Rank potential joiners to the Big 12

[TitanClone]

If I would rank based on media value and team play (excluding teams bound for Big10:OR/WA):

16 teams
Arizona State
Utah
Colorado
Arizona

20 Teams
NC State
Va Tech
Pitt
Syracuse

24 Teams
Louisville
UConn
Oregon State
Wake Forest

I'd flip Pitt and Utah and Louisville and Syracuse here. That 16 would give pretty good regional quads and the Pitt WVU rivals is something that should be played every year:
West - BYU, Arizona, ASU and Colorado
East - WVU, Pitt, UCF and Cinci
Texas - Houston, TCU, Baylor and Tech
Central - ISU, KSU, KU, OSU

 

[Cyinthenorth]

Whatever the case, please have it include the Pac 12 schools that would be left out in the cold: Washington State and Oregon State specifically come to mind, as they seem to be the unwanted brethren of the Pac 12. This would be Iowa State if it were happening to the Big 12 instead of the Pac 12. I wouldn't want to be relegated to the MAC, so out of sympathy for their situation, I wouldn't want them to be either.

 

[CascadeClone]

Virginia would be the equivalent of DD’s in expansion attractiveness.

Why?

In fairness I might have them too low as a D, but their football program is trash - it's not a has-been, it's a never-was. In my calcs they are basically the same as LVille, but with worse football.

 

[Cyinthenorth]

I'd flip Pitt and Utah and Louisville and Syracuse here. That 16 would give pretty good regional quads and the Pitt WVU rivals is something that should be played every year:
West - BYU, Arizona, ASU and Colorado
East - WVU, Pitt, UCF and Cinci
Texas - Houston, TCU, Baylor and Tech
Central - ISU, KSU, KU, OSU

Like this a lot

 

[CascadeClone]

Really want:
Pitt
CU
VT

Would take:
AZ
ASU
utah (ugh, but good pairing with BYU)
NC ST
Louisville

Meh:
UConn
SDSU

Personal preference, taking out the unrealistic candidates...

I'd take the 4 corners now to go to 16.
I'd take Lville, Pitt, Syracuse, and Duke once the ACC falls. If Duke goes B1G then I would take NC State to make 20.

I wouldn't take any of the G5, and leave UConn in the BigEast and just partner with that entire conference to negotiate our BB rights separately from FB. You could promise UConn a few non-con games with B12 members, similar to what ND has now with ACC.

 

[MushroomPinball]

I'll do this in Tiers:

PAC 12

Would take them in a heartbeat but it probably won't happen: Oregon, Washington

The next two best choices: Arizona, Colorado

Not as good but still good: Arizona St, Utah

Would love for them to be in the conference but the money isn't there: Wash. St, Oregon St

Hey, look California: Stanford, California

ACC

Would take them in a heartbeat but it probably won't happen: Miami, Clemson, Virginia, UNC, Florida St, Notre Dame

The next best choices of which some would likely have a shot at the Big 12: Pitt, NC State, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Lousiville, Georgia Tech (getting at least 2-4 of these would be good)

Cool for Basketball but not much else: Duke, Syracuse

No possible reason to add them: Wake Forest, Boston College


G5

Cool for Basketball but not much else: UConn, SDSU

No possible reason to add them: Memphis (When the Big 12 was looking to add G5 teams I understand why Memphis was a decent option then but they do not make sense anymore with the P12 and ACC destabilized)

 

[Cyclone Pfan]

Notre Dame
Florida State
North Carolina
Clemson
Washington
Oregon
Arizona State
Arizona
Virginia
Stanford
NC State
Colorado
UConn
Syracuse
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
Washington State
Pittsburgh
Louisville
California
Duke
Miami
Utah
Oregon State
San Diego St
Boston College
Memphis
Wake Forest

Please only one school from any state.
But also please get a school in the New York area and as many east coast state schools as possible.
I know I'm in the minority on this, but I'd also like the B12 to have a presence in Cali.

We could potentially be the only conference to have representative institutions in the 5 most populous states (CA, TX, FL, NY, PA).

