Big 12 Expansion Project

[J.B. TexasEx]

Structure http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-structure/

...the SEC was extremely excited to welcome Texas A&M into the fold, but much less excited about Missouri.  While you never state it that way in media reports, the decision to add Missouri was a “Meh†one, to quote my SEC source.  In a perfect world the SEC would have stayed at 13, but the scheduling was so convoluted and confusing that they knew they were going to have to get to even numbers again at some point in the future.  Since there were viable teams currently asking for membership the decision was made to move to fourteen faster than needed to fix a future issue.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

The SEC will never give up its identity. If there is a realignment, there will be an SEC on the other side of it. It's become that entrenched. Thank you ESPN.

At some point, all schools that are not SEC might consider coordinating with some sort of answer to ESPN. The best football is not always played in the SEC, but you'll never know that unless someone else will say so. Try as FoxSports does, they're just not what ESPN is. But how long with non-SEC schools sit around and watch the love affair and do nothing?

The recent media days coverage, ESPN tripled the SEC's coverage over other conference media days. My iPhone ESPN app is all SEC all the time.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

When comparing university athletic departments, few demarcation points are as cut and dry as the financial support that they receive.  It is also one of the most important.  In the past, both Air Force and New Mexico have shied away from conversations of moving to the Power Five because they just didn’t have the resources to compete and while others made the jump to boost their revenues

Financial Support http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-financial-support/

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Well, you can't say Cougar High ain't tryin'! 

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/09/03/quest-top-tier-u-houston-spends-big-athletics/

 

[The Bry-Man81]

Heard someone say that if Big XII expands, it might also be worth looking at UH and/or Boise St. Boise St is a top 25 team, has some national recognition for having been a top mid major team, and I think it makes sense geographically. Just thought it was interesting

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Brand & Culture, pt 2 – The Numbers 

"The Big 12 does not need more small schools with low brands, since they already have Baylor and TCU.  Adding more of them would decrease the Big 12’s position and align them closer to the ACC than the Pac 12.  The question becomes, are there any teams out there who fit within and bring value to the branding and culture of the Big 12."

http://big12fanatics.com/expansion-project-brand-culture-pt-2-numbers/#

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

When the Mountaineers were invited into the Big 12 to replace Missouri, it set the direction of the Big 12 with a giant compass needle pointing east.  And this makes a lot of sense.  Nearly sixty percent of the U.S. population lives east of the Mississippi river.  And, of the states west of the Mississippi, the Big 12 already has a firm grasp on 30-40% of that population.

http://big12fanatics.com/the-expansion-project-location-pt-2/

Imagine, if you will, a Big16 that potentially includes Arkansas, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, and LSU. Far-fetched pipe dream, you say? Perhaps, but the SECn revenues aren't gonna approach the bloated projections of Clay Travis and his ilk. I guess we'll see what the long-term forecast is for conference networks are after the B1G renegotiates their TV contracts next year. Never say never.

 

[doc longhorn]

Once again everyone looks at expansion and realignment through the prism of football.

The Title IX programs say nay nay.

Mens Basketball, track, golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, swimming and Quidditch say nay nay as well.

Uh, oh - did we forget these?  Gulp!

 

[doc longhorn]

Once again everyone looks at expansion and realignment through the prism of football.

The Title IX programs say nay nay.

Mens Basketball, track, golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, swimming and Quidditch say nay nay as well.

Uh, oh - did we forget these?  Gulp!

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Once again everyone looks at expansion and realignment through the prism of football.

The Title IX programs say nay nay.

Mens Basketball, track, golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, swimming and Quidditch say nay nay as well.

Uh, oh - did we forget these?  Gulp!

Football has been, is, and will continue to be the main impetus behind any future realignments.

Why do "Title IX programs say nay nay?"  That doesn't even make sense. None of the non-revenue sports will factor into the equation unless their travel budgets make a move cost-prohibitive. Seemed to work out for WVU to the Big12, didn't it?

 

[Embrey]

I wonder if the 'granting of rights' deals could be circumvented if we traded one team for another? For example, West Virginia for Louisville.

Personally, I like having WV in our conference but I believe we have to expand in their direction. Cincinnati and Memphis maybe. I know that many believe these schools are 'below' the Big 12 standard but I think those programs would quickly grow into the conference.

