Bowlsby: 12-teams, eight league games, plus a championship game best for Big 12

[HFCS]

Step 1: Pac-12 ousts Larry Scott

Step 2: Big 12 and Pac-12 form a long term, working partnership. Now you've got a footprint that spans the two most populous states in the nation.

Step 3: Wait for ACC to disintegrate over the failed promises of their GOR. Maybe the Big 12 can add a Florida school, and then the footprint can encompass the three most populous states in the nation.

Step 4: PROFIT! (since that is what this is all about)

I've been saying this since the Big Ten and SEC both made it clear they wanted to move past 12 teams.

 

[Beyerball]

Read between the lines.

From the posted article:


From another article:


Remember how everyone had Rutgers going to the Big Ten before they were selected...oh wait...nobody did.

Expansion is (has always been and will always be) about TV money.

Q: How does expansion address the problem bolded above of keeping the Big 12 financially competitive with the SEC and Big Ten?
A: TV media rights (the answer is in the statement). And that means creating a Big 12 Network and adding schools that substantially grow the TV viewership within the conference footprint.

First, Florida State and Clemson are not joining and they never were. They all but admitted that they played the Big 12 in order to gain leverage with the ACC but some people here (and even scarier, evidently some people within certain administrations at Big 12 institutions) can't take the blinders off. Hey, "she's just not that into you" as the saying goes. Move on.

Second, none of the "realistic" candidates mentioned in this thread so far move the "TV media rights" needle as a #12, much less a #11. Cincinnati wasn't an adequate addition as #12 when the Big 12 chose WVU as #10 and had Louisville at #11, which is why it only added #10 and stopped (foolishly thinking that #11 would be there later).

What has changed (for the better) to make Cincy an adequate #11 with any of those other schools listed above as #12? The answer is nothing. What the Big 12 has to do is secure the Chicago media market with addition #11 (NIU) and then convince itself on Cincinnati as an acceptable #12. That's what I think is the Big 12's dilemma at the moment and behind the hold up. It couldn't agree on Cincy as #12 before and can't clear the hurdle again today.

I think there are 4 potential candidates, with Cincy being one of those, that could be #12. If Cincy is ultimately deemed to be inadequate then a better/acceptable #12 needs to be vetted from the other 3. No, UConn is not one of the three (and neither are the Florida schools). As pointed out several times, UConn does not bring the New York market.

NIU??LMAO..wow. They would be about 20th on the list. Chicago is not a big college fball market first..and like others have said NIU doesn't bring anything into Chicago...zip. Uconn basketball would bring more tv revenue than NIU football..by far..uconn brings the NYC tv market and bball does matter unlike what everyone has been saying and writing because the current big 12 schools own a lot of their non conf bball content..as does Uconn..that's some revenue added..now football is king no doubt but bball does add to the pie because of all the non conf games like I said that woild roll now into a conf network..all part of the negotiating initially. Teams like Cinnci, Uconn bring bball viewers.

The best option for Isu would be to add Cinnci IMO..first it might give us an opponent we can compete with but also opens up the Ohio recruiting market even more so for CMC...I'm all for adding Cinnci..would be very good for ISU. If we expand and go to 4 non conf games that would be huge for Isu getting to a bowl game regularly.

 

[Cyclone90]

There are three P5 conferences that are lagging the other two. There are no non-P5 teams out there that any of those three conferences can add that are going to bring them up to the TV rights income of the other two.

The ACC network has been delayed again because ESPN can't make the financial model work...it will be at least 5 years after the signing of the ACC GOR that the promised ACC network sees the light of day...if it ever does. The Pac-12 network was recently reported to be badly struggling. Why does the Big 12 think that adding the likes of Cincinnati is going to be the magic elixir that closes the money gap and helps them to overcome the problems that these other two conferences (who have bigger names than Cinci for their 11th, 12th, and maybe even 13th, and 14th teams) are having?

If this is really only about TV media rights, then the only feasible solution I see is for 2 (or maybe all 3) of these lagging P5 conferences to partner up in some fashion to expand their media footprint and propose enough inter-conference play to wow some network and garner big TV contract to rival the SEC and Big Ten (if indeed the Big Ten deal comes to fruition). On their own, none of the ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12 seem to have to ability to close the gap.

IMO, the first two of the lagging three that can get something done will be able to hold the SEC and Big Ten at bay. The one left out is done.

Exactly. Go with a combined Big 12/Pac 12 network and you could have games spanning all four time zones. Mandate one inter-league non-con game and keep all that money in house. That would be a lot of TV eyeballs watching USC-OU, Oregon-TX, Baylor-Stanford, etc.

 

[cyclones500]

OK, if Cincinnati IS the probable choice, back to the typical question. Who's 12th?