 

[drmwevr08]

Ah, summertime threads.

Biggest Brands we can get (that have football) and are going to be completely committed. That's what I want.

 

[isucy86]

Personal preference, taking out the unrealistic candidates...

I'd take the 4 corners now to go to 16.
I'd take Lville, Pitt, Syracuse, and Duke once the ACC falls. If Duke goes B1G then I would take NC State to make 20.

I wouldn't take any of the G5, and leave UConn in the BigEast and just partner with that entire conference to negotiate our BB rights separately from FB. You could promise UConn a few non-con games with B12 members, similar to what ND has now with ACC.

I like that idea. Get UConn sports other than FB, but have an agreement where Big12 teams play 4 FB games a year against UConn. If by 2031, UConn football emerges as a competitive program with FB attendance around 40k, bring them aboard as a full Big12 member.

 

[exCyDing]

First, I'm eliminating all G5 schools from the consideration. Between the PAC and ACC, there are plenty of schools to grow the B12 uncomfortably large as it is. The B12 isn't trying to beef up membership to stay afloat, the reasons the schools that were added in 2021 were picked aren't the same as how schools would be chosen going forward.

Second, the "basketball conference" question, ie, Big East and Gonzaga. I really think that 9/10 Big East schools really like their set-up with a conference of religious schools that don't have a football program. UConn is the obvious outlier.

Third, eliminate the schools that the B10/SEC are going to snap up right away, are too "academically prestigious" for the B12, or some combination of the two:
Notre Dame, Florida State, Clemson, Miami, UNC, UVA, Stanford, Cal.

First Tier - schools that are pretty much no brainers. Yes, these are schools that might get picked up by the B10 or SEC at some point in the future. When they get an offer, they're gone, but until then, the B12 could profit off of them. Having them or not having them does little to change the B12's status as the #3 conference, particularly if the PAC and ACC cease to exist as power conferences.
Washington
Oregon
Duke (their basketball alone gets them close to B12-level value)

Second Tier - schools that seem to be a good fit for the B12 and would be long-term members:
Pitt
NC State
VA Tech
Utah
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado

Third Tier - schools that have some good attributes, but I'm not entirely sold on:
UConn
Syracuse
Louisville
GA Tech

Fourth Tier - schools that don't really seem to fit. BC and WF would make a lot of sense in the Big East, and Or St, WA St make a lot of sense in the MWC (I'm sorry to say).
Boston College
Oregon St
Washington St
Wake Forest

 

[cyfan92]

Assuming Washington and Oregon are in the B1G, Stanford and Cal are not a fit, and the Clemson, FSU, UNC, UVA, and Miami get absorbed via B1G and SEC...

My rankings:
1 - Colorado - Big 8 member, drivable away games, and a LARGE ISU alumni network
2 - Utah - Lock down the state, travel partner with BYU, Holy War is a conference game, BEAUTIFUL state to visit
3 - Tie ASU/AZ - Easy flights to Tempe, Opens up AZ recruiting even more, TONS of exposure to California

Adding the 4 corners give you access to 17 million people in those states and six figure alumni in the state of California for subscriptions

5 - Duke - Basketball royalty and access to the triangle
6 - NC State - Access to the triangle
7 - Louisville - Drivable, pair nicely with Cincy and WVU

Pass on everyone else

 

[alexssdean12]

Assuming Washington and Oregon are in the B1G, Stanford and Cal are not a fit, and the Clemson, FSU, UNC, UVA, and Miami get absorbed via B1G and SEC...

My rankings:
1 - Colorado - Big 8 member, drivable away games, and a LARGE ISU alumni network
2 - Utah - Lock down the state, travel partner with BYU, Holy War is a conference game, BEAUTIFUL state to visit
3 - Tie ASU/AZ - Easy flights to Tempe, Opens up AZ recruiting even more, TONS of exposure to California

Adding the 4 corners give you access to 17 million people in those states and six figure alumni in the state of California for subscriptions

5 - Duke - Basketball royalty and access to the triangle
6 - NC State - Access to the triangle
7 - Louisville - Drivable, pair nicely with Cincy and WVU

Pass on everyone else

No Pitt or VTech?? No way you would pass on those two over NC State or Louisville.

