Big Ten Expansion

[JoeHova]

The Big 12 is staying together, according the twitter feeds of various college football writers. It will be interesting to see what kind of deals were made to make that happen. I'll be especially interested in hearing if there was some sort of loyalty oath that all the schools had to take. If not, I would think that collapse is still imminent, just delayed for a season or 2. I'll also be curious to see how uneven the revenue distribution will be. Regardless of the specifics, it's clear that Texas totally owns the other 9 schools in that conference. That must be a bitter pill for Missouri, especially, to swallow. They were complaining long and loud about how unfair the Big 12 was and it seems likely to have just become even more tilted in Texas's favor.

 

Anyway, if this is true and there is some sort of guarantee binding these universities together for a while, I'll be relieved because it means no Missouri or Kansas State or Iowa State in the Big Ten.

[PeaveyFury]

As soon as I heard the initial reports of them being close to saving the Big 12 today, I really started to wonder if the Pac talk from Texas was all posturing to get Beebe to beg them to stick around and give them whatever they want to make that happen. Now that it is a done deal, I'm very eager to see the final deals that were made, as JoeHova mentioned. I also agree that this may just be a temporary reprieve, as I think Texas will see how things play out over the next couple of years in terms of revenue and what other schools do, and I think Missouri will jump ship to pretty much any other major conference should they get invited.

 

Also, I think there's about zero chance the Pac stays at 11. I'd expect them to offer Utah or the like yet in the coming days if the Big 12 schools are off the table.

 

I think he'll panic because the Pac-10 took the wheel and is now steering this (if Texas goes there). The Pac-10 is threatening the Big Ten's interests, imo.

 

Moot now, but I disagree with this. Delany has been doing this for a long time, and has made all the right moves thus far. Considering that the Pac's TV revenues even with the 5 Big 12 South schools was projected less than the Big Ten's, I think they'd have been fine sticking at 12 unless Texas' move spooked ND into joining up.

[PKBadger]

Anyway, if this is true and there is some sort of guarantee binding these universities together for a while, I'll be relieved because it means no Missouri or Kansas State or Iowa State in the Big Ten.

Joe, I won't belabor this point, but it's surprising to me that you keep bringing up schools like K-State and Iowa State, who would NEVER be considered. The only Big 12 teams that would be invited are Texas, Texas A&M (only if packaged with UT) and maybe Missouri.

Missouri has a snowball's chance in hell, because they fit some of the criteria (AAU school, state flagship, proximity to and rivalry with U of Illinois, STL/KC market). But they would definitely be behind Rutgers, Syracuse, Maryland and Virginia at this point (along with Notre Dame, of course).

[sbrylski]

As soon as I heard the initial reports of them being close to saving the Big 12 today, I really started to wonder if the Pac talk from Texas was all posturing to get Beebe to beg them to stick around and give them whatever they want to make that happen.

 

Do I get points for thinking that all along? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Well, I thought Texas' ultimate goal was to shed the political connections with the other schools that would allow them to join the Big 10 solo. But I did think it was posturing of some type, I just didn't see the Pac 10 move as making sense.

[PeaveyFury]

Interesting that now that most of the dust have settled (pending again what I believe will be a 12th team added to the Pac), the winner of all of this ends up being the Big Ten. The Pac gets another team, but not a world-beater, and gets shunned by the rest of the Big 12 South. The Big 12 loses two teams and sells itself even further to the Longhorns but lives to fight another day. In the end, the Big Ten gets it's 12th team, championship game, and a great fit of an institution.

 

Oddly enough, the biggest loser in all of this might well be Boise State, who might have received an invite now from the Pac to be their 12th team if they had waited a week to switch conferences. Well, they may be the biggest loser aside from maybe Missouri, who feels like a kid that was stood up on prom night in all of this.

[sbrylski]

The TV deal that saved (for now) the Big 12:

 

According to sources, Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M will be guaranteed $20 million per year, while the seven remaining schools will collect between $14 million and $17 million in TV revenue in combined deals with ABC/ESPN and Fox.

 

Both networks stepped forward and averted what could have been complete chaos in college realignment by putting forth a combined package that will push the Big 12 from a $78 million take in annual TV revenue to just less than $200 million, sources say.

 

And while this deal will be remembered for holding rivals like Texas, Texas A&M and OU together. It will also be remembered for two TV networks stepping up and paying a premium dollar to ward off expansion - probably for at least another 15 years.

 

Both networks, but especially ESPN, faced having freshly minted contracts in other leagues (ACC and SEC) torn up if those leagues came apart or began adding significant teams.

 

Source

 

That article also says they will not be changing the name of the conference. Odd. Does that indicate that they recognize the Big 12 is even more unstable now, and might not last long enough to make changing the name worthwhile? Or would that be reading into it too much?

