Big 12 Expansion (new thread)
- Thread starter Gilbyone
- Start date
It’s willfully ignorant to act like there aren’t non football/TV value reasons why BYU hasn’t been in a power league before now. On those metrics they absolutely belong and are a good addition. They would add football and TV value to the current or new Big 12, the Pac-12, or the ACC.
Can you say that for sure? My recollection of BYU over the years is that their limitations (no Sunday play) along with their own network (and they wanted this to continue if they moved to a P5 conference) was what kept them out of the room. And, we certainly have seen the meddling that the Texas government has had on the B12. Another reason why the SEC is more than welcome to now have Texas...good luck.
BYU brings a near guarantee of 500K+ viewers to each and every football game in the B12...that is huge. Not Texas or Oklahoma, but certainly a good number. That will play well with any media contract.
I had always heard the original Big 12 was strictly between the Southwest Conference and the Big 8. This was before BYU went independent, so they were a member of another conference. What is your source that BYU was in play and considered at the time?
I dont think BYU was considered. When the writing was on the wall for the SWC, Texas, TAMU, and Arkansas originally wanted to go together to the same conference - either the SEC or Big 8. The Texas schools started to prefer the Big 8 option but Arkansas had a lifeline to the SEC and took it. Then it was supposed to be Texas, TAMU, Tech, and Houston to the Big 12 before Texas politicians with Baylor ties weaseled them into the deal at UH’s expense.
Everything I've read said BYU was absolutely under consideration very early in the Big 12 formation.
Then politics and we ended up with goddam Baylor
from the reports in the paper when I was in college when this went down.
I just googled and there is even stuff(not linking right from phone now) that they were discussed in 93. Will keep trying to link.
BYU to the B12 in 1996 is certainly what was understood from the BYU side. The BYU AD openly discussed at the time that pressure from Texas politicians forced the B12 to take Baylor along with TT, UT and A&M thereby preventing BYU's inclusion.
Before BYU when Arkansas was leaving SWC, I am sure the Big 8 wished to add them. They chose the SEC over Big 8. Never ever heard where anything BYU related was more than a casual inquiry.
The BYU - ASU game brought 1.5M viewers this past weekend which compares very favorably with the USC - WSU and tOSU - Tulsa and UC - UI numbers despite the USC, Ohio State and UC games being in the afternoon and the BYU game not starting until 10:30 EDT. Similar numbers came in for the BYU - Utah game the week before (again at 10:30 EDT). I'm sure last year the BYU games (almost all against Sun Belt teams) would have been a lot lower, but with quality opponents BYU's numbers are much more than 500k.
SKEDBALL: Weekly Sports TV Ratings 9.13-9.19.2021 | Showbuzz Daily
The Baylor Project: Taking Christian Higher Education to the Next Level: Hankins, Prof. Barry G, Schmeltekopf, Prof. Donald D.: 9781587310621: Amazon.com: Books
The Baylor Project: Taking Christian Higher Education to the Next Level [Hankins, Prof. Barry G, Schmeltekopf, Prof. Donald D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Baylor Project: Taking Christian Higher Education to the Next Level
www.amazon.com
The 100-Year Decision: Texas A&m and the SEC: Loftin, R. Bowen, Burson, Rusty: 9781457532320: Amazon.com: Books
The 100-Year Decision: Texas A&m and the SEC [Loftin, R. Bowen, Burson, Rusty] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The 100-Year Decision: Texas A&m and the SEC
www.amazon.com
Both of these books are excellent reads for a realignment junkie. The Baylor one doesn't touch on it as much as the A&M one, but they do go into some great details.
We may not have been all that far from this league in 1996:
Big 12 North:
Iowa State
Nebraska
Kansas
Kansas State
Colorado
BYU
Big 12 South:
Missouri
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Arkansas
Texas
Texas A&M
Yeah, but the experience at BYU is different than most other places, and I don't expect their recruiting to change all that much from what they do now.
I believe the first mention of BYU being potentially involved with the Big Eight/SWC was in December 1993, in the Houston Chronicle.
The story said that preliminary discussions included all 17 teams.
At roughly the same time, there were also "reports" that Mizzou was angling for a Big Ten invite, and that SWC "sources" were concerned about A&M going to the SEC and Texas going to the Pac-10.
The story said that preliminary discussions included all 17 teams.
At roughly the same time, there were also "reports" that Mizzou was angling for a Big Ten invite, and that SWC "sources" were concerned about A&M going to the SEC and Texas going to the Pac-10.
It'll be fun when there's a breakaway league that splits from the SEC. I'm going to assume Texas will lead that charge and kill another conference
I don't think that is really the case. I'm not sure when Arkansas decided they were leaving for the SEC, but they started playing in 1992. Big 12 started playing in 1996. I think there was about a 2 year lead time between announcement of Big 12 formation and the actual transition. So I think the Arkansas courtship discussions were probably starting around 1990.
I think it was as much Arkansas leaving and isolating the SWC to a Texas conference was the final nail in a struggling conference.
From what I understand, in the mid to late 80's Arkansas had a desire to move to the Big 8, however, there was no consensus on a 10th team and no desire to stay at a 9 team conference. Also, there were hopes at that point in time that Kansas State might just drop out of the conference, and in that event, Arkansas would be the preferred replacement.
