The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Uncle Ted]

There’s a couple problems with the P12, one the average Seattle kid and LA kid and San Fran kid cannot get into UW, USC/UCLA and Cal and Stanford. Pete Carroll addressed this, and reached out to the local celebrities and made it cool to cheer for SC. Two, California is at a 20 year low in football participation with steep declines over the last 8 years. COVID damage not included, will be interesting to see what those numbers look like in 6 months.

What do you expect for kids of dumb liberals? They are too busy trying to figure out what sex they are and the definition of a woman to study in school or learn to play football to get a scholarship.

Of course, it is getting tougher to get into Stanford all the time. I think only two kids from my son's high school got in from the last graduating class. I keep telling my son there are two ways to get into Stanford. Be absolutely perfect in everything, the son of Stanford alumni that have lots of money, and a minority. Or be a straight 'A' student with a decent SAT showing and a football star. He is neither so I am encouraging him to apply to Purdue instead. In the end it is not going to matter if he graduates from only a top 5 engineering school instead of the number one engineering school. Also, I have family in West Lafayette he can stay with while he is in school (i.e., cheap room and board).

[fusnik]

Where are you getting your data? The only recent years Purdue has averaged less than 40,000 were the last three years of the worst coach they have had in the last 25 years (Darrell Hazell). That ended in 2016. Pandemic year excluded, they have risen back to >95% capacity last year. Even including the down years under Hazell, they have averaged over 48k the last 15 years. Also capacity is 57k since 2013.

My neighbor is a retired professor from Purdue. He comes and grabs my dog a couple times a week to play with his dogs and I spoke with him about this for about an hour. He said that Purdue has only had 10 winning records over the last 30 years and real attendance has been abysmal.

He said the only programs in the B1G who pull real people in seats are Michigan and Ohio State. Maybe he’s wrong I don’t know.

[Art Vandelay]

My neighbor is a retired professor from Purdue. He comes and grabs my dog a couple times a week to play with his dogs and I spoke with him about this for about an hour. He said that Purdue has only had 10 winning records over the last 30 years and real attendance has been abysmal.

He said the only programs in the B1G who pull real people in seats are Michigan and Ohio State. Maybe he’s wrong I don’t know.

You are forgetting Penn St. I would also add Mich St and Wisconsin to that, most years.

Edit: As Clark showed below, I totally forgot about Nebraska. Their stadium isn't as large as the big 3, but those red-clad corn farmers show up to watch the Huskers, through thick and thin. Heck, I've heard tales of security guards ruminating over NU while eating a Cinnabon

[Clark Addison]

Just for the record: 2019 average home attendance stats in thousands. Obviously Covid impacted things since then, and who knows where they will go in the future:

B1G
Michigan: 111
Penn State: 106
Ohio St: 103
Nebraska: 89
Wisconsin: 76
Michigan St: 68
Iowa: 66
Purdue: 54
Minnesota: 46
Indiana: 41
Maryland: 38
Northwestern: 38
Illinois: 37
Rutgers: 30


PAC
Washington: 68
USC: 59
Oregon: 54
Colorado: 50
Arizona State: 49
Utah: 46
UCLA: 44
Cal: 42
Arizona: 40
Stanford: 37
Oregon St: 32
Washington St: 29

[Moliere]

Just for the record: 2019 average home attendance stats in thousands. Obviously Covid impacted things since then, and who knows where they will go in the future:

B1G
Michigan: 111
Penn State: 106
Ohio St: 103
Nebraska: 89
Wisconsin: 76
Michigan St: 68
Iowa: 66
Purdue: 54
Minnesota: 46
Indiana: 41
Maryland: 38
Northwestern: 38
Illinois: 37
Rutgers: 30


PAC
Washington: 68
USC: 59
Oregon: 54
Colorado: 50
Arizona State: 49
Utah: 46
UCLA: 44
Cal: 42
Arizona: 40
Stanford: 37
Oregon St: 32
Washington St: 29

Sorry, I think I'm going to believe fusnik's dog borrowing neighbor on this one.

[Paperback Writer]

Edit: As Clark showed below, I totally forgot about Nebraska. Their stadium isn't as large as the big 3, but those red-clad corn farmers show up to watch the Huskers, through thick and thin. Heck, I've heard tales of security guards ruminating over NU while eating a Cinnabon

I'll just add that Nebraska has sold out its stadium since 1962. And those red-clad fans road-trip and prop up the attendance numbers for teams like Northwestern and Minnesota. Nebraska also has a significant national following with expats living outside Nebraska tuning in every Saturday in the Fall. To use the example of fusnik's dog borrowing neighbor, about 75% of my close circle of friends from high school live outside Nebraska but all watch the Cornhuskers every Saturday. Not sure how much longer that will be sustainable given the dismal state of Nebraska football and the competing interests with today's youth, but it is a curious phenomenon.

