The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Uncle Ted]

Geography not a concern:



Football only not likely:



http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/coll...urrent-members

Cool... Add BYU, Florida St, and two PAC teams: UCLA, USC, Arizona, ASU, etc. Call it a day.

[Moliere]

Bob Bowlsby was on Mike & Mike this morning. Biggest take away is that he said geographic footprint is not a concern and that they would look more at electronic footprint. Hopefully Tom & Co. has already let them know that BYU is the only college football team with its own international tv station. That's right baby, all those BYU fans in Tokyo are going to help put this thing together

[myboynoah]

Bob Bowlsby was on Mike & Mike this morning. Biggest take away is that he said geographic footprint is not a concern and that they would look more at electronic footprint. Hopefully Tom & Co. has already let them know that BYU is the only college football team with its own international tv station. That's right baby, all those BYU fans in Tokyo are going to help put this thing together

The sun never sets on our empire.

Edit: That comment on geographic footprint not being a concern can only apply to BYU and who else? UCONN? Or is he out there fishing?

[Moliere]

The sun never sets on our empire.

Edit: That comment on geographic footprint not being a concern can only apply to BYU and who else? UCONN? Or is he out there fishing?

Probably both but it's also him just stating the obvious in that they truly want strong candidates and won't just pick up SMU or UH because you can get there by bus from Austin. Travel costs are not what they used to be given that teams are making $30mm/year and a 3 hour flight as opposed to a 2 hour flight isn't that big of a difference.

I really do wish that when they pick up BYU they also include CSU. It's probably a long shot, but it would be good to have a travel partner and it would connect Utah to Kansas by way of Colorado. Plus, we know CSU very well and they have had a decent football program for years and their basketball program doesn't stink.

[smokymountainrain]

Bob Bowlsby was on Mike & Mike this morning. Biggest take away is that he said geographic footprint is not a concern and that they would look more at electronic footprint. Hopefully Tom & Co. has already let them know that BYU is the only college football team with its own international tv station. That's right baby, all those BYU fans in Tokyo are going to help put this thing together

that was a frustrating part of the interview. Greenberg asks the expansion question and a nanosecond after Bowlsby finishes his answer, Buster is already on to Baylor.

[BigFatMeanie]

I honestly don't understand the whole "travel partner" thing and why schools think it adds any value. You don't actually travel with the partner school. You don't stay in the same hotel as the partner school. Unless the road-games are so close together (e.g. BYU and Utah) that you can stay in the same hotel across two different games then it really doesn't mean anything because you still have to fly from, say, Ft. Collins to Provo or from, say, San Diego to Provo.

Can someone provide actual hard numbers about the benefits a "travel partner" provides?

[old_gregg]

I honestly don't understand the whole "travel partner" thing and why schools think it adds any value. You don't actually travel with the partner school. You don't stay in the same hotel as the partner school. Unless the road-games are so close together (e.g. BYU and Utah) that you can stay in the same hotel across two different games then it really don't mean anything because you still have to fly from, say, Ft. Collins to Provo or from, say, San Diego to Provo.

Can someone provide actual hard numbers about the benefits a "travel partner" provides?

it makes no sense. neither does any of the tv market analysis that's going on. just because a team is in a market doesn't mean much.

[Uncle Ted]

I really do wish that when they pick up BYU they also include CSU. It's probably a long shot, but it would be good to have a travel partner and it would connect Utah to Kansas by way of Colorado. Plus, we know CSU very well and they have had a decent football program for years and their basketball program doesn't stink.

The barking carnival's take on CSU:

Colorado State


Boise State but with bad football (52-73 over last 10). Fort Collins is pretty. You can eat hashish brownies at your tailgate. If we’re going to make horrific decisions, do it somewhere nice?

http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2016/...ion-candidates

They have nice things to say about BYU as well...

BYU


The Cougars represent the best expansion option by a mile. They’re actually a solid 7. Frankly, they offer more than half of the current Big 12 members. A legitimate national fanbase and legitimately expansive television market, good athletic teams in revenue sports, a big-time football environment (stadium capacity would be 3rd in the league), and prolonged athletic success (football is 93-37 over last ten years, hoops consistently competitive) that has been coaching agnostic. As a value add, it’s an enjoyable road trip (at least if you favor the great outdoors over tailgating).


The main objections will be centered around their refusal to play on Sundays and potential cultural issues. The former can be accommodated (including perhaps a football only alignment) and the latter is overblown. BYUTV is presented as an issue for conference networks, but that’s a good thing if Texas wants to preserve the LHN.

[BlueK]

I honestly don't understand the whole "travel partner" thing and why schools think it adds any value. You don't actually travel with the partner school. You don't stay in the same hotel as the partner school. Unless the road-games are so close together (e.g. BYU and Utah) that you can stay in the same hotel across two different games then it really doesn't mean anything because you still have to fly from, say, Ft. Collins to Provo or from, say, San Diego to Provo.

Can someone provide actual hard numbers about the benefits a "travel partner" provides?

It has no meaning for football. In basketball SOME conferences schedule road trips so that you hit one team the first game and then another one close by for the second game. I don't think the Big 12 is one of the leagues that has even used this concept in the past. The WCC started doing it after Pacific was added. The old WAC did it years ago but the MWC did not.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I honestly don't understand the whole "travel partner" thing and why schools think it adds any value. You don't actually travel with the partner school. You don't stay in the same hotel as the partner school. Unless the road-games are so close together (e.g. BYU and Utah) that you can stay in the same hotel across two different games then it really doesn't mean anything because you still have to fly from, say, Ft. Collins to Provo or from, say, San Diego to Provo.

Can someone provide actual hard numbers about the benefits a "travel partner" provides?

Totally agree. Non-issue.

[myboynoah]

Totally agree. Non-issue.

Yes, I believe San Diego is our travel partner in the WCC. I guess West Virginia is full of a bunch of insecure boobs.

[Uncle Ted]

Totally agree. Non-issue.

But you do have to agree that CSU would be a nice addition to the Big 12 with BYU. I could see students taking road trips to the CSU game and sampling/trading brownies recipes. That would be a great start to a new tradition.

[myboynoah]

But you do have to agree that CSU would be a nice addition to the Big 12 with BYU. I could see students taking road trips to the CSU game and sampling/trading brownies recipes. That would be a great start to a new tradition.

I forgot all about the marijuana law. I say never to CSU.

[Art Vandelay]

The barking carnival's take on CSU:


http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2016/...ion-candidates

They have nice things to say about BYU as well...

A great line in that article about UH

the Cougars are a commuter school with an indifferent fanbase set in a city that looks to Caracas for its zoning laws and Bangladesh for its climate.

[Blueintheface]

I forgot all about the marijuana law. I say never to CSU.

:crazy: