Big 12 in 2016

[red_n_black_attack]

Everything that I have found through Google makes it sound that the talking heads at ESPN do not want UC. That scares me because ESPN money will do the talking.

The Big 12 is not listening to the talking heads on ESPN. If anything, they will do all in their power to show ESPN they are a top two conference along with the SEC and deserve to be paid as well. The B!G is top heavy, but are pulled down by the bottom dwellers (IU, Purdue, Minnesota, RU, Maryland, NW, Illinois). The B!G is three top schools and one of the best commissioners in the sport.

On another note, I keep hearing the landscape is changing relative to conference networks, yet the B!G keeps raking in money with their new deal. I wish there was a way to deselect the B!G channel from my DirectTV package and keep CSBSports (for AAC games) and NBCSports (for Le Tour). Unfortunately the sports packages I see include them all lumped together along with the SEC. Is this any different with Time Warner or Dish? I'd really like to cut the B!G Network from my programming and still access my teams...

[Lobot]

Well looks like that announcement will be a total surprise or expansion's dead per the OU AD in this article.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/oklahoma-ad-says-big-12-expansion-is-dead-for-the-time-being/

[bobestes]

Well, that settles it. Texas to Big Ten, Oklahoma to SEC in the next round of expansion. Oklahoma gave it the college try.

[Bearcats1232002]

Well, that settles it. Texas to Big Ten, Oklahoma to SEC in the next round of expansion. Oklahoma gave it the college try.

I don't think the Big Ten takes Texas unless they give up the longhorn network. I could see Oklahoma going to the big ten along with maybe Kansas.

[bearcatbret]

I have seen some sites saying Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12. I have also seen where Big12 will wait until the other conference agreements expire and then they will raid them. But if TX goes anywhere, they may think about the PAC12. I did find it interesting that Iowa State radio had Bowlsby on saying July 19th and then Central Florida, BYU, and others picked up with the story and ran it but not our enquirer. The final thing is Oklahoma saying expansion is not going to happen now because none " of those schools" are good enough.

[longtimefan]

I have seen some sites saying Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12. I have also seen where Big12 will wait until the other conference agreements expire and then they will raid them. But if TX goes anywhere, they may think about the PAC12. I did find it interesting that Iowa State radio had Bowlsby on saying July 19th and then Central Florida, BYU, and others picked up with the story and ran it but not our enquirer. The final thing is Oklahoma saying expansion is not going to happen now because none " of those schools" are good enough.

The Big 12 is not going to raid any other P5 conference, despite the wishful and unrealistic dreams of doing so. The Big 12 is currently number 5 of 5 and if the shift to four conferences ever comes to fruition they will definitely be the one on the way out. Let's say that UC got invites tomorrow from both the ACC and the Big 12, which would anybody prefer? We'd choose the ACC in a nanosecond and say Big Who?

[longtimefan]

It may not be over yet.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2016/07/06/carlton-bowlsby-wants-abig-12-expansion-decisionnow-board-directors-media-days

[RedDog]

It amazes me how you guys that are Big 12 proponents just torture yourselves with hopes of inclusion. It is fairly clear to me that they don't want UC. One of two things might happen: they expand and we are not invited, or we get invited to a new and watered down version after some of the blue bloods depart. I don't see any scenario that includes us in the current roster of Big 12 schools. If they had ANY interest in that, it would have happened a long time ago. Additionally, drooling over the ACC is even more remote of a possibility. Not gonna happen! We need to take off the blinders, take an objective look at the landscape and fairly (not emotionally) self evaluate our appeal to ANY P5 conference. I see it eventually going to 4 expended P5 leagues, having their own Final 4 tournament for the National Championship, and UC being one of the best teams in some division just below the Power 5. We would then have to make the financial decision as to what level of football we wanted to support. I don't mean to be a party pooper but if we were as appealing as we would like to think we are, we wouldn't be in this position of constantly trying to sell ourselves and defend our worthiness. We are option 3 or 4 and they will do everything within their power to exhaust what they perceive as preferred options before they knock on our door. The sooner we face reality and move on proactively with some plan of our own, the better.

