Big 12 expansion talk... if Big12 takes 4...Tulane could be on that list...
- Thread starter WVU82
- Start date
http://www.sunherald.com/latest-news/article76274172.html
May 7, 2016
Big 12 inches closer to expansion; AAC, C-USA brace for impact
The Big 12 took one step closer this week to adding two schools and again becoming a 12-team conference, inspiring more anxiety for the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA.
Big 12 officials were presented data from a study that showed that the conference can increase its chances of reaching the College Football Playoff if it expands to 12 teams and creates a conference title game, according to CBSsports.com.
It's not a certainty that the Big 12 expands this year, but commissioner Bob Bowlsby and several members of the conference are trying to push the league in that direction.
If the Big 12 expands, the two most likely candidates appear to be BYU, an independent program, and Cincinnati of the AAC. Memphis, Central Florida, South Florida, UConn and Houston are other AAC schools considered to be among the field of potential additions.
In the event that the AAC loses one school to the Big 12, it would be forced to replace that member. If the AAC loses two teams, it may sit still at 10 members.
The debate on which program the AAC may pursue is wide open, but there aren't many ideal options to join the conference after it relied heavily on C-USA to restock its membership in the past.
However, there are a pair of independent schools that have been mentioned as potential AAC candidates - UMass and Army.
UMass should get a look due to its location in a good market on the East Coast and a strong basketball program, but the football program only has eight wins total since moving to FBS in 2012. Football still plays an outside role in conference expansion and the UMass program has been a failure to this point.
Ralph Russo, who covers college football for the Associated Press, said this week that he believes the addition of Army would be the "ideal situation."
While Army would bring added prestige and make the Army-Navy rivalry an in-house production for the AAC, you only have to look at Army's experience in C-USA from 1998-2005 to realize how difficult of a leap that would be. Army was 17-74 during that stretch and couldn't hang with C-USA mates like Southern Miss, Cincinnati, Memphis, Tulane and UAB. It's hard to see the Black Knights doing much better this time around and Army may simply decline an invitation if presented one.
Eyes on C-USA
Again, the AAC could return to its old Conference USA recruiting grounds for a new member.
With the loss of a school like Cincinnati or Memphis, the addition of Southern Miss would be a quick fix for football in the AAC. USM, which is coming off a 9-5 season, has the most dedicated fan base in C-USA and leads the conference all-time with five football league titles.
The lack of a large market hinders USM, but the next round of conference expansion may not have as much to do with the market grab that dominated realignment from 2010-14. As more people drop their cable TV subscriptions, it's more important to have an engaged fan base rather than a school that's still trying to build a following.
USM's basketball program is in a bad spot thanks to the NCAA investigation of Donnie Tyndall's time at the school from 2012-14. USM also badly needs a basketball facility upgrade, but there's reason to believe that an AAC invite would spur investment in basketball.
Old Dominion, Florida Atlantic and Texas-San Antonio may be USM's best competition for AAC inclusion in C-USA.
ODU leads that group of three thanks to its top 50 TV market in the Norfolk, Va., area and strong fan support. The Monarchs have a solid basketball program and a nice arena, but it lacks a quality football stadium. Plans to build a new stadium continue to drag on and the team plays in an antiquated 20,000-seat facility. The school recently shot down a private proposal for a modest 25,000-seat stadium.
ODU has a lot of things going for it, but the sluggish approach to investing in football is not a good look. The Monarchs also have ground to make up in order to compete in the AAC after moving up to FBS in 2014.
The money game
In accordance with a new Virginia state law, ODU is going through a phase where it is gradually weaning itself off a heavy reliance on student fees. ODU funded 73 percent of its athletic budget with student fees in 2012-13, according to the The Virginian-Pilot. That number is gradually being cut to 55 percent to meet the state's edict as ODU increasingly relies more on private funding and ticket revenue.
Student subsidies make up only 36.7 percent of USM's athletic budget of $24.5 million, according to a USA Today database. ODU has the largest athletic budget in C-USA at $42.7 million, giving the Monarchs an advantage over USM.
As for the other two C-USA schools mentioned in relation to the AAC, FAU lacks badly in fan support and UTSA lags way behind in facilities for sports other than football.
School officials at places like Memphis, Cincinnati and Southern Miss are doing their best to put themselves in a good position if the Big 12 does move. USM athletic director Bill McGillis was at the AAC basketball tournament in Orlando in March while the Cincinnati Enquirer and Memphis Commercial-Appeal have reported on campaigns by their local schools to market themselves to the Big 12.
All involved are waiting to see if the Big 12 moves forward with expansion. Without that, all parties will simply stay put.
May 7, 2016
Big 12 inches closer to expansion; AAC, C-USA brace for impact
The Big 12 took one step closer this week to adding two schools and again becoming a 12-team conference, inspiring more anxiety for the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA.
Big 12 officials were presented data from a study that showed that the conference can increase its chances of reaching the College Football Playoff if it expands to 12 teams and creates a conference title game, according to CBSsports.com.
It's not a certainty that the Big 12 expands this year, but commissioner Bob Bowlsby and several members of the conference are trying to push the league in that direction.
If the Big 12 expands, the two most likely candidates appear to be BYU, an independent program, and Cincinnati of the AAC. Memphis, Central Florida, South Florida, UConn and Houston are other AAC schools considered to be among the field of potential additions.
In the event that the AAC loses one school to the Big 12, it would be forced to replace that member. If the AAC loses two teams, it may sit still at 10 members.
The debate on which program the AAC may pursue is wide open, but there aren't many ideal options to join the conference after it relied heavily on C-USA to restock its membership in the past.
However, there are a pair of independent schools that have been mentioned as potential AAC candidates - UMass and Army.
UMass should get a look due to its location in a good market on the East Coast and a strong basketball program, but the football program only has eight wins total since moving to FBS in 2012. Football still plays an outside role in conference expansion and the UMass program has been a failure to this point.
Ralph Russo, who covers college football for the Associated Press, said this week that he believes the addition of Army would be the "ideal situation."
While Army would bring added prestige and make the Army-Navy rivalry an in-house production for the AAC, you only have to look at Army's experience in C-USA from 1998-2005 to realize how difficult of a leap that would be. Army was 17-74 during that stretch and couldn't hang with C-USA mates like Southern Miss, Cincinnati, Memphis, Tulane and UAB. It's hard to see the Black Knights doing much better this time around and Army may simply decline an invitation if presented one.
Eyes on C-USA
Again, the AAC could return to its old Conference USA recruiting grounds for a new member.
With the loss of a school like Cincinnati or Memphis, the addition of Southern Miss would be a quick fix for football in the AAC. USM, which is coming off a 9-5 season, has the most dedicated fan base in C-USA and leads the conference all-time with five football league titles.
The lack of a large market hinders USM, but the next round of conference expansion may not have as much to do with the market grab that dominated realignment from 2010-14. As more people drop their cable TV subscriptions, it's more important to have an engaged fan base rather than a school that's still trying to build a following.
USM's basketball program is in a bad spot thanks to the NCAA investigation of Donnie Tyndall's time at the school from 2012-14. USM also badly needs a basketball facility upgrade, but there's reason to believe that an AAC invite would spur investment in basketball.
Old Dominion, Florida Atlantic and Texas-San Antonio may be USM's best competition for AAC inclusion in C-USA.
ODU leads that group of three thanks to its top 50 TV market in the Norfolk, Va., area and strong fan support. The Monarchs have a solid basketball program and a nice arena, but it lacks a quality football stadium. Plans to build a new stadium continue to drag on and the team plays in an antiquated 20,000-seat facility. The school recently shot down a private proposal for a modest 25,000-seat stadium.
ODU has a lot of things going for it, but the sluggish approach to investing in football is not a good look. The Monarchs also have ground to make up in order to compete in the AAC after moving up to FBS in 2014.
The money game
In accordance with a new Virginia state law, ODU is going through a phase where it is gradually weaning itself off a heavy reliance on student fees. ODU funded 73 percent of its athletic budget with student fees in 2012-13, according to the The Virginian-Pilot. That number is gradually being cut to 55 percent to meet the state's edict as ODU increasingly relies more on private funding and ticket revenue.
Student subsidies make up only 36.7 percent of USM's athletic budget of $24.5 million, according to a USA Today database. ODU has the largest athletic budget in C-USA at $42.7 million, giving the Monarchs an advantage over USM.
As for the other two C-USA schools mentioned in relation to the AAC, FAU lacks badly in fan support and UTSA lags way behind in facilities for sports other than football.
School officials at places like Memphis, Cincinnati and Southern Miss are doing their best to put themselves in a good position if the Big 12 does move. USM athletic director Bill McGillis was at the AAC basketball tournament in Orlando in March while the Cincinnati Enquirer and Memphis Commercial-Appeal have reported on campaigns by their local schools to market themselves to the Big 12.
All involved are waiting to see if the Big 12 moves forward with expansion. Without that, all parties will simply stay put.
http://pilotonline.com/sports/colle...cle_31f93f46-25de-541f-ac5c-2e7c6f566cea.html
Big 12 expansion could give ODU an opening to a bigger, better conference
The Big 12 is mulling expansion, and if it decides to grow, it could provide an opening for ODU to move to the American Athletic Conference.
When asked whether ODU would be interested in the AAC, athletic director Wood Selig replied that he is happy in Conference USA and that the school is focused on trying to become as competitive as it can be.
Artfully said. ODU was grateful when C-USA invited the Monarchs to join in 2012, a move that allowed them to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision. C-USA officials have been sensitive when ODU has voiced concerns and school President John Broderick chairs the league’s board of directors.
But there’s not a school in the league that would turn down an invitation from the AAC. It has a much higher profile and is the ultimate destination for any member of a mid-major football league.
Southern Mississippi appears to be lobbying to move up, according to media reports. ODU is not. I spoke with officials at two AAC schools who said they have not heard from ODU, even as the league is doing due diligence on potential candidates.
---see graph @ link ---
mooooo has 14k students... way down on the pecking order...
very easy to see who gets selected just by looking at the athletic budgets... again the mooooooo way down the list
CBSsports.com senior columnist Dennis Dodd recently broke the news that the Big 12 is seriously contemplating expansion. He indicated that a decision will be made by the end of the summer.
It appears likely the Big 12 would invite Brigham Young, a football independent, and one school from the AAC, with Cincinnati, Houston, Central Florida or Connecticut the most likely candidates.
Adding Cincy or UConn would give West Virginia an eastern rival, and BYU would enhance the league’s football TV package.
The AAC would then likely do what it’s done nine times in recent years: replace its loss by snagging a C-USA school.
Although one official told me UConn has been pushing for the league to add the University of Massachusetts, I think ODU also likely would be on the AAC’s short list.
It’s difficult to overstate what membership in the AAC would mean for ODU. The Monarchs would join a league with three schools within a five-hour drive: East Carolina, Navy and Temple. Think about what yearly games with the Pirates, Mids and Owls would do to ticket demand.
The AAC had two teams in the top 25 last season, including No. 8 Houston, which finished 13-1 and beat Florida State 38-24 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Eight of the 12 AAC teams went to bowls.
And football may not be the league’s strongest sport. The AAC claimed four bids to the NCAA basketball tournament (C-USA had one). UConn owns a national championship. Coach Larry Brown has rejuvenated SMU’s program, and Temple is a longtime national power. The UConn women will almost certainly win another national championship next week.
