Writing a column, would love some input

[Cydole]

I've heard Memphis talked about on 810 WHB in KC.
others:
Arkansas
TCU
Houston
BYU
Tulsa

They may be considering a 14/16 team league also. That may bring in teams like SMU and Rice because of the TX factor. I don't think they should look out west, but who knows.

 

[d4nim4l]

Really? I would think we'd see the Big East or ACC gone before the Pac-10. Maybe the Big 12, but who would absorb all those West coast teams?

ACC will always have their basketball clout to fall back on. I think Big Ten and SEC would definitely remain tall while they both poach ACC/Big East teams. The remaining ones would merge in to the ACC.

Leaving the Pac 10 and Big XII to merge up but that makes little sense with the schools that are physically in between the conferences.

 

[superfan]

As a side question what happened with the SWC when it failed, maybe someone could answer, why did it fail? Any similarities at all to the things that seem to be causing division amongst big 12 members today?

Arkansas left for the SEC. That was the catalyst behind the whole thing. A&M wanted to go, but missed the boat. Texas and A&M were set to join the Big XII by themselves, but some very powerful figures in the Texas legislature demanded that they take Tech and Baylor with them.

There are a LOT of politics involved in this. Texas and A&M will always be a package deal.

 

[CycloneErik]

I would agree with the thoughts about picking off some C-USA teams other than Houston. It would lend to my idea that we would go back to the old Big 8 roots and cut off the Texas schools. Make it more a heartland based conference.

I think I would like that, but where is the TV money if that happened? Seems like that's a major consideration. Outside of Kansas basketball, I don't see anything that would attract people, and that would give the Jayhawks a whole lot of leverage.

 

[brianhos]

The loss of Texas would end the big12, Nebraska and OU would look to move out, and it would disintegrate.

 

[MNCyGuy]

ACC will always have their basketball clout to fall back on. I think Big Ten and SEC would definitely remain tall while they both poach ACC/Big East teams. The remaining ones would merge in to the ACC.

Leaving the Pac 10 and Big XII to merge up but that makes little sense with the schools that are physically in between the conferences.

I guess that's what I meant. I think if 14 to 16 team conferences become a reality, Big East and ACC will effectively merge, and the small private schools and the Big East will become their own basketball conference.

 

[MNCyGuy]

I think I would like that, but where is the TV money if that happened? Seems like that's a major consideration. Outside of Kansas basketball, I don't see anything that would attract people, and that would give the Jayhawks a whole lot of leverage.

If you could keep Nebby and Oklahoma I think you've still got interest. Adding a Memphis would add a whole new market to the East, at least for basketball.

 

[Cyclonepride]

TCU
Utah
Boise

 

[d4nim4l]

I think I would like that, but where is the TV money if that happened? Seems like that's a major consideration. Outside of Kansas basketball, I don't see anything that would attract people, and that would give the Jayhawks a whole lot of leverage.

What a lot of people are overlooking is that there is no TV money if we lose Texas. Go back and look why the SWC failed when they left with A&M. Because those two schools clearly dominated everyone and took all the fan support with it.

Houston and TCU play even worse than second fiddle in their towns. Same goes for Rice. I can tell you right now from having lived in Houston for awhile that the pecking order goes

1. Texas
2. A&M
3. Tech
4. Oklahoma

And then Houston, Rice, etc. If we created a conference out of those schools we would not have the clout we do now. Texas is the Big XII.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

I would agree with the thoughts about picking off some C-USA teams other than Houston. It would lend to my idea that we would go back to the old Big 8 roots and cut off the Texas schools. Make it more a heartland based conference.

I agree. I would also think that if say Texas, Texas A&M, and Mizzou or Nebraska left the Big XII for the Big 10 or something to that effect you could almost bank on schools like Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, and possibly Illinois to look to want to get the hell out of the Big 10. The Big 10 is asking for trouble if they try to bring in too many good teams to make a "super" conference. Teams that have been relatively decent in the Big 10 would be getting crushed on a weakly basis. Could you imagine football programs like Purdue, Indiana, or Northwestern facing a schedule with Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan if they ever restore their program?

 

[jbhtexas]

As others have posted, I think it would benefit the Big 12 to look east for at least one team, and Louisville would be very attractive, given the size of the school, history/prestige, and location.

 

[RhoadsRage]

If we're talking strictly hypothetical.......I wouldn't mind seeing Louisville, TCU, and possibility of Kentucky and/or Tennessee. Maybe Memphis in there too.

 

[every_yard]

What about Air Force?

 

[alarson]

Arkansas left for the SEC. That was the catalyst behind the whole thing. A&M wanted to go, but missed the boat. Texas and A&M were set to join the Big XII by themselves, but some very powerful figures in the Texas legislature demanded that they take Tech and Baylor with them.

There are a LOT of politics involved in this. Texas and A&M will always be a package deal.

Aside from the teams leaving in the way they did, were there any underlying issues? Looks like 2 teams (tamu and UT) dominated that conference, did that create some of the same kind of issues we're seeing in the big 12 now?

 

[alarson]

Id say you can write off any big 10 or SEC team from coming into the big 12 if we lose any. why would they? Theres much more money in it for them where theyre at.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

What about Air Force?

I doubt that a service academy would want any part of joining in a conference with the remaining Big XII schools.

 

[jbhtexas]

Id say you can write off any big 10 or SEC team from coming into the big 12 if we lose any. why would they? Theres much more money in it for them where theyre at.

True, but depending on the teams added, the Big Ten conference could become significantly more top heavy budget-wise. Do you stay and fight a huge disparity with those at the top, or do you take a revenue cut but move to a conference where there is significantly less difference between you and the top?

 

[alarson]

True, but depending on the teams added, the Big Ten conference could become significantly more top heavy budget-wise. Do you stay and fight a huge disparity with those at the top, or do you take a revenue cut but move to a conference where there is significantly less difference between you and the top?

its a decent point, i just doubt itd happen, for the same reason you'd never see ISU just jump to the MAC even though we're vastly outgunned by the top of our conference.

 

[RhoadsRage]

Id say you can write off any big 10 or SEC team from coming into the big 12 if we lose any. why would they? Theres much more money in it for them where theyre at.

Not so sure about the SEC.....although they do have ESPN and CBS TV contracts.

 

[jbhtexas]

its a decent point, i just doubt itd happen, for the same reason you'd never see ISU just jump to the MAC even though we're vastly outgunned by the top of our conference.

Let's say UT/aTm/MU bolted for the Big Ten. That still leaves OU,NU,KU as a pretty good core of schools along with ISU,KSU,TT,OSU,BU,CU. Those schools are still quite a bit more pretigious than the MAC, so a jump to that group from a BCS-6 conference would not be nearly as drastic as a jump from a BCS-6 conference to the MAC (i.e. ISU to MAC).