The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[LiveCoug]

This thread has been hopelessly ruined. It once stirred hope in my heart each time it appeared with new comments. Now I know it will yield nothing but disappointment.

Do what I did... Just think of this thread as exactly what the thread title is saying it is. It's a thread about Big 12 expansion and not necessarily about BYU's chances of getting into the Big 12.

[Babs]

Oh, you mean Doctor City, 1L?
I wonder if there are three doctors in Norman.

ha! I just googled and THERE'S NOT EVEN ANY SUCH THING AS DOCTOR CITY, ILLINOIS!

Besides, I'm not a first-year anymore.

[Green Monstah]

I've lived in the Metroplex for 20+ years and there are similar amounts of college football fans with Houston. Probably fewer LSU fans but more Sooner fans. I disagree with the presumption that TCU could turn into an SEC program anytime soon. Those 20% undecided will probably not hop onto the TCU band wagon unless Texas and Texas A&M fall off a cliff. In my view, Texas seems to be the program picking up the undecided fans despite TCU's comparable success lately. Even Texas Tech seems to have a much stronger fan following than TCU. I don't know why TCU cannot sell out Ammon G. Carter Stadium (44K) while Texas and Texas A&M regularly sell out their stadiums with over twice the capacity despite the opponent.

But I give TCU credit for a quality football program and the ongoing improvements to their stadium. If TCU had the following of Texas or Texas A&M they would have similar interest from the SEC. But the fan support has to occur first not after. It will be interesting to see what occurs when TCU begins playing a Big East schedule in 2012. I think the fan following will improve marginally but the Horned Frogs have a long way to go before they get to the level of Texas or Texas A&M or an SEC program.

I think TCU's best chance at the big time is really getting young people in Dallas excited about Horned Frogs football. SMU will always be more appealing to the Highland Park-type families, but there are hundreds of thousands of other Jr. High and High School kids who could become enamored with TCU.

[Green Monstah]

If half of the "metroplex sports fans" don't claim a college team, I haven't met very many of them. Maybe because it's been a decade since OU has won a national title so all the Sooner car flags have remained in gloveboxes instead of being displayed on metroplex highways (In January 2001, I would have sworn that half the Metroplex were Sooners). Longhorn, Aggie, and Sooner fans easily make up 50% of DFW. And that brings out the fan in everybody else-especially Texas Tech and other Big 12 and SEC fans.

Sure, many (including myself), like to bandwagon with the Mavericks and god forbid if the Cowboys ever get rolling again. But Metroplex fans love their football. High school games are well attended and there's a heafty Cowboy fan base. I don't buy that DFW football fans attend HS games on Friday, take Saturday off, and then cheer for the Cowboys on Sunday. With the Cowboys prolonged struggles, I think college football has grown deeper roots in the Metroplex.

Not to mention all of those horrific losses in BCS bowls.....

[Paperback Writer]

I think TCU's best chance at the big time is really getting young people in Dallas excited about Horned Frogs football. SMU will always be more appealing to the Highland Park-type families, but there are hundreds of thousands of other Jr. High and High School kids who could become enamored with TCU.

Maybe TCU needs to invest in a good PR firm since winning doesn't seem to get them the following the Horned Frogs deserve. I realize it's anecdotical at best, but the teens in my ward who want to be different by adopting a "local" team rather than their parents school (BYU or Utah) all seem to choose the Longhorns or Aggies. I'd love to see one of them wear TCU purple. I tried to get my HS son to see a TCU game in person but there was no interest. We would drive just a far to see a HS games. But that has an obvious LDS slant to it since TCU only appeals to me from a football perspective. I'd probably send a kid away to college to SMU or Baylor before TCU. But that's probably not the case for the typical DFW teen. Perhaps conference affiliation does mean a lot. My HS soon took an interest in Texas Tech because they played more games of interest.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

ha! I just googled and THERE'S NOT EVEN ANY SUCH THING AS DOCTOR CITY, ILLINOIS!

Besides, I'm not a first-year anymore.

Rawr!

[Green Monstah]

ha! I just googled and THERE'S NOT EVEN ANY SUCH THING AS DOCTOR CITY, ILLINOIS!

Besides, I'm not a first-year anymore.

I thought you were done next spring.

2L year was hell for me. I hope it's much better for you.

[Joe Public]

I thought you were done next spring.

2L year was hell for me. I hope it's much better for you.

What's the old saw? Your first year they scare you to death, your second year they work you to death, your third year they bore you to death.

[Babs]

I thought you were done next spring.

2L year was hell for me. I hope it's much better for you.

Thanks, I think. I'm a little concerned about how to juggle everything, and I have to decide whether to start the clerkship process, but I think I'll hang in there okay.

[Uncle Ted]

I've lived in the Metroplex for 20+ years and there are similar amounts of college football fans with Houston. Probably fewer LSU fans but more Sooner fans. I disagree with the presumption that TCU could turn into an SEC program anytime soon. Those 20% undecided will probably not hop onto the TCU band wagon unless Texas and Texas A&M fall off a cliff. In my view, Texas seems to be the program picking up the undecided fans despite TCU's comparable success lately. Even Texas Tech seems to have a much stronger fan following than TCU. I don't know why TCU cannot sell out Ammon G. Carter Stadium (44K) while Texas and Texas A&M regularly sell out their stadiums with over twice the capacity despite the opponent.

But I give TCU credit for a quality football program and the ongoing improvements to their stadium. If TCU had the following of Texas or Texas A&M they would have similar interest from the SEC. But the fan support has to occur first not after. It will be interesting to see what occurs when TCU begins playing a Big East schedule in 2012. I think the fan following will improve marginally but the Horned Frogs have a long way to go before they get to the level of Texas or Texas A&M or an SEC program.

Yes, a case in point was the TCU vs. Oregon State game last year. Even up to a week before the game at Cowboys Stadium only about 30,000 total tickets were sold. I recall they got over 40,000 at that game only after offering $25 last minute tickets. Compare that to the upcoming LSU vs. Oregon game. Just the LSU season ticket holders have already purchased 37,000 tickets to that game. I was hoping to pick up some cheap tickets to this game but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. Even standing room tickets are going for as much as $200. I assume that we'll be seeing more SEC games at JerryWorld.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I was hoping to pick up some cheap tickets to this game but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. Even standing room tickets are going for as much as $200. I assume that we'll be seeing more SEC games at JerryWorld.

I believe Duck fans also bought 30,000 tickets, lol Beavos.

I had no idea tickets were already that expensive, wow I can't play this game again like I did with the BCS tix last Jan. I'm not even going to look what I could sell mine for, just go to the game and enjoy it.

[Surfah]

Interesting thoughts about the Big 6, Notre Dame and BYU breaking away from the NCAA.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...es/07/25/loot/

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Interesting thoughts about the Big 6, Notre Dame and BYU breaking away from the NCAA.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...es/07/25/loot/

Not exactly what it says, but glass half fulling keeps DDD and Live running to the mailbox I guess.

The big six and Notre Dame simply would form their own football league and continue to play the rest of their sports in the NCAA. BYU might also score an invite

[Mormon Red Death]

Apparently Patrick Kinehan mentioned on the radio yesterday the byu coaches are telling recruits they will be joining the big 12 soon.

*Please note I don't listen to Utah sports radio (or any sports radio for that matter) but am relaying information from a utefans.net poster. Hence I can neither confirm nor deny that is what Mr. Kinehan said on the radio. I was just passing along a rumor someone wrote on utefans. Since this is the groundswell thread I thought some here might find it relevant.

[Uncle Ted]

There are some new rumors about A&M going to the SEC circulating around in Big 12/SEC country...

Multiple sources in Texas tell me today that a deal to allow Texas A&M to join the SEC has been agreed to in principle. An additional source – unconfirmed at the moment but typically reliable – tells me all 12 conference members have voted unanimously to accept A&M into the league. Speculation out of Texas has the Aggies playing football in the SEC during the 2012 season, not in 2013 or 2014 as I first heard.