Big XII to add schools within days?

Rods79

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When I lived in Chicago for 14 years I'd often do the hilariously true ranking of Chicago:
Bears
Michigan
Packers
Wisconsin
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Iowa
Michigan State
The rest of the Big Ten other than Illinois and NW (this was before Rutgers/Maryland)
About 20 other college teams including Iowa State
Northwestern
Illinois

I seriously did not meet an Illini football fan in 14 years, maybe 4 or 5 NW fans who were alums or lived in the neighborhood in Evanston.

I would have thought Notre Dame would have been right up there behind Michigan.
 

Chitowncy

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I’m probably in the minority here, but these programs that can/will make more money now for their athletic departments have potential to become powerhouses. Upgrade facilities etc, Iowa state got more money and look at what has been done/accomplished.

Exactly. I think adding UC and BYU are already P5 level type programs. These schools have had seasons of great success in the past. While I know basketball is not driving the bus due to the TV money for football, these are also good and historical b-ball programs as well. I think adding a little more to their TV revenue, as they will probably get when joining the Big 12 schools, will help them.

UCF and Houston are the stretches in my book, but a huge positive for both of them is that they are in large metro areas with lots of potential fans. Also, it's nice to have a Florida school for recruiting. Not so sure about adding another Texas school, but getting to 12 rather than 11 makes sense, I suppose.

I like this move to add teams. It's aggressive and adds the best "reasonably available" pieces on the board to keep the league solid / solvent. Of course, we always look out for ourself first if something better comes along, but that could be forever and trying to survive at 8 may be the death knell if we waited too long.
 

BigJCy

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Is this not taking into factor OU and Texas leaving early? Or do they actually expect now that they might stay for a while?

The 14 team conference would look wild.
I think they believe OU & Texas will leave early but they can't let on that is what they are expecting. Need to get that $$$ if they do jump.
 

scyclonekid

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So another round of expansion could possibly happen, I wonder if that happens due to us and KU getting poached?
 
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KCyclone2010

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I still don’t see how this solves the biggest issue which is $$$. These 4 teams don’t move the needle much in terms of tv revenue, and we will fall way behind. Unless Amazon wants in the game, I don’t get this move.
 

SCNCY

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I would have thought Notre Dame would have been right up there behind Michigan.

Growing up in the Chicagoland area, I’d defiantly say Notre Dame is the number two football team behind the bears. And that’s a pretty decent gap between the two. After that, I’d out Michigan as the number three.
 

cyIclSoneU

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I still don’t see how this solves the biggest issue which is $$$. These 4 teams don’t move the needle much in terms of tv revenue, and we will fall way behind. Unless Amazon wants in the game, I don’t get this move.

What do you think the Big 12 should have done if there are no opportunities to merge with/get poached by another power league? BYU is far and away the best TV brand available. UCF is probably 2nd; maybe you could argue Navy, but they would be a football-only member. Do you think staying at 8 would be tenable long term?
 

HFCS

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I'm not fully convinced we will ever play these teams as a Big12 member, but if it ends up that way, could be worse outcomes.

It seems we're going to really change a lot like the Big East did. Pac and ACC are fooling themselves if they don't think they can be Big East 3.0 with a few key defections.

Here's as pertains to only Big East football in terms of the rapid instability.

2004:
Lose Miami and VTech
Add UConn as football program (was already non football)

2005:
Lose BC

2006:
Add Cincy, USF, Louisville

2012:
Lose WVU

2013:
Lose Syracuse, Pitt

2013: Dissolves as football conference

2014:
After one year in first year of American former Big East Louisville also joints ACC
After one year in first year of American former Big East Rutgers also joints Big Ten

UConn, USF and Cincy left holding the bag in American Athletic as the three short term Big East football programs that didn't end up in a traditional power conference, UConn eventually drops out of American to be an independent. In the end USF/Cincy just went up quickly and back to they were and the rest of the conference got absorbed mostly by ACC but 2 teams to B12/B10.

What will happen is the American will get a boost eventually from half of the new Big 12 joining with them if 3-6 Big 12 teams join Pac/B10/ACC, some of those teams will no doubt be American teams going back to American...or the Big 12 could keep Big 12 but with names like Kansas/KSU or OK State or IA State possibly gone it'll be nothing like the Big 12 or Big 8.

The only thing I really don't see is the SEC taking any of the New Big 12 or this new big 12 lasting for a decade plus as is.
 
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Clonefan94

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Growing up in the Chicagoland area, I’d defiantly say Notre Dame is the number two football team behind the bears. And that’s a pretty decent gap between the two. After that, I’d out Michigan as the number three.

At least in my area, NW Burbs, I’d put the Packers at a tie with ND. There is a lot of Packers gear in my neighborhood. Wisconsin is a distant 3rd, but still more than Illini. Had a neighbor kid 5 houses down, in my daughters senior class last year who chose UW over UI for basketball.

as far as TV coverage, it’s all Bears, the rest of the NFL, then ND and finally the rest of the Illinois schools.
 

HFCS

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Growing up in the Chicagoland area, I’d defiantly say Notre Dame is the number two football team behind the bears. And that’s a pretty decent gap between the two. After that, I’d out Michigan as the number three.

Must depend on the neighborhood, I knew more ND fans in random Iowa towns than I did in Chicago. Big Ten transplants and Packer transplants were literally everywhere.

The point is the "local" college teams Illinois and NW are not even top 15 in popularity in that city. I mean straight up you will run into an Iowa State fan before IL/NW.

The reason I bring it up is Cincy. Are they like that in Cincy or Ohio at large? Are they the fifth most popular team or are they actually even way lower than that.

I would guess their consistent basketball success has won them a lot of tshirt fans over the years. Ohio State isn't far and away the best college basketball team in the state, without looking it up I'd guess Cincy has done at least as well if not better.
 

Rods79

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Must depend on the neighborhood, I knew more ND fans in random Iowa towns than I did in Chicago. Big Ten transplants and Packer transplants were literally everywhere.

The point is the "local" college teams Illinois and NW are not even top 15 in popularity in that city. I mean straight up you will run into an Iowa State fan before IL/NW.

The reason I bring it up is Cincy. Are they like that in Cincy or Ohio at large? Are they the fifth most popular team or are they actually even way lower than that.

I would guess their consistent basketball success has won them a lot of tshirt fans over the years. Ohio State isn't far and away the best college basketball team in the state, without looking it up I'd guess Cincy has done at least as well if not better.

It’s not that extreme, but you’re comparing a major metropolis (3rd largest city in America) which is more inclined to be a melting pot of regional and national teams. The T-Shirt fans in Ohio are definitely Buckeyes/Browns/Bengals…then you probably have a few Michigan, Steelers, Cincy, and even UK scattered about (Cavs even more so if you consider BB t-shirt fans). It certainly doesn’t feel like Cincy is the #2 college program in the state when it comes to market share.
 
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cyIclSoneU

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It sounds like the new additions will all be applying this week (UH tomorrow), and the Big 12 presidents could vote to formally accept the new members as early as Friday.

Sounds like AAC members will be applying effective 2024. I would guess ESPN greases the wheels to move that up to whichever year OU and UT actually leave. But the contractual expectation would then be that 2024 would be the one season as a 14-school conference, so the ball would be fully in OU/UT/SEC court to make us an offer to get out earlier.
 
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