The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Paperback Writer]

I agree. And it will suck.

Happened in '96. But we made everyone look like idiots when Sark torched K State.

It will happen again.

BYU defeated a Kansas State team that lost to every ranked opponent it played that season:
10/5/96: Nebraska 39 @KSU 3
11/6/96: @Colorado 12 KSU 0
1/1/97: BYU 19 KSU 15 (Cotton Bowl)

Having stated that, I think BYU had a good chance to defeat Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. I don't think BYU could have defeated any other team that played in a major bowl; or the Holiday Bowl for that matter.

In my view, if BYU manages another undefeated season, they will play in a BCS bowl. Making a BCS Championship game or a 4-team playoff will depend on other undefeated teams and the quality of one-loss teams (as Utah fans can attest).

[BigFatMeanie]

I realize you were talking to Moliere but I answered your question from my perspective.

[San Juan Sun]

I thought Eddie did a really nice job explaining how enjoyable it was to watch a conference race unfold. There was nothing quite like watching SDSU/Wyoming on the Mtn and hoping that they would both lose.

I know I've chimed in plenty on this topic, but I have a few things that I increasingly believe. At the risk of beating a dead horse:

SJS Football realignment Articles of Faith

1. BYU is not poised to join a major conference

2. Nine game conference schedules will make scheduling BYU increasingly more difficult

3. A school cannot subsist on 2:1s alone

4. BYU has little access to the college playoff as an independent, but would have some increased access as a member of a participating conference

5. BYU can play good games we all like (ND, Wisconsin, Texas, Utah, etc.) AND be a member of a conference

6. Certain conferences have shown some flexibilty in allowing member schools their own media deals

7. Wyoming/CSU/UNM for NMSU/Houston/MTSU is a roughly equivalent trade

[Coach McGuirk]

There was nothing quite like watching SDSU/Wyoming on the Mtn and hoping that they would both lose.

I can't think of anything quite like it either. I can however think of endless things that are better, such as last year not giving a shit about them at all and not watching the mtn.

[BigFatMeanie]

I thought Eddie did a really nice job explaining how enjoyable it was to watch a conference race unfold. There was nothing quite like watching SDSU/Wyoming on the Mtn and hoping that they would both lose.

I know I've chimed in plenty on this topic, but I have a few things that I increasingly believe. At the risk of beating a dead horse:

SJS Football realignment Articles of Faith

1. BYU is not poised to join a major conference

2. Nine game conference schedules will make scheduling BYU increasingly more difficult

3. A school cannot subsist on 2:1s alone

4. BYU has little access to the college playoff as an independent, but would have some increased access as a member of a participating conference

5. BYU can play good games we all like (ND, Wisconsin, Texas, Utah, etc.) AND be a member of a conference

6. Certain conferences have shown some flexibilty in allowing member schools their own media deals

7. Wyoming/CSU/UNM for NMSU/Houston/MTSU is a roughly equivalent trade

• Agreed on points 1, 2, and 3.
• Agree from a technical standpoint on point 4, but I believe the actual amount of increased access for non-major conferences (see point 1) is so small as to be negligible. The 4-team playoff candidates are chosen by a selection committee of 20 people. I don't see the balance of power being any different in college football under the 4 team playoff than it has been in the past. The selection committee will go with a 1-loss team from a power conference over a 1-loss team from a non-major conference every day of the week. Non-major conferences really have no better seat at the table than they had before.
• Agree on point 5
• Agree on point 6 but certain conferences don't appear to be extending that flexibility to BYU any time soon.
• Agree on point 7

Thus, given the non-major conferences in their current form with their current TV packages, Indy is still better than joining a non-major conference. There are two possibilities that could cause me to change my opinion. I give you:

BigFatMeanie's Key Conditions for Joining a Non-major Conference

1. A non-major conference extended flexibility to BYU in working out a media deal.

2. The college football playoff was expanded to include either a guaranteed slot to a non-major conference champion or sufficient slots such that a non-major conference champion had a reasonable chance of getting in.

Satisfaction of either one of these conditions would cause me to re-evaluate my opinion on BYU's current Indy status.

[San Juan Sun]

BigFatMeanie's Key Conditions for Joining a Non-major Conference

1. A non-major conference extended flexibility to BYU in working out a media deal.

Totally hypothetical: what if the MWC were to allow BYU to keep the current ESPN deal?

[BigFatMeanie]

Totally hypothetical: what if the MWC were to allow BYU to keep the current ESPN deal?

Do you mean ESPN could televise BYU's games just like they do now, even the conference games? Do you mean BYU gets to keep it's ESPN revenue and not share it (or at least keep a healthy percentage of the ESPN revenue)?

If so, BYU should say "where do we sign?"

[The_Douger]

Do you mean ESPN could televise BYU's games just like they do now, even the conference games? Do you mean BYU gets to keep it's ESPN revenue and not share it (or at least keep a healthy percentage of the ESPN revenue)?

If so, BYU should say "where do we sign?"

When we were trying to move to the WAC, the MWC said no to any special treatment for BYU like BYU keeping basketball and non-revs to the MWC and to a scheduling agreement in football.

Then they turned around and gave Boise special treatment when they crawled back after the Big East debacle, so Boise will have the chance to make more than the rest of the schools because they're the most attractive TV option.

I have yet to see a game that we've scheduled that we couldn't schedule as a member of the MWC, but I am not sure I really want to play all of those schools on equal terms.

[YOhio]

The only chance BYU seems to have at this point is if the College Football Playoff requires the Big 12 to have a championship game and/or 12 members. At that point it seems like the only credible expansion options are UConn, Cincinnati, USF, UCF, Boise, Houston, SMU and BYU. It seems like the Big12 would logically look east to get WVU off the island they're on. It seems that we have try to make Indie work or move back to the MWac. This sucks so bad.

[YOhio]

Also, I'd like to remind everyone that Goatnapper'96 was wrong in this thread when he insisted that BYU was going to end up in the Big12. He called everyone who disagreed with him all kinds of foul names like "stringpuller" and worse.

[creekster]

The only chance BYU seems to have at this point is if the College Football Playoff requires the Big 12 to have a championship game and/or 12 members. At that point it seems like the only credible expansion options are UConn, Cincinnati, USF, UCF, Boise, Houston, SMU and BYU. It seems like the Big12 would logically look east to get WVU off the island they're on. It seems that we have try to make Indie work or move back to the MWac. This sucks so bad.

I wonder if somewhere VIking is spinning some sort of high reward but low probability scenario that could help us feel better?

[San Juan Sun]

Speculative, but interesting:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...st-partnership

[Blueintheface]

Also, I'd like to remind everyone that Goatnapper'96 was wrong in this thread when he insisted that BYU was going to end up in the Big12. He called everyone who disagreed with him all kinds of foul names like "stringpuller" and worse.

He is going to remind you shortly that the end of days is not upon us yet. It sure feels that way though. :livecoug:

[YOhio]

He is going to remind you shortly that the end of days is not upon us yet. It sure feels that way though. :livecoug:

I'm sure his reminder will do a lot of good. The guy is wrong on just about everything. The reason he always closes his posts with a shout out to boobs is because its pretty much the only thing he's ever been right about.

[SoCalCoug]

Speculative, but interesting:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...st-partnership

What's in it for the Pac 12?