If the B12 remains intact and moves forward
- Thread starter Win5002
- Start date
Colorado State. So you want the team from the Mountain West that was 6th in the attendance in 2019 with a little over 23,000 fans. That is really gonna be a deal maker.
Mountain West football posts its lowest attendance ever. Here's why.
For the second straight season, the Mountain West posted its lowest football attendance in league history. The 2018 season saw an average of23,862 fans per home game hosted by MW schools. That was down 4. 4 percent from the season prior. In 2019, MW teams averaged23,254 fans per home game, the...
I'm really starting to like this Pete Thamel idea (assuming we stick together and expand). Go to 16, undercut the MWC and AAC and solidify yourself as the 5th conference. Yes you play second fiddle to the big boys but you have a seat at the table and can grow your brands.
https://sports.yahoo.com/think-big-here-is-one-way-to-save-the-big-12-203016120.html
https://sports.yahoo.com/think-big-here-is-one-way-to-save-the-big-12-203016120.html
I had never thought of that idea for scheduling, its interesting. This league needs to do anything it can to maintain high tv values and I'm sure the committee will consult with tv partners. It would be interesting to see what they say.
I have a hard time thinking the league goes past 12 and I think its really hard for that 4 to not be BYU, UH, Cincy & UCF unless you have other objectives. Like to avoid UH for its potential in the B12 or to think of taking another AAC team to further devaluate the AAC and distance the B12 from them.
I do wonder if any network would pay a little extra if the B12 was willing to have teams that can start at 9 CST, because I think that is part of the reason the PAC gets paid. BYU can start late but it can conceivably be one of the better draws in the league each year and maybe you want them in a different time window. If a network is willing to pay for that start time could that effect the analysis of a CSU, BSU or even Air Force as you threw out in the service academies.
Its going to be about eyeballs watching games and possibly people willing to buy subscriptions in the future not attendance. Granted attendance can be an indicator but its not always the same. CSU has done bad ratings wise for a while but they have had bad teams for a while. If CSU is bad do people in Colorado/Denver watch the B12 especially games not involving CSU? not sure that adds a lot.
Now contrast that with adding UH. You add 3 in state games(and OSU close regionally) in the most football crazed state in the country that is the 2nd largest state. Adding UH gets more media attention in the state, increasing the relevancy of games as well as keeping the league relevant for recruiting going forward in Texas. If you leave UH in the AAC with SMU you are competing with the AAC for media coverage also but if UH is removed the AAC is an afterthought in Texas. If the B12 doesn't seem like a P5 member in Texas it never will be nationally.
BYU, UH, UCF & Cincy puts a wide gap between the B12 and AAC.
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You need to remove at least two more teams and probably 3 from the AAC to distance the B12 and AAC. The service academies is interesting but not sure that works. If the B12 loses ground to the AAC, WVU could decide to leave for the AAC.
Pete is not a math major, especially at division, and there is no effin reason for the B12 to be compelled to undercut both the MWC and AAC.
There is no valid reason to go beyond 10 schools if the remaining 8 stay intact and expand. And expansion should only be considered and executed until after ESPN pays up in some fashion on behalf of OU/TX for GOR exit fees.
BYU and Cincy are the obvious and clear expansion choices for a variety of academic, facility, brand and geographic related reasons. The B10 and P12 evidently aren't expanding due to financial dilution for existing members. So likewise it would be incredibly stupid for the B12 to needlessly expand beyond 10 for the same reason. The fascination with expanding beyond 10 here and in the media blows my mind.
Yahoo's Pete Thamel thinks Big 12 should expand to 16 teams:
Break those 16 teams into four pods to keep some of the league’s familiarity. The teams in the pods would play each other every year.
Break those 16 teams into four pods to keep some of the league’s familiarity. The teams in the pods would play each other every year.
- West: Boise State, BYU, Colorado State and San Diego State
- Midwest: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State
- Texas: Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and Houston (Tulane could go here if the egos of the Texas schools foolishly block Houston.)
- East: Cincinnati, West Virginia, UCF and USF (Memphis could go here if two Florida schools aren't wanted.)
Fort Collins is a cool town and they have a beautiful new stadium.
"So you want me to go play at your school which is in the same league as Alabama and LSU but I could very well never get to play at Bryant-Denny or Death Valley* in my career there?"
*Same could be said for The Big House or The Horseshoe.
BYU for sure, then Cinci and UCF to help WV with conference members out east. also UCF is in Disney's back yard in Orlando. BIG XII Flags in your face every day. lol
Bingo. And 2013 was the last time in Columbus. Not playing them until 2022 so there were several classes of players who never got to play in Columbus. That is with 14 in the conference - wait until it is 16 or more in the conference.
Expanding to 16 with 4 4-team pods would actually fix the B10's existing scheduling issues. Play 3 teams in your own pod annually and play two teams in each of the other 3 pods for a 9 game schedule. With that, TOE would play Ohio St twice every 4 years in a home and home. Teams with best two records, regardless of pod, would play each other in the CCG.
But now the B10 is considering going back to an 8 game conference schedule and staying at 14. I don't think Fox is going to sign up for that crap with their new TV deals.
I find it interesting that ISU and Ku's president/chancellor are on the expansion committee with TxT and BU's athletic directors. That sends a strong message to me, at least, about ISU and Ku's future, i.e. they have no plans to leave the B12.
This looks pretty solid. I'd drop SDSU and slide a Midwest team over to West, and add Memphis to the Midwest.
Perhaps that is correct.
Or perhaps those schools with potentially the best options were included for another reason.
We just don’t know.
