How should the Big 12 play the hand it has been dealt

[ZuriCyclone]

Quality matters over quantity , the big 12 has been able to survive on ten teams. Add only schools with significant fan bases that actually watch their teams through the bad and good seasons. This decade I can see college football going to a national streaming model , where you may have to pay for a subscription.

 

[RonBurgundy]

When Yormark was announced, it said he would start August 1. So isn't Bowlsby still in charge?

Technically he starts 8/1, but article in the Athletic indicated he has jumped in with both feet. Already had a Zoom call with the conference last Friday.

 

[RonBurgundy]

Quality matters over quantity , the big 12 has been able to survive on ten teams. Add only schools with significant fan bases that actually watch their teams through the bad and good seasons. This decade I can see college football going to a national streaming model , where you may have to pay for a subscription.

Agree. One of the reasons the conference survived was we stuck with 10 teams. Our media package wasn’t great, but only had to divide it ten ways so the per school payout was #3 behind B1G and SEC.

There is a tipping point that saving schools like WSU, OSU, and Cal result in less $. This is a time to be cut throat. A merger makes no sense. Get the four and kill off the Pac12.

 

[NodawayRiverClone]

THIS. THIS. THIS TIMES A MILLION.

I think the move is to take 4 (utah, col, ari, asu) if you can... I don't think that is a done deal. If media companies do not want this to happen they will do something about it (similar to what they did to save B12 and stop the PAC 12 grabbing tx, ou, osu, and ttu about 10 years ago).

If we can do this, you put the pac in a really tricky spot long term. I think short term, they have a pretty fun league with 6-8 teams.. but would not last.

Once that is done, I think you wait unless wash/oregon want to come on their own. But I think you have to expect that in the next 10 yrs or so, the P2 will pick up these schools as part of a longer term structure - this would include eliminating current members of the P2 and creating a final structure that consolidates the top 24 - 32 brands. With Nike, I think oregon is on that list. Less certain about Washington.

I think the B12 should focus on becoming the nationwide structure for all 100 "left behind" FBS programs eventually consolidating all football schools into a single league that splits revenues evenly, defines rules for player and coach contracts and salaries.... basically establish the structure that everyone wants in college football.

It will be missing the top 24 to 32 teams, but it would be a much more attractive version for fans of college athletics. Who knows, in 25 years, maybe the 24 'brands' come crawling back from a failed semi-pro experiment and agree to join the B12!

Pitch to the PAC a merged governing board over 2 athletic conferences - the Big 12 and PAC. The official combination is mainly to negotiate a GOR for all teams in the combination. Otherwise, the conferences operate mostly independently, with inter-conference scheduling privileges or requirements.

If PAC arrogance wins out, go hard after the dry state teams in the PAC.

 

[nfrine]

Change conference name to the "Big Twelve(s)"?

12 X 12 Conference....naw, that's gross.

 

[singsing]

Gut the middle of the pac with the Arizona schools, Colorado, and Utah. Then remove the head by taking Oregon and Washington.

 

[HFCS]

THE Conference

That’s the name. I’ve heard “the” is cool with the hip young kids and sells merch. Easy to trademark.

 

[HFCS]

Quality matters over quantity , the big 12 has been able to survive on ten teams. Add only schools with significant fan bases that actually watch their teams through the bad and good seasons. This decade I can see college football going to a national streaming model , where you may have to pay for a subscription.

I love living on west coast but I really think USC is the only CA school that would bring as many streaming eyes as ISU or KSU. “Brand” all you want but people just aren’t sports fans, not even pro sports fans.

Some girl at my wife’s gym told her she wasn’t watching the super bowl because she doesn’t like basketball. Lots of that.

 

[cymonw1980]

Pitch to the PAC a merged governing board over 2 athletic conferences - the Big 12 and PAC. The official combination is mainly to negotiate a GOR for all teams in the combination. Otherwise, the conferences operate mostly independently, with inter-conference scheduling privileges or requirements.

If PAC arrogance wins out, go hard after the dry state teams in the PAC.

I think you take the PAC out... you want to be in the drivers seat for what comes next in the short term. There is time for everyone to come together after the P2 break away.

 

[cymonw1980]

I love living on west coast but I really think USC is the only CA school that would bring as many streaming eyes as ISU or KSU. “Brand” all you want but people just aren’t sports fans, not even pro sports fans.

Some girl at my wife’s gym told her she wasn’t watching the super bowl because she doesn’t like basketball. Lots of that.

To be fair, some football players have played basketball... maybe you are underestimating how strongly she feels about b-ball. She hates it so much she doesn't even want to support anyone who may have played in the past.