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We posted yesterday that it looked like the Utah Utes would be joining the Pac-10 as the 12th team in the very near future.
A day later, it’s official.
Utah accepted the Pac-10’s offer at a press conference after a meeting by school officials.
The Utes, who are bolting from the Mountain West Conference, are looking for more revenue and TV exposure for their football team.
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The move to the Pac-10 should also help Utah give their moniker as a “BCS-busting” team. The MWC does not have an automatic bid for BCS bowl games while the Pac-10 sends teams to the Rose Bowl every year.
The opportunity for yearly contention for a BCS bowl game was a huge selling point in the Pac-10 convincing the Utes that they should join.
While Utah has been a powerhouse in the MWC for nearly a decade, how will they hold up against the higher competition of the Pac-10 (and, no, Washington State does not count)?
It will remain to be seen if they can compete against the likes of USC and Oregon instead of Wyoming, New Mexico, and San Diego State.
Welcome to the Pac-10, Utah. And best of luck.