Games with UConn, Memphis and Temple at the Constant Center would become instant sellouts.
Big 12 expansion could give ODU an opening to a bigger, better conference
The Big 12 is mulling expansion, and if it decides to grow, it could provide an opening for ODU to move to the American Athletic Conference.
When asked whether ODU would be interested in the AAC, athletic director Wood Selig replied that he is happy in Conference USA and that the school is focused on trying to become as competitive as it can be.
Artfully said. ODU was grateful when C-USA invited the Monarchs to join in 2012, a move that allowed them to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision. C-USA officials have been sensitive when ODU has voiced concerns and school President John Broderick chairs the league’s board of directors.
But there’s not a school in the league that would turn down an invitation from the AAC. It has a much higher profile and is the ultimate destination for any member of a mid-major football league.
Southern Mississippi appears to be lobbying to move up, according to media reports. ODU is not. I spoke with officials at two AAC schools who said they have not heard from ODU, even as the league is doing due diligence on potential candidates.
---see graph @ link ---
mooooo has 14k students... way down on the pecking order...
very easy to see who gets selected just by looking at the athletic budgets... again the mooooooo way down the list
CBSsports.com senior columnist Dennis Dodd recently broke the news that the Big 12 is seriously contemplating expansion. He indicated that a decision will be made by the end of the summer.
It appears likely the Big 12 would invite Brigham Young, a football independent, and one school from the AAC, with Cincinnati, Houston, Central Florida or Connecticut the most likely candidates.
Adding Cincy or UConn would give West Virginia an eastern rival, and BYU would enhance the league’s football TV package.
The AAC would then likely do what it’s done nine times in recent years: replace its loss by snagging a C-USA school.
Although one official told me UConn has been pushing for the league to add the University of Massachusetts, I think ODU also likely would be on the AAC’s short list.
It’s difficult to overstate what membership in the AAC would mean for ODU. The Monarchs would join a league with three schools within a five-hour drive: East Carolina, Navy and Temple. Think about what yearly games with the Pirates, Mids and Owls would do to ticket demand.
The AAC had two teams in the top 25 last season, including No. 8 Houston, which finished 13-1 and beat Florida State 38-24 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Eight of the 12 AAC teams went to bowls.
And football may not be the league’s strongest sport. The AAC claimed four bids to the NCAA basketball tournament (C-USA had one). UConn owns a national championship. Coach Larry Brown has rejuvenated SMU’s program, and Temple is a longtime national power. The UConn women will almost certainly win another national championship next week.
Games with UConn, Memphis and Temple at the Constant Center would become instant sellouts.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/football/article77822372.html
Charlotte 49ers prepared if conference realignment dominoes begin to fall
Rumblings of potential conference realignment are being felt again in college sports and Charlotte 49ers athletics director Judy Rose is closely monitoring the situation.
“At the moment, there’s a lot of speculation and it seems to change every day,” Rose said to the Observer in an email. “We have to be alert, of course, and aware of what’s going on.”
The latest potential conference realignment and expansion news is emanating from the 10-team Big 12, which is considering increasing to 12 teams, primarily so it can have a football championship game similar to the Football Bowl Subdivision’s other “Power Five” leagues – the ACC, SEC, Big 10 and Pac-12. Big 12 officials believe a title game would improve the league’s chances each season of landing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
While Charlotte isn’t considered a potential expansion candidate for the Big 12, the 49ers could be impacted by any movement in and around their current league, Conference USA.
“If (the Big 12) decide(s) to expand, there will be a trickle down and in some form or fashion it will impact our conference and each of the schools,” said Rose. “So, yes we have to pay close attention.”
Charlotte has been down this road before.
Three years ago, the 49ers moved from the non-football Atlantic 10 – where they had been members since 2005 – to Conference USA, which plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The 49ers, who started football in 2013, originally planned on playing in the Football Championship Subdivision indefinitely. But the 49ers were offered a spot in C-USA after it lost schools such as Memphis, Houston, Central Florida, Southern Methodist, Tulane and Tulsa to the newly formed American Athletic Conference.
If the Big 12 elects to expand, there is speculation that several schools in what are now “Group of Five” conferences might be candidates. Among them: the AAC’s Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston, Connecticut and Central Florida; and the Mountain West’s Colorado State. Football-independent Brigham Young is also reportedly interested.
Should any of those AAC schools move to the Big 12, could Charlotte be a possible “trickle-down” replacement in what might be a more attractive league? With the lack of football no longer a barrier, the 49ers would offer the country’s 22nd-largest television market, excellent facilities, a strong recruiting base, as well as an instant rival for current AAC member East Carolina.
The AAC’s football and men’s basketball profiles are also higher than Conference USA’s. The AAC’s basketball RPI ranked eighth nationally last season; C-USA’s was 22nd. As many as three AAC football teams (Memphis, Temple and Houston) spent time in the top 25 last season.
Another possible factor for Rose to consider might be C-USA’s television revenues, which reportedly are decreasing by more than 50 percent after current contracts expire this summer. According to the Virginian Pilot, rights fees from Fox Sports, the American Sports Network and the CBS Sports Network will shrink from $1.17 million to between $300,000 and $400,000 per school. C-USA’s existing deal was negotiated before national basketball powers such as Memphis and Southern Methodist left the league for the AAC, which has a television deal worth a reported $2 million per school annually.
There is even bigger thinking for the 49ers in some quarters. A recent column on ESPN.com suggested Charlotte would be a good addition to – believe it or not – the SEC if the FBS were to be trimmed to include only five 16-team leagues.
“… Would (the SEC) consider rolling the dice on a fledgling like Charlotte?” wrote Ryan McGee, a Charlotte resident. “It’s a big media market located just up the road from South Carolina, a school the ACC wants nothing to do with, and the home of SEC Network HQ. Just sayin …”
Charlotte 49ers prepared if conference realignment dominoes begin to fall
Rumblings of potential conference realignment are being felt again in college sports and Charlotte 49ers athletics director Judy Rose is closely monitoring the situation.
“At the moment, there’s a lot of speculation and it seems to change every day,” Rose said to the Observer in an email. “We have to be alert, of course, and aware of what’s going on.”
The latest potential conference realignment and expansion news is emanating from the 10-team Big 12, which is considering increasing to 12 teams, primarily so it can have a football championship game similar to the Football Bowl Subdivision’s other “Power Five” leagues – the ACC, SEC, Big 10 and Pac-12. Big 12 officials believe a title game would improve the league’s chances each season of landing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
While Charlotte isn’t considered a potential expansion candidate for the Big 12, the 49ers could be impacted by any movement in and around their current league, Conference USA.
“If (the Big 12) decide(s) to expand, there will be a trickle down and in some form or fashion it will impact our conference and each of the schools,” said Rose. “So, yes we have to pay close attention.”
Charlotte has been down this road before.
Three years ago, the 49ers moved from the non-football Atlantic 10 – where they had been members since 2005 – to Conference USA, which plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The 49ers, who started football in 2013, originally planned on playing in the Football Championship Subdivision indefinitely. But the 49ers were offered a spot in C-USA after it lost schools such as Memphis, Houston, Central Florida, Southern Methodist, Tulane and Tulsa to the newly formed American Athletic Conference.
If the Big 12 elects to expand, there is speculation that several schools in what are now “Group of Five” conferences might be candidates. Among them: the AAC’s Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston, Connecticut and Central Florida; and the Mountain West’s Colorado State. Football-independent Brigham Young is also reportedly interested.
Should any of those AAC schools move to the Big 12, could Charlotte be a possible “trickle-down” replacement in what might be a more attractive league? With the lack of football no longer a barrier, the 49ers would offer the country’s 22nd-largest television market, excellent facilities, a strong recruiting base, as well as an instant rival for current AAC member East Carolina.
The AAC’s football and men’s basketball profiles are also higher than Conference USA’s. The AAC’s basketball RPI ranked eighth nationally last season; C-USA’s was 22nd. As many as three AAC football teams (Memphis, Temple and Houston) spent time in the top 25 last season.
Another possible factor for Rose to consider might be C-USA’s television revenues, which reportedly are decreasing by more than 50 percent after current contracts expire this summer. According to the Virginian Pilot, rights fees from Fox Sports, the American Sports Network and the CBS Sports Network will shrink from $1.17 million to between $300,000 and $400,000 per school. C-USA’s existing deal was negotiated before national basketball powers such as Memphis and Southern Methodist left the league for the AAC, which has a television deal worth a reported $2 million per school annually.
There is even bigger thinking for the 49ers in some quarters. A recent column on ESPN.com suggested Charlotte would be a good addition to – believe it or not – the SEC if the FBS were to be trimmed to include only five 16-team leagues.
“… Would (the SEC) consider rolling the dice on a fledgling like Charlotte?” wrote Ryan McGee, a Charlotte resident. “It’s a big media market located just up the road from South Carolina, a school the ACC wants nothing to do with, and the home of SEC Network HQ. Just sayin …”
Speaking from a non comical standpoint, Marshall just doesn't have the facilites, viewers, attendance, location, money, or football talent to make a P5 jump.
It would legitimately be good for the state if they did go P5. It would eliminate the need for the tax payers to fork over about 40 grand a day. Sadly, that will NEVER happen. They are about the 6th or 7th most attractive AAC expansion possibility in their own conference... let alone P5. They can only hope that 16 team super conferences happen if they want to go AAC. P5 will never be on the table.
It would legitimately be good for the state if they did go P5. It would eliminate the need for the tax payers to fork over about 40 grand a day. Sadly, that will NEVER happen. They are about the 6th or 7th most attractive AAC expansion possibility in their own conference... let alone P5. They can only hope that 16 team super conferences happen if they want to go AAC. P5 will never be on the table.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/07/20/colorado-state-among-suitors-to-join-big-12-conference/
Colorado State among suitors vying to join Big 12 Conference
The good news for the Big 12 Conference is that there is no shortage of suitors.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has been asked to start evaluating expansion candidates and the league office should already have a stack of files from schools eager for a spot in the Power Five league. The announcement on Tuesday did not say the 10-member Big 12 is committed to expansion, but it is obvious where this is headed.
Bowlsby and Oklahoma President David Boren, the chairman of the conference’s board of directors, noted plenty of schools have reached out to the Big 12, especially within the last year. Documents obtained by The Associated Press through open records requests show schools such as Connecticut, Cincinnati, UCF, Memphis, Colorado State and Houston have been touting themselves to Big 12 officials for months:
— A letter sent from Central Florida’s President John Hitt to Texas President Gregory Fenves highlights a report that projects Orlando’s population growth over the next 10 years to be six times that of Cincinnati’s and 500 times that of Hartford, Connecticut.
— A UConn student sent a report prepared by the school’s alumni to West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons that points out the Storrs-based school provides access to TV markets (including New York and Boston) with potential to reach 11.7 million homes while the combined markets reached by Cincinnati, UCF, South Florida and Houston is 12.3 million homes.
— Memphis President M. David Rudd touted the school’s effort to improve its status as a research institution and the backing of FedEx CEO and Memphis alum Fred Smith in a letter to Texas Tech interim president John Opperman. West Virginia President Gordon Gee, a member of the Big 12’s composition committee, received the same information from Memphis and responded with a thank you letter.
