The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Green Monstah]

and babs has gone dark on us; very interesting. (No, there are no law school exams presently.)

I think shes taking seminars this semester, so maybe a draft of her paper is due (not to mention recruiti g season and journal, if she chose to do one).

[Pheidippides]

Bret Favre.

He does provide us with a dong shot every time he posts. As do I this week.

[Uncle Ted]

Yahoo's Dan Wetzel on UT and DeLoss Dodds...

While UT gets bashed on this, we actually offer it a nod of respect.

In a world full of college administrators who can’t think for themselves, who operate out of fear and short-sightedness and are easily pushed around by their conference offices, Texas has, thus far, taken an opposite path.

It has a sweetheart arrangement with ESPN to broadcast its own personal Longhorn Network, which offers enviable revenue ($300-million plus) and exposure for the school. To simply give that up in the spirit of collegiality would be a highly questionable business decision.

Everyone wants Texas to compromise – understandably – but what are the rest of the schools offering the Longhorns? It’s Texas with the groundbreaking network. It’s Texas with the most to lose. And it’s Texas that retains the biggest parachute – they can always concede later or go independent if it all falls apart.

Longhorn athletic director DeLoss Dodds is an undeniably wise man and he’s said repeatedly that the best place for UT is in the Big 12. As a nine- or 10-team league, without a conference title game, the road to the BCS title game is far easier to navigate than in a 16-team so-called superconference.

A Big 12 team has reached the title game in seven of the last 11 seasons. And with Nebraska running from UT and the Big 12 last year, that road is even easier now.

It’s worth noting Dodds isn’t anti-competition, he’s adamantly opposed to the BCS, which he calls “ridiculous” and is a stern “settle it on the field” playoff proponent. It’s just he hasn’t been able to get enough of the lemmings running other schools to change the system (for now).

As such, what was in it for Texas to give up its big revenue TV deal and pave the way for Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to head west and kill the Big 12? Less power, less money, more competition? Better to try one more time to see if this thing will stick (for now).

The other schools, of course, see this.

Just as Nebraska and Colorado bailed a year ago to the Big Ten and Pac-12 respectively mostly because of UT, rival Texas A&M is headed to the SEC at some point, if only to get away from the Longhorns.

Of course, Baylor may have to drop its threatened lawsuit against the SEC for that to happen – an entirely other feuding faction. Latest shot fired in that one? Some Aggies mocked the Baptist school by putting up a billboard in Waco that read: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s conference deal.”

And let’s not underestimate everyone’s confused feelings toward Missouri, which openly tried to get out of the league (Big Ten last year, SEC this), yet also was reportedly a key player in reaching this stay of execution. Of course, if Mizzou really is wanted by the SEC, why would the Tigers not explore every possibility to make that happen rather than tie themselves to this reality show and hope for the long-term best?

DeLoss Dodds for Big 12 commissioner!

[UteStar]

BYU: We have decided to turn down the Big 12. We just feel that there are too many uncertains. We are excited about our future as a football independent. Our basketball and Olympic sports are in one of the top 3 conferences in the West. The future is bright. Thanks for being such great fans and lets go Cougars! Now, on a different note - we also wanted to announce an 8 year agreement with Weber State for late November football games. It will be a home and home series and we are excited to have such a rivalry solidified for almost the next decade.

[SCcoug]

BYU: We have decided to turn down the Big 12. We just feel that there are too many uncertains. We are excited about our future as a football independent. Our basketball and Olympic sports are in one of the top 3 conferences in the West. The future is bright. Thanks for being such great fans and lets go Cougars! Now, on a different note - we also wanted to announce an 8 year agreement with Weber State for late November football games. It will be a home and home series and we are excited to have such a rivalry solidified for almost the next decade.

Maybe YOhio is right about you.

[YOhio]

BYU: We have decided to turn down the Big 12. We just feel that there are too many uncertains. We are excited about our future as a football independent. Our basketball and Olympic sports are in one of the top 3 conferences in the West. The future is bright. Thanks for being such great fans and lets go Cougars! Now, on a different note - we also wanted to announce an 8 year agreement with Weber State for late November football games. It will be a home and home series and we are excited to have such a rivalry solidified for almost the next decade.

[YOhio]

Maybe YOhio is right about you.

I am!

[UteStar]

Maybe YOhio is right about you.

YOhio is wrong about EVERYTHING!

[KillerDog]

BYU overplayed their hand initially and are not going to do it again. If the BigXII comes back with some form of agreement between the 9 remaining members, BYU is in.

[PolyCougar]

The Big 12 conference needs someone like Mitt Romney to replace Dan Beebe. You guys that have Mitt ties need to call him now.

