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Originally posted by kccougar
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There is a five-member Big 12 expansion committee being headed by Missouri's chancellor and includes Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione and Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds.
The two names I keep hearing at the moment are BYU and Pittsburgh. BYU makes sense because ESPN has the Cougars' television contract, and ABC/ESPN is also the Tier 1 rights holder in the Big 12. But BYU may be perfect as an independent because of its ties to the Church of Later Day Saints and its policies prohibiting the Cougars from athletic competition on Sundays.
Two sources told me today Pittsburgh continues to move up as a Big 12 target, and may even be moving into the lead. Pitt AD Steve Pederson is sending out signals the Panthers are content in the Big East.
But Pittsburgh would bring football and basketball tradition to the Big 12 as well as a large television market in the northeast. Considering Pitt makes about $8 million per year currently in TV revenue, the Panthers would probably love the upgrade in pay in the Big 12 (to between $17 million and $20 million) starting next year - as long as the Big 12 is still together at that point.
The Big East has a television contract renegotiation coming up in the next year and already has plans to add TCU. But the Big East could become vulnerable if the SEC starts to look elsewhere to add more schools (more on that in a minute).
The two names I keep hearing at the moment are BYU and Pittsburgh. BYU makes sense because ESPN has the Cougars' television contract, and ABC/ESPN is also the Tier 1 rights holder in the Big 12. But BYU may be perfect as an independent because of its ties to the Church of Later Day Saints and its policies prohibiting the Cougars from athletic competition on Sundays.
Two sources told me today Pittsburgh continues to move up as a Big 12 target, and may even be moving into the lead. Pitt AD Steve Pederson is sending out signals the Panthers are content in the Big East.
But Pittsburgh would bring football and basketball tradition to the Big 12 as well as a large television market in the northeast. Considering Pitt makes about $8 million per year currently in TV revenue, the Panthers would probably love the upgrade in pay in the Big 12 (to between $17 million and $20 million) starting next year - as long as the Big 12 is still together at that point.
The Big East has a television contract renegotiation coming up in the next year and already has plans to add TCU. But the Big East could become vulnerable if the SEC starts to look elsewhere to add more schools (more on that in a minute).
I have to agree with him on this one.
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