“Very, very impressive,” Gee wrote back to Rudd.
— Colorado State President Tony Frank mentioned getting the Big 12 back into the Denver market and that the football stadium expansion was “on time and on budget” in a separate email to Gee.
“Indeed, Colorado State is making a statement and moving swiftly into the forefront of universities, not only regionally but nationally,” Gee responded in a letter to Frank dated July 21, 2015.
— Houston President Renu Khator’s email to Gee had the subject line “TV ratings” and had a color-coded chart attached showing the 20 highest-rated regular season games last season in Houston area. The Cougars had as many in the top 10 as the entire Big 12. The rest were Southeastern Conference games.
It’s easy to understand schools have not been shy about courting the Big 12. The league recently distributed $30 million payouts to its members for the most recently concluded school year. Most of that money comes from a 13-year television deal with ESPN and Fox that runs through 2024-25 and is worth $2.6 billion or more than $20 million per school per year.
For perspective, the American Athletic Conference, home to Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis among others, is in the middle of a seven-year deal with ESPN and CBS that is worth $126 million dollars or about $2 million per year per school.
Big 12 membership will bring a windfall, but the full value of membership will take time to reap. The Big 12’s TV deals call for its partners to increase payments pro rata for every new school added. Four new schools would equal $80 million to $100 million in new money per year for the conference. Plus, the return of the Big 12 title game in 2017 will bring in another $27 million or so per year, Bowlsby has said.
“There likely will be a two-stage process of some sort that will involve some preliminary work, and then a secondary process as well that gets into a little more of a — perhaps even a fact-finding but also perhaps even a negotiation stage,” Bowlsby said.
The Big 12 won’t give full shares to new members upon arrival. It’s common practice for incoming schools to get partial revenue shares for a few years. TCU and West Virginia just finished their fourth seasons in the Big 12 and for the first time received full shares. That means for several years, the current 10 members get to share the new money. And which schools are willing to accept less money for the longest period of time could help determine whether an institution gets an invite from the Big 12.
Frank, in an email to Gee dated Jan. 28, 2015, acknowledged Colorado State’s willingness to be phased in and even provided a suggestion:
“For example, $10M/year for 2 years, then $12.5M for 2 years, then $15M for 2 years, etc…until parity was reached,” he wrote.
Colorado State among suitors vying to join Big 12 Conference
The good news for the Big 12 Conference is that there is no shortage of suitors.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has been asked to start evaluating expansion candidates and the league office should already have a stack of files from schools eager for a spot in the Power Five league. The announcement on Tuesday did not say the 10-member Big 12 is committed to expansion, but it is obvious where this is headed.
Bowlsby and Oklahoma President David Boren, the chairman of the conference’s board of directors, noted plenty of schools have reached out to the Big 12, especially within the last year. Documents obtained by The Associated Press through open records requests show schools such as Connecticut, Cincinnati, UCF, Memphis, Colorado State and Houston have been touting themselves to Big 12 officials for months:
— A letter sent from Central Florida’s President John Hitt to Texas President Gregory Fenves highlights a report that projects Orlando’s population growth over the next 10 years to be six times that of Cincinnati’s and 500 times that of Hartford, Connecticut.
— A UConn student sent a report prepared by the school’s alumni to West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons that points out the Storrs-based school provides access to TV markets (including New York and Boston) with potential to reach 11.7 million homes while the combined markets reached by Cincinnati, UCF, South Florida and Houston is 12.3 million homes.
— Memphis President M. David Rudd touted the school’s effort to improve its status as a research institution and the backing of FedEx CEO and Memphis alum Fred Smith in a letter to Texas Tech interim president John Opperman. West Virginia President Gordon Gee, a member of the Big 12’s composition committee, received the same information from Memphis and responded with a thank you letter.
“Very, very impressive,” Gee wrote back to Rudd.
— Colorado State President Tony Frank mentioned getting the Big 12 back into the Denver market and that the football stadium expansion was “on time and on budget” in a separate email to Gee.
“Indeed, Colorado State is making a statement and moving swiftly into the forefront of universities, not only regionally but nationally,” Gee responded in a letter to Frank dated July 21, 2015.
— Houston President Renu Khator’s email to Gee had the subject line “TV ratings” and had a color-coded chart attached showing the 20 highest-rated regular season games last season in Houston area. The Cougars had as many in the top 10 as the entire Big 12. The rest were Southeastern Conference games.
It’s easy to understand schools have not been shy about courting the Big 12. The league recently distributed $30 million payouts to its members for the most recently concluded school year. Most of that money comes from a 13-year television deal with ESPN and Fox that runs through 2024-25 and is worth $2.6 billion or more than $20 million per school per year.
For perspective, the American Athletic Conference, home to Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis among others, is in the middle of a seven-year deal with ESPN and CBS that is worth $126 million dollars or about $2 million per year per school.
Big 12 membership will bring a windfall, but the full value of membership will take time to reap. The Big 12’s TV deals call for its partners to increase payments pro rata for every new school added. Four new schools would equal $80 million to $100 million in new money per year for the conference. Plus, the return of the Big 12 title game in 2017 will bring in another $27 million or so per year, Bowlsby has said.
“There likely will be a two-stage process of some sort that will involve some preliminary work, and then a secondary process as well that gets into a little more of a — perhaps even a fact-finding but also perhaps even a negotiation stage,” Bowlsby said.
The Big 12 won’t give full shares to new members upon arrival. It’s common practice for incoming schools to get partial revenue shares for a few years. TCU and West Virginia just finished their fourth seasons in the Big 12 and for the first time received full shares. That means for several years, the current 10 members get to share the new money. And which schools are willing to accept less money for the longest period of time could help determine whether an institution gets an invite from the Big 12.
Frank, in an email to Gee dated Jan. 28, 2015, acknowledged Colorado State’s willingness to be phased in and even provided a suggestion:
“For example, $10M/year for 2 years, then $12.5M for 2 years, then $15M for 2 years, etc…until parity was reached,” he wrote.
BRISTOL, Conn. -- Big 12 presidents authorized Bob Bowlsby on Tuesday to actively evaluate expansion candidates. And before the commissioner could start his examination of the contenders, speculation began to fly.
What programs are in the best positions? How many teams, if the Big 12 moves forward with expansion, will it accept: two or four? What are the most important criteria for new members? How would expansion affect the Big 12?
As league coaches visited ESPN on Wednesday, we asked for their thoughts on this potentially landscape-altering decision.
"We're doing all of this so we give ourselves a chance to get in the playoff," TCU's Gary Patterson said of Big 12 expansion talk. Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
Here’s a sampling of what they said:
TCU coach Gary Patterson on the Big 12’s motivation to grow: “We’re doing all of this so we give ourselves a chance to get in the playoff. So whatever we do, it’s OK as long as that’s what the goal is. It’s the only criteria, I think, that works.
“It’s not about giving people more money. It’s about how you get in the playoff. We want to influence how people think of us as a conference.”
Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops on the traits needed in a new member:“Somebody who brings value to the conference and viewership and a stadium and whatever it may be. And fan following. All of it together just brings some type of value to us. Tradition is always a positive as well.
“I’m not picking them, so I haven’t bothered to [ask] what’s the one ingredient, and I’m not going to go on record saying that.”
West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen on the possibility of accepting a football-only newcomer: “I don’t think that’s good for the Big 12. From a fan-base perspective, if they’re just competing in one sport, I don’t think [fans] appreciate that. All sports, to me, are important.”
Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury on the football-only idea: “[Football] is all I ever think about. I think that would be great.”
Kingsbury on the desired traits in a new member: “Very competitive. Have a solid fan base. Play on a national level. Be a team that people are interested in that can come in right away and add value and bring even more popularity to the Big 12.”
Kansas’ David Beaty on the importance of the selection process: “If you take the wrong teams, it could be disastrous. So I think you have to be very careful to make sure that they fit. And that’s why I’m so glad that we have the leadership that we have. Nobody understands it better and puts time into studying it than [Bowlsby]."
Texas’ Charlie Strong on finding a fit: “I was at Louisville when they were trying to find a conference, so I know you look at the academic side of it. You look at the athletic side of it. Other variables come into play. But if the leaders of our conference think one team is going to be the right fit, I think the team can be successful, because there’s other teams that are going to be comparable.”
Beaty on finding a fit: “I think there’s a standard within our membership of tradition and styles of play, temperament of play, respect for the game. And when you have that, you get teams that are competitive and play at a high level.”
Kansas State’s Bill Snyder on finding a fit: “You need somebody that has market value. But I would like to see us not get spread out all over the country. I would like to see it germane to the middle of the country, where the Big Eight Conference began.”
Snyder on the inevitability of conference expansion as the sport evolves: “I’m certainly in favor of progress, but it’s progress for who? We always talk about it being important, but we don’t do the things to solidify the fact that it is important. We talk one game and play another.”
Patterson on the next step in this process: “It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you’ve got a good plan -- and it’s for down the road. It’s not for right now. I think you also have to ask those universities where they’re trying to be. What’s their mission statement?
“You’ve got to look for schools who believe they bring something to the table and can be a part of what we do. You’re not just looking for somebody who wants more money.”
Stoops on whether the time was right to expand now: “Apparently so, if that’s what they’re doing.”
http://espn.go.com/college-football...ntenders-hopefuls-wild-card-teams-join-big-12
On Tuesday, the Big 12 authorized commissioner Bob Bowlsby to start exploring expansion candidates.
Bowlsby and Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chairman David Boren said the factors the league would consider would include strength of football program, fan base, media market, reputation and academic standing.
Through that prism, here's how potential expansion candidates stack up:
NOTE: In each section, teams are listed in order of likeliness of being invited to join the league.
The favorites
BYU: With the strongest football program of any "available" non-Power 5 program, the Cougars have been at the top of the list from the very beginning. Along with Houston, BYU topped an ESPN poll of the league's football coaches, presumably for that very reason. BYU has defeated Big 12 flagships Texas and Oklahoma in the past seven years, and dating back to 1980, only Nebraska, Florida State, Ohio State, Miami, Florida and the Sooners have won more games than BYU. Through the Mormon Church, the Cougars have a national following, with an average home attendance (58,000) that would've ranked fourth in the Big 12 last year. Though the campus is roughly 2,000 miles away from Big 12 member West Virginia, BYU would give the conference a presence in the Mountain Time Zone, creating interesting TV opportunities for the league, while, perhaps, bolstering the Big 12's revenue distribution potential down the line. BYU not playing on Sundays would create issues in Olympic sports scheduling, notably baseball, softball and women's soccer; that obstacle and the school's proximity to the rest of the league is why a football-only option could be on the table for the Cougars. That, however, is not preferable for the Big 12.
Cincinnati: For the reason BYU's geography's might work against it, Cincinnati's location is one of the school's biggest assets in Big 12 expansion. Whether the Big 12 chose to expand by two or four, Cincinnati could be logically paired with virtually any expansion candidate. West Virginia's leadership has been a proponent of Big 12 expansion, provided that through expansion the Mountaineers wind up with a travel partner, like Cincinnati, that makes sense. School president Santa Ono has been working furiously behind the scenes to get the school into the Big 12, though he'll be leaving for the University of British Columbia in August. Cincinnati recently renovated Nippert Stadium, plays in a top-40 TV market and has big businesses, notably Cincinnati-based Kroger and Macy's, behind its candidacy.
