The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Pelado]

Does anyone know where I can buy some B12 stickers?

I mean B12!!...ooo! I think it moved!!

Here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25456742923...evt=1&mkcid=28

[myboynoah]

In case you're yet unaware, Message Board Geniuses is a fun Twitter follow.

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[Pelado]

https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ources-confirm

BYU, Houston, UCF and Cincinnati are planning to submit applications next week to join the Big 12, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

The schools could be approved for admission as early as a Sept. 10 meeting of Big 12 presidents, according to Sports Illustrated, which first reported the story.

"Things are moving very quickly," one source told ESPN on Friday. "There's obvious momentum to get votes to the board."

American Athletic Conference bylaws require schools to give a 27-month notice before they leave and pay a $10 million buyout fee. In that scenario, joining by the 2023 season would be a long shot, but an earlier exit and higher buyout could be negotiated. The most realistic timeline, sources said, is 2024.

Oklahoma and Texas have said they will honor their grant-of-rights agreement before joining the SEC on July 1, 2025. If that holds true, it's possible the Big 12 operates as a 14-team conference for a year, with the new members competing alongside the outgoing conference co-founders. It's also possible BYU, an FBS independent, joins the Big 12 before the American schools.

[BlueK]

The mainstream media sources are sounding increasingly certain now. That wasn't ever the case before. Not the same as a Tuxedo Yoda or random WV dude saying it.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ti/5721822001/

[Pelado]

The mainstream media sources are sounding increasingly certain now. That wasn't ever the case before. Not the same as a Tuxedo Yoda or random WV dude.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ti/5721822001/

I like how they frame things:

BYU is a historic power that currently plays as a Football Bowl Subdivision independent.

While BYU has national appeal, the three additions from the American would push the Big 12 into large markets in Ohio and Florida and give the league a foothold back in the Houston market.

[BlueK]

I like how they frame things:

The national appeal is more important. But SLC is also a larger TV market than Cincinnati.

https://mediatracks.com/resources/ni...rankings-2021/

[Sleeping in EQ]

This is the time. It's going to happen.

[Uncle Ted]

This is the time. It's going to happen.

Yes, indeed. The football rich recruiting fields of the Big 12 country are white and already to harvest. Get ready for BYUs football talent cup to overflow with the players we are going to get.

[BlueK]

Yes, indeed. The football rich recruiting fields of the Big 12 country are white and already to harvest. Get ready for BYUs football talent cup to overflow with the players we are going to get.

It will also mean a lot fewer who commit to BYU early changing their minds later as the P5s show interest.

[myboynoah]

Okay, so with that win, we can focus on how this unfolds. I read that Tom needs to submit some kind of application. I hope he doesn't miss the deadline.

[Clark Addison]

Okay, so with that win, we can focus on how this unfolds. I read that Tom needs to submit some kind of application. I hope he doesn't miss the deadline.

Does he need help with the essay?

[Bo Diddley]

Does he need help with the essay?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Does he need help with the essay?

The essay is the key to admission!

[Bo Diddley]

Man I hope he has a good thesis statement.

[UVACoug]

I have mixed feelings on this, but I think joining the Big 12 is probably the right way to go. The three other additions, while perhaps not sexy, have shown a lot of promise in football and basketball over the last decade. They seem like the right picks. I think the new conference will be pretty competitive and should be able to get a team or two into an expanded playoff every year (if that ends up happening, which it inevitably will ... it makes too much sense, economically, to pass up). The TV draw will not be what it was with UT/OU, but if the performance on the field keeps up, I think it will remain acceptable and should be an improvement to BYU's revenue. Basketball should be awesome.

As far as football pedigree goes, BYU will immediately be near the top of the conference. While 1984 was a long time ago, it will be only one of two national championships in football that the new conference members will have and the first since 1938 (TCU). Being in the Big 12 will improve our chances of getting into a playoff or even title game, which is probably most important to me.

While the disintegration of the old Big 12 over the last 10-15 years is concerning, and part of me feels like it might be better to stick with independence until everything settles down a bit, I don't think there is much incentive for other conferences to poach any of the remaining members (except for maybe Kansas, which would suck). It's probably better to be proactive and get our foot in the door now. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more realignment in the future, but being in the Big 12 for a while may put us in a better position than if we remain independent. It certainly would if we can't get better schedules than we currently have from 2024 onward.

It would have been nice to be in the Big 12 with Texas and Oklahoma, but their exit may be a blessing in disguise. It's hard to know exactly what happened, but from what I have read, it seems like Texas and OU were the biggest factors in preventing further Big 12 expansion after TCU was added. They really screwed over their conference mates by holding the Big 12 back after the last round of realignment and then bolting when a sweet offer came. Part of me wonders if this wasn't all part of a long-term plan by them.

It will take a few years for BYU to adjust to being in the new conference, but I think we'll see BYU become one of the big dogs in the conference before too long. That will be better than being subject to the whims of ego driven programs like Texas and Oklahoma.