Uh-Oh, Could Big12 be expanding!?

[98bearcat]

Ya, that pretty much discredited the whole article for me when he threw Marshall in there?? Really, I guess they are going for the WV rival angel there but I have never ready anything that suggested WV was asking for Marshall to be added as their new foe and travel mate.

[bearcatbret]

[longtimefan]

At least somebody at ESPN is speculating, and since they call the shots, who knows?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...yoff-committee

[longtimefan]

Right now, the Big 12 is in danger of not getting in the playoff. UC makes sense as an addition because:

1. Adding UC and somebody would enable a championship game giving the winner an extra really good win and increase chances of getting into the playoff.

2. Playing UC will not hurt anybody's strength of schedule, as we are certainly better than the bottom of the Big 12. With the additional revenue from the Big 12 and the new stadium improvements, we are a program with a very big upside.

3. While basketball is not always high on anybody's list for expansion, we would add the prestige of six final fours, two national championships, and a program that has been very solid in this century even considering the down years after the coaching change. Adding UCONN as well could allow the Big 12 to match or even surpass the ACC in basketball power.

4. We would be adding a large TV market (not Texas size but bigger than most of the league) and a foothold into Ohio for recruiting purposes. Ohio is not the top football recruit state but is certainly among the top states for football talent.

I understand that there are possible developments that would change things. For example, with autonomy the Big 12 could be allowed to play a championship game with only ten teams. However I have heard at least some speculation that the other big conferences may not go along with that simply because it gives the Big 12 somewhat of an advantage over the others. Our reputation nationally is not as strong as it should be, which is because UC has never done a good job of selling itself nationally or even locally.

Anyway, UC makes sense for the big 12 athletically, academically, and as a top large research university. We would add a lot to any league, but we really need to get out there and sell our story.

[longtimefan]

See below, going on ten years of outstanding football. We need to keep promoting ourselves and get somebody to take notice!

Greg Harrell retweeted
Forever Bearcats @ForeverBearcats Nov 15
No joke: #Bearcats FB (@Bearcats_FB) is now 80-33 since 06. 43-19 in conference play. We need to be in PBS to salute our Seniors on 12/6.

[uclaw89]

Here's a guy that says this terrible season is getting us out of the Big 12 conversation. I'm not sure how much one bad season can hurt, but we really need to straighten this out and get to a bowl game.

http://www.bcsnn.com/aac/777-cincinn...cu-s-rise.html

This must be why UC is kicking ECU's butt right now.

[uclaw89]

I think it's funny that the commissioner is trying to get a GOR in place for the AAC... if UC signs on to anything like that, that would be stupid. It's one thing to have a GOR when there's big money involved (like the P5 conferences are making), but when we're getting a small percentage of the schools in those P5 conferences, it's ridiculous to try to get a school to sign on for such a relatively small money conference. It's like the AAC commish sees what the P5 conferences are doing and just keeps mimicking them, not understanding why they are doing what they are doing. The AAC is NOT a P5 conference, as much as he tries to make it seem like it

Agree nothing could be stupider than signing a GOR with AAC.

[cmm27]

Nothing new far add information is concerned except the Big 12 said no to BYU in regards to the article. I would also think that the Big 12 has a tighter timeline for expansion than the one given. Buy what does anybody know?

[longtimefan]

Update from Frank the Tank. Good read.



http://frankthetank.me/

[Bearcats1232002]

Here we go again....

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sport...t-adds-schools

I can't see East Carolina getting into a power conference before Uconn. Granted Uconn's football program isn't much but their basketball program is top 5 in the country. I can't see them in Conference USA and USF, UCF and East Carolina moving ahead of them. I know it is about tv markets and recruiting but I don't see East Carolina bringing much of either so I could see them swapped for Uconn.

[True Bearcat]

Here we go again....

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sport...t-adds-schools

[RedDog]

I think that's exactly what he is saying. There will be no major conference mergers and probably no major conference individual raids until we get closer to new TV contracts. There is no point in paying todays exit fees until those funds are guaranteed to be recouped. What we might see is secondary conference moves to P5's, which is exactly OUR opportunity. P5's are more concerned with TV markets and exposure than they are the quality of the athletic departments of those universities. Ideally they can get both but its not the driving force.

[bearcatbret]

I am not quite sure what
"The only movement that is possible right now is from some of the secondary-level conferences that might move people into one of the five high profiles."
means. Of course the only movement right now is going to be universities from the non p5 going to the p5. I do not see much raiding right now of the current p5 conferences. Of course the Big12 or any other p5 conference that wants to expand wants to add a Florida State or Miami or Clemson or some other major program but I do not see the raiding happening right now. Even the BIG's last move, they went after bottom dwellers just for the TV markets.

[longtimefan]

http://csnbbs.com/thread-710187.html

[98bearcat]

sorry - i broke rule #1 of the internet: 'no sarcasm on the internet'

all facetiousness - there's obviously (at least i thought it was obvious) no connection between fsnOH programming and getting into a conference.

...or is there???

No the rule you forgot is if your using sarcasm you must put a smiley face after your comment.. than it makes anything you stated prior to the smily all a bunch of bull ****!! see !!