The other hopefuls
Houston: UH is all-in on Big 12 expansion, with both president Renu Khator and athletic director Hunter Yurachek issuing statements Wednesday touting the university. "I am thrilled to have this opportunity," Khator said, "to showcase the University of Houston." Billionaire and UH regents chairman Tilman Fertitta told ESPN Wednesday that, "We feel like we have a lot to offer." The Cougars have enjoyed a football resurgence at an opportune time, with Tom Herman delivering a 13-1 record last year. UH also has a massive enrollment and plays in the fourth-biggest city in the country. UH will be making the case that the SEC has begun to take over the city of Houston, and that only the Cougars can deliver it back to the Big 12.
Connecticut: The Huskies are situated among several major markets in the Northeast and could help the Big 12 find footing in the region, the way Rutgers opened up New York City to the Big Ten, which might help in future TV negotiations. The question is whether that, along with UConn's solid academics and terrific basketball programs, would outweigh the proximity problem and UConn's mediocre football.
UCF: Central Florida boasts the largest undergraduate enrollment in the country and operates out of the 19th-largest TV market. Those are both major positives. "There ought to be a home for us in the Big 12," UCF president John Hitt said Wednesday. There's a sense among some that UCF has tremendous upside and would thrive playing in a major conference, especially with so much in-state high school talent and an up-and-coming coach in Scott Frost. On the other hand, UCF has virtually no football tradition, going 0-12 last year. It's also difficult to envision the fans in Norman and Austin getting fired up to go watch the Sooners and Longhorns take on the Knights.
Memphis: FedEx has been dangling millions of advertising dollars in front of the Big 12 in exchange for a Memphis invite to the Big 12. On top of that, in a letter to West Virginia president Gordon Gee, Memphis president David Rudd said that the school's "partnership with FedEx would uniquely position [Memphis] to request only a portion of new revenue for several years until renegotiation of the conference media [rights] agreement occurs." In other words, Memphis, conceivably, would be willing to accept partial distribution of conference revenue all the way until 2024-25. That would be worth millions to current Big 12 members and should, at the least, command the league's attention.
Colorado State: If the Big 12 focuses west in expansion with BYU, Colorado State would make sense as a second (or fourth) school. CSU claims the Denver market and could re-expand (after Colorado's departure in 2011) the Big 12 footprint into Colorado in a way that doesn't create a logistical nightmare. Rams athletic director Joe Parker has close ties to the conference, having worked at Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas, which, as one Big 12 administrator pointed out, is a real advantage for CSU. The Rams are also building a $200 million on-campus stadium that would be ready by the time CSU would join the Big 12.
The long shots
Tulane: Conference chairman Boren noted that academic standing would be a component in expansion exploration. That makes Tulane, with its terrific academic profile, a true dark horse. The city of New Orleans could also entice the Big 12 from a market and recruiting point. If the Big 12 expanded by two, Tulane would probably have no chance, but if the league expanded by four, Tulane just might become a factor.
Boise State: Boise State has won 10 or more games 13 times since 1999, and the football appeal of the Broncos to the Big 12 fan bases would be stronger than most candidates out there. But would that alone capture the Big 12's attention? Boise doesn't have much else to offer.
USF: The Bulls picked an awfully bad time to have an academic fraud scandal. USF was already a long-shot candidate. This latest development could be a dagger to their candidacy.
The you-never-know
UCLA: Former UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel caused a stir Wednesday when he said on Sirius XM College Sports that he wouldn't be surprised if the Bruins gave a move to the Big 12 serious thought. Before you ask why UCLA would consider leaving the comforts of the Pac-12 for the Big 12, remember this: Kansas State generated three times more Tier 3 revenue through K-StateHD.TV than UCLA received from the struggling Pac-12 Network. The Pac-12 grant of rights is up before the Big 12's, and as one industry insider put it, if Pac-12 commish Larry Scott can flirt with Texas and Oklahoma, what's stopping Bob Bowlsby from doing the same with the Bruins? Who knows -- UCLA could be tempted to make a brand-defining break from USC in the same vein of Texas A&M's SEC move away from Texas.
On Tuesday, the Big 12 authorized commissioner Bob Bowlsby to start exploring expansion candidates.
Bowlsby and Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chairman David Boren said the factors the league would consider would include strength of football program, fan base, media market, reputation and academic standing.
Through that prism, here's how potential expansion candidates stack up:
NOTE: In each section, teams are listed in order of likeliness of being invited to join the league.
The favorites
BYU: With the strongest football program of any "available" non-Power 5 program, the Cougars have been at the top of the list from the very beginning. Along with Houston, BYU topped an ESPN poll of the league's football coaches, presumably for that very reason. BYU has defeated Big 12 flagships Texas and Oklahoma in the past seven years, and dating back to 1980, only Nebraska, Florida State, Ohio State, Miami, Florida and the Sooners have won more games than BYU. Through the Mormon Church, the Cougars have a national following, with an average home attendance (58,000) that would've ranked fourth in the Big 12 last year. Though the campus is roughly 2,000 miles away from Big 12 member West Virginia, BYU would give the conference a presence in the Mountain Time Zone, creating interesting TV opportunities for the league, while, perhaps, bolstering the Big 12's revenue distribution potential down the line. BYU not playing on Sundays would create issues in Olympic sports scheduling, notably baseball, softball and women's soccer; that obstacle and the school's proximity to the rest of the league is why a football-only option could be on the table for the Cougars. That, however, is not preferable for the Big 12.
Cincinnati: For the reason BYU's geography's might work against it, Cincinnati's location is one of the school's biggest assets in Big 12 expansion. Whether the Big 12 chose to expand by two or four, Cincinnati could be logically paired with virtually any expansion candidate. West Virginia's leadership has been a proponent of Big 12 expansion, provided that through expansion the Mountaineers wind up with a travel partner, like Cincinnati, that makes sense. School president Santa Ono has been working furiously behind the scenes to get the school into the Big 12, though he'll be leaving for the University of British Columbia in August. Cincinnati recently renovated Nippert Stadium, plays in a top-40 TV market and has big businesses, notably Cincinnati-based Kroger and Macy's, behind its candidacy.
The other hopefuls
Houston: UH is all-in on Big 12 expansion, with both president Renu Khator and athletic director Hunter Yurachek issuing statements Wednesday touting the university. "I am thrilled to have this opportunity," Khator said, "to showcase the University of Houston." Billionaire and UH regents chairman Tilman Fertitta told ESPN Wednesday that, "We feel like we have a lot to offer." The Cougars have enjoyed a football resurgence at an opportune time, with Tom Herman delivering a 13-1 record last year. UH also has a massive enrollment and plays in the fourth-biggest city in the country. UH will be making the case that the SEC has begun to take over the city of Houston, and that only the Cougars can deliver it back to the Big 12.
Connecticut: The Huskies are situated among several major markets in the Northeast and could help the Big 12 find footing in the region, the way Rutgers opened up New York City to the Big Ten, which might help in future TV negotiations. The question is whether that, along with UConn's solid academics and terrific basketball programs, would outweigh the proximity problem and UConn's mediocre football.
UCF: Central Florida boasts the largest undergraduate enrollment in the country and operates out of the 19th-largest TV market. Those are both major positives. "There ought to be a home for us in the Big 12," UCF president John Hitt said Wednesday. There's a sense among some that UCF has tremendous upside and would thrive playing in a major conference, especially with so much in-state high school talent and an up-and-coming coach in Scott Frost. On the other hand, UCF has virtually no football tradition, going 0-12 last year. It's also difficult to envision the fans in Norman and Austin getting fired up to go watch the Sooners and Longhorns take on the Knights.
Memphis: FedEx has been dangling millions of advertising dollars in front of the Big 12 in exchange for a Memphis invite to the Big 12. On top of that, in a letter to West Virginia president Gordon Gee, Memphis president David Rudd said that the school's "partnership with FedEx would uniquely position [Memphis] to request only a portion of new revenue for several years until renegotiation of the conference media [rights] agreement occurs." In other words, Memphis, conceivably, would be willing to accept partial distribution of conference revenue all the way until 2024-25. That would be worth millions to current Big 12 members and should, at the least, command the league's attention.
Colorado State: If the Big 12 focuses west in expansion with BYU, Colorado State would make sense as a second (or fourth) school. CSU claims the Denver market and could re-expand (after Colorado's departure in 2011) the Big 12 footprint into Colorado in a way that doesn't create a logistical nightmare. Rams athletic director Joe Parker has close ties to the conference, having worked at Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas, which, as one Big 12 administrator pointed out, is a real advantage for CSU. The Rams are also building a $200 million on-campus stadium that would be ready by the time CSU would join the Big 12.
The long shots
Tulane: Conference chairman Boren noted that academic standing would be a component in expansion exploration. That makes Tulane, with its terrific academic profile, a true dark horse. The city of New Orleans could also entice the Big 12 from a market and recruiting point. If the Big 12 expanded by two, Tulane would probably have no chance, but if the league expanded by four, Tulane just might become a factor.
Boise State: Boise State has won 10 or more games 13 times since 1999, and the football appeal of the Broncos to the Big 12 fan bases would be stronger than most candidates out there. But would that alone capture the Big 12's attention? Boise doesn't have much else to offer.
USF: The Bulls picked an awfully bad time to have an academic fraud scandal. USF was already a long-shot candidate. This latest development could be a dagger to their candidacy.
The you-never-know
UCLA: Former UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel caused a stir Wednesday when he said on Sirius XM College Sports that he wouldn't be surprised if the Bruins gave a move to the Big 12 serious thought. Before you ask why UCLA would consider leaving the comforts of the Pac-12 for the Big 12, remember this: Kansas State generated three times more Tier 3 revenue through K-StateHD.TV than UCLA received from the struggling Pac-12 Network. The Pac-12 grant of rights is up before the Big 12's, and as one industry insider put it, if Pac-12 commish Larry Scott can flirt with Texas and Oklahoma, what's stopping Bob Bowlsby from doing the same with the Bruins? Who knows -- UCLA could be tempted to make a brand-defining break from USC in the same vein of Texas A&M's SEC move away from Texas.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/columnists/david-williams/Big-12--387645301.html
Big 12 expansion: Memphis will make compelling case
Thoughts on Big 12 expansion, as the league begins exploring candidates with the possibility of adding two or four schools:
There’s bad news and good news in all this. But don’t sweat it so much – the bad news is the good news.
Meaning this: The University of Memphis, for all its charms as a Big 12 expansion candidate, also has its potentially fatal flaws. But so does every other school that’s been mentioned.
As ESPN’s Jake Trotter wrote:
Big 12 leaders have acknowledged that none of the available schools is a natural fit. None is guaranteed to deliver both highly competitive teams -- especially football teams -- as well as large new markets to increase the value of future media deals.
As consensus favorites go, Cincinnati isn’t exactly an unstoppable force or immovable object. It’s just the perceived best of a flawed bunch.
Wonderful city, Cincinnati. Good sports town. Great chili town.
But, really, is UC a significantly more attractive candidate than Memphis? They’re similar in key ways – they seem to be the universities that want this the most. Both have strong leadership in the matter, and both have stout corporate support.