For Good measure, I would like to add UH and either Iowa or Nebraska (gasp) as well.

Big XIV

North:

WV

KU

KSU

ISU

Cincinnati

Memphis

Iowa/Nebraska

South

Texas

Tech

Baylor

TCU

UH

OU

OSU

Six games versus the South division and a rolling home/away schedule versus the North.

 

[dillohorn]

Nebraska will never join a conference that UT is in.

 

[Embrey]

Nebraska will never join a conference that UT is in.

I believe it is the LHN and not UT that hinders Big XII expansion. They are not the same thing. Nebraska would die to regain their pipeline to Texas high school recruiting and to be able to play in a conference that allowed the recruits families to see their kids play.

Either UT goes independent, which I think is what will happen, or they go to ESPN and work the deal out so that the Big XII Network can happen (including Texas). It might not be what Longhorns want to do but they are going to have to if they want to be in a conference. A contract does not have to be binding if all parties involved (UT & ESPN) agree to change the terms or dissolve it altogether.

ATM allowed the SEC into Texas in general and Houston specifically. TCU's membership gave the kids in the Metroplex a viable option (other than UT and Oklahoma) to stay in their area and play. Texas can adapt or get used to having their available talent pool diluted. Can Texas get into the playoff in the current scenario? Yes. Can they monopolize the talent as they once did? No.

The question is: Is Texas a progressive or conservative institution (not talking national politics). Are they proactive or reactionary?

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I believe it is the LHN and not UT that hinders Big XII expansion. They are not the same thing. Nebraska would die to regain their pipeline to Texas high school recruiting and to be able to play in a conference that allowed the recruits families to see their kids play.

Either UT goes independent, which I think is what will happen, or they go to ESPN and work the deal out so that the Big XII Network can happen (including Texas). It might not be what Longhorns want to do but they are going to have to if they want to be in a conference. A contract does not have to be binding if all parties involved (UT & ESPN) agree to change the terms or dissolve it altogether.

ATM allowed the SEC into Texas in general and Houston specifically. TCU's membership gave the kids in the Metroplex a viable option (other than UT and Oklahoma) to stay in their area and play. Texas can adapt or get used to having their available talent pool diluted. Can Texas get into the playoff in the current scenario? Yes. Can they monopolize the talent as they once did? No.

The question is: Is Texas a progressive or conservative institution (not talking national politics). Are they proactive or reactionary?

I doubt you're going to see ESPN make another major investment in a conference network.

The SECn launch, while successful, hasn't and won't deliver the revenue or profitability that was originally projected. Clay Travis and his ilk were wrong. Cord-cutting is here to stay, so the "channel bundling" cable providers depend on to make SECn and LHN work will soon be passe'. The B1G's upcoming TV contract negotiations will be telling.

"aTm allowed the SEC into TX" - that's BS. The SEC and everyone else has been recruiting TX for years. Sure aggy gives them even more exposure, but it's not a new phenomenon. Agree that TCU in the Big12 has hurt OU in DFW - and UT to a lesser degree. It's a big reason why OU is lobbying hard for the addition of UH - they desperately need games in TX for recruiting.

UT was proactive and visionary locking ESPN into a 15-year deal, $300MM before the cord-cutting really started happening. Yet another burnt orange feather in our cap!  \m/

 

[jonofui]

*bump*

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Will NCAA vote force Big 12 to expand for conference title game?

 

[Juan]

"Big 12 'likely' to be able to have championship game without expanding, per source"

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/11/10749534/big-12-expansion-byu-cincinnati-houston-deregulation-proposals

"...... Sunday night, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the Dallas Morning News that he did not expect his total deregulation proposal to pass, which would mean the Big 12 seeking a compromise. That compromise might be taking shape.

A high-ranking official at a voting conference told SB Nation it is "likely" that the Big Ten proposal will be amended to allow for a conference with round-robin scheduling to hold a football championship of its own, so long as that conference's top two seeds compete in the game. That appears similar to what Dallas Morning News reporter Chuck Carlton floated last night as well.

This could be bad news for fans of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and others......"

 

[Juan]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[Godz40acres]

As suggested by a sports writer several months ago, the highest rated team should get home field for the playoff game.

Imagaine UT at DKR against ou.

It. Would. Be. Epic!