***Official Big 12 Expansion Thread '16***
- Thread starter cyclones500
- Start date
Cincinnati
Houston
Memphis
UConn
UCF
USF
BYU
Two more American Conference schools
Also the Big 12 is still considering football-only membership.
Cyclonepride
Thought Police
I'm wondering who would be the two unnamed AAC schools.....SMU is probably one. Then Tulane or Temple?
This is such a dog and pony show. If the conference didn't already have their schools ready to go after paying a company to lay out the choices then it's a complete breakdown of leadership.
At the very least the overlords at ESPN/Fox are telling the conference who to add.
To have flipping BS schools like Northern Illinois tied to the league is damaging. Are they trying to kill the brand??
Here is the DMN version of the story...
http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/col...r-big-12-expansion-candidate-school-announces
nm I missed Bryce's link
http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/col...r-big-12-expansion-candidate-school-announces
nm I missed Bryce's link
This list is basically telling the MWC that you can go ahead and plan for no attrition even though CSU is a better candidate than half of the remaining AAC commuter schools on the list.
What the consultants and networks are telling the B12 is still likely not enough to get the 8 required votes for expansion. For example, UH may not be endorsed by the consultants and networks but the UT/TT/TCU block will only vote for expansion if UH is included due to political ramifications that have been made public. Also, if UT and OU don't want a GOR extension along with expansion, then the ISU/KSU/WVU block will vote against any expansion. I am doubtful common ground will be reached anytime soon.
I don't necessarily agree. Depends what you consider significant. As much as we make fun of the BIG they do make a lot of money with the new tv deal and if you add TX and OK, it would only get better. But you are correct, they would have no more influence than schools like Indiana and NW. Do you really want that for a few extra bucks??
ACC allowing ND in as football only, I get. It's ND.
Why would the Big 12 consider it for these guys? Unless they're only considering it as an option for BYU. But even then it doesn't make sense.
I don't know whether to believe anything in that article, but I agree wholeheartedly with your statement above. I'm starting to wonder if that whole "consultant" thing was just some fluff to try to quiet down the media and the talking heads that were dogging the Big 12 about needing to expand, and that there was really nothing meaningful done earlier.
The whole thing has this surreal bizarreness about it in the sense that you just can't believe it could be handled so sloppily.
Even though I should know better, I still cling to my dream that this is all just a tactic to keep everybody looking in the other direction while something really awesome is getting finalized.
This ECU announcement is just beyond stupid - why tell them they aren't a candidate? Why tell ANYONE they aren't being considered? The Big 12 needs to be the one controlling the story:
"We have extended invitations to (place University name here) to become members of the Big 12 conference. We had a lot of great interest, but we feel (place University name here) were ideal candidates with similar goals in the classroom and in athletics as our current institutions."
Bob Bowlsby's Poker Face:
"We have extended invitations to (place University name here) to become members of the Big 12 conference. We had a lot of great interest, but we feel (place University name here) were ideal candidates with similar goals in the classroom and in athletics as our current institutions."
Bob Bowlsby's Poker Face:
In this situation consultants provide cover for poor leadership - "don't fire me, it's not my fault" or even worse "yes these schools looks terrible but the consultants said it was the best thing".
Seems odd that they need to invite 8 to identify 2 schools. Curious if that means they view not a lot of differences between the majority of schools. So selection could come down to willingness to be football only, willingness to take partial rights fee for period of years and other legal aspects.
The other possibility, may be the Big12 is looking to take 4 teams. Could be that FOX/ESPN have told the Big 12 they aren't willing to pay the current full share $20M for all the schools being considered, but maybe they would pay $20M annually for BYU, $15M for UConn, $10M for Houston, Cincy, etc. So if the schools interviewed would be willing to take a lower payment through the end of the existing TV rights contract that would allow the Big12 to expand to 14 teams.
The other possibility, may be the Big12 is looking to take 4 teams. Could be that FOX/ESPN have told the Big 12 they aren't willing to pay the current full share $20M for all the schools being considered, but maybe they would pay $20M annually for BYU, $15M for UConn, $10M for Houston, Cincy, etc. So if the schools interviewed would be willing to take a lower payment through the end of the existing TV rights contract that would allow the Big12 to expand to 14 teams.
In exchange for an extended GOR payout that's competitive with the other power conferences? I'm hopeful that a compromise like that is being negotiated.
Narrowed down to 6-8 schools? I feel like the Big12 should be tweeting these lists out followed by
Is this a source of optimism or doom?
I can go either way reading your statement...
Those who have predicted doom aren't changing their mind. They will just say it is doomed after the end of the GOR. If the GOR is extended it will be doomed after that. I think based on Pollards comments the other night on the call-in show, we will have good news coming, but I practice cautious optimism.
