The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[UtahJazzFan88]

Why does everyone have to go to 16? I can see 12 as the magic number, in order to have a conference championship game. I don't see much difference between 12 and 16 teams, though.

I think everyone agrees the B12 has to expand back to 12 (at least). I'm not sure why the PAC or B1G need to grow to 16. Why would they bother?

I do not get why 16 is that big of a deal either, but I guess the ACC thinks they'll get a more lucrative TV deal with the Northeast markets added. I've also heard some people say a conference can get a 2nd auto bid with a new BCS deal (if isn't dropped to just the old format) with 16 teams, but that may be a giant rumor with no validation to it.

[TripletDaddy]

The bigger might be able to dictate the terms of new bowl arrangements, maybe even playoffs...

The PAC and B1G care about the Rose Bowl primarily. They already control that. What other new bowl arrangements need to be finalized? There are already too many bowls. Realignment does not create a new need for bowls, simply a reshuffling of existing ones.

And there will be no playoffs discussion absent schools like SC, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska (and yes...even Penn State) being heavily involved. Both conferences have a rock solid presence in the landscape of college football.

The SEC model wouldn't work with the PAC, unfortunately. It is just reality. The PAC does not have enough "perceived" football powerhouses to imitate what the SEC is doing, so it shouldn't try to expand simply to expand. To the SEC's credit, they have a fantastic roster of football programs. Adding Mizzou and Texas A&M was a great move on their part.

[Coach McGuirk]

[Viking]

I have a feeling I'm going to eat serious crow in my criticisms of the BOT and potentially even that german who flies airplanes and with whom every mormon woman (and many men) are secretly in love.

[Jeff Lebowski]

why not? i think b12 has self actualized enough to know if could be a bigeast in a few years unless it gets to scale and stable as with SEC ACC and PAC so it will have a tendency to want to bulk up sooner.

Wow. You were serious.

The only way the B12 would go to 16 teams is if they had a shot to get all top quality teams in great markets. Not a chance they would do so with the schools you mentioned (exception for BYU of course).

[Jeff Lebowski]

Why does everyone have to go to 16? I can see 12 as the magic number, in order to have a conference championship game. I don't see much difference between 12 and 16 teams, though.

I think everyone agrees the B12 has to expand back to 12 (at least). I'm not sure why the PAC or B1G need to grow to 16. Why would they bother?

Everyone? You mean viking and doctorcoug?

[Viking]

Wow. You were serious.

The only way the B12 would go to 16 teams is if they had a shot to get all top quality teams in great markets. Not a chance they would do so with the schools you mentioned (exception for BYU of course).

You have to think like a megalomaniac, not like an accountant.

They'll land grab

[SoCalCoug]

The bigger might be able to dictate the terms of new bowl arrangements, maybe even playoffs...

I don't think it's for everyone. Pac is fine where it is. B10, too. But the b12 is an unstable child and needs to get bigger by the era of superconferences.

I think adding new television markets is part of it, as well as simply grabbing viable teams before another conference can.

A lot comes down to the fact that these are all men, and men of all ages, professions, and economic statuses still play, "My dick is bigger than yours." They see other conferences grabbing up teams and television markets, and suddenly they also have a need to keep up. As irrational as it may be.

Men in power don't get there by muffling their ambitions and emotions and pride.

[Green Monstah]

I think adding new television markets is part of it, as well as simply grabbing viable teams before another conference can.

A lot comes down to the fact that these are all men, and men of all ages, professions, and economic statuses still play, "My dick is bigger than yours." They see other conferences grabbing up teams and television markets, and suddenly they also have a need to keep up. As irrational as it may be.

Men in power don't get there by muffling their ambitions and emotions and pride.

If i've learned anything the last six months, it's that BYU is never going to be in a BCS conference. SU, you are my master. Teach me your ways.

[Flattop]

I have a feeling I'm going to eat serious crow in my criticisms of the BOT and potentially even that german who flies airplanes and with whom every mormon woman (and many men) are secretly in love.

He was a fighter pilot, enough said.

[Flattop]

So in the past year, BYU has effectively turned down the Big East twice and the B12 once.

What is the status of the B12 now? Does Mizzou get to leave for next season? Has the WV stuff been hashed out with the Big East?

Just because one conference jumps off a cliff doesn't mean the others will, right?

[TripletDaddy]

Everyone? You mean viking and doctorcoug?

I used "everyone" twice, but I think you are referring to the second one.

I think it is fairly common thinking that the B12 has to get back to 12 teams, at least to have the championship game. I don't think anyone really believes the B12 will stay at 10 teams.

This season will be a great example, especially if OSU beats OU but still misses out on the national title game because there is no conference championship game in the final week to help boost rankings.

[Ute]

You could have a playoff with 6 major conferences, but then, you'd have to have voters/computers. With 4 major conferences, you could eliminate voters/computers.

A conference of 16 is really as large as you can have without major scheduling problems. Any bigger and you hardly play most teams. But a conference with four divisions of four teams each means you can play 9 conference games and play everyone either every year or every-other-year. This is also why the Pac-12 was pushing the hardest for it. It would have been able to create a Texas-Oklahoma division, an all-California division, a PNW division, and a 4 corners division. No other conference can create 4X4 so nicely.

This, of course wasn't the Pac-10's main motivation in pursuing Texas, nor the entire reason for conferences to go to 16, but when you start playing around with scheduling and recruiting, these things become more apparent.

[ERCougar]

I wonder if the Big 12 will feel any pressure this next week as all of the other major conferences (I'm not counting BE) are staging their championship games. The national spotlight will be on everyone but them. Even UCLA-Oregon is more interesting than Texas-Baylor.

[TripletDaddy]

I wonder if the Big 12 will feel any pressure this next week as all of the other major conferences (I'm not counting BE) are staging their championship games. The national spotlight will be on everyone but them. Even UCLA-Oregon is more interesting than Texas-Baylor.

OU/OK State.

But I agree with you. In general, they need a championship game.