BYU and the Big 12

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tim_redd

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Mar 29, 2006
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I think the big 12 needs to get back to 12. BYU would be a great addition. It brings up a great point about fox owning 49% of the big 10 network.
 

vmbplayer

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Feb 6, 2008
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Like the idea, but I don't see it happening for at least 2 more years. That is if the Big XII ever expands back up to 12 schools. The Big 12 stayed together because of the likely new television bid that was coming for the 10 remaining schools. Adding schools could very well screw up the numbers so it wasn't as profitable.

Also, I don't foresee BYU giving up their broadcast abilities without a larger kickback than just an invitation to the Big 12 conference. There is no way they would just allow the conference use of 1 of their HD channels without considerable compensation.

If the Big 12 expanded I would think BYU would be at the top of the list regardless of the television advantages proposed in the article. I personally would like to see BYU and Air Force added if the conference does expand. Both provide national followings to the conference, are great institutions, and make sense geographically. Split East/West so you have the old big 8 schools (less NE and CU) in the West, and BYU, AF, and the Texas Schools in the West.
 

kingcy

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The think that BYU brings is a big following. Something most other school that have been talked about cannot offer. It also brings a new region to the Big 12.
 

Tornado man

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Sep 16, 2007
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I personally would like to see BYU and Air Force added if the conference does expand. Both provide national followings to the conference, are great institutions, and make sense geographically. Split East/West so you have the old big 8 schools (less NE and CU) in the West, and BYU, AF, and the Texas Schools in the West.

Air Force? That would be a financial disaster for the conference. They would bring no revenue to the Big 12, and just diminish ISU's slice of the pie even more. It would be even worse than adding a MAC team.
 

vmbplayer

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Air Force? That would be a financial disaster for the conference. They would bring no revenue to the Big 12, and just diminish ISU's slice of the pie even more. It would be even worse than adding a MAC team.

I may be wrong, but I disagree that it would be a "financial disaster" for the conference. I'm honestly speculating, but I would guess if you put AFA in the Big 12 they would be picked up on the Armed Forces Network worldwide for nearly every game. I'm not sure, but I would guess that AFN would have to pay the conference to broadcast those games. Add to that the fact that you have a ton of Air Force personnel around the country that would watch, and just Americans in general who pull for the academies and you have a large fanbase. Just look at how many Army fans showed up at ISU for the game last year. The american public loves seeing the academies do well. I know I cheer for the academies to win unless they are playing my team.

You can disagree with my logic, and if so I would be wrong. I may even be wrong about AFN paying for broadcast rights. But if I'm right there is no way that adding a service acadamy would be "financial ruin" for the conference. I just don't see adding a school which represents a branch of the United States military made up of 330,000 people (active duty) as a bad move financially. That doesn't even include retried personnel, reserves, or civilian personnel. If you put them in one of the best athletic conferences in the nation you will get a very solid following.

But that's just my opinion. I mean considering ISU only has 215,000ish living alumni (many of which don't care at all about athletics), I would think a group of 360,000 made up of 80% men with an average age of under 35 may provide the conference with a good amount of marketability.
 

huKSer

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Jul 7, 2010
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What ever you guys do is fine by me.

Just try to get Texas to commit to a long term commitment.