The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Uncle Ted]

Bedlam is not moving. TCU/Baylor is probably not moving. I don't know how realistic it is to frontload the schedule to avoid rematches.

I don't know... OU would most likely been up for a rematch with Texas this last season.

[Paperback Writer]

Yes and allowing a conference with a round robin schedule to play a conference championship game is so dumb it engenders dumb talk.

Agree. If a conference can hold a CCG with < 12 teams, why expand at all? Which is why I brought up the PAC-12 kicking out Utah and Colorado. The PAC-12 were and still are the losers in the conference expansion sweepstakes. IMO, no way the PAC-10 expands if they can hold a CCG with 10 teams.

Look at the history. The SEC was just fine with 10 teams back in the early 1990s. But they had the foresight to add South Carolina and Arkansas and host the first CCG. At the time, expansion was somewhat risky. If the SEC could have held a CCG without expanding, they would have done just that. And so would have the Big Ten, PAC-12, and probably the ACC. There's no way the Big 12 adds Baylor back in 1996. And now the Big 12 wants to change the rules and play a CCG with < 12 teams? Screw that.

[Uncle Ted]

Agree. If a conference can hold a CCG with < 12 teams, why expand at all? Which is why I brought up the PAC-12 kicking out Utah and Colorado. The PAC-12 were and still are the losers in the conference expansion sweepstakes. IMO, no way the PAC-10 expands if they can hold a CCG with 10 teams.

Look at the history. The SEC was just fine with 10 teams back in the early 1990s. But they had the foresight to add South Carolina and Arkansas and host the first CCG. At the time, expansion was somewhat risky. If the SEC could have held a CCG without expanding, they would have done just that. And so would have the Big Ten, PAC-12, and probably the ACC. There's no way the Big 12 adds Baylor back in 1996. And now the Big 12 wants to change the rules and play a CCG with < 12 teams? Screw that.

Yeah, maybe the Big 12 should go back to the Big 8. All the P5 conferences could use to get rid of some deadweight.

[Uncle Ted]

Good news, Cougar fans. Greg Swaim is on BYU SportsNation right now, and he says the Big12 likely will not expand!

So Greg Swaim had a bunch of tweets up and now they are gone. Here are the tweets:

@GSwaim GREG SWAIM SHOW 2h
#Big12, #B1G negotiating changes to vote, allowing CCG as long as there are divisions. Obviously not good news for fans of expansion.


@GSwaim GREG SWAIM SHOW 2h
I'm probably as disappointed in this news as anyone. Ten teams isn't going to keep #Big12 together, and they'll be poached by other P5.


@GSwaim GREG SWAIM SHOW 2h
If you're an #ISU or #KState fan, you'd better be very worried, as when poaching begins there may be only 8 spots for the 10 #Big12 teams.

He also said BYU's coach came from Navy... what a f*tard:

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[Jeff Lebowski]

Crap. Start getting used to long-term independence status.

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[Omaha 680]

Yep Independence long term. What I don't get is why the conferences are voting the way they are.

The SEC said it will vote against the first two proposals, but appears open to the latest Big Ten amendment: allowing a 10-team conference with round-robin play to stage a championship.

Why is the SEC opposed to two divisions and a championship game, but will vote for a round-robin schedule with a championship game? Is it because the latter is a harder road to the CFP? And why are any of the Power 5 voting to allow a championship game with less than 12 schools in the conference, when that is the rule they had to follow? Are they just keeping the Big 12 weak and unstable at 10 teams so they can lure the prized members away if they want to get bigger?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yep Independence long term. What I don't get is why the conferences are voting the way they are.



Why is the SEC opposed to two divisions and a championship game, but will vote for a round-robin schedule with a championship game? Is it because the latter is a harder road to the CFP? And why are any of the Power 5 voting to allow a championship game with less than 12 schools in the conference, when that is the rule they had to follow? Are they just keeping the Big 12 weak and unstable at 10 teams so they can lure the prized members away if they want to get bigger?

Complete mystery to me.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Ultimately, they are gaining favor with the B-12 for future proposals that they may need support.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Crap. Start getting used to long-term independence status.

You are just realizing this?

[Shaka]

I think this is purely a PR stunt by the Big12 to influence the vote. I still don't see how this proposal changes anything for the other conferences who play with twelve members. Why would they vote to move the fence for the Big12?

[Flystripper]

lame

[Jeff Lebowski]

You are just realizing this?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Ultimately, they are gaining favor with the B-12 for future proposals that they may need support.

That is the only possible explanation.

Can't imagine why they keep calling this a "compromise". Sounds like complete capitulation to what the B12 wants.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Not trolling, I'd love BYU to get into a conference. I'm not sure that's what BYU really wants.

Edit: Sorry I just came out and said it instead of posting every Twitter update from people, like Triplet does. I guess you prefer his sense of subtlety.

[SeattleUte]

Reading this thread makes my blood boil. You all react to your misfortune by lashing out and diminishing others' hard-earned achievements. BYU should look in the mirror. By the way, by all the usual criteria there's no reason why Colorado doesn't belong in a major conference and wouldn't be in one or the other. It's even won a national title in the post-dark ages of national championship games and was not so long ago regularly in the top 5. Denver/Boulder makes Salt Lake or Provo look like villages. Oregon still has never been undefeated or won a national championship. Colorado is waaaaay more deserving of being in a major conference than BYU, and I guarantee that it could today write its own ticket into the Big 12 if it wanted to be there and the whole debate would change. Look at the situation this way--the Big 12 DOESN'T want BYU so badly that it's willing to go to these extreme lengths to seek exceptions and exemptions to the existing rules, risk disfavor when invitations to the Final Four are handed out. Get a clue: The BIG 12 doesn't want you. Sheesh BYU is a stalker.