Conference can't wait indefinitely for ACC to fragment.

 

[Clones32]

The future is a 10 game conference schedule and that's where every conference should be heading.

 

[Clones32]

It will be interesting to see if the financial side of college athletics is approaching its tipping point. For a long time ESPN has been throwing big money at college football and have created an arms race between conferences which has promoted expansion. With the financial landscape potentially changing, does ESPN take a different approach?

The Big10 recently reached an agreement for half its tier 1 rights with FOX and I am sure they expect ESPN to match what FOX is paying. Meanwhile, the ACC is desperate to get their own network off the ground. Not sure why ESPN doesn't say no to the Big10 and instead put their money into an extensive ACC package on ESPN. IMO it is less important having a Conference TV network, than having most games shown on national TV.

If ESPN doesn't try to retain the Big ten TV rights then they need to be admitted to a mental institution. People like to make fun of the BIG here, but the BIG along with the SEC are the top dogs in college football right now. The Big Ten had 3 of the top 4 highest rated football games this season on any channel(not including bowls). The most watched football game in the regular season on any network was a Big Ten game. The Big Ten championship game probably would have been the most watched conference championship game if the PAC-12 and the ACC championship games weren't on at the same time. ESPN cannot afford to lose the BIG.

 

[BeachAve]

In retrospect we lost out on Louisville. The big 12 should of made a major push for Florida St and Clemson 4 yrs ago.

Letting in Memphis, Tulane, Central Florida? I can't imagine Oklahoma and Texas won't be sniffing around the PAC-12 or SEC if that happens. OU and Texas just might vote those lousy choices in to give themselves an excuse a couple years later to BOLT

Why do so many people want to water down this conference with crap choices just so ISU can win a couple more football games ?

 

[clonedude]

I think Cinci is the best choice right now. Pretty good number of TV sets, helps expand east to help WV out, pretty good in both football and basketball, etc, etc.

Then the question becomes, who do you add to make it 12? I think if we want to continue out east, then UConn is probably the best choice. If we want to expand westward more, then I'd go with BYU, Boise State, or maybe Colorado State. Problem with going west though is that team would basically be on an island by themselves, unless it's Colorado State. I just don't think Colorado State brings enough to even consider them though.

Since we already have WV (which I never liked that we added them from the beginning), then I

​

think it just makes more sense to expand east, not to mention that east is where the population and TV sets are.

 

[CycloneBob]

Northern Illinois would be a disastrous addition to the Big 12

If the Big 12 started a network and tried to jack up the rates in Chicagoland just because NIU was in the conference, Comcast would laugh and say "No thanks." And no one in Chicago would care that they couldn't watch NIU

It's not at all comparable to Rutgers and Maryland and getting the B1G Network on in their areas. They are the dominant college program for their regions. NIU isn't even in the top 5 in Chicago and it might not even crack the top 10

Totally agree! Adding NIU would seriously downgrade the Big 12 to level of irreparable damage. Absolutely nothing to gain with them. Their football stadium is a good sized division III.

 

[CycloneBob]

I think Cinci is the best choice right now. Pretty good number of TV sets, helps expand east to help WV out, pretty good in both football and basketball, etc, etc.

Then the question becomes, who do you add to make it 12? I think if we want to continue out east, then UConn is probably the best choice. If we want to expand westward more, then I'd go with BYU, Boise State, or maybe Colorado State. Problem with going west though is that team would basically be on an island by themselves, unless it's Colorado State. I just don't think Colorado State brings enough to even consider them though.

Since we already have WV (which I never liked that we added them from the beginning), then Ithink it just makes more sense to expand east, not to mention that east is where the population and TV sets are.

I think this makes sense. Expansion to the west and adding a time zone isn't appealing to me at all. Adding teams from the east to support WV and add recruiting support sounds better.

 

[3GenClone]

I think this makes sense. Expansion to the west and adding a time zone isn't appealing to me at all. Adding teams from the east to support WV and add recruiting support sounds better.

The only way expanding west makes sense is if the Big 12 decides a 14 or 16 member conference is best. Kickoff times are already crammed at 11 AM and 3:30 (Central Time) because of the geography of the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big 10, so adding a few programs out west to get some prime-time games could lead to more viewership just due to the lack of games available for viewing at those later hours.

 

[BeachAve]

Totally agree! Adding NIU would seriously downgrade the Big 12 to level of irreparable damage. Absolutely nothing to gain with them. Their football stadium is a good sized division III.

Wtf are people thinking? Ever been to their high school stadium? Good gawd people.... NIU?

no doubt make the NIU- ISU GAME @ season end- the first Saturday in December. Cold hot chocolate and a crowd of 28,000

cant wait!!!!