[NeedMoreFans]

I agree the biggest winner is the Big 10. Biggest loser...tie between the Pac-10 and Boise St. The Pac-10 doesn't get enough teams to get a championship game and doesn't land the big fish. If Boise would have waited, they may have been the 12 Pac-10 team. Instead, they join the Mountain West.

[craigharmann]

I would throw the Big 12ish in as losers too. The conference is weakened in losing Nebraska and Missouri. And do they stay with 10, or invite 2 more? I've heard a few people talk about inviting Arkansas and TCU or Houston. I doubt it will happen. And who is to say this doesn't come up again in another 2 or 3 years? The conference is hanging by a very thin thread, in my estimation.

[gobrew23]

I would throw the Big 12ish in as losers too. The conference is weakened in losing Nebraska and Missouri Colorado. And do they stay with 10, or invite 2 more? I've heard a few people talk about inviting Arkansas and TCU or Houston. I doubt it will happen. And who is to say this doesn't come up again in another 2 or 3 years? The conference is hanging by a very thin thread, in my estimation.

I completely agree that TCU would be a great fit. I have a feeling they'll stay with 10 for now though.

 

I'm kind of surprised after all the hype about the super conferences that this was all the movement that ended up happening.

 

 

[MJLiverock]

I don't think the Pac 10 was going to add Boise St., other than very recent and somewhat limited football success they don't really bring much else to the Pac 10. The Pac 10 wanted CU for the Denver market, I would guess they look at Utah for a 12th member, as good as Boise for football, better basketball, not sure on baseball and women's sports.

 

What happened to the talk of BYU and Air Force to the Big 12? Was it just random rumors or any truth to that one? TCU would make a good fit for the Big 12 as well.

[T B0NE 10]

Why couldn't Boise St just bolt the Mountain West and go to the Pac-10 if asked?

 

Big 12 is the biggest loser IMO. They lost an outstanding football program in Nebraska and a solid school in Colorado. They can't even have a championship game anymore. That league is on its last breath. Nebraska and Colorado didn't want to stay because Texas was favored too much and now its even going to be worse.

[T B0NE 10]

Why doesn't TCU, SMU, and Houston just team up with Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A &M and create a Texas Superconference? Haha

[valpocrewsader]

Why doesn't TCU, SMU, and Houston just team up with Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A &M and create a Texas Superconference? Haha

Don't forget Baylor and Rice!

 

I think it's hilarious that we could very easily end up with ten teams in the Big 12 and 12 teams in the Big Ten.

 

 

[zurch1818]

So the Big 10 has 12 teams in it and the Big 12 has 10 teams in it? Something doesn't seem right.

[Fatter than Joey]

Why doesn't TCU, SMU, and Houston just team up with Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A &M and create a Texas Superconference? Haha

 

Baylor+Rice and then you have the old SWC

[PeaveyFury]

That article also says they will not be changing the name of the conference. Odd. Does that indicate that they recognize the Big 12 is even more unstable now, and might not last long enough to make changing the name worthwhile? Or would that be reading into it too much?

 

The Big 12 will almost surely be adding two more teams in the coming year or two, getting them back to 12. They've got to have 12 to re-instate their championship game which they'll need in order to meet all of those promises they made as far as revenue payouts.

[craigharmann]

They've got to have 12 to re-instate their championship game which they'll need in order to meet all of those promises they made as far as revenue payouts.

From what I've heard they aren't having a conference championship which is what Texas and Oklahoma wanted.

[endaround]

Does the Pac 10 go after UNLV? Yeah its not a great program but it brings in another major city without having to deal with Utah.

[nate82]

My biggest question is who wears red and who wears white in home and away games for Wisconsin vs Nebraska. Very big decision there.

[berniebrewer4life]

Does the Pac 10 go after UNLV? Yeah its not a great program but it brings in another major city without having to deal with Utah.

Sources say Utah will get an invite shortly.

[igor67]

Is there a possible BCS angle from the TV stations to getting Utah and/or Boise St. into a major conference to qwell there budding insurrection of the status quo?

[NeedMoreFans]

The Pac-10 just added Utah, which weakens the Mountain West. Not a bad move on either side's part.

[PeaveyFury]

Oddly, the Utes will start Pac-12 play next year, while Colorado is going to start in 2012. You'd think you'd want to make those additions at the same time, but apparently not.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

I wonder if the Mountain West might try and grab someone else now that Utah has left. MWC > WAC for sure, but replacing Utah with Boise is a probably a draw at best for the MWC... That said, i'm not sure who the MWC could add that is not in a BCS conference to get them over the top

[dadofandrew]

With Texas looking around and a couple Big East teams looking to join the ACC, this deserves a bump.

 

Figuring only TV market size, I'd try and add Texas, Missouri, Rutgers/Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Not sure who my next choice is if ND is still thinking they are somehow better than everyone else, I might look toward Maryland and Georgia/Georgia Tech (one was mentioned earlier) to bring in Baltimore, DC, and Atlanta, not sure if I'd leave out the NY schools or Mizzou.