Cincinnati has a better record of sustained football success than Memphis, but last year’s Tiger football attendance was better (43,802 to 37,096). Cincinnati is a bigger, higher-profile market, but in terms of football, it is and always will be a Bengals town.
But, of course, this need not be Cincinnati vs. Memphis, when Cincinnati and Memphis seems such a logical conclusion, no?
If the national pundits are right, Memphis is a bit of an underdog.
Yeah, well, right up until Tuesday’s teleconference with Big 12 officials, the national pundits were predicting that expansion would be tabled.
That’s no knock on the national reporters and columnists chasing this story – they’re some of the best in the business. It’s just that expansion is complicated. Things happen. Circumstances change. And college presidents can be an unpredictable lot.
Predictions are interesting to read. They’re entertaining. But they don’t matter – especially as it relates to Memphis, which tends to be serially underestimated by national pundits, in everything but barbecue.
Here’s all that matters: Memphis is perfectly positioned to fight for one of these coveted spots. It has a president (David Rudd) who knows what’s at stake and has made this such a high priority, even at the risk of being seen as putting athletics ahead of academics. And it has a corporate partner (FedEx) that is both local and world-class.
Memphis may lose, in the end, but it won’t be because the effort was half-hearted or the bid half-baked.
This matters more to Memphis – and that will matter, in the end.
This is about money and football and money and TV market size and money and geography and money and academic reputation and – well, mostly it’s about money, isn’t it?
It’s about what schools make the most lucrative and enticing financial proposals. It all smacks of a bidding war, yes. As Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com wrote:
The partners don't matter; the math does.
So, in a way, it seems silly to bring passion into this debate, to say that joining the Big 12 would be a bigger deal here than anywhere else. It seems silly to bother with that impossible-to-prove argument that the U of M means more in Memphis, and to Memphians, than (your school here) does in (your city here).
And yet it’s true – not even an NBA team with six straight playoff appearances, and a big ol’ bear hug on the citizenry, has loosened the hold the Tigers have on this city.
Why does that matter? Because it’s driving the U of M’s bid, and FedEx’s involvement. It’s the very reason that the Memphis bid will ultimately be so lucrative, so enticing – because there’s more at stake here, if the U of M is left behind.
Homerism, much?
Fair point. Pick a city, and the analysis there is probably kind to Hometown U.
As columnist Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune wrote of BYU:
The likes of Houston, Cincinnati and Memphis also are in the picture, but when it comes down to an evaluation of football tradition and the overall athletic programs, BYU should rise above the others — or at least make the cut to two or four schools.
But the optimism here is well-founded, for anyone who has lived through the long, lost NFL chase to witness the sports renaissance of the last couple of decades.
Memphis in the Big 12? Don’t know, can’t say. But I’ll give it a sporting chance.
Big 12 expansion: Memphis will make compelling case
Thoughts on Big 12 expansion, as the league begins exploring candidates with the possibility of adding two or four schools:
There’s bad news and good news in all this. But don’t sweat it so much – the bad news is the good news.
Meaning this: The University of Memphis, for all its charms as a Big 12 expansion candidate, also has its potentially fatal flaws. But so does every other school that’s been mentioned.
As ESPN’s Jake Trotter wrote:
Big 12 leaders have acknowledged that none of the available schools is a natural fit. None is guaranteed to deliver both highly competitive teams -- especially football teams -- as well as large new markets to increase the value of future media deals.
As consensus favorites go, Cincinnati isn’t exactly an unstoppable force or immovable object. It’s just the perceived best of a flawed bunch.
Wonderful city, Cincinnati. Good sports town. Great chili town.
But, really, is UC a significantly more attractive candidate than Memphis? They’re similar in key ways – they seem to be the universities that want this the most. Both have strong leadership in the matter, and both have stout corporate support.
Cincinnati has a better record of sustained football success than Memphis, but last year’s Tiger football attendance was better (43,802 to 37,096). Cincinnati is a bigger, higher-profile market, but in terms of football, it is and always will be a Bengals town.
But, of course, this need not be Cincinnati vs. Memphis, when Cincinnati and Memphis seems such a logical conclusion, no?
If the national pundits are right, Memphis is a bit of an underdog.
Yeah, well, right up until Tuesday’s teleconference with Big 12 officials, the national pundits were predicting that expansion would be tabled.
That’s no knock on the national reporters and columnists chasing this story – they’re some of the best in the business. It’s just that expansion is complicated. Things happen. Circumstances change. And college presidents can be an unpredictable lot.
Predictions are interesting to read. They’re entertaining. But they don’t matter – especially as it relates to Memphis, which tends to be serially underestimated by national pundits, in everything but barbecue.
Here’s all that matters: Memphis is perfectly positioned to fight for one of these coveted spots. It has a president (David Rudd) who knows what’s at stake and has made this such a high priority, even at the risk of being seen as putting athletics ahead of academics. And it has a corporate partner (FedEx) that is both local and world-class.
Memphis may lose, in the end, but it won’t be because the effort was half-hearted or the bid half-baked.
This matters more to Memphis – and that will matter, in the end.
This is about money and football and money and TV market size and money and geography and money and academic reputation and – well, mostly it’s about money, isn’t it?
It’s about what schools make the most lucrative and enticing financial proposals. It all smacks of a bidding war, yes. As Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com wrote:
The partners don't matter; the math does.
So, in a way, it seems silly to bring passion into this debate, to say that joining the Big 12 would be a bigger deal here than anywhere else. It seems silly to bother with that impossible-to-prove argument that the U of M means more in Memphis, and to Memphians, than (your school here) does in (your city here).
And yet it’s true – not even an NBA team with six straight playoff appearances, and a big ol’ bear hug on the citizenry, has loosened the hold the Tigers have on this city.
Why does that matter? Because it’s driving the U of M’s bid, and FedEx’s involvement. It’s the very reason that the Memphis bid will ultimately be so lucrative, so enticing – because there’s more at stake here, if the U of M is left behind.
Homerism, much?
Fair point. Pick a city, and the analysis there is probably kind to Hometown U.
As columnist Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune wrote of BYU:
The likes of Houston, Cincinnati and Memphis also are in the picture, but when it comes down to an evaluation of football tradition and the overall athletic programs, BYU should rise above the others — or at least make the cut to two or four schools.
But the optimism here is well-founded, for anyone who has lived through the long, lost NFL chase to witness the sports renaissance of the last couple of decades.
Memphis in the Big 12? Don’t know, can’t say. But I’ll give it a sporting chance.
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http://www.ktvb.com/sports/ncaaf/bo...tial-candidate-for-big-12-expansion/278265846
Boise State a potential candidate for Big 12 expansion
BOISE - Conference realignment has once again emerged as a hot topic of discussion throughout college football. And once again, Boise State is at - or at least near - the center of that discussion.
The landscape started to shake Tuesday afternoon when the Big 12 Conference announced that Commissioner Bob Bowlsby had been authorized to once again explore expansion. Interestingly, the conference will consider adding football-only members.
That led to a tweet from USA Today Sports writer Dan Wolken who claimed expanding from 10 to 14 teams, and adding BYU and Boise State as football-only members makes sense to him.
Thursday Wolken joined The Press Box from the Big 12 Media Days in Dallas and explained why he thinks Boise State is a great choice for the conference.
"That's just my idea for what a good expansion move might look like," he said. "Boise State's positives are very clear, and the negatives are very clear. The question is going to be, what direction does the Big 12 want to take this expansion?"
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports chimed in Wednesday as well, saying that there are many unknowns about Big 12 expansion at this moment, and that yesterday's news contradicts the direction conference leaders had claimed they were going.
So far, the conference has not laid out a timeline moving forward.
Boise State a potential candidate for Big 12 expansion
BOISE - Conference realignment has once again emerged as a hot topic of discussion throughout college football. And once again, Boise State is at - or at least near - the center of that discussion.
The landscape started to shake Tuesday afternoon when the Big 12 Conference announced that Commissioner Bob Bowlsby had been authorized to once again explore expansion. Interestingly, the conference will consider adding football-only members.
That led to a tweet from USA Today Sports writer Dan Wolken who claimed expanding from 10 to 14 teams, and adding BYU and Boise State as football-only members makes sense to him.
Thursday Wolken joined The Press Box from the Big 12 Media Days in Dallas and explained why he thinks Boise State is a great choice for the conference.
"That's just my idea for what a good expansion move might look like," he said. "Boise State's positives are very clear, and the negatives are very clear. The question is going to be, what direction does the Big 12 want to take this expansion?"
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports chimed in Wednesday as well, saying that there are many unknowns about Big 12 expansion at this moment, and that yesterday's news contradicts the direction conference leaders had claimed they were going.
So far, the conference has not laid out a timeline moving forward.
http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2016/7...urdue-make-the-most-sense-as-big-12-expansion
Why Rutgers and Purdue make the most sense as Big 12 expansion candidates
The Big 12 Conference and Expansion.
Much like the other examples, the last one appears to finally be ending in happy matrimony soon. And two lucky schools soon may bring the Big 12 back up to its name, with 12 teams instead of the 10 they have now. Eight candidates have emerged as prime contenders for these two additional spots. All of them have something unique to offer: BYU has a rabid fanbase and already plays a tough football schedule as an independent; Memphis has a bunch of FedEx money; Houston is in a big metro area and just got a new football stadium; Colorado State is in Fort Collins which I hear is pretty nice; UConn has all those men's and women's basketball titles; USF and UCF have FLORIDA CROOTIN'; and Cincinnati would play inspired in honor of their hometown's beloved ape Harambe.
A lot of good candidates for sure.
But none that are quite what the Big 12 needs right now.
Look. We here at crimson quarry dot com are no strangers to giving out free advice on this website. So Commissioner Bowlsby, if you're reading this I have a suggestion for your next two Big 12 members.
Invite Purdue and Rutgers to join the Big 12 conference.
Yep, you heard me. Purdue University and Rutgers University would be great fits for your fledgling conference, since they really round out and diversify what the conference needs most. And to help you out, I even made a pro/con list for each school and why they'd work in the Big 12.
PURDUE
Pros:
Now for the Big 12 conference to really be "12" though, they have to add one more member. Don't worry Bowlsby, we got you covered on that one too.
RUTGERS
Pros:
Now, I know there's been one giant obstacle to getting this expansion approved all along, and that's been the University of Texas, because there's nothing worse than upsetting a school that's lost 7 football games in each of the past two seasons. But with 12 teams, this conference is going to need divisions. And the ones I've proposed will erase any doubts for Longhorns fans that this is the right move:
---see link for graph---
I have a feeling the Longhorns will approve of this divisional alignment, and any questions that UT has about expanding will immediately be put aside.
Look, Commissioner Bowlsby. You can do what everyone thinks you will, and bring two decent AAC teams or BYU in. Or you can think outside the box, and invite two teams with Power 5 experience to your conference.
If I were in your shoes, I know what I'd do.
Why Rutgers and Purdue make the most sense as Big 12 expansion candidates
The Big 12 Conference and Expansion.
