The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Babs]

Would the Big 12 take back Colorado?



Before y'all get too worried this story has a happy ending...

I heart Jenni Carlson. She writes the most bizarre articles. She's the same one that inspired the "I'm a man! I'm forty!" rant from Mike Gundy.

[UteStar]

If I were BYU, I would do the following:

Approach Colorado and offer them financial help to make the transition to the PAC-10 for 2011. Offer them $3-5 million.

At the same time, approach the Big 12 and let them know that they will would like to take Colorado's place and that they would forego any tv money for 2 years and then 50% for the 3rd year and then be a full fledged member for year 4. Offer their broadcasting, etc on top of it all. Voila, hello Big 12.

[Surfah]

If I were BYU, I would do the following:

Approach Colorado and offer them financial help to make the transition to the PAC-10 for 2011. Offer them $3-5 million.

At the same time, approach the Big 12 and let them know that they will would like to take Colorado's place and that they would forego any tv money for 2 years and then 50% for the 3rd year and then be a full fledged member for year 4. Offer their broadcasting, etc on top of it all. Voila, hello Big 12.

This works for Top Ute, since Utah set the precedent.

[Uncle Ted]

Chip Brown talks to Mike Leach on The Bottomline:

http://kznx-am.tritondigitalmedia.co...0mikeleach.mp3


Mike Leach said:

"I don't think the realignment is over. More so I think the Big 12, which has a good product, probably needs to be proactive in getting a couple other teams to come in the Big 12."

[Uncle Ted]

This is why TCU will most likely never be in the Big 12...

Horned Frogs' fans need to step up for opener

"Nobody goes to their games. They got no fans. They can't draw 30,000," said richy-rich T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oilman who funds the Oklahoma State athletic department.

That comment came in June as the Big 12 was eventually melting into the Bevo 10, prompting discussion of adding two other teams. When Pickens was asked about TCU, he gave the Frogs that "got no fans" brush-off.

Not that Pickens is exactly informed, but he's definitely following the script the Bevo 10 schools read from. Now that the Frogs have been to a BCS bowl, now that Patterson can claim "our goal is a national championship" (the preseason polls support that), the negative knock comes down to just one thing:

TCU doesn't have the big-time fan support.

Some of that is true, except there was an overflow crowd of 50,000-plus at Amon Carter last season, there was another crowd of 47,000-plus, and an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 fans followed the team to the Fiesta Bowl in January.

Plus, season tickets for this season have climbed over 17,500, a school record. Based on my limited research, it seems only Notre Dame, USC and Stanford among private schools averaged more than TCU's 38,000-plus home attendance average in 2009.

(And remember that outside of BYU, the Mountain West schools don't travel with fans, meaning the Frogs don't have the gate boost advantage of a Baylor hosting Texas or Oklahoma, or a Vanderbilt hosting one of the SEC giants. What the Frogs draw are their fans.)

But...

A week from Saturday, Sept. 4, the Frogs make two debuts. One, for the 2010 season, the other at the Big Yard in Arlington.

Oregon State is the Top 25-ranked opponent. On the opening weekend of college football season, this matchup is one of only two featuring Top 25 teams.

It is a national TV game (ESPN) that will be huge in both perception and entertainment value. That TCU is favored by 13 in Vegas seems like too many points to me.

It's not, however, about points. It's about this point:

Ticket sales are shockingly low, something that has become a worry for all parties involved, starting with TCU.

Granted, it's a high-dollar ticket ($150 a pop for the 10,000 prime seats, going down to a low of $45), by far the highest in history for TCU. But both schools approved the ticket pricing.

Oregon State is a good team but obviously not a local draw, and if the Beavers bring 5,000 fans, that will be considered good. Mainly, it comes down to how many fans will TCU bring.

[...]

Current ticket sales are hard to nail down, but based on several sources, it's probably no more than 25,000 at the moment. If things don't change dramatically, it's an embarrassment waiting to happen for TCU.

Here we go. It's that perception thing again for the Frogs, and when it comes to criticism, nobody in the Bevo 10 cares about TCU being one of the smallest schools in the nation playing big-time football. Do expect a huge sales push from the school in the next 10 days to get the fans out.

[creekster]

This is why TCU will most likely never be in the Big 12...

Horned Frogs' fans need to step up for opener

his research is pretty limited unless BYU is now taking public money and I didnt know about it.

[Red Legger]

That's one reason TCU is screwed. The other is noone wants to compete against a Big 12 school playing home games in the Metroplex 8 times a year. Especially OU. Folks just don't understand how much the Red River Rivalry means to OU recruiting. They probably have 100 DFW HS players on the sidelines during that game. Ditto for the BYU game in Jerryworld last fall.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Beat Mizzou

[Flystripper]

did he just really say that TCU has a higher home attendance than BYU? (A private school?) or did I read that wrong?

[WashingtonCoug]

did he just really say that TCU has a higher home attendance than BYU? (A private school?) or did I read that wrong?

Was it limited research or ignorance?

[Uncle Ted]

did he just really say that TCU has a higher home attendance than BYU? (A private school?) or did I read that wrong?

Yes, I think in his "limited research" he missed BYU on that one. Nevertheless, I find it interesting that they haven't sold more than 25,000 tickets for the TCU game with Oregon State at JerryWorld. I have been watching ticket prices and lower bowl tickets can be acquired now for less than $100.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Yes, I think in his "limited research" he missed BYU on that one. Nevertheless, I find it interesting that they haven't sold more than 25,000 tickets for the TCU game with Oregon State at JerryWorld. I have been watching ticket prices and lower bowl tickets can be acquired now for less than $100.

That could be a fun game. I think Oregon State is going to have a great defense this year and you I think the speed of TCU defense vs. the Rodgers should be exciting.

[BlueHair]

That could be a fun game. I think Oregon State is going to have a great defense this year and you I think the speed of TCU defense vs. the Rodgers should be exciting.

TCU should be able to bottle him up with ease. BYU had no problem and they didn't have near the speed TCU does.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

TCU should be able to bottle him up with ease. BYU had no problem and they didn't have near the speed TCU does.

Well that settles it. Why even play? Who knows maybe for TCU half the Beaver team won't be out until 4 AM celebrating a 21st birthday in Las Vegas, and then not quit once the other team knocks them hard a couple of times.

[Hot Lunch]

Well that settles it. Why even play? Who knows maybe for TCU half the Beaver team won't be out until 4 AM celebrating a 21st birthday in Las Vegas, and then not quit once the other team knocks them hard a couple of times.

I heard that when the Beavers celebrate that there is a good chance that one of the players will get intoxicated, naked and when told by the police that he is under arrest he will get in a three point stance to take on the po-po. Just something I heard about recently.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I heard that when the Beavers celebrate that there is a good chance that one of the players will get intoxicated, naked and when told by the police that he is under arrest he will get in a three point stance to take on the po-po. Just something I heard about recently.

Or a sheep goes missing.