The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[falafel]

Texas AD DeLoss Dodds told me the UT staff "is working on 20 names" for possible replacements for Texas A&M.

http://twitter.com/#!/kbohls/status/102130355380830208

20 names?

[Uncle Ted]

http://twitter.com/#!/kbohls/status/102130355380830208

20 names?

I take it he doesn't want to remain at nine teams in the Big 12.

[falafel]

I take it he doesn't want to remain at nine teams in the Big 12.

Or 12 teams, apparently. The Big 29!

[creekster]

What does BYU have to lose? If the Big 12 dies then they might have to go back to being an independent. OK.

What does BYU have to gain? A better Oct/Nov schedule for football and a very good basketball conference to play in. Edit: Also, a path to a national championship game.

BYU made its short term bed with ESPN so I am guessing a lot will depend on what ESPN thinks about this.

[Paperback Writer]

The Big 12 Commissioner UT AD, Deloss Dodds gives his opinion...

Well, if DeLoss likes the number 10 best, then 10 it shall be. BYU fans should rejoice at this number...the number 10.

I just find it amuzing (but not surprising) that DeLoss Dodds is being quoted and not his puppet Dan Beebe. Dodds could at least give Beebe the cue cards and let him do the talking to at least give the impression that he is the conference commissioner and in charge. To review: in the PAC-12 there's Larry Scott; in the SEC there's Mike Slive; in the Big Ten there's Jim Delany; and in the Big 12 there's Dan Beebe DeLoss Dodds (as Uncle Ted pointed out).

I find it ironic and hypocritical that now UT and OU are all against a conference championship game because it makes it more difficult to win a national championship. Back when the Big 12 was formed they both voted for a conference championship game. The vote was 11-1 with the lone dissenter being Nebraska. The Huskers had just won back-to-back national championships and wanted the momentum to continue. The Longhorns and Sooners were struggling so playing for a national title was not much of a reality. Now that the Big 12 CG has bit the Longhorns in 2001 and almost again in 2009 and nearly bit the Sooners in 2003; they don't want it. And it bit Nebraska earlier than OU and UT in 1996. To be fair, all three teams have won a national title while playing a Big 12 CG.

[Jeff Lebowski]

BYU made its short term bed with ESPN so I am guessing a lot will depend on what ESPN thinks about this.

No worries. DeLoss Dodds runs ESPN too.

[EuropeanFootballMale]

Would BYU really consider not accepting this? Really? That seems unthinkable to me.

[statman]

Would BYU really consider not accepting this? Really? That seems unthinkable to me.

If it included all sports, BYU would be crazy not to join. The bball money from big12 would be significant. The MC would sell out for nearly every conference game, and BYU would become a notoriously difficult place for good teams to have to travel to. not that it really isn't a hard place to play already. It's just that so few good teams travel here.

[Babs]

Barry Tramel hates Houston, all over BYUs tip

http://blog.newsok.com/berrytramel/2...s-no-solution/

It's Berry Trammel, the same one in ERCoug's sig. He's been pushing BYU for a long time, and still can't wrap his head around why the Pac went with Utah.

[USUC]

Realistically though, how does the Sunday play issue turn the remaining Big 12 teams off? I know they play quite a few non football sports on Sundays. I never know what to think of the no Sunday play issue. Some people make it out to be a big deal, others say its easy to schedule around. I dunno.

[Uncle Ted]

No worries. DeLoss Dodds runs ESPN too.

[Uncle Ted]

Commissioner Dodds short list of TAMU replacements...

Top names UT, I mean Big 12, will consider from several sources: Notre Dame, BYU, Air Force in that order.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Some guy named Tarpley from the A&M Rivals site was just on the radio, while I'm stuck in post game traffic. He said the other name being brought up by "those in the know" at A&M as joining them in the SEC is North Carolina.

That would be a "wow" moment if true.

[Surfah]

Some guy named Tarpley from the A&M Rivals site was just on the radio, while I'm stuck in post game traffic. He said the other name being brought up by "those in the know" at A&M as joining them in the SEC is North Carolina.

That would be a "wow" moment if true.

And abandon Duke? I can't believe they'd do that.

[Portland Ute]

And abandon Duke? I can't believe they'd do that.

It wouldn't be the first time that a state school abandoned an uppity private school for greener pastures.