The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[shoganai]

OU seems to follow UT around like a puppy.

There are worse sets of tracks to follow.

Nevada spent the last two decades chasing after UNLV...

[Babs]

You forgot the part about "in a first-class way".

BTW, it seems that OU doesn't want to be left out and is looking into a network of their own...



OU seems to follow UT around like a puppy.

A puppy that owns the conference.

[statman]

As NMD stated, to open the door wider to Texas prep recruiting. That's one thing that has hurt Arkansas when they bolted the SWC for the SEC and they have recently mitigated it by playing games against A&M in Cowboy Stadium. Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, etc. are eager to gain greater access to Texas recruiting.

There's also increasing the number of TV sets and getting Texas A&M into the SEC would bring a lot of TVs in the Houston and Dallas markets. The SEC could then re-negotiate their TV contracts with the networks.

The other school rumored to be going to the SEC with Texas A&M is Clemson.

That said, I don't think Texas A&M leaves the Big 12 unless Texas does something drastic and goes independent, which I don't think will occur since the Longhorns have other sports to schedule besides football and there will no longer be a Big 12 if they leave.

This is all posturing to try and place some limits on the Longhorn Network which is a big threat to Texas A&M. The Aggie concern is the extent that ESPN will go to to protect their investment in the Longhorn Network. ESPN is already buying a Big 12 games from FoxSports to add content (a 2nd football) game to the Longhorn Network. Where will it stop? Airing high school games is also a big worry. Just imagine the scenario where Mack Brown walks into a prep coaches office and starts talking about putting his team on TV for the whole country to see - and that it could happen if their 5-star QB who is leaning towards Texas A&M gets a heightened interest in the Longhorns. There's even talk that airing prep games on the Longhorn Network is against NCAA rules.

Anytime the Longhorns start shoving their weight around (and it is considerable) the Aggies pull out their "we'll go to the SEC card" because they know Texas won't join the SEC. The Longhorns counter with, "we'll just form our own conference" which is kind of laughable. Will be interesting to watch what happens because this is typical Texas politics.

SEC shoulda grabbed TCU when they had the chance. Same Texas recruiting. MUCH better metro area...

[shoganai]

SEC shoulda grabbed TCU when they had the chance. Same Texas recruiting. MUCH better metro area...

For one, the SEC could still invite TCU if they wanted to, and there's nothing the Big East could do to stop them.

Second, I don't think the SEC is very interested in big metro teams that go undefeated, win the Rose Bowl, and still can't sell out a 44,000 seat stadium.

[Hot Lunch]

For one, the SEC could still invite TCU if they wanted to, and there's nothing the Big East could do to stop them.

Second, I don't think the SEC is very interested in big metro teams that go undefeated, win the Rose Bowl, and still can't sell out a 44,000 seat stadium.

I don't think the SEC is really looking to expand right now. They don't need to.

[New Mexican Disaster]

SEC shoulda grabbed TCU when they had the chance. Same Texas recruiting. MUCH better metro area...

But TCU does not control the metro area, and it's alumni base is small.

[Babs]

For one, the SEC could still invite TCU if they wanted to, and there's nothing the Big East could do to stop them.

Except that TCU would owe a ****load of penalties.

I don't think the SEC is really looking to expand right now.

This. If it ain't broke . . .

[Green Monstah]

Am I alone in wishing this thread would die? Everytime I see there's a new post, I am filled with the pernicious, false hope that a BCS conference is on the cusp of inviting the Cougs into their conference...only to find "riveting" discussion on the Aggies.

[shoganai]

Except that TCU would owe a ****load of penalties.

Remember that $5mil buyout Fresno State signed with the WAC? Sure you do, the one that got settled for less than $1mil just a few weeks later?

Those exit penalties are like the signs threatening double fines for speeding in constructions zones. It's a nice idea for a deterrent, but at the end of the day, they're not going to stop anybody from doing what they really want to do.

[ERCougar]

But TCU does not control the metro area, and it's alumni base is small.

The point is to break into Texas for all of the other schools. They could make them sign some sort of Utah deal to get in.

[USUC]

The showdown over the LHN begins.

A source told Sporting News on Wednesday that both Texas A&M and Oklahoma are so concerned about rival Texas gaining a recruiting advantage with the newly formed Longhorn Network, the two institutions could turn to the SEC if the problems can’t be figured out. The core issue: The Longhorn Network will televise live high school football games in the state of Texas, an obvious recruiting advantage for Texas.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-07-20/oklahoma-texas-am-may-look-at-moving-to-sec-because-of-texas-tv-network

The threat of that apparently led to this:

Commissioner Dan Beebe announced a temporary compromise Wednesday. Telecasts of high school football games on the Longhorn Network are now on hold, pending decisions by the NCAA and the Big 12 about how to handle single-school and conference networks.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/texas-longhorns/20110720-longhorn-network_s-plans-to-televise-high-school-games-now-on-hold.ece

I was convinced the Big-12 was safe for the foreseeable future. It isn't.

[Babs]

Sports radio here is saying that the SEC wants A&M in order to improve its academic cred. The radio commentators say that A&M would become the "flagship research institution" of the SEC. lol! I love Texas!

[OrangeUte]

You had to realize that UT didn't have enough content to make having its own network worthwhile. What makes more sense to me is a collaboration of Texas with its fellow Texas schools in an "all Texas" sports channel. Either that or a big 12 network. A whole network devoted to one school seems ridiculous. Even byutv isn't all byu sports all the time. Really, it is a church station and much more than just a school channel.

[Flystripper]

Sports radio here is saying that the SEC wants A&M in order to improve its academic cred. The radio commentators say that A&M would become the "flagship research institution" of the SEC. lol! I love Texas!

Vandy is steaming!

[OSUCougar]

You had to realize that UT didn't have enough content to make having its own network worthwhile. What makes more sense to me is a collaboration of Texas with its fellow Texas schools in an "all Texas" sports channel. Either that or a big 12 network. A whole network devoted to one school seems ridiculous. Even byutv isn't all byu sports all the time. Really, it is a church station and much more than just a school channel.

Agreed. Excellent points. I understand why Texas wants its own network, but I think it's "eyes are bigger than its stomach".