Much like the other examples, the last one appears to finally be ending in happy matrimony soon. And two lucky schools soon may bring the Big 12 back up to its name, with 12 teams instead of the 10 they have now. Eight candidates have emerged as prime contenders for these two additional spots. All of them have something unique to offer: BYU has a rabid fanbase and already plays a tough football schedule as an independent; Memphis has a bunch of FedEx money; Houston is in a big metro area and just got a new football stadium; Colorado State is in Fort Collins which I hear is pretty nice; UConn has all those men's and women's basketball titles; USF and UCF have FLORIDA CROOTIN'; and Cincinnati would play inspired in honor of their hometown's beloved ape Harambe.
A lot of good candidates for sure.
But none that are quite what the Big 12 needs right now.
Look. We here at crimson quarry dot com are no strangers to giving out free advice on this website. So Commissioner Bowlsby, if you're reading this I have a suggestion for your next two Big 12 members.
Invite Purdue and Rutgers to join the Big 12 conference.
Yep, you heard me. Purdue University and Rutgers University would be great fits for your fledgling conference, since they really round out and diversify what the conference needs most. And to help you out, I even made a pro/con list for each school and why they'd work in the Big 12.
PURDUE
Pros:
- West Lafayette, Indiana would fit in well in a conference that includes Ames, Iowa; Manhattan, Kansas; and Waco, Texas.
- Drew Brees is from Texas and went to Purdue and a lot of Big 12 schools are from Texas so really they're just going back to their roots.
- The Boilers are pretty good at basketball and I know you're all sick of Kansas winning the conference title every year so maybe Purdue can challenge them.
- Neil Armstrong went there, you know?
- Guaranteed victory for Texas.
- There are no drawbacks to this move whatsoever
Now for the Big 12 conference to really be "12" though, they have to add one more member. Don't worry Bowlsby, we got you covered on that one too.
RUTGERS
Pros:
- Proximity to NYC would give the conference a presence in a major media market.
- They are near the Big Apple, and K-State is located in a town nicknamed the Little Apple, so the built-in rivalry potential is already there.
- They're apparently the crown jewel of conference expansion. Wouldn't the Big 12, after being picked on by all the other Power 5 conferences all these years, just love to grab "the crown jewel of conference expansion" away from the B1G?
- Did I mention they're close to New York?
- Guaranteed victory for Texas.
- There are no drawbacks to this move whatsoever
Now, I know there's been one giant obstacle to getting this expansion approved all along, and that's been the University of Texas, because there's nothing worse than upsetting a school that's lost 7 football games in each of the past two seasons. But with 12 teams, this conference is going to need divisions. And the ones I've proposed will erase any doubts for Longhorns fans that this is the right move:
---see link for graph---
I have a feeling the Longhorns will approve of this divisional alignment, and any questions that UT has about expanding will immediately be put aside.
Look, Commissioner Bowlsby. You can do what everyone thinks you will, and bring two decent AAC teams or BYU in. Or you can think outside the box, and invite two teams with Power 5 experience to your conference.
If I were in your shoes, I know what I'd do.
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I agree that's pretty lame, right up there with posting play by play of games from years gone by. With that said, it's not as bad as what he pulled off yesterday. He posted not one, but two pictures of men without shirts, and was bragging about their physique. I'm not saying he's gay, but he's gay.
http://www.goodbullhunting.com/camacho/2016/7/21/12247652/big-12-expansion-why-not-nebraska-and-Colorado
BIG 12 EXPANSION: Why not Nebraska and Colorado?
You can’t click three times these days without stumbling across a Big 12 Expansion piece, now that the struggling conference has rallied around a decision to maybe possibly add members. This is exciting for everyone because it opens the doors to limitless speculation over the next several weeks before actual football begins.
But Big 12, you’re overthinking this. You’re also going after the small fries. No offense to BYU, Houston, and the like, but there are a couple of prime targets sitting right in your back yard. Y’all need to add Nebraska and Colorado.
Hear us out on this one, there are plenty of reasons.
Cachet & Relevance
These two teams have both won or shared a national championship since 1990. Nebraska hasn’t exactly set the B1G on fire in the past few seasons, but they certainly haven’t been a doormat, and might be looking to jump ship to a conference they could have more success in. Same with Colorado. Not only would they be a perennial bowl team in a conference like the Big 12, but they also open up that Denver TV market, the gateway to the West Coast, making them a vital cog in the revenue puzzle, market footprint something et cetera.
Historical Significance
Both Colorado and Nebraska have storied histories as football programs and would lend a much-needed infusion of football credibility to counterbalance some of the teams in the conference that struggle with perception regularly, like Iowa State, Kansas, and Texas.
Geographical Consideration
The Big 12 is throwing out tons of darts at this board, with schools like USF, Tulane, and BYU showing up regularly in articles. Well, Nebraska and Colorado are already right next door, in states that border your existing footprint. Think of the savings in terms of hours of travel and flight costs. As we all know, the real focus here is on the student-athlete’s ability to excel academically, and extensive travel curtails that.
Mascot Liveliness
The one area that the Big 12 truly shines is the area of mascot engagement. Look at these cute creatures do some crazy dances! Add to this delightful mix a mutant infant from a post-apocalyptic agrarian society and a live buffalo that tries to trample sportscasters and you’ve got perhaps the most elite conference, mascot-wise.
So quit outsmarting yourselves over this, Big 12 brass. Start your shady backroom dealings now and infuse some fresh blood into your anemic corpse of a conference by snapping up those two prize sows right in your own back yard. We’re certain these two respected programs would be eager to dive headfirst into such a well-thought-out and carefully-planned conference.
BIG 12 EXPANSION: Why not Nebraska and Colorado?
You can’t click three times these days without stumbling across a Big 12 Expansion piece, now that the struggling conference has rallied around a decision to maybe possibly add members. This is exciting for everyone because it opens the doors to limitless speculation over the next several weeks before actual football begins.
But Big 12, you’re overthinking this. You’re also going after the small fries. No offense to BYU, Houston, and the like, but there are a couple of prime targets sitting right in your back yard. Y’all need to add Nebraska and Colorado.
Hear us out on this one, there are plenty of reasons.
Cachet & Relevance
These two teams have both won or shared a national championship since 1990. Nebraska hasn’t exactly set the B1G on fire in the past few seasons, but they certainly haven’t been a doormat, and might be looking to jump ship to a conference they could have more success in. Same with Colorado. Not only would they be a perennial bowl team in a conference like the Big 12, but they also open up that Denver TV market, the gateway to the West Coast, making them a vital cog in the revenue puzzle, market footprint something et cetera.
Historical Significance
Both Colorado and Nebraska have storied histories as football programs and would lend a much-needed infusion of football credibility to counterbalance some of the teams in the conference that struggle with perception regularly, like Iowa State, Kansas, and Texas.
Geographical Consideration
The Big 12 is throwing out tons of darts at this board, with schools like USF, Tulane, and BYU showing up regularly in articles. Well, Nebraska and Colorado are already right next door, in states that border your existing footprint. Think of the savings in terms of hours of travel and flight costs. As we all know, the real focus here is on the student-athlete’s ability to excel academically, and extensive travel curtails that.
Mascot Liveliness
The one area that the Big 12 truly shines is the area of mascot engagement. Look at these cute creatures do some crazy dances! Add to this delightful mix a mutant infant from a post-apocalyptic agrarian society and a live buffalo that tries to trample sportscasters and you’ve got perhaps the most elite conference, mascot-wise.
So quit outsmarting yourselves over this, Big 12 brass. Start your shady backroom dealings now and infuse some fresh blood into your anemic corpse of a conference by snapping up those two prize sows right in your own back yard. We’re certain these two respected programs would be eager to dive headfirst into such a well-thought-out and carefully-planned conference.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/07/21/colorado-state-rams-big-12-expansion-mark-kiszla/
Can CSU Rams force their way to top of Big 12 expansion list?
As the Big 12 Conference begins auditions for prospective new members, is Colorado State ready for its close-up and prepared to perform on college football’s biggest stage?
The answer: Dream on, Rams.
OK, before we get bogged down in the realities of why CSU to the Big 12 doesn’t make any dollars or sense, let’s start with the positives that commissioner Bob Bowlsby will see when he begins evaluating the Rams.
A shiny new stadium, projected to cost $220 million for 36,000 seats, is rising out of the ground in the southwest quadrant of the CSU campus. And the new facility is scheduled to open in less than 14 months.
In CSU president Tony Frank, the Rams have a smart, aggressive and persuasive salesman to work what is certain to be a highly political process in a league with a bunch of Texas-sized egos.
While tradition never has counted for less in college football, television revenue never has counted for more. Denver, the 17th biggest TV market in the United States, is more than an hour’s drive down the road from Colorado State.
It all sounds good. So when does the Oklahoma Sooner Schooner begin making regular stops in Fort Collins?
Maybe never. Colorado State will not get an invitation to the Big 12, unless Frank and the Rams pull off the biggest upset since Sonny Lubick’s football team beat sixth-ranked Arizona in 1994, a 21-16 road victory I would not have believed if I wasn’t there in Tucson, watching it all unfold with my own stunned eyes.
The problem for the Rams is nobody in Denver cares about the Rams. Oh, I do. But I’m just about the only one. I love college football, and don’t tell anybody in Broncos Country, but I think the college game is far more entertaining than the NFL version.
But far too many Colorado State alums in Denver seem to think the football season begins and ends with a showdown against Colorado. The size of a television market doesn’t matter if the ratings for Rams games don’t significantly move the meter. When CSU makes its pitch for inclusion in a Power Five conference, the math doesn’t add up.
And math is what expansion is all about. When your name is the Big 12 and you have only 10 football teams in the league, then not only might the academic integrity of your league be in question, but your TV footprint probably needs to expand to keep raking in those big increases in broadcast revenue.
Let’s put it in the most basic economic terms: College football is valuable to TV networks as programming. The more games, the more chances to sell commercials for pickup trucks. With 10 teams, there’s less available inventory than what the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference can offer. But expand to a dozen teams, and the Big 12 could fill more airtime. Go to 14 teams, and the conference could be on the tube more frequently than the Property Brothers on HGTV.
The schools that want to crash the Big 12 party include Brigham Young, Houston, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Central Florida, Memphis, Boise State and South Florida. Not exactly a bunch of A-listers in the college football world.
But right here, right now, it would be extremely difficult for CSU to crack the top four, as the Big 12 takes a first crack of trying to determine its most desirable candidates for expansion.
Brigham Young has a better football pedigree and a much more devoted fan base than the Rams. The Houston Cougars play in the country’s fourth-largest city. Cincinnati makes sense as a travel partner for West Virginia. And UConn seems like a preposterous road trip from Waco, Texas, until you start talking about ESPN and millions of New Yorkers living in the same general neighborhood as the Huskies.
Maybe the Rams could sell Fort Collins as a rest stop for Big 12 basketball teams on their way to Provo, Utah, in the dead of winter. But that’s not a strategy, it’s begging. To have any real chance of joining the Big 12, Colorado State had better hope that upcoming expansion is a slow play. And hope that in 2017 the league announces it is adding two teams (perhaps BYU and Cincinnati), then will consider two more by 2019.
That timetable would allow the Rams to not only open their new stadium, but fill it, provided coach Mike Bobo proves to be a coach that can win 10 games on a regular basis.
Colorado State is not ready for its close-up. If membership in the Big 12 is ever going to be a realistic possibility, the Rams need more time to get their act together.
Can CSU Rams force their way to top of Big 12 expansion list?
