The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[TripletDaddy]

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/08/16/11/Texas-AM-inevitably-leaving-for-the-SEC-/landing_big12.html?blockID=549136&feedID=3673

The Big 12 needs to focus on collecting that large exit fee and finding a suitable replacement for the Aggies. On Tuesday, one source familiar with the process told FOXSportsSouthwest.com that BYU would be the most likely candidate. It would give the Big 12 another TV market.

[Ygoat]

Here's a new conference alignment scenario-has anybody seen this?

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/mega-conferences-good-for-college-football[/URL]

They have 4, 18 team leagues with BYU in a 'PAC-18' league with Utah


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.749496,-111.892406

[Viking]

It will be great to see the Big 12 and Big East merge into a super conference w/ BYU included.

SeattleUte will become physically ill.

[SeattleUte]

Has anything happened yet? Yawn. Oops scuse me.

[pellegrino]

Has anything happened yet? Yawn. Oops scuse me.

no, and nothing will.

[SeattleUte]

no, and nothing will.

In the immortal words of the great Han Solo, I know.

[USCoug]

Before anything is even considered, TAMU has to actually leave the conference. I don't think they are getting into the SEC on their own, they have to come in with another member to keep the amount of teams even. Maybe that's the hold up with the SEC presidents right now?

[Babs]

Before anything is even considered, TAMU has to actually leave the conference.

Really? This has been the problem all along. I have no idea why the Big 12's been so passive through all this. I think it's the Lone Star we-don't-need-nobody-else mindset. We Are Texas, after all.

[Omaha 680]

Really? This has been the problem all along. I have no idea why the Big 12's been so passive through all this. I think it's the Lone Star we-don't-need-nobody-else mindset. We Are Texas, after all.

Exactly. If that rumor of a "gentleman's agreement" to not add to the SEC in Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina is true, the options for teams to add with A&M are somewhat limited. It seems Virginia, VT, Missouri, and maybe Louisville would make the most sense. And Missouri would be stupid to turn down an invite.

If the Big 12 gets down to 8 teams, I don't think it survives. Texas and Oklahoma (and by extension OSU) will be fine because the PAC or the B1G would be happy to add them. But you'd think the old Big 12 North schools would be pushing harder for a preemptive move to stabilize the conference for their own sake.

[Paperback Writer]

Before anything is even considered, TAMU has to actually leave the conference. I don't think they are getting into the SEC on their own, they have to come in with another member to keep the amount of teams even. Maybe that's the hold up with the SEC presidents right now?

Agree that Texas A&M will be joining the SEC with another team. What I don't understand is the view that Texas A&M has to somehow resign or leave the Big 12 beforehand. I think it will be a one-step process. I don't recall Nebraska or Colorado formally resigning from the Big 12 and then later joining the Big Ten or PAC-10. It was simply, "we've agreed to join another conference, so long Big 12." So Texas A&M will not give notice until they are already holding an offer from the SEC and then will just announce it - probably jointly with the SEC.

Then again Dan Beebe (or his pupetmaster DeLoss Dodds) decided to give Nebraska (and Colorado) a mandate to pledge their Big 12 allegiance by a certain date. So far Beebe has not done that with Texas A&M but he's mentioned it. But I think he's learned a lesson when that tactic back fired with Nebraska.

As far as the other team to go with Texas A&M, I don't think it will be another program from the Big 12. I had thought it would be FSU or Clemson. Lately, I've heard it will be Virginia Tech. Although I can think of some reasons these programs would want to leave the ACC for the SEC, I can think of many more reasons for them to stay in the ACC. My guess is that is what is holding up the show - plucking a team from the ACC. There's a lot of moving parts. Can the ACC raid the Big East yet again to find a replacement for Virginia Tech?

[Sizzle]

Agree that Texas A&M will be joining the SEC with another team. What I don't understand is the view that Texas A&M has to somehow resign or leave the Big 12 beforehand. I think it will be a one-step process. I don't recall Nebraska or Colorado formally resigning from the Big 12 and then later joining the Big Ten or PAC-10. It was simply, "we've agreed to join another conference, so long Big 12." So Texas A&M will not give notice until they are already holding an offer from the SEC and then will just announce it - probably jointly with the SEC.

Then again Dan Beebe (or his pupetmaster DeLoss Dodds) decided to give Nebraska (and Colorado) a mandate to pledge their Big 12 allegiance by a certain date. So far Beebe has not done that with Texas A&M but he's mentioned it. But I think he's learned a lesson when that tactic back fired with Nebraska.

As far as the other team to go with Texas A&M, I don't think it will be another program from the Big 12. I had thought it would be FSU or Clemson. Lately, I've heard it will be Virginia Tech. Although I can think of some reasons these programs would want to leave the ACC for the SEC, I can think of many more reasons for them to stay in the ACC. My guess is that is what is holding up the show - plucking a team from the ACC. There's a lot of moving parts. Can the ACC raid the Big East yet again to find a replacement for Virginia Tech?

Potential legal ramifications with breach of contract on the freshly negotiated TV deal should they leave and the Big 12 dissolve. The SEC is trying to cover their bases that they weren't a cause of the divorce so to speak, and that they can't be liable or sued, but that everything falls on aTm. Yeah, they'd welcome aTm if they're not tied to a conference, but they're not ready to plunder them either for the potential ramifications, especially one with a freshly negotiated TV deal.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Agree that Texas A&M will be joining the SEC with another team. What I don't understand is the view that Texas A&M has to somehow resign or leave the Big 12 beforehand. I think it will be a one-step process. I don't recall Nebraska or Colorado formally resigning from the Big 12 and then later joining the Big Ten or PAC-10. It was simply, "we've agreed to join another conference, so long Big 12." So Texas A&M will not give notice until they are already holding an offer from the SEC and then will just announce it - probably jointly with the SEC.

