*****The Super, Mega, Huge Big 12 Expansion Thread*****
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Trying to keep this thread alive ... gotta get to 20K. What do people think of the rumors of getting a new TV contract early and potentially getting ND and going to 16 teams? Sounds plausible to me.
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/big-xii-conference/137069-good-news.html
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/big-xii-conference/137069-good-news.html
I am just not a fan of the idea of a league larger than 12. And to be honest, after the fun of the round-robin schedule this year, I wouldn't mind seeing the conference stay at 10 quality teams, even though it makes ISU's path to a football championship much, much harder.
It was just more fun this year following all the teams. I didn't have that disconnect from the South division. I never really needed to follow them much at all when we were set up in divisions.
It was just more fun this year following all the teams. I didn't have that disconnect from the South division. I never really needed to follow them much at all when we were set up in divisions.
After this year i remember one of the reasons i miss the old big 8. Round robin. I cared about all teams every week. Haven't felt that way since big 8 days.
Let me jump on the bandwagon as well. I was excited for round robin scheduling this year and it passed expectations.
But if 16 teams with ND and BYU means $35 million/team, well fine.
But if 16 teams with ND and BYU means $35 million/team, well fine.
Yeah, I don't like 9 conference games, but I did really like playing every team in the conference. I think that round robin in football is very good for the long term health of the conference.
I loved the round robin this year. Keeps your interest in the other teams. Made we want to watch the other teams in the conference, I skipped Mo's game, but sounds like so did their fans. Makes the conference seem more united and not just our little group up north and those teams from the south.
If the negotiations for tier one happen now, will their be a clause if we go to 12 or will this speed it up?
If the negotiations for tier one happen now, will their be a clause if we go to 12 or will this speed it up?
If Mizzoulander was indeed banned, I think 20,000 will be tough to reach. Anytime any real news comes out somebody will start a new thread. If you added up all the side threads involved in realignment the last half of 2011, this would easily be at 22,000+
Round Robin is really the way to go. Trying to get to 16 is really saying we like having a Big 8 conference, plus the benefits of a TV network to show lower tier inventory, plus the exposure of a conference championship game. Conferences that go to 16 will find out there are a boatload of unintended consequences of splitting your conference in two (or fours) once you're at the death star size of 16 or 18.
I seriously doubt Tier 1 is getting renegotiated early if the Big 12 has decided they're going to expand before 2016. The only way ABC has brought it up is to see if they can cut NBC out of the market early. But yes, you'd assume that if it was renegotiated that there'd be some serious "out" clauses on both the sides of the conference and the TV networks.
I hope there is a braintrust involved in the Big 12 who is seriously talking about the positives and negatives of expanding or staying at 10. I think it'd be great to stay at 10 if you really knew everybody was committed. I would think that that the B12 TV contracts could be in the same range as any other BCS conference (minus the Big East), so money shouldn't be an excuse to leave.
When negotiating multi-billion dollar contracts, most major financial topics are usually left to chance with little to no discussion.
I am also a big fan of the 10-team round robin format and would like to see things stay that way unless ND gets engaged as a full member and the TV payouts increase even more with them.
Best case scenario is for the B12 and NBC agree on a new deal with ND as a full member and NBC Sports Net becoming a 3rd tier provider for FB and 2nd tier provider for MBB. But it appears that ESPN/ABC are smart enough to see that also and will do everything to prevent a B12/NBC deal from happening by opening up negotiations early and potentially giving the conference a big signing bonus to get a deal done very soon.
One can safely assume all scenarios will be explored in terms of 10, 12, 14 or 16 teams with (in preferred order) ND, Louisville, BYU, Rutgers, UConn and Cincy/Tulane/USF all being discussed. I'll be shocked if there is expansion beyond 12 and I'll be mildly surprised if there is expansion without ND as a full member.
There is some new notre dame talk out there. Some message board "I have connections" type folk claiming they may be interested in a conference with a tv package like the big XII
Of course, right now 3rd tier rights lie with the individual schools, not the conference.
Question is, how many contracts would need to be broken/bought out in order for that to happen? LHN is considered 3rd tier provider for UT FB (idk about MBB designation). Most other current Big 12 schools have or are making CloneZone-like internet subscription services that are considered 3rd tier/2nd tier networks (I would certainly agree that those deals could be dealt with). I just don't see UT giving up that certain $15M (or was it $20M) per year from ESPN - need that NBC contract to exceed that.
link
"Posted: 12/29/2011 5:36 PM
INfo to chew on.....
Third: Big12 is trying to push the new TV talks up now to determine what kind of package can be put together with a 16 team conference..... with Notre Dame, BYU, Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis and South Florida (need for recruiting) as the 6 leading candidates. UConn has openly said it wants an ACC invite, and if the B12 goes to 16 they'll get it.... and probably Rutgers, too. And don't scoff at Notre Dame - they know the BE is done - have close ties with Texas - and have long said if they were to join a conference, they would want to be in it with Texas. They would bring a huge payday to ALL conference members and ESPN/Fox are eager to talk about the numbers to see how this would work. Chuck Neinas has been instructed to "set his sights on that prize - everything else is just filler." If the Big12 and Texas can reel in Notre Dame look for each school to profit in the $35mil a year neighborhood. The Pac12 would have schools like Boise, Hawaii, Nevada, SDSU and Air Force to pick from. ACC would be limited to UConn and Rutgers joining Pitt and Cuse (or ECU, UCF, Southern Miss) - no real jump in quality there. The Big10 would really not have much to choose from either to improve quality at that point. It's no secret though the SEC would like to get into North Carolina and Virginia. For a conference which was dying less than a year ago, the Big12 could potentially swing to have the biggest coup of all if they act now."
I'm sure Texas would be fine giving up the LHN if NBC will pay each school over $20 million for 3rd tier rights (highly unlikely), but I'm pretty sure ESPN won't just tear up the contract.
Interesting post. Did anyone catch the first two tidbits there in the link?
Even if the WV poster you linked does have inside info, 90% chance nothing he mentioned actually happens.
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