As the Big 12 Conference begins auditions for prospective new members, is Colorado State ready for its close-up and prepared to perform on college football’s biggest stage?
The answer: Dream on, Rams.
OK, before we get bogged down in the realities of why CSU to the Big 12 doesn’t make any dollars or sense, let’s start with the positives that commissioner Bob Bowlsby will see when he begins evaluating the Rams.
A shiny new stadium, projected to cost $220 million for 36,000 seats, is rising out of the ground in the southwest quadrant of the CSU campus. And the new facility is scheduled to open in less than 14 months.
In CSU president Tony Frank, the Rams have a smart, aggressive and persuasive salesman to work what is certain to be a highly political process in a league with a bunch of Texas-sized egos.
While tradition never has counted for less in college football, television revenue never has counted for more. Denver, the 17th biggest TV market in the United States, is more than an hour’s drive down the road from Colorado State.
It all sounds good. So when does the Oklahoma Sooner Schooner begin making regular stops in Fort Collins?
Maybe never. Colorado State will not get an invitation to the Big 12, unless Frank and the Rams pull off the biggest upset since Sonny Lubick’s football team beat sixth-ranked Arizona in 1994, a 21-16 road victory I would not have believed if I wasn’t there in Tucson, watching it all unfold with my own stunned eyes.
The problem for the Rams is nobody in Denver cares about the Rams. Oh, I do. But I’m just about the only one. I love college football, and don’t tell anybody in Broncos Country, but I think the college game is far more entertaining than the NFL version.
But far too many Colorado State alums in Denver seem to think the football season begins and ends with a showdown against Colorado. The size of a television market doesn’t matter if the ratings for Rams games don’t significantly move the meter. When CSU makes its pitch for inclusion in a Power Five conference, the math doesn’t add up.
And math is what expansion is all about. When your name is the Big 12 and you have only 10 football teams in the league, then not only might the academic integrity of your league be in question, but your TV footprint probably needs to expand to keep raking in those big increases in broadcast revenue.
Let’s put it in the most basic economic terms: College football is valuable to TV networks as programming. The more games, the more chances to sell commercials for pickup trucks. With 10 teams, there’s less available inventory than what the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference can offer. But expand to a dozen teams, and the Big 12 could fill more airtime. Go to 14 teams, and the conference could be on the tube more frequently than the Property Brothers on HGTV.
The schools that want to crash the Big 12 party include Brigham Young, Houston, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Central Florida, Memphis, Boise State and South Florida. Not exactly a bunch of A-listers in the college football world.
But right here, right now, it would be extremely difficult for CSU to crack the top four, as the Big 12 takes a first crack of trying to determine its most desirable candidates for expansion.
Brigham Young has a better football pedigree and a much more devoted fan base than the Rams. The Houston Cougars play in the country’s fourth-largest city. Cincinnati makes sense as a travel partner for West Virginia. And UConn seems like a preposterous road trip from Waco, Texas, until you start talking about ESPN and millions of New Yorkers living in the same general neighborhood as the Huskies.
Maybe the Rams could sell Fort Collins as a rest stop for Big 12 basketball teams on their way to Provo, Utah, in the dead of winter. But that’s not a strategy, it’s begging. To have any real chance of joining the Big 12, Colorado State had better hope that upcoming expansion is a slow play. And hope that in 2017 the league announces it is adding two teams (perhaps BYU and Cincinnati), then will consider two more by 2019.
That timetable would allow the Rams to not only open their new stadium, but fill it, provided coach Mike Bobo proves to be a coach that can win 10 games on a regular basis.
Colorado State is not ready for its close-up. If membership in the Big 12 is ever going to be a realistic possibility, the Rams need more time to get their act together.
Man you are sure fixated with pics of shirtless guys. Gets you a little excited.
Yeah, we can all tell. You, and countless others cling to his nuts on every post. This board can be dead for up to 48 hours, and just as soon as he makes a post, several of you show up and begin to post within literally minutes.
Even when you respond to a post where rifle is not mentioned you bring him up. Why is that? My post was about your fixation on pics of shirtless guys, which you keep posting about. So what does that say about you? I think we all get it, not that there is anything wrong with that. Be true to yourself little bitch.
http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/113563/big-12-expansion-extravaganza-edition
Big 12 mailbag: Expansion extravaganza edition
In this week's Big 12 Twitter mailbag, we discuss, well, you already know.
On to the 'bag: "who's the favorite so far?"
Trotter: In one afternoon, I think Houston went from being considered third or fourth in the pecking order to No. 1. That's what having the Texas president and state governor endorse your expansion candidacy publicly will do. Texas has only one vote. But there will be immense political pressure on Baylor, Texas Tech and TCU to join Greg Fenves. At this moment, it's difficult to see any Big 12 expansion that doesn't include the Coogs. Houston fans should be ecstatic.
"top expansion choices, in order, including current P5 possibilities."
Trotter: As of today, with the key word being "today," this is how I rank the expansion candidates, based solely on how I believe the Big 12 collectively views them: 1. Houston, 2. BYU, 3. Cincinnati, 4. UConn, 5. Central Florida, 6. Memphis, 7. Colorado State, 8. Tulane, 9. Boise State, 10. South Florida. Given the ACC extension of its grant of rights through 2036, the only Power 5 possibility out there would be from the Pac-12, with UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State topping the wish list. Getting one of those would be a home run for the Big 12, but obviously there would be major obstacles in the way, including the Pac-12's grant of rights, plus, not to mention, who knows if anyone from the Pac-12 would even be remotely interested?
"UCONN's distance doesn't seem to be a factor but Boise's is. Please explain."
Trotter: UConn would be the Big 12's gateway into the coveted New York market. Boise isn't even a top-100 TV market. That's why the Big 12 might be willing to overlook UConn's distance.
"is FedEx's money from Memphis enough to land them a spot?"
Trotter: It's going to be a factor in Memphis' favor, but that alone is not going to be what gets Memphis into the Big 12. Sure, FedEx has promised to sponsor the Big 12 championship, which is great for Memphis. But the Big 12 is not going to have any issue landing a sponsor for its title game. FedEx will also allow Memphis to ask for partial distribution through as far as 2024, but other schools that want in are going to be willing to accept just a slice of the distribution pie as well. FedEx is a factor. But if Memphis is going to get in, it's going to need to show it's more than just an extension of FedEx.
"is it likely Memphis makes the cut?"
Trotter: If the Big 12 expands by two it's going to be tough, given that Houston seems to be locked in for one of those spots. But if the league expands by four, Memphis will have a real shot. The same goes for Colorado State and even possibly Tulane. Remember, the presidents are making these decisions. And Tulane's academic profile is something that is going to appeal to them, even while the football, well, stinks.
"UCLA? Is it possible?"
Trotter: This is how the Big 12 could get UCLA. Expand by three, which would net the league an extra $75 million per year. Then turn around and dangle that in front of the Bruins, to cover their Pac-12 of grant of right losses, plus a lot more. Would UCLA consider it? There's a lot of tension in the Pac-12 right now. Keep in mind, Kansas State collects twice as much in tier-3 revenue through K-StateHD.TV than UCLA gets from the Pac-12 Network. UCLA might also see the benefit of breaking away from USC the way Texas A&M did with Texas in bolting for the SEC. It is a long shot? Sure. But as one industry insider noted this week, if Larry Scott can flirt with Texas and Oklahoma over and over, what's stopping Bob Bowlsby from returning the favor and courting UCLA?
"What's the odds, this all a smokescreen and Larry Scott is working a back room deal to add OU, OSU, T Tech & Texas to the Pac"
Zero percent. The Pac-12 isn't what it was five years ago. And I could argue that, for all of it's turmoil, the Big 12 is somehow actually in better shape for the moment than the Pac-12 is. The Pac-12 Network is a major albatross for that league right now, and there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight.
"if the big12 sticks to their criteria, it has to be BYU right? How much will these external things play into it, Like politics"
Trotter: I think we've already seen that politics is going to be a major factor. I had one Big 12 source admit to me Thursday that he/she had underestimated how much Texas politics was going to play in all this. Maybe we should have seen this coming. Texas politics has played a role in realignment at every turn, going back to the inception of the Big 12, when Gov. Ann Richards helped get Baylor into the conference
"is UT so powerful that they can talk the rest of the conference into voting for UH? Could they trade a Big12 network to do so?"
Trotter: As I mentioned before, the political pressure on Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech to join Texas on the Houston bandwagon is going to be significant. But does Texas want Houston in to the point it'd be willing to give up the Longhorn Network in a Big 12 Network bargain with Oklahoma? That would be a stunner. I don't think UT loves UH more than it loves the LHN. That said, keep an eye on David Boren. With Texas playing its hands so early, the ball is squarely now in OU's court.
Big 12 mailbag: Expansion extravaganza edition
In this week's Big 12 Twitter mailbag, we discuss, well, you already know.
On to the 'bag: "who's the favorite so far?"
Trotter: In one afternoon, I think Houston went from being considered third or fourth in the pecking order to No. 1. That's what having the Texas president and state governor endorse your expansion candidacy publicly will do. Texas has only one vote. But there will be immense political pressure on Baylor, Texas Tech and TCU to join Greg Fenves. At this moment, it's difficult to see any Big 12 expansion that doesn't include the Coogs. Houston fans should be ecstatic.
"top expansion choices, in order, including current P5 possibilities."
Trotter: As of today, with the key word being "today," this is how I rank the expansion candidates, based solely on how I believe the Big 12 collectively views them: 1. Houston, 2. BYU, 3. Cincinnati, 4. UConn, 5. Central Florida, 6. Memphis, 7. Colorado State, 8. Tulane, 9. Boise State, 10. South Florida. Given the ACC extension of its grant of rights through 2036, the only Power 5 possibility out there would be from the Pac-12, with UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State topping the wish list. Getting one of those would be a home run for the Big 12, but obviously there would be major obstacles in the way, including the Pac-12's grant of rights, plus, not to mention, who knows if anyone from the Pac-12 would even be remotely interested?
"UCONN's distance doesn't seem to be a factor but Boise's is. Please explain."
Trotter: UConn would be the Big 12's gateway into the coveted New York market. Boise isn't even a top-100 TV market. That's why the Big 12 might be willing to overlook UConn's distance.
"is FedEx's money from Memphis enough to land them a spot?"
Trotter: It's going to be a factor in Memphis' favor, but that alone is not going to be what gets Memphis into the Big 12. Sure, FedEx has promised to sponsor the Big 12 championship, which is great for Memphis. But the Big 12 is not going to have any issue landing a sponsor for its title game. FedEx will also allow Memphis to ask for partial distribution through as far as 2024, but other schools that want in are going to be willing to accept just a slice of the distribution pie as well. FedEx is a factor. But if Memphis is going to get in, it's going to need to show it's more than just an extension of FedEx.
"is it likely Memphis makes the cut?"
Trotter: If the Big 12 expands by two it's going to be tough, given that Houston seems to be locked in for one of those spots. But if the league expands by four, Memphis will have a real shot. The same goes for Colorado State and even possibly Tulane. Remember, the presidents are making these decisions. And Tulane's academic profile is something that is going to appeal to them, even while the football, well, stinks.
"UCLA? Is it possible?"
