or philosophies. Football rules the day with these conferences and drives the revenues. If it was about Academic principles or philosophies then the Pac 8 wouldn't have invited ASU or AZ back in the 70's. Neither school fit the academic mold of the Pac 8 and neither school belonged to the prestigious AAU and weren't classified as research institutions yet the Pac 8 took them anyways.

A little further examination shows that quite a few members of the conference aren't research institutions either or weren't when they were invited but became members years or decades later. Major contradictions like this shoot the academic argument full of holes to the point that it doesn't hold water and its idiotic to even bring it up (kinda like the old "Mormons have horns" slam).

The hypothetical question that needs to be asked here has a painful answer for Yewt fans, If BYU was just another state instution, would the Pac 10 have still picked Yewtah over them? Most people with even half a brain would say no way.