 

[FeedBreece]

Whatever the case, please have it include the Pac 12 schools that would be left out in the cold: Washington State and Oregon State specifically come to mind, as they seem to be the unwanted brethren of the Pac 12. This would be Iowa State if it were happening to the Big 12 instead of the Pac 12. I wouldn't want to be relegated to the MAC, so out of sympathy for their situation, I wouldn't want them to be either.

For them, at least the MW is a softer landing than the MAC.

 

[Sigmapolis]

My prediction once this shakes out...

IRATE EIGHT
---
Baylor
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
West Virginia

WHEN I NEEDED SOMEONE
---
BYU
Cincinnati
Houston
UCF

FOUR CORNERS RAID OF THE PAC-12
---
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado
Utah

THE ACC MEMBERS THE BIG TEN AND SEC DIDN'T WANT
---
Louisville
Pitt
NC State
Virginia Tech

Everybody else from the old ACC and Pac-12 are shut out in a glorified American/MWC.

"The Big 20" of...

Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
BYU
Cincinnati
Colorado
Houston
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
NC State
Oklahoma State
Pitt
TCU
Texas Tech
UCF
Utah
Virginia Tech
West Virginia

 

[CascadeClone]

No Pitt or VTech?? No way you would pass on those two over NC State or Louisville.

I've been wondering why people are so high on VTech?

They had a good football run for a decade when Poppa Beamer was there, but what else do they bring? BBall has zero history. Brand overall is nothing special. Frankly, very similar to ISU (size, endowment, land-grant) but with a couple more NYD bowl wins.

I don't see how they are better than Syracuse, LVille, NC State...

edit - having said that realizing I had VT slightly above Syracuse in my own ratings lol

 

[CascadeClone]

My prediction once this shakes out...

IRATE EIGHT
---
Baylor
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
West Virginia

WHEN I NEEDED SOMEONE
---
BYU
Cincinnati
Houston
UCF

FOUR CORNERS RAID OF THE PAC-12
---
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado
Utah

THE ACC MEMBERS THE BIG TEN AND SEC DIDN'T WANT
---
Louisville
Pitt
NC State
Virginia Tech

Everybody else from the old ACC and Pac-12 are shut out in a glorified American/MWC.

"The Big 20" of...

Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
BYU
Cincinnati
Colorado
Houston
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
NC State
Oklahoma State
Pitt
TCU
Texas Tech
UCF
Utah
Virginia Tech
West Virginia

Super agree except I think I like Syracuse better than VT. Better basketball by far, new state to get into, bigger brand name.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Super agree except I think I like Syracuse better than VT. Better basketball by far, new state to get into, bigger brand name.

VT football > Syracuse basketball

My list above doesn't otherwise have a team in Virginia.

I'd rather a footprint there than a dying region like upstate New York.

 

[cyfan92]

No Pitt or VTech?? No way you would pass on those two over NC State or Louisville.

I don't recall Pitt football viewership being an ACC ratings drivers. They are in a pro city and pro stadium, Penn State dwarfs their brand and the school is more known for academics.

Va Tech is not the brand they were 10 years ago, significantly out drawn by other schools in the area and is bordering on SEC country where there is no upside for the conference.

Plus both are in a time zone dominated by B1G and SEC schools. We need basketball schools or to go West and gain the late night time zone.

Louisville is the biggest draw in a big town, a basketball power, drivable for a lot of big 12 schools, has a big airport and major industry to finance the program. NC State is the biggest school by enrollment, is located in a non pro sports town, land grant like Iowa state and other big 12 schools plus would come with Duke in my order and give you the Incredible exposure in the triangle and mid Atlantic

 

[qwerty]

I used to be huge Louisville proponent, nobody agreed with me then but it seems we’ve changed, they fit right in geographically which does help the actual athletic departments.

I wanted L'Ville over WVU last time. Still think that was a mistake.

 

[cyfan92]

I wanted L'Ville over WVU last time. Still think that was a mistake.

100x over