Then again Dan Beebe (or his pupetmaster DeLoss Dodds) decided to give Nebraska (and Colorado) a mandate to pledge their Big 12 allegiance by a certain date. So far Beebe has not done that with Texas A&M but he's mentioned it. But I think he's learned a lesson when that tactic back fired with Nebraska.

As far as the other team to go with Texas A&M, I don't think it will be another program from the Big 12. I had thought it would be FSU or Clemson. Lately, I've heard it will be Virginia Tech. Although I can think of some reasons these programs would want to leave the ACC for the SEC, I can think of many more reasons for them to stay in the ACC. My guess is that is what is holding up the show - plucking a team from the ACC. There's a lot of moving parts. Can the ACC raid the Big East yet again to find a replacement for Virginia Tech?

Louisville or UConn? I'm not sure if they'll want West Virginia. Louisville is a little out of the way. UConn would make sense, especially given the fact that BC is hanging out there on an island. Maybe Syracuse. Of course, I don't know if its a given that either UConn or Syracuse would want to leave the Big East because its a pretty nice basketball conference, but the ACC isn't really a step down either.

I could see V-Tech leaving for the SEC. I suppose if they wanted them, NC State would be willing to leave, but Va Tech is the bigger prize.

But wouldn't West Virginia also be a viable option for the SEC? I'm not sure if it isn't a bigger prize than Va Tech with its basketball team. If you get Va Tech, it doesn't mean you get the state of Virginia because of the location of the school in western Virginia. If you get West Virginia, you get the state along with it.

The schools have about the same number of students and the stadiums are the same size.

Va Tech has generally had more success than West Virginia in recent years, but West Virginia isn't a slouch.

The SEC probably wouldn't mind plucking away Missouri ahead of Va Tech or West Virginia, the problem with that is you have two new western teams and you'd have to shift a team from the West to the East. Geographically, that team would be one of the Alabama teams -- and you can't split those teams up. No one else makes sense geographically.

Which brings the discussion back to Florida State, which should be the other team added besides aTm. Florida is a huge state, the SEC should have a second team there. Apparently, UF doesn't want it for understandable reasons.

So, I guess it goes like this:

Missouri -- doesn't make sense geographically

UNC- won't go, but would be the obvious choice if it would

NC State- not much of a prize, Va Tech and WVU are better options

Florida State - UF won't go along with it

Clemson -- South Carolina is probably against it and adding a second team from South Carolina doesn't add much to the bottom line.

Louisiville -- don't need another team from Kentucky.

Va Tech -- one of the two finalists and probably the front runner since broadcasters will think that Va Tech delivers Virginia (does it? For recruiting purposes, some of the eastern parts of the state produce a ton of talent, but does including a team from the western part of the state bring these recruits in?).

WVU -- not a bad option and may be better than Va Tech given its decent basketball program.

[Flystripper]

Potential legal ramifications with breach of contract on the freshly negotiated TV deal should they leave and the Big 12 dissolve. The SEC is trying to cover their bases that they weren't a cause of the divorce so to speak, and that they can't be liable or sued, but that everything falls on aTm. Yeah, they'd welcome aTm if they're not tied to a conference, but they're not ready to plunder them either for the potential ramifications, especially one with a freshly negotiated TV deal.

yeah I think not wanting to piss off ESPN and help them cover their ass with the network,s conflict of interest coupled with a whole lot of thier own CYA is driving the SEC's behavior.

[myboynoah]

Tim Cowlishaw is on board.

Time for Big 12 to expand

The Big 12 should be doing all it can to secure BYU because, for one thing, the school already has its own deal with ESPN as a football independent. Suddenly the Longhorn Network wouldn't look quite so much like the monster that the Aggies (wrongly) envision it to be.

And the school that should be doing all it can to lead the expansion of the Big 12 is Texas. Having demonstrated a poor ability to get along with others, the money-grabbers from Austin need to do whatever is within reason to maintain conference stability.

Some sort of minimal sharing in Longhorn Network revenues would be a start.

On top of that, showing BYU what a fun place Austin can be to visit on Sept. 10 would be the next step. Since the Mormons aren't able to enjoy much of what our state capital has to offer - in particular Sixth Street (or Fourth Street for that matter) - a victorious visit to Royal Memorial Stadium might be called for.

Based on what we saw in 2010, that might not be so difficult for the Longhorns to arrange, even while rolling in all that new money.

Expansion targets for Big 12

Tim Cowlishaw looks at schools the Big 12 should pursue to enhance stature and stability:

1. Notre Dame Not going to happen but have to make the effort

2. BYU Strong in football, basketball, overall reputation. Top realistic target

3. Houston Would return to big league elevate interest in Cougars? Maybe

4. TCU Obviously powerful in football (at the moment) but tied to Big East

5. Louisville Would expand Big 12 geographically in direction it might need to go

6. SMU Sounds good at moment but small stadium, alumni base makes unrealistic

[SteelBlue]

Twitter full of tweets about Texas scheduling a second game on lhn. Lots of writers tweeting that this is evidence aTm is gone.