[fusnik]

Just for the record: 2019 average home attendance stats in thousands. Obviously Covid impacted things since then, and who knows where they will go in the future:

B1G
Michigan: 111
Penn State: 106
Ohio St: 103
Nebraska: 89
Wisconsin: 76
Michigan St: 68
Iowa: 66
Purdue: 54
Minnesota: 46
Indiana: 41
Maryland: 38
Northwestern: 38
Illinois: 37
Rutgers: 30


PAC
Washington: 68
USC: 59
Oregon: 54
Colorado: 50
Arizona State: 49
Utah: 46
UCLA: 44
Cal: 42
Arizona: 40
Stanford: 37
Oregon St: 32
Washington St: 29

PAC attendance is awful.

I just looked up Purdues attendance (frankly I don’t care, point being attendance for college football is on a downward slide) they’ve averaged 47k in a 63k capacity stadium since 2004.

[Uncle Ted]

I'll just add that Nebraska has sold out its stadium since 1962. And those red-clad fans road-trip and prop up the attendance numbers for teams like Northwestern and Minnesota. Nebraska also has a significant national following with expats living outside Nebraska tuning in every Saturday in the Fall. To use the example of fusnik's dog borrowing neighbor, about 75% of my close circle of friends from high school live outside Nebraska but all watch the Cornhuskers every Saturday. Not sure how much longer that will be sustainable given the dismal state of Nebraska football and the competing interests with today's youth, but it is a curious phenomenon.

I can vouch for this…. I was there when BYU played them the last time. I have never seen so many corn heads in my life. I have only seen more fans at UT.

[Clark Addison]

This was quite a while ago, but I used to work for a company that had a big office in Lincoln, NE, and I would go there a few times a year. I will preface this by saying I am a nerd who tries to get to one or two away games a year, so I don't really have room to talk, but I was surprised by the number of people there whose entire vacation schedule and budget for the year was based almost exclusively around Cornhusker football games.

[Omaha 680]

PAC attendance is awful.

I just looked up Purdues attendance (frankly I don’t care, point being attendance for college football is on a downward slide) they’ve averaged 47k in a 63k capacity stadium since 2004.

Then why did you pick one example that is on an upward trajectory after a mediocre and then bad coach? Also again capacity now 57,000 and they were at 95% last season. I don't care about Purdue either other than the throwaway line about their attendance seemed off to me so I dug into it.

[Omaha 680]

This was quite a while ago, but I used to work for a company that had a big office in Lincoln, NE, and I would go there a few times a year. I will preface this by saying I am a nerd who tries to get to one or two away games a year, so I don't really have room to talk, but I was surprised by the number of people there whose entire vacation schedule and budget for the year was based almost exclusively around Cornhusker football games.

I'm hoping to schedule a work trip around the Rutgers road game this year!

[fusnik]

Then why did you pick one example that is on an upward trajectory after a mediocre and then bad coach? Also again capacity now 57,000 and they were at 95% last season. I don't care about Purdue either other than the throwaway line about their attendance seemed off to me so I dug into it.

Someone mentioned Purdue, I have a neighbor who taught there, I think Purdue is an example of a program that will be excised if the Super 2 happens.

[SeattleUte]

Just for the record: 2019 average home attendance stats in thousands. Obviously Covid impacted things since then, and who knows where they will go in the future:

B1G
Michigan: 111
Penn State: 106
Ohio St: 103
Nebraska: 89
Wisconsin: 76
Michigan St: 68
Iowa: 66
Purdue: 54
Minnesota: 46
Indiana: 41
Maryland: 38
Northwestern: 38
Illinois: 37
Rutgers: 30


PAC
Washington: 68
USC: 59
Oregon: 54
Colorado: 50
Arizona State: 49
Utah: 46
UCLA: 44
Cal: 42
Arizona: 40
Stanford: 37
Oregon St: 32
Washington St: 29

All of the programs on the B1G list below Michigan State except Maryland and Rutgers should go to the Pac 12. That would settle tings down.

[SeattleUte]

https://twitter.com/wilnerhotline/st...KjSnVa3PLa51nQ

"Big 12 is scared." Swish!

[Omaha 680]

https://twitter.com/wilnerhotline/st...KjSnVa3PLa51nQ

"Big 12 is scared." Swish!

Said by the Pac 12 commissioner and reported by Pac12 hack Wilner. Must be true!

Who do you want for expansion? San Diego State, Boise, or UNLV? Maybe all three!