REPORT: Top 4 expansion candidates

CYCLNST8

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Are any of these schools even Big 12 worthy? CSU? Are they even division 1? Sounds like to me they are watering down the Big 12 with mid majors to get a championship game.

EDIT: MW is division 1 my bad.

You must be pretty young. There was a time when Colorado & Colorado State both had elite programs with some epic rivalry games. Sonny Lubick had the Rams winning 9-11 games a season. Colorado State is also building a brand new stadium.

Memphis & BYU definitely have Big 12 worthy facilities. UCONN & Cincy top out at about ~40,000 for football capacity.
 

heitclone

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BYU is the best candidate out there, if not for politics, they would already be in the pac 12, they are a p5 program in every aspect. I don't get why anyone cares about not playing on Sundays. There are no football or basketball games on Sundays in our league anyway. Do the other sports? Does it matter that they wouldn't play on Sundays? This sounds like a passive aggressive way to hate on them for religious reasons. With that said, I would 100% understand why Cincy and UCONN would make more sense for our league.
 

surly

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colorado state's new digs ... http://stadium.colostate.edu/constructioncam/

hero-default.jpg%20
 
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k123

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I could see them doing Cincy and UConn because they are perceived "bigger markets" and therefore more $$, but it seems like they are such niche schools in areas with a lot else going on.

Since neither pair would be that much of a market expander, I'd think BYU and CSU since at least midwest/greatplains/mountain west seem more in common (and contiguous with other Big 12 states), as opposed to hopscotching over Illinois and Indiana to add a school on the Ohio/Kentucky border where the general sports focus is on OSU & UK, and pro sports, and then the Big 12 randomly being in Connecticut.

Edit...this whole paragraph was written spacing off that WV is now in Big 12. So I guess the random eastern schools argument is not as strong.
 
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Mtowncyclone13

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BYU is the best candidate out there, if not for politics, they would already be in the pac 12, they are a p5 program in every aspect. I don't get why anyone cares about not playing on Sundays. There are no football or basketball games on Sundays in our league anyway. Do the other sports? Does it matter that they wouldn't play on Sundays? This sounds like a passive aggressive way to hate on them for religious reasons. With that said, I would 100% understand why Cincy and UCONN would make more sense for our league.

i'm against them because:

I don't want our guys playing people 3-4 years older them because of their missionary work. it would be like deandre kane-aged players.

WVU has proven to be a good fit. it's not fair for them to have to travel 1900 miles for games.

Culturally they aren't like the rest of the Big 12. they seem to fit far better with west coast teams.

We don't need 3 private schools in the conference. they don't agree to publish financial data and their FOI policies are quite different from public institutions.

conferences should be based on geography and historical rivalries, not tv markets.
 

mcfaj0dm

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Louisville publicly begged to join the Big 12, Big 12 made yet another clear mistake saying no thanks, then Louisville signed GOR with ACC.

Thanks. GOR?

Personally - I'd like to see Cinci and Louiville (if that were even possible) and stick at 12. Seems like the best approach would be to branch into the east a bit more - lessen the gap with WVU. And if the ACC truly implodes - maybe move to 14 or 16. Both have historically good basketball and respectable football.

I'd love CSU as well. Any reason to go to Ft Collins is fine by me. And get some visits back into Hilton by Dr Doom. Just not crazy about the geography of that, spreading the Big 12 from WV to CO. Of course, for us that's probably not as big a deal as it's closer than any of the other options.

Personally - can't stand UConn in any capacity. Of course this is all $$ and Uconn opens up that New York market. And my preference being MBB - can't really argue about their credentials there.
 
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SCNCY

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Louisville publicly begged to join the Big 12, Big 12 made yet another clear mistake saying no thanks, then Louisville signed GOR with ACC.

Wasn't one of the reasons why we did not take Louisville at the time because DeLoss Dodds (Texas AD) was trying to get Notre Dame to be a part of the Big 12? Football would be independent, but all other sports would be Big 12. Then this blew up in his face and Notre Dame went to ACC.
 

k123

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I could see them doing Cincy and UConn because they are perceived "bigger markets" and therefore more $$, but it seems like they are such niche schools in areas with a lot else going on.

Since neither pair would be that much of a market expander, I'd think BYU and CSU since at least midwest/greatplains/mountain west seem more in common (and contiguous with other Big 12 states), as opposed to hopscotching over Illinois and Indiana to add a school on the Ohio/Kentucky border where the general sports focus is on OSU & UK, and pro sports, and then the Big 12 randomly being in Connecticut.

Edit...this whole paragraph was written spacing off that WV is now in Big 12. So I guess the random eastern schools argument is not as strong.

Was Pitt ever an option? If went east, they're a legit University and could make an eastern side w/ West Virginia and Cincinnati. I just don't like the UConn option...
 

Stormin

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If not for the religious aspect Pac would have taken BYU over Utah and we'd be talking about Utah/CSU for expansion.

And Big 12 won't take BYU either. The Big 12 does not need BYU and the baggage they bring. BYU thought they were going to be Notre Dame Jr. when they went Independent. They are not. They are losing their luster. They are dropping some in attendance. The Big 12 would be foolish to throw a lifeline to the island out there in Provo, Utah. And for what reason? BYU playing an elite schedule of tough teams and they will be another .500 football team at best. Big 12 has enough quality football teams with Oklahoma, Baylor, TCU, Texas, Okie State, etc. Big Ten added a couple of poor teams in Rutgers and Maryland and it did not hurt the conference at all.
 

Stormin

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Was Pitt ever an option? If went east, they're a legit University and could make an eastern side w/ West Virginia and Cincinnati. I just don't like the UConn option...

Big 12 blew it when we did not take Pitt and Louisville. Big Mistake IMO.
 

dahliaclone

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Mar 4, 2007
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In today's Monday Musings you share the same mindset as me: we either poach better teams from a bigger conference or we end up being dismantled in a decade. If it's the latter, what happens to the Big 12 schools? Do the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, and PAC 12 snatch every team up?
 

surly

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In today's Monday Musings you share the same mindset as me: we either poach better teams from a bigger conference or we end up being dismantled in a decade. If it's the latter, what happens to the Big 12 schools? Do the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, and PAC 12 snatch every team up?

Would Iowa allow ISU in the Big - that always looked like a logical place to me? Certainly could see Ku going there. OU to the SEC without doubt. UT to wherever they choose, but probably not the SEC due to academic concerns and aTm veto. The remainder are pretty much screwed. Had the Big 12 folded, K-State was headed to the then-Big East.
 

cycloneworld

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Colorado State makes a ton of sense. 32,300 students (ISU has 36,000). Huge alumni base, building a brand new football stadium, brings back the Colorado market, land grant university...they would fit in VERY well.
 

surly

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Colorado State makes a ton of sense. 32,300 students (ISU has 36,000). Huge alumni base, building a brand new football stadium, brings back the Colorado market, land grant university...they would fit in VERY well.

Agree. Geography is perfect. Denver TV market. Nice play on CU. Makes BYU look way better.

Screw WVU. They're no more on an island then than presently.
 

cyIclSoneU

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Still think Cincinnati and UConn make the most sense. I am not a fan of a three timezone conference

If WVU left (not us kicking them out - that would be insane) then I could see a move west with BYU, Colo St, and Boise St. Otherwise no
 

isuno1fan

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Cincy makes me puke in my mouth. Big 12 ceases to exist with adds like these. Will also hurt our recruiting in Ohio where we are starting to get traction.
I know a lot of you can't see the forest through the trees and are knee jerk in you reaction we need to expand with subpar candidates, but this is not a good move for ISU.