 

[laminak]

In retrospect we lost out on Louisville. The big 12 should of made a major push for Florida St and Clemson 4 yrs ago.

Letting in Memphis, Tulane, Central Florida? I can't imagine Oklahoma and Texas won't be sniffing around the PAC-12 or SEC if that happens. OU and Texas just might vote those lousy choices in to give themselves an excuse a couple years later to BOLT

Why do so many people want to water down this conference with crap choices just so ISU can win a couple more football games ?

Agreed. To me, the only viable options are Cincy, BYU, UCONN, or somehow poach another P5 school. Otherwise we're turning into AAU+.

 

[clonedude]

Wtf are people thinking? Ever been to their high school stadium? Good gawd people.... NIU?

no doubt make the NIU- ISU GAME @ season end- the first Saturday in December. Cold hot chocolate and a crowd of 28,000

cant wait!!!!

Yeah, NIU makes no sense whatsoever. Nobody in Chicago cares about NIU at all.

 

[ShopTalk]

You guys remember when we already had 12 teams, 8 conference games, and a championship game 6 years ago?

It's deja vu all over again.

 

[clonedude]

It's deja vu all over again.

I'd go back to the good ole days of the Big 12 today if we could. But Nebraska, Mizzou, and Colorado all got nervous and left.

But I'd much rather have Nebraska, Mizzou, Colorado, and A&M back. Get rid of WV and TCU. That was the best set up IMO.

 

[WalkingCY]

I still think Cincy is a safe play for the conference right now. Just get them on board and worry about #12 later. Play at 11 members for the time-being and then make an informed move on the next member.

Something is going to happen to the ACC. And if that does happen, 3 teams can be added at that point to get us to the Big 14 (which, by the way, we have the naming "rights" to as well.)

 

[CysRage]

I'd go back to the good ole days of the Big 12 today if we could. But Nebraska, Mizzou, and Colorado all got nervous and left.

But I'd much rather have Nebraska, Mizzou, Colorado, and A&M back. Get rid of WV and TCU. That was the best set up IMO.

It was incredible to have those regional matchups but the old Big 12 will never be together again. There is too much bad blood between the current Big 12 and the schools that left.

 

[HandSanitizer]

I still think Cincy is a safe play for the conference right now. Just get them on board and worry about #12 later. Play at 11 members for the time-being and then make an informed move on the next member.

Something is going to happen to the ACC. And if that does happen, 3 teams can be added at that point to get us to the Big 14 (which, by the way, we have the naming "rights" to as well.)

I am not sure why anyone would leave the ACC to go to the B12? Leave stability, pay GOR's and take a dollar hit for years in our league. For what? For about the same money? I could see ACC to Big10, but not Big12.

Get Cincy and Uconn and move on. Crazy bball league. Uconn brings a good east coast presence (sorry womens bball team) we would by far be the best mens and womens league there is overall.

Little worried about one sided divisions, but remember the B12 North had 3-4 teams in the top 10 when it started.
I think OU and Texas don't want to play each other more than once per year. So here is a 1st draft.

SPRINT Wireless Divsion
OSU - Protected Rival OU
UCONN -Rival WVU
ISU -- Protected Rival Cincy
KSU - Rival KU
KU - Rival KSU
WVU - Rival WVU

AT&T Division
Texas - Rival OU
OU - Protected Rival OSU
Tech - Rival Baylor?
Baylor - Rival TCU
Cincy - Protected Rival ISU
TCU - Rival Baylor

9 games. Means we play everyone in our division and 4 of the 6 each year in the other.

I know it could be better, but I feel like this would be a good league.

 

[Gonzo]

I am not sure why anyone would leave the ACC to go to the B12? Leave stability, pay GOR's and take a dollar hit for years in our league. For what? For about the same money? I could see ACC to Big10, but not Big12.

Get Cincy and Uconn and move on. Crazy bball league. Uconn brings a good east coast presence (sorry womens bball team) we would by far be the best mens and womens league there is overall.

Little worried about one sided divisions, but remember the B12 North had 3-4 teams in the top 10 when it started.
I think OU and Texas don't want to play each other more than once per year. So here is a 1st draft.

SPRINT Wireless Divsion
OSU - Protected Rival OU
UCONN -Rival WVU
ISU -- Protected Rival Cincy
KSU - Rival KU
KU - Rival KSU
WVU - Rival WVU

AT&T Division
Texas - Rival OU
OU - Protected Rival OSU
Tech - Rival Baylor?
Baylor - Rival TCU
Cincy - Protected Rival ISU
TCU - Rival Baylor

9 games. Means we play everyone in our division and 4 of the 6 each year in the other.

I know it could be better, but I feel like this would be a good league.

Holy crap. And you guys think the B1G West is bad. Yikes.