Mitt will get the Mormon death mark again this election, and if BYU is in they should throw him to the Big 12. If the dude can turn the scandal filled-financially screwed 2002 Olympics into the only profitable Olympics in the last half century, I'm sure he can tame the mid-west and southern tempers of the Big 12. Plus it'd be kinda funny to see him in Perry-land controlling the one thing I think Texas loves more than itself... Football.

Plus he's a nice guy, I watched the N'Sync concert with him during the Olympics... which I'm pretty sure admitting such makes me loose my man card... but I digress.

[EuropeanFootballMale]

YOhio is wrong about EVERYTHING!

Everything? Seems unlikely.

[LA Ute]

YOhio is wrong about EVERYTHING!

Well, mostly. He still needs you and me to tell him when he's right or wrong. Otherwise he hasn't a clue.

[Paperback Writer]

OU has a tremendous amount egg on their face, IMHO, over all of this lately...

(1) From what I read somewhere OU was the ones that actually recommended Dan Beebe as the Big 12 commissioner. Now they want him out. I don't disagree that Beebe needs to go but for losing aTm to the SEC and not because OU thinks he is a longhorn tool.

It's pretty clear Beebe carries the water for the Longhorns. Remember, before A&M jumped ship, Nebraska bailed and the Huskers had a lot of issues with Beebe. It is ironic that Beebe was the Sooners choice. I'd love to hear how he transformed or if he was a closet Longhorn all along. Beebe's approach of appeasing the Longhorns is clearly flawed as the Huskers and Aggies have exited the Big 12 and the Sooners have made an attempt. Now that there are no other options, the Big 12 is negotiating without Beebe. Because all Beebe would do was mandate a vote if the Longhorns could win and table the issue if they couldn't. Hasta la Vista, Beebe!

(2) Last year both OU and A&M wanted a greater revenue than the other schools. Now it is all about revenue sharing according to OU.

Probably because OU calculated that the revenue difference between OU and UT would be less if Texas has to share more of its wealth. Shrewd; but it also helps with conference stability. Perhaps OU has as great an aversion to the SEC as Texas.

(3) They granted their president, Boren, the power to seek another conference. At the same time they talk about stabilizing the conference.

UT has been doing the Texas two-step for years. Talking about how they want to remain in the Big 12 but also contacting every confernce except the SEC. It's probably just contingency planning, but it's what jolted Nebraska into discussions with the Big Ten - because Texas was doing the same. I think the Sooners learned the Texas two-stop from the Longhorns.

(4) It was very public knowledge that UT was working on their own network. OU was also (and still is) working on their own network. Now given that UT hit a home run with their network OU has a problem with UT's network.

OU has a problem with how UT and ESPN are trying to leverage the LHN. Broadcasting conference games on a propriety network is problematic. Using it as a recruiting tool is unfair.

(5) During all the talk about OU/OSU/TT/UT going to the Pac 12 Stoops is talking it up without any regard to what the student-athletes think about this. Brown, on the other hand, expresses a lot of concern about the student-athletes when he is asked about going to the pac-whatever in his press conferences.

If Mack Brown had his way, the only time a Texas prep player would leave Texas is when he hops on a plane in his Longhorn uniform to play UCLA. If Coach Brown had to recruit nationally like many schools, he would be signing a different tune.

(6) OU complains about UT showing high school games on the LHN. The LHN backed down on doing in less than 36 hours and OU is still bitching about this.

Because the LHN is trying to show game highlights of selected players rather than complete games. Gee...I wonder what the chances are that a player Texas is recruiting will wind up on the LHN. And Texas prep coaches will not be influenced at all to steer players to UT in order to get publicity on the LHN for their programs and for their own personal career. It will all be above board and fair, just as DeLoss.

(7) I read somewhere that OU is now bitching about putting conference match ups on the LHN. What OU didn't mention was that KU agreed to be on the LHN and is getting money to do it. If OU has a problem they should be talking to KU.

No, OU should go to the conference commissioner and ask why this has not been negotiated and agreed upon. But they already know it's possible because Beebe and Texas have refused to negotiate and bring it up for a vote. But that is changing now...and without Beebe.

(8) OU's president has proven to everyone that he is a dork with his press releases.

Agreed.

It seems that OU will be taking aTm's place in the Big 12.

While the Sooners and Aggies have similar school colors (identical?), OU has an acceptable (albeit annoying) mascot and, I would hope, female cheer leaders.

[Pelado]

SU is the Michael Jordan (or maybe Urban Meyer) of this board. He just can't walk away.

Bret Favre.

Are you trying to say that SU text messages his small member to women who detest him?

[Cougarmandias]

Do Jayhawkers really call Mizzou 'Slavers'? I can't begin to tell you how outstanding that is.