There's been rumors floating around for months about conference expansion, and BYU and Utah, etc... but, it all became increasingly interesting yesterday when the new Pac-10 Commish, Larry Scott, announced the conference has looking very, very seriously at expansion, and they've been in preliminary discussions with certain institutions.

And, in one of the most compelling articles to date, San Francisco Chronicle writer, Ray Ratto, says BYU and Utah are the only two that would make sense. Here are the highlights...

" In other words, the boat has set sail, and if the first port of call isn't Salt Lake City, well, we don't know our boats."

"Thus, [Larry] Scott was hired to change all that, and he hired [Kevin] Weiberg to hasten that change. And with so many elements in play at the same time, the idea of swallowing/absorbing/digesting Utah and BYU has never seemed more viable, or more urgent.

"We say Utah and BYU because they meet all the conference's stated criteria. Natural rivals, geographically desirable, academically compatible, and blah blah blah. The truth is, Utah and BYU are money generators, and on this side of the Rockies, they make the most sense. More, in any manner of thinking, than Nevada and Fresno State, or Colorado and Colorado State, or TCU and New Mexico, or any other candidates one can conjure.

"There are rumors that the two likeliest targets are Utah and Colorado, but it seems safe to say that Utah would be happier maintaining its rivalry with BYU than trying to create a new one."

ESPN'S Andy Katz agrees completely with Ratto - this via Twitter:

"Pac-10 flirting with expansion. I agree with Ray Ratto, BYU and Utah only way to go."

Other relevant links:

Big-10, Pac-10 looking to expand - The Inquisitor (Louisiana)
Pac-10 considering expansion - The Denver Post
Pac-10 thinking expansion too - Dallas Morning News
Pac-10 "very seriously" looking at expansion - The Seattle Times
Weighing Pac-10 expansion - Los Angeles Observer
Which schools should Pac-10 add... - Tucson Citizen