North Texas coach Eric Morris didn’t hold back when asked about potentially joining the Pac‑12 as a travel partner for Texas State.
With a grin and a tone dripping in honesty, Morris responded, “Nah. The Pac‑12 is the old Mountain West now.” That blunt assessment cuts deep, not just at a conference on the rise, but at the shifting landscape of college sports.
Morris went on to explain how grueling long travel is while shuttling between regions and opponents. He pointed out that North Texas already faces enough hardship with trips inside the FBS’s traditional footprint. Adding cross‑country flights to a Midwest‑majority league would complicate everything from injury recovery to practice schedules.
This isn’t the first time Morris has questioned North Texas’s fit in a Power setting. With the Mean Green mentioned as a potential backup candidate for future expansion by the Pac‑12, rumors have circulated about pairing them with Texas State for logistical convenience. But Morris showed just how low that priority might truly be.
In Morris’s view, the landscape has undergone a change. The Pac‑12 may once have stood toe‑to‑toe with the Power Four, but post‑realignment, its reach feels more like a callback to the old Mountain West model—regional, less prestigious, and not worth the upheaval. That kind of candid perspective reveals where North Texas really stands on lofty expansion talk.
For fans tracking realignment, Morris’ words may raise eyebrows. Power Five status still matters, but the costs—in time, travel, and recovery—can outweigh the benefits. Morris isn’t just rejecting speculation. He’s drawing a line in the sand: North Texas will fashion its own path, one that’s smarter than chasing names.
And in that voice, informed, unapologetic, and unapologetically real, Morris fits right into an evolving college football world that values honesty above hype.
