions.

 You can go to College Navigator to find information from the National Center for Education Statistics. For information not available in Navigator, search "<college name> and 'common data set'"

SDSU is test blind and admits 39%;  70.5% of admits had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
ASU is also test blind and admits 90%;  37.8% of admits had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Oregon is test optional and admits 86%;  54.5% of admits had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Interesting.  Is there a list of these number for all the Pac schools or a source where we can look it up?  

Cheers,
Pete F.

Just to note...
The CSUs, like the UCs, are all in one application.   So if a student really believes Sacramento State is the most selective CSU they can get into, they might still apply to LBSU, SDSU, CSUF, etc.   It is "just" an application fee.   I suspect a lot of people that apply to SDSU don't really think they will get in, but are willing to put in an extra $70 to their application just to check.   That check all (or many) approach will increase the applicants and lower the acceptance rate in a way that is not quite common elsewhere.

ASU and Oregon don't have a similar check all application situation.  The ASU application is easy, but it does require doing a few ASU specific items even in the common application.  FWIW - ASU tends to get higher ratings in the dreaded US News college rankings.

Honestly, the Pac-10+ is not really superior academically to some other conferences.   Stanford, Cal and UW are more selective and prestigious than many D1 schools, but Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, UofA, ASU and Utah are not really that much rigorous or prestigious than many other flagship Power 5 state schools.

In the end, SDSU is in San Diego.  That's a decent media market and will allow LA, SD and OC recruits a chance to meet Pac-10+ coaches and teams when they go to SDSU.   Similar TV market and recruiting access benefits apply to SMU for the Dallas (and TX overall) market. 

The western USA just does not have many viable options for expansion.   The realistic candidates for expansion will just not compare favorably to UCLA and USC, or other current P5 schools, on most levels.

[Farm93]

I suppose I will get use to SDSU and SMU being in the PAC-12.  My first reaction is I don't like it.  Although SMU is a pretty reputable academic institution.  And of course SMU being in Dallas is a big TV market and a good location for recruiting in just about all sports.  What little I know about SMU is despite its name the school is nonsectarian.

It seems like SDSU gets the offer because of TV revenue for sports and geographic location.

Being overrun by sectarian religious fervor is probably not a big risk for PAC ?   SMU probably above midpoint academically of remaining PAC? Schools.   I’ve not seen SDSU I for but they have to be more selective than ASU, Oregon.. or am I wrong about those institutions.

 You can go to College Navigator to find information from the National Center for Education Statistics. For information not available in Navigator, search "<college name> and 'common data set'"

SDSU is test blind and admits 39%;  70.5% of admits had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
ASU is also test blind and admits 90%;  37.8% of admits had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Oregon is test optional and admits 86%;  54.5% of admits had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Interesting.  Is there a list of these number for all the Pac schools or a source where we can look it up?  

Cheers,
Pete F.

Just to note...
The CSUs, like the UCs, are all in one application.   So if a student really believes Sacramento State is the most selective CSU they can get into, they might still apply to LBSU, SDSU, CSUF, etc.   It is "just" an application fee.   I suspect a lot of people that apply to SDSU don't really think they will get in, but are willing to put in an extra $70 to their application just to check.   That check all (or many) approach will increase the applicants and lower the acceptance rate in a way that is not quite common elsewhere.

ASU and Oregon don't have a similar check all application situation.  The ASU application is easy, but it does require doing a few ASU specific items even in the common application.  FWIW - ASU tends to get higher ratings in the dreaded US News college rankings.

Honestly, the Pac-10+ is not really superior academically to some other conferences.   Stanford, Cal and UW are more selective and prestigious than many D1 schools, but Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, UofA, ASU and Utah are not really that much rigorous or prestigious than many other flagship Power 5 state schools.

In the end, SDSU is in San Diego.  That's a decent media market and will allow LA, SD and OC recruits a chance to meet Pac-10+ coaches and teams when they go to SDSU.   Similar TV market and recruiting access benefits apply to SMU for the Dallas (and TX overall) market. 

The western USA just does not have many viable options for expansion.   The realistic candidates for expansion will just not compare favorably to UCLA and USC, or other current P5 schools, on most levels.