Big 12 in 2016

[FBBBUCfan]

Without getting too deep into politics, I think you might be underestimating the level of graft in Texas. I'm either more aware of it because I'm older or it's truly a different ballgame down here. There's a lot more than backscratching going on down here. Both states have political appointees as Board members so that's pretty even.

Just to tie this back into expansion, Texas Tech could reasonably stand to lose a significant amount of state funding by ticking off the wrong people in the legislature. The board of Regents of both Tech and UT are made of of a combination of business leaders, lawyers and political operatives much like the ones in Ohio. The difference maybe in that there has been no Democratic Governor here in Texas since Ann Richards in 1990. So all the political operatives on both boards are Republicans from W., Rick Perry and Greg Abbott's administrations. Nothing wrong with that but it means that both boards of Tech and Texas lean almost completely conservative and as such are going to be resistant to change the status quo in general, not just in football. Nobody likes to to have the money train's schedule interrupted.

Thanks Lobot and blackattack for the explanation. I just find it incredible. But based on this background I see it, especially knowing this nugget from the beloved state of Ohio:

[Lobot]

Dallas paper on Boren's change of tone during last night's presser.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/coll...ition-strength

[Lobot]

BTW. A golf clap for the Enquirer. They actually sent Jason Williams to the Big 12 meetings. I don't think they would have done that in the past. Heck, they barely sent people to UC pressers.

[RedDog]

These guys are delusional !! Their posturing has almost gotten comical if it weren't so sad. Tell me again why we seek alignment with such a dysfunctional group that would be determined to keep us second echelon in their little club.......oh yea...$$$$$....we hope. Be careful what you wish for!!!

[Lobot]

Bowlsby announces a CCG game for the 2017 season and that they will reconvene on expansion later in the summer.

[Lobot]

I'm going to make an attempt to summarize the press conference today. Big 12 network is dead. Marketplace will not support it and the model is changing rapidly. Big 12 CCG is happening in 2017 on FOX, site TBA. Will alternate years with ESPN. Conference will split into two 5 team divisions and they will discuss taking the top 2 rather than division champions because of deregulation by NCAA. Big 12 expansion discussion was essentially continued while the schools continue to go over data from Navigate Research. Expect more in July.

The conference payout to schools places the Big 12 financially behind the B1G and SEC but ahead of the ACC and PAC 12.

[richard k.]

[QUOTE=Lobot;n35052The conference payout to schools places the Big 12 financially behind the B1G and SEC but ahead of the ACC and PAC 12.[/QUOTE]

With the conference population footprint the way it is, I wonder how long even that edge over the ACC and PAC 12 continues? Outside the state of Texas there isn't much and, for example, California may have a larger population base then the entire BIG 12, even without Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Colorado. I wouldn't be surprised to see the ACC pass them as well.

And what are they doing for a championship game - they are dividing in to 2 5 team divisions, BUT, I SUSPECT, they will still have a complete round robin of everyone playing everyone else, and then they will"decide" which 2 teams get to play in the championship game not necessarily, as I understand it, the 2 division winners. So what is the point? Can they get anything right? And this is our one chance to get into a P5, wow!

[Lobot]

For your amusement, Big 12 article translated from Chinese news source. Thanks to @Expansion_Crush for this :

http://sports.truebreakingnews.com/2...by-increasing/

[Lobot]

Kirk Bohls with the meeting summary from last night:

http://www.hookem.com/columns/bohls-big-12/

[FBBBUCfan]

This made me a tad nervous... The criteria for the expansion candidates may have changed overnight. Less important might be new television markets. More valuable could be the fortunes of a candidate’s football and basketball programs, improving academics and proximity with less travel expenses.
Hello, Houston. Bad time for Paxton Lynch to leave Memphis. Cincinnati, whatcha got? Expansion may be more about selling tickets when these teams come to Big 12 stadiums than what their ranking as a national TV market. As Boren put it, "€œOur fans don't want to see us play lesser or mediocre teams."

TBH I do not see UC as either lesser or a mediocre team. Why? I am waiting to see how Coach Tuberville & Co retooled and how they do with the majority of the players that have been recruited and coached by this staff. CTT has had to endure two players' deaths, injuries galore, and other things he's not been able to control. Let's hope for better fortunes this coming season.[/I]

[coach]

That's an interesting take when the big 12 has often been criticized for their out of conference scheduling which seems to draw plenty of fans.

[Lobot]

Can't imagine that Texas would ever let Houston in the conference as long they themselves stay put. I've talked to several connected folks down here that have told me that Texas and TCU will never vote for Houston. Only takes one more no vote (Texas Tech or Baylor) to keep them out. As far as the rest of the demographics go I think academically we're fine. I think the general trend of the revenue sports is very good despite a slight down trend recently in football. We might be bad the first few years but we're definitely not Iowa St or even Kansas in football at this point. We're not a far away as WVU and frankly WVU is harder to get to than Cincinnati travel wise. They don't have a major airport which is a huge complaint for the other schools traveling there.

In hindsight I think the Big 12 obviously would have been better off with Louisville and not WVU from a travel standpoint.

[bobestes]

There is a tiny chance that the same thing that happened to Louisville happens to UC; miss out on big 12 only to get an invite to the ACC when they go to 16. Maybe.

[RedDog]

I don't know what your smoking but I could use some!! I don't think that is a remote possibility but I appreciate your optimism.

[richard k.]

I don't know what your smoking but I could use some!! I don't think that is a remote possibility but I appreciate your optimism.

I agree with you, but for now that would be the best of all possible worlds.