THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: The game changed Tuesday, but who's playing now?

You see a photograph when you open your laptop, right?

It’s fun choosing a picture.

I had Snoopy working on his world-famous novel for a while.

The photo on my laptop these days is Snuggles.

Yes, I chose the name.

Snuggles is a massive Bengal tiger, and the picture was shot straight from the front, so that the big cat is staring right into your eyes.

I enjoy seeing Snuggles a few times each day, but since the Gonzaga hubbub on Tuesday, I suspect my tiger would like to be off to new savannah.

The laptop has been rocking, and Snuggles is up to his whiskers with the unending hoopla surrounding the Pac-12.

This probably won’t surprise you, but Snuggles has seen a lot of correspondence from Wazzu fans.

They’ve had plenty to say, especially the folks that are convinced the Zags are getting a more favorable financial deal than legacy schools Washington State and Oregon State.

Then there’s criticism of Gonzaga getting a fat cut of the cash without the expense of a football program — which the current seven other program are stuck paying out.

General opinion from our Coug correspondents: “Naaaaaah!”

ACTUALLY, when they have time to think about it, I suspect the Wazzu crowd will come around to approving the Gonzaga move.

There should be a lot of fun battles between the two schools, especially if WSU can build a sturdy hoops program.

A similar dynamic, by the way, should build up between Wazzu and Boise State — both in basketball and on the nauseous blue football turf.

OK, let’s be serious.

The Pac-12 needs another full member, and Snuggles the Tiger got a real jolt with all the emails that hit my computer about where the conference should go hunting for one (or more) logical lodge brothers.

The highest vote total went to UNLV, which seemed to be leaning to the Pac-12.

The UNLV leadership ultimately stuck with the Mountain West in exchange for a $25 million re-signing bonus, but that money won’t go all far — and now that they see Gonzaga aboard and begin thinking of media packages, the Rebels could defect again.

Meanwhile, the same scenario could be playing out in Memphis, which seemed like a great candidate but chose to stay in the American Athletic Conference.

But now: Yes, Memphis is also having long look at what seems best for the long haul.

University administrators use the word “brand” like beer companies, and Gonzaga has a lot to do with decision-makers tying that word to the Pac-12.

THE WEST will be an attractive region for a vibrant new conference, but for media and marketing purposes, adding a team (or several) from the Midwest/South could truly light up the whole project.

The Pac-12 would love to have Memphis, and now there is some conversation coming back in the other direction.

Portland-based syndicated columnist John Canzano, who has built great sources from coaches to university presidents, suggests that Memphis might still be in play.

On Wednesday, Canzano wrote:

“Memphis fans and donors were ticked (when the school turned down the Pac-12). They viewed the whole thing as a missed opportunity, and some threatened to stop giving gifts and buying tickets.

“Athletic Director Ed Scott sprung into damage-control mode. Scott was trying to manage the messaging and his fan base.”

Canzano concluded what now seems obvious.

He wrote: “Scott left the door ajar.”

With their money people lining up to make their feelings known, Memphis may change course in a hurry.

One Pac-12 administrator claimed something was obvious: “Gonzaga was a game-changer.”

Next chapter: Who knows?

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”