I have no contacts in the PAC-12, Houston or TCU, so I can’t comment beyond saying Mac Engel obviously covers TCU.
He noted today:
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.
My question is why Houston? The Cougars don’t command the Houston market. The academics aren’t up to par for Stanford and Cal.
TCU alleviates some of the religious concerns the PAC-12 would have about Baylor. But the school is not gigantic, and if big markets are the concern, Dallas doesn’t close when TCU plays.