The fourth domino has fallen this summer as the Utah Utes are set to move to the PAC 10 tomorrow at 3 ET, after an emergency board of regents meeting half an hour before, at this point a mere formality. If you doubt this check out the fans that board would have to face if they over turned this invite at Block U.

This might wind down the conference alignment game for this year. I expect more changes to come next year, but nothing is urgent at this time. The WAC had previously suggested it would look at FCS teams if they lost the Boise St. Broncos or the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The Big 12 will likely look at expansion options to add two teams to remain name appropriate.The MWC and C-USA members are the only reasonable options, with the BYU Cougars the only team everyone favoring expansion appears to agree on.

The Big 10 has hedged on expansion, opening a time frame with another year left. They had to show a card with the Nebraska Cornhuskers but the hand is far from over. They are at nine states now, adding one more could restore numerical significance to their historic branding. The SEC has asserted it would not be left behind if the Big 10 moves.

At this point I am starting to think the super conference meme has not yet arrived. The Big 12 move and the answers by the MWC and C-USA could be the end game. Unless one counts the WAC FCS invite.

Now I am off for a toast!

I suppose the PAC 10 division game is now afoot.

Utah will join the Colorado Buffaloes as travel rivals in the new 12 team league, restoring a once vibrant rivalry now dormant for 30 years. A new TV deal, a conference championship game and two new TV markets should sweeten the pot for the PAC 10. For Utah this will be a significant improvement from the MWC agreements.

One negative change will be that if they go to a BCS bowl they will have a much harder road to get there and will receive a smaller share of the BCS revenue when they do. The PAC 10 distributes all bowl revenue equally, after travel expenses, and the MWC give the qualifying team a 50% share.

That might be a few years down the road, a road paved in the gold Utah will get from the PAC 10 teams that do qualify. Oh, and the rest of the PAC 10 money that is not BCS related.

This is not to say Utah can't be competitive in the PAC 10. I feel the MWC and PAC 10 football results differ by about two wins. I would expect a 10-2 MWC and a 8-4 PAC 10 team to be fairly close on the field. The same with a 4-8 MWC and a 2-10 PAC 10 team. This starts to get wonky though when teams reach 0 on either side.

How would Utah have done in the PAC 10 in 2004 or 2008? How would Washington State have done in the MWC in 2008? No one will ever know.