[blackattack]

I agree with you RedDog.........even though I may quibble over some of the reasons why we haven't been invited to the P5.
UC's athletic program is every bit as strong (esp in football) as many other P5 programs (BC, Wake, Texas Tech, NC State, Vandy, Kansas, Iowa State, Oregon State, Syracuse, Pitt, etc come to mind). Primarily money and also politics have a lot to do with us being on the outside looking in. The UC Administration is going to have some tough decisions to make going forward especially given the amount of debt we have accumulated to improve our facilities.

[coach]

I still continue to believe the most important issue with UC and other higher profile g5 schools(Boise, SD ST. ect.) is to forge some sort of alliance in football and basketball which are the two main revenue and fan interest sports. When you are dealing with the economic disadvantages the g5 schools have, the better product you can put together competition wise is your best bet to enhance all of your situations collectively.

[bearcatbret]

I am not sure if this appies at all, but I see the comparisons between the 10 or schools competing for the lucrative P5 shouting how they are competitive and state their national or near national titles in a sport or what ever as a team. However, we have had the national and world champions in dance (or cheer) and we have several olympians. How do our non-recognized sports, individual's stack up against schools? I know that is not important to the Power 5 conferences but is a school boasts about winning woman's rowing (just an example) should we not also boast that our women dance squad won nationals say 2 years in a row. Or we have athletes over the past decade qualify for the olympics, etc.

[Greg7173]

As much as it pains me, I agree with RedDog. I think the Big 12 will not expand and will implode and it is anybody's guess where the members might land. Two things need to happen:

1. We need to become the class of the AAC in both Football and Basketball. The football team has underperformed in each of the last three years under TT with this last year being a total abomination. Mick has done OK but he needs to kick it up a notch. One and done just isn't quite good enough.

2. The AAC needs to upgrade it's bowls so that more of the teams get into better bowls. For instance I think that the CEO of FedEx needs to exert some pressure on the Liberty Bowl to add it to our bowl list. I would place the Liberty Bowl only second to the Sugar Bowl in bowls that we have been to in the recent past and going there would definitely take the sting out of being left out of New Year's Day bowls.

With just those two, we could live with being in the Group of 5, right???? And maybe, just maybe we might wrangle an invite somewhere else.

[blackattack]

I still continue to believe the most important issue with UC and other higher profile g5 schools(Boise, SD ST. ect.) is to forge some sort of alliance in football and basketball which are the two main revenue and fan interest sports. When you are dealing with the economic disadvantages the g5 schools have, the better product you can put together competition wise is your best bet to enhance all of your situations collectively.

I really think this is the key for us going forward. Some sort of "best of the rest" alliance. Don't know how viable it is financially but it's our only shot. We can't get into the B1G (O$U will block) or the SEC (UK would block) and the Big 12 is probably done when their GOR expires in 2024. That leaves the ACC and who knows but I doubt it.

[red_n_black_attack]

I really think this is the key for us going forward. Some sort of "best of the rest" alliance. Don't know how viable it is financially but it's our only shot. We can't get into the B1G (O$U will block) or the SEC (UK would block) and the Big 12 is probably done when their GOR expires in 2024. That leaves the ACC and who knows but I doubt it.

There are buyouts to get out of the AAC. Would forming a new conference pay enough to get us out of the AAC? Long term, I think like Red Dog there will be 64 schools in the top tier super four conferences. If UC could get into the ACC or Big 12 before that happens, I like our chances of being one of the 64 to survive, though it's less likely since we have less history. Once the Super Four form, there won't be an NCAA football or Basketball champ that matters, the only thing that'll matter is the Super Four..


While slim and not the best option for UC, I'm going to hold out a little hope for Big 12 expansion including UC until they either expand without UC or fold.

[coach]

I do not see a buyout situation in the alliance that i would envision. This isn't a new conference as much as it is a scheduling alliance that puts the top tier g5 teams in regular competition each other. Your goal is to create a somewhat best of the g5 scenario each year to enhance both fan and media interest, and to do your best to create a p6.