The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[YOhio]

You want a double standard? Be a Ute fan on this board.

So picked on!!!

[Portland Ute]

You want deets? Here's a morsel. I chat with a California contact most fridays, so have at it:

Unsurprisingly, BYU is being courted by the BEAST right now, who believes they can go to ten schools and preserve revenues.

This would include olympic sports, which given the BEAST is technically expanding, we can exit our WCC deal. It's a step up from indy, step up from the MWC, HUGE olympic sport step-up.

In addition, ND will sign a multi-year 1:1 with BYU. ND is not interested in the B12, from what I understand, but this sounds more like opinion than "info". It's not a fit for them, as it follows. ND is ND. They don't need anyone and are committed to the BEAST's strength.

I still think there's a chance non-olympic goes to B12 for ND. But this is an alternative route I'm relaying.


West Division:
BYU
BSU
AFA
HOU
SMU

East Div:
Cincy
UCF
RU
UCONN
UL

I still think B12 picks BYU but they will lose out unless they move. I think the B12 guys are smart enough to know this, but I also know that BYU isn't going to sit around.

Odds? Only a little more than 50% in favor of the B12, ultimately. BEAST is very likely, but less than 50%

How is that conference any better than the MWC?

[falafel]

How is that conference any better than the MWC?

No Wyoming, no UNLV, no UNM, no CSU.

[UtahJazzFan88]

How is that conference any better than the MWC?

Easy access into a BCS game without going undefeated.

[lambdacoug]

No Wyoming, no UNLV, no UNM, no CSU.

Rutgers, UCONN, UCF and SMU are not very compelling replacements for those teams. Except UNM, any team would be a compelling replacement for UNM...

[Flattop]

So picked on!!!

Don't make me sick LA Ute on you.

[Flystripper]

As much as I want to see BYU join an AQ conference, that version of the Big East seems like a pretty mild step up from the MWC, and would certainly be the worst of the AQ conferences. But maybe that would be a good thing, inasmuch as it would allow BCS berths to be had just for beating down that mediocre conference (cf. UCONN last year).

I do love the idea of a BYU-ND rivalry, even though I think BYU would lose that one about 80%.

better than Indy but that is about it. Not very exciting.

[falafel]

Rutgers, UCONN, UCF and SMU are not very compelling replacements for those teams. Except UNM, any team would be a compelling replacement for UNM...

UCONN went to the Fiesta Bowl last year (where they were blown out by OU). Rutgers finished 6th in the BCS standings in 2006 and went to bowl games from 2005-2009.

UCF has been a top 25 team in the last few years. The Knights were the 2005, 2007 and 2010 C-USA Eastern Division Champions, the 2007 and 2010 Conference USA Champions, and have appeared in four bowl games, in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010. (lifted straight from wiki).

SMU hasn't been great, but at least they went to the C-USA conference championship game last year. When was the last time Wyo, UNLV, CSU or UNM competed for the MWC title?

[lambdacoug]

UCONN went to the Fiesta Bowl* last year (where they were blown out by OU). Rutgers finished 6th in the BCS standings in 2006 and went to bowl games from 2005-2009*.

* - They played in the worst BCS conference which was worse than the MWC.

Granted, they did actually win games in the BE, whereas WY, UNM, CSU and UNLV can't seem to do that in the MWC. So, I agree they are better, just not very compelling.

[Flystripper]

Viking don't let DDD deter you! Keep posting more stuff!

[falafel]

* - They played in the worst BCS conference which was worse than the MWC.

Granted, they did actually win games in the BE, whereas WY, UNM, CSU and UNLV can't seem to do that in the MWC. So, I agree they are better, just not very compelling.

We can largely agree. However, the BCS standings should temper some of your argument against Rutgers. The automatic BCS birth that UCONN received last year can't be defended much because the BE was not good.

[Viking]

Viking don't let DDD deter you! Keep posting more stuff!

The DDD shtick is tiresome.

Every 100th post or so, he posts like a real guy as opposed to a caricature of his quotidien self and seems like a likeable person.

[venkman]

Question on the proposed BEast:

Why two five team divisions? That's a 10 member football conference, couldn't you play every team every year? Don't you need two six team divisions?

[LiveCoug]

Question on the proposed BEast:

Why two five team divisions? That's a 10 member football conference, couldn't you play every team every year? Don't you need two six team divisions?

He left out USF and then probably Navy.

[Eddie]

So picked on!!!

Yeah, I was curious about that double standard myself?!?

Don't make me sick LA Ute on you.

Oh...this must be it...BYU fans don't have LA Ute to sic on people...