[Mudhead]

Berkeley is much, much closer to ASU than Stanford is to Baylor. 

But you don't have to care about cultural fit if you don't want to. Or research profile.  Or school rankings. Or academic freedom. Maybe Boise's awesome Fiesta Bowl is all that's needed to want to be in a conference with them. Or Gonzaga's tournament appearances.

I fear we are talking past one another.. ASU appears to be the 122 ranked school in USA while Baylor is 77. ASU accepts 89% of applications and Baylor 57%.  there are other figures. ASU law school ranked higher than Baylor’s but Baylor Med School is world class.  

I’m not trying to argue which “cultural” aspect is more important  rather that culture is a pretty ill defined slope for a university.  I agree with you, I’m not wild about being in conference with a blue field but i would not  want to be in conference with Harvard or Yale either. 

I am more concerned with an athletic conference that is competitive at the top tier than I am  about a cultural fit   I can figure out what a top tier athletic program is but cultural fits for institutions are beyond me.  And I suspect most people.

[Mudhead]

Berkeley is much, much closer to ASU than Stanford is to Baylor. 

But you don't have to care about cultural fit if you don't want to. Or research profile.  Or school rankings. Or academic freedom. Maybe Boise's awesome Fiesta Bowl is all that's needed to want to be in a conference with them. Or Gonzaga's tournament appearances.

I fear we are talking past one another.. ASU appears to be the 122 ranked school in USA while Baylor is 77. ASU accepts 89% of applications and Baylor 57%.  there are other figures. ASU law school ranked higher than Baylor’s but Baylor Med School is world class.  

I’m not trying to argue which “cultural” aspect is more important  rather that culture is a pretty ill defined slope for a university.  I agree with you, I’m not wild about being in conference with a blue field but i would not  want to be in conference with Harvard or Yale either. 

I am more concerned with an athletic conference that is competitive at the top tier than I am  about a cultural fit   I can figure out what a top tier athletic program is but cultural fits for institutions are beyond me.  And I suspect most people.