Pac-12 Football: Top 5 expansion candidates for the conference

Landing Texas could be too tall a task for the Pac-12. But that doesn’t mean the league would give up entirely on its hopes of breaking into the Lone Star State. A more manageable target for the conference might be Texas Tech. Getting the Red Raiders to switch leagues would certainly take far less convincing.

The Red Raiders have an offensive philosophy that matches well with the current Pac-12 membership. Dating back to the end of the 20th century, Texas Tech has featured a high-flying offense based around its potent passing attack. That hasn’t changed in Lubbock. They would fit right in from a cultural standpoint, at least on the gridiron.

Bringing in Texas Tech might be a more awkward fit for the school and the conference in terms of the culture clash. It would also isolate the Red Raiders from the rest of the conference without a second team joining them. Their nearest opponents would be Colorado and the Arizona schools, and each member of that trio is more than 500 miles away.

But if the Pac-12 is serious about expanding its footprint eastward all the way into Texas, the Red Raiders offer the easiest point of entry into the state. Texas Tech would provide a new geographic area to bolster television rights negotiations as well as solidifying recruiting links into their backyard.