The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[San Juan Sun]

There have been a lot of assumptions about the forthcoming superconferences. Some seem convinced that four 16 team conferences are coming, essentially making a new division for college football.

It's been talked about so much, that I have to wonder, why would anyone want a superconference?

Is the PAC 16 going to be able to renegotiate it's TV contract?
Is the SEC (16) going to maintain current revenue payouts to schools that take more from than adding to the pie?
Are Ohio State and Florida going to run up gaudy pre-conference wins when they've relegated that MAC/SunBelt/MWC to a lower division?
Are 16 team conferences going to survive the strange intradivisional derangements of rivalry and regional scheduleing?

Can anyone give me a compelling reason for superconference formation? It seems like everyone hates the idea, from the average fan to school administrators to coaches to TV executives. If we hate the idea so bad, why is it inevitable?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

This raises a question. Is BYU a poor man's Notre Dame, Boston College, Baylor, or Oral Roberts? There are so many parallels, it's hard to pick the most fitting ones.

Maybe I missed out on not going to BYU.

[doctorcoug]

My personal take is:

When A&M gave hints they were leaving, the big XII started working hard to find replacements. They called ND, who said "no thanks". They then turned to BYU, who, recognizing the instability said, "not unless you bring in ND". A manège a trois takes place and ND toys with the idea after the Big XII gets Pitt to negotiate. BYU demands a 10 year $400 billion clause for bailing, and obviously the sooners and horns refuse. Negotiations don't go as well as planned (the team with all the cards, ND, holds), but not closed. So, OU and Texas play more poker, for fun, we'll call it the stripping type. Texas did this last year and won, so they are feeling lucky. As planned, OU leaks they are considering going to the PAC, which starts a media frenzy. Pundits come up with all sorts of plans of who will go where. The inevitable, it now seems, is the elite league of 64. ND and BYU, by OU's calculations, should start worrying about being on the outside looking in. BYU most definately worries about this. ND still has a royal flush, so they continue to hold. BYU relaxes their demands, in fact, says they'll broadcast OU curling on BYUtv for dirt cheap and they'll do it for free for Touchdown Jesus. ND demands that they keep their exclusive TV contract and don't share revenues with anyone. They also demand to get money from the current TV deal like any other member, even though they have their own gig. Texas and OU, now are played hard. OU and UT never really meant to join the PAC, and recognizing they got played, they see the writing on the wall, and they give in to NDs demands, but the revenue sharing comes from BYU's pockets for the first 5 years. Pitt, ND, and BYU ink a deal and the Big XII lives to see another season.

That is how I see it. I predict the accuracy of the above statements at .75. You may choose to heed my expertise and be prepared or you may ignore it and continue wasting your time refreshing google news.

[CJF]

Can't fix the typos on my iPad. Sorry. I went to Utah but I do know the difference between it's and its. Also, roots not rots.

[Devildog]

Can anyone give me a compelling reason for superconference formation? It seems like everyone hates the idea, from the average fan to school administrators to coaches to TV executives. If we hate the idea so bad, why is it inevitable?

I'm not for it... at all, but the reason is money.

Four conferences, each with a championship game, each champion goes on to play another conference's champion.

The National Championship might rival the Super Bowl for advertising revenue.

[Surfah]

I'm not for it... at all, but the reason is money.

Four conferences, each with a championship game, each champion goes on to play another conference's champion.

The National Championship might rival the Super Bowl for advertising revenue.

Not even close. Do you know what the BCS game pulls now as far as ratings and money? 4 superconferences wouldn't even sniff Super Bowl in any comparison.

[Babs]

Not even close. Do you know what the BCS game pulls now as far as ratings and money? 4 superconferences wouldn't even sniff Super Bowl in any comparison.

Yeah, nobody watches the bowls anymore. People are too busy getting ready for Easter.

[dixdog]

Looks like U of Texas wants to keep its network.

This is going to be crazy. I am envious of Utah right now. BYU could be in a world of hurt.

[dixdog]

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1261031

Here's the article I was referencing

[Devildog]

Not even close. Do you know what the BCS game pulls now as far as ratings and money? 4 superconferences wouldn't even sniff Super Bowl in any comparison.

Every university involved and their fans are invested... that is far more cities, population, and TV's than the NFL has invested.

[Surfah]

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1261031

Here's the article I was referencing

Personally I think that Chip is putting misinformation out there deliberately right now.

[Uncle Ted]

Looks like U of Texas wants to keep its network.

This is going to be crazy. I am envious of Utah right now. BYU could be in a world of hurt.

The interesting part about why they want to keep the LHN...

A source close to Texas put the chances of UT going to the Pac-12 at "50 to 60 percent" on Friday night and had those odds increasing as of Saturday. But on Sunday, those percentages dropped to "20 percent," according to the source, because Texas wanted to explore ways to hold onto the Longhorn Network.

Texas would have to give up LHN if it went to the Pac-12, which has equal revenue sharing and pools its third-tier TV rights in a series of regional networks.

The $300 million, 20-year contract Texas signed with ESPN has become important to UT's board of regents, sources said, because in an age of higher education cutbacks, UT athletics is contributing $5 million per year to academics in the first five years of the deal.

[doctorcoug]

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1261031

Here's the article I was referencing

"For the Big 12 to survive at this point, there would need to be a new commissioner and probably a $100 million penalty for leaving the conference written by the best lawyers in the country into an iron-clad contract," said a high-ranking source at a Big 12 school.

That is because this is what BYU and ND demanded.

[Babs]

"For the Big 12 to survive at this point, there would need to be a new commissioner and probably a $100 million penalty for leaving the conference written by the best lawyers in the country into an iron-clad contract," said a high-ranking source at a Big 12 school.

yes. What has become patently evident over the last two years is that these arrangements mean nothing. That's why the concept of 16-team conferences is so absurd. That makes for sixteen parties with diverse and conflicting interests, and little in common. I would imagine that with sixteen teams, the first schools would end up bailing within two years.

[myboynoah]

yes. What has become patently evident over the last two years is that these arrangements mean nothing. That's why the concept of 16-team conferences is so absurd. That makes for sixteen parties with diverse and conflicting interests, and little in common. I would imagine that with sixteen teams, the first schools would end up bailing within two years.

This happened once already, with the old WAC. This is all so insane. But at least OK is not going to be a wallflower.