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Originally posted by TripletDaddy
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Sunday night the Big 12 expansion committee meet via teleconference to discuss expansion.
They decided to do nothing.
Well, not exactly nothing they decided to wait until after yesterday's playoff vote and to wait and see what ND decides on conference affiliation.
Expansion was all but dead on Monday but yesterday's playoff vote must have changed a few minds because it appears back on track.
The Big 12 expansion committee plans to meet again either late this week or as soon as members are available after the July 4th holiday.
They seem to have come to an understanding regarding ND (if that was the reason for the delay) and have decided to move ahead.
ND has an invitation to the Big 12 as an associate member. It's up to them to accept it or not.
FSU is a lock for #11 but GT has expressed real interest in the #12 spot and has some support.
There is much doubt about how serious GT is and the only real advantage they have is their appeal to ND.
Clemson is the current favorite for #12 if they can get the necessary votes in the BoT. The playoff format seems to have muddied those waters and its unclear to WVU if BoT members sitting on the fence will move over to the Big 12 camp.
If its not Clemson or GT it will be Maryland.
WVU told me Monday afternoon that they though the Big 12 could take as many as 4 ACC teams (FSU, Clemson, GT and Maryland) but Texas and Oklahoma are against expansion to 14 or 16.
Luck is in favor of adding all 4 -- 2 this year and 2 next, but that's a fight for another time and place.
I'm not sure what to think of Texas and Oklahoma blocking expansion. I really think its just an old fashioned filibuster. Texas and Oklahoma gave into the idea of expansion just appease the rest of the Big 12 but they don't really want to expand. They don't want a championship game and they don't like the idea of 2, 4 or 6 more teams diluting their influence over the conference.
Add FSU, Clemson, GT, Maryland and Louisville and suddenly Texas and Oklahoma are seriously outnumbered.
Not a single person was able to give me a reason for the delay other than ND. Nobody buys into the TV contract argument and nobody buys the "we need to update our bylaws" argument.
There is some thought that what motivated Texas and Oklahoma to cease blocking expansion was the playoff format and their place in the big 4. The format breathed some life into ACC playoff chances and Oliver Luck made the case that the Big 12 should cripple the ACC while it had the chance or risk the ACC taking their place in the big 4 later.
The contract for the champions bowl with the SEC runs only five years and Luck argued that the Pac 12, Big 10 and SEC might see the Big 12's lack of a championship game as an unfair advantage. The move is insurance agains the real possibility that FSU, Clemson and other ACC teams could surpass the Big 12 in time both to take advantage of the ESPN 5-year look-in and the expiration of the champions bowl agreement with the SEC.
Of course this is confidential info from WVU and you guys shouldn't share it with the ACC :- )
They decided to do nothing.
Well, not exactly nothing they decided to wait until after yesterday's playoff vote and to wait and see what ND decides on conference affiliation.
Expansion was all but dead on Monday but yesterday's playoff vote must have changed a few minds because it appears back on track.
The Big 12 expansion committee plans to meet again either late this week or as soon as members are available after the July 4th holiday.
They seem to have come to an understanding regarding ND (if that was the reason for the delay) and have decided to move ahead.
ND has an invitation to the Big 12 as an associate member. It's up to them to accept it or not.
FSU is a lock for #11 but GT has expressed real interest in the #12 spot and has some support.
There is much doubt about how serious GT is and the only real advantage they have is their appeal to ND.
Clemson is the current favorite for #12 if they can get the necessary votes in the BoT. The playoff format seems to have muddied those waters and its unclear to WVU if BoT members sitting on the fence will move over to the Big 12 camp.
If its not Clemson or GT it will be Maryland.
WVU told me Monday afternoon that they though the Big 12 could take as many as 4 ACC teams (FSU, Clemson, GT and Maryland) but Texas and Oklahoma are against expansion to 14 or 16.
Luck is in favor of adding all 4 -- 2 this year and 2 next, but that's a fight for another time and place.
I'm not sure what to think of Texas and Oklahoma blocking expansion. I really think its just an old fashioned filibuster. Texas and Oklahoma gave into the idea of expansion just appease the rest of the Big 12 but they don't really want to expand. They don't want a championship game and they don't like the idea of 2, 4 or 6 more teams diluting their influence over the conference.
Add FSU, Clemson, GT, Maryland and Louisville and suddenly Texas and Oklahoma are seriously outnumbered.
Not a single person was able to give me a reason for the delay other than ND. Nobody buys into the TV contract argument and nobody buys the "we need to update our bylaws" argument.
There is some thought that what motivated Texas and Oklahoma to cease blocking expansion was the playoff format and their place in the big 4. The format breathed some life into ACC playoff chances and Oliver Luck made the case that the Big 12 should cripple the ACC while it had the chance or risk the ACC taking their place in the big 4 later.
The contract for the champions bowl with the SEC runs only five years and Luck argued that the Pac 12, Big 10 and SEC might see the Big 12's lack of a championship game as an unfair advantage. The move is insurance agains the real possibility that FSU, Clemson and other ACC teams could surpass the Big 12 in time both to take advantage of the ESPN 5-year look-in and the expiration of the champions bowl agreement with the SEC.
Of course this is confidential info from WVU and you guys shouldn't share it with the ACC :- )
:texas:
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