Trotter: This is how the Big 12 could get UCLA. Expand by three, which would net the league an extra $75 million per year. Then turn around and dangle that in front of the Bruins, to cover their Pac-12 of grant of right losses, plus a lot more. Would UCLA consider it? There's a lot of tension in the Pac-12 right now. Keep in mind, Kansas State collects twice as much in tier-3 revenue through K-StateHD.TV than UCLA gets from the Pac-12 Network. UCLA might also see the benefit of breaking away from USC the way Texas A&M did with Texas in bolting for the SEC. It is a long shot? Sure. But as one industry insider noted this week, if Larry Scott can flirt with Texas and Oklahoma over and over, what's stopping Bob Bowlsby from returning the favor and courting UCLA?
"What's the odds, this all a smokescreen and Larry Scott is working a back room deal to add OU, OSU, T Tech & Texas to the Pac"
Zero percent. The Pac-12 isn't what it was five years ago. And I could argue that, for all of it's turmoil, the Big 12 is somehow actually in better shape for the moment than the Pac-12 is. The Pac-12 Network is a major albatross for that league right now, and there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight.
"if the big12 sticks to their criteria, it has to be BYU right? How much will these external things play into it, Like politics"
Trotter: I think we've already seen that politics is going to be a major factor. I had one Big 12 source admit to me Thursday that he/she had underestimated how much Texas politics was going to play in all this. Maybe we should have seen this coming. Texas politics has played a role in realignment at every turn, going back to the inception of the Big 12, when Gov. Ann Richards helped get Baylor into the conference
"is UT so powerful that they can talk the rest of the conference into voting for UH? Could they trade a Big12 network to do so?"
Trotter: As I mentioned before, the political pressure on Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech to join Texas on the Houston bandwagon is going to be significant. But does Texas want Houston in to the point it'd be willing to give up the Longhorn Network in a Big 12 Network bargain with Oklahoma? That would be a stunner. I don't think UT loves UH more than it loves the LHN. That said, keep an eye on David Boren. With Texas playing its hands so early, the ball is squarely now in OU's court.
ttp://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-12-could-earn-an-additional-1-billion-by-expanding/
DALLAS -- Big 12 administrators will be presented with information this week at the league's spring meetings that expansion could earn the conference at least an additional $1 billion over the length of its remaining TV rights contract, CBS Sports has learned.
If the league expands by four teams, provisions in its contracts with ESPN and Fox provide money for that benchmark. If the expansion is by two teams, the increase would be $500 million.
Those rightsholders are contractually bound to provide "pro rata" for any new Big 12 members. That is, any new members would be paid an equal share of the current Big 12 members -- approximately $23 million per year.
While on its face that doesn't necessarily help the 10 current members of the Big 12, opening the existing contract would allow for a negotiation beyond that $1 billion figure.
Most importantly, it would satisfy one of the conference's key concerns: Falling behind the other Power Five conferences in revenue.
The Big 12 is approximately $9 million per school behind the SEC in annual revenue. Added expansion would close that gap "by half," according to a source.
The Big 12 has eight years remaining on its rights deal that pays it through the 2024-25 academic year. The current media rights deal is worth $1.3 billion from ESPN and $1.2 billion from Fox, according to SportsBusiness Daily.
While an additional $1 billion wouldn't guarantee expansion, it does shed light on how the league could add new teams. Previously, the discussion had centered around the quality of teams joining, rather than the Big 12's leverage in expansion.
When the league signed the 2012 deal, there was conversation regarding language for reopening the contract in the event of expansion. The parties agreed the Big 12 would get equal shares for any new teams that were added.
That means a team from the American Athletic Conference -- most often mentioned as possibilities in Big 12 expansion -- would automatically go from the $3-10 million range to $23 million.
The Big 12's leverage arguably came from the reason why the league exists in the first place following the latest round of conference realignment. Any conference that includes Texas and Oklahoma is worth televising.
The information is expected to be shared during presentations both Thursday and Friday. Big 12 administrators will be given the most extensive information since the potential for expansion became an issue a year ago.
As previously reported, models have been run for the Big 12 that include expansion to 12, 14 and 16 members. Consultant Navigate Research has told the league it has a 62 percent chance of reaching the College Football Playoff in any given year if it stays at 10 members. That figure goes up to approximately 75 percent if the league expands.
On Friday, the Big 12 will hear from Chris Bevilacqua, co-founder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures, on detailed monetary figures for adding teams, a conference network and/or a conference championship game.
Expansion is anything but a certainty.
Texas finally got on record Wednesday when athletic director Mike Perrin said, "The prudent thing for [the Big 12] to do is stay where we are."
He added: "I think the Big Ten is well positioned on television, well-positioned on the playoffs."
Perrin quickly corrected himself, saying he meant Big 12 instead of Big Ten.
"Texas has not moved," he added.
Texas' agreement to expansion is seen as a key to any move by the Big 12. It will take a super majority of eight schools to approve it. Perrin was later asked by CBS Sports, if the vote was 9-1 for expansion with Texas being the only dissenter, whether the school would agree to expansion.
He said it would.
"I can't think of any single factor" that would cause Texas to be in favor of expansion, Perrin said.
It's been stressed over and again that no final decisions are expected to be reached this week. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has said he would like to see a resolution by the end of summer.
"We haven't talked about [additional] schools at all," he said. "It depends on what your priorities are. League stability? Others would say revenue generation. Others would say accessing the College Football Playoff."
DALLAS -- Big 12 administrators will be presented with information this week at the league's spring meetings that expansion could earn the conference at least an additional $1 billion over the length of its remaining TV rights contract, CBS Sports has learned.
If the league expands by four teams, provisions in its contracts with ESPN and Fox provide money for that benchmark. If the expansion is by two teams, the increase would be $500 million.
Those rightsholders are contractually bound to provide "pro rata" for any new Big 12 members. That is, any new members would be paid an equal share of the current Big 12 members -- approximately $23 million per year.
While on its face that doesn't necessarily help the 10 current members of the Big 12, opening the existing contract would allow for a negotiation beyond that $1 billion figure.
Most importantly, it would satisfy one of the conference's key concerns: Falling behind the other Power Five conferences in revenue.
The Big 12 is approximately $9 million per school behind the SEC in annual revenue. Added expansion would close that gap "by half," according to a source.
The Big 12 has eight years remaining on its rights deal that pays it through the 2024-25 academic year. The current media rights deal is worth $1.3 billion from ESPN and $1.2 billion from Fox, according to SportsBusiness Daily.
While an additional $1 billion wouldn't guarantee expansion, it does shed light on how the league could add new teams. Previously, the discussion had centered around the quality of teams joining, rather than the Big 12's leverage in expansion.
When the league signed the 2012 deal, there was conversation regarding language for reopening the contract in the event of expansion. The parties agreed the Big 12 would get equal shares for any new teams that were added.
That means a team from the American Athletic Conference -- most often mentioned as possibilities in Big 12 expansion -- would automatically go from the $3-10 million range to $23 million.
The Big 12's leverage arguably came from the reason why the league exists in the first place following the latest round of conference realignment. Any conference that includes Texas and Oklahoma is worth televising.
The information is expected to be shared during presentations both Thursday and Friday. Big 12 administrators will be given the most extensive information since the potential for expansion became an issue a year ago.
As previously reported, models have been run for the Big 12 that include expansion to 12, 14 and 16 members. Consultant Navigate Research has told the league it has a 62 percent chance of reaching the College Football Playoff in any given year if it stays at 10 members. That figure goes up to approximately 75 percent if the league expands.
On Friday, the Big 12 will hear from Chris Bevilacqua, co-founder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures, on detailed monetary figures for adding teams, a conference network and/or a conference championship game.
Expansion is anything but a certainty.
Texas finally got on record Wednesday when athletic director Mike Perrin said, "The prudent thing for [the Big 12] to do is stay where we are."
He added: "I think the Big Ten is well positioned on television, well-positioned on the playoffs."
Perrin quickly corrected himself, saying he meant Big 12 instead of Big Ten.
"Texas has not moved," he added.
Texas' agreement to expansion is seen as a key to any move by the Big 12. It will take a super majority of eight schools to approve it. Perrin was later asked by CBS Sports, if the vote was 9-1 for expansion with Texas being the only dissenter, whether the school would agree to expansion.
He said it would.
"I can't think of any single factor" that would cause Texas to be in favor of expansion, Perrin said.
It's been stressed over and again that no final decisions are expected to be reached this week. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has said he would like to see a resolution by the end of summer.
"We haven't talked about [additional] schools at all," he said. "It depends on what your priorities are. League stability? Others would say revenue generation. Others would say accessing the College Football Playoff."
http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/...ig-12-expansion-candidates-twitter-statements
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Could Tulane be the Big 12 expansion wild card?
Imagine a scenario in which the Big 12 expands by four teams and adds current presumptive favorites Houston, BYU and Cincinnati. The league, obviously, would still need a fourth school. Imagine next that the conference conceivably concludes that Connecticut and Central Florida are too far away.
Imagine then that the decision comes down to, say, Memphis and Tulane. And then keep in mind that the presidents and chancellors -- not the football coaches and athletic directors -- will be making the call.
On the surface, it might seem far-fetched for Big 12 expansion to include a school that has just five bowl appearances since the 1970s and exactly one double-digit winning season in its history.
But in the scenario of a four-school grab, Tulane -- with its superior academic profile -- just might bethewild card as this expansion drama unfolds.
When asked what the league would be looking for while vetting expansion candidates, Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chair David Boren said the conference would be looking at strength of the athletic programs, fan base, access to media markets and, in his words, "reputations of these institutions for integrity" and "the academic standards … and the level or research and teaching."
By any measure, Tulane doesn't score well in athletics or fan base. But in academics, research and teaching, the school is a juggernaut.
As one of 62 members of the distinguished Association of American Universities (AAU), Tulane is considered one of the top research institutions in the country. At the moment, the Big 12 claims only three AAU members in Texas, Kansas and Iowa State. That pales in comparison to the other Power 5 conferences. The Big Ten boasts 13 AAU members. The Pac-12 owns eight. The ACC holds five. Even the SEC has four.
Adding to the sting, all four schools the Big 12 lost through realignment -- Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M and at the time Nebraska -- carried AAU membership.
As Boren said, the Big 12 will look to reinforce its competitive profile on the field through expansion. That's why Houston and BYU seem to be the favorites to join the league.
But in this process, the Big 12 might aim to bolster its academic profile as well. And no school available would do more for that than the Green Wave.
Along with Buffalo and Rice, Tulane is one of just three AAU institutions that compete at the FBS level yet don't reside in a Power 5 conference.
"Tulane's greatest assets in this regard include our academic reputation, our standing among the nation's top research institutions as a member of the AAU and our location in the one of the premier cities in the country, New Orleans," Green Wave athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement last week that alluded to Tulane's interest in the Big 12.
As Dannen referenced, Tulane's location won't hurt its candidacy. New Orleans is the No. 51 TV market in the country and has become a recruiting pipeline of late for several Big 12 teams. Logistically, expanding into New Orleans also makes sense.
On the field, however, Tulane has miles to go.
Last season, the Green Wave had an average attendance of just under 23,000, which would've ranked last in the Big 12. Tulane hasn't had a first-round NFL draft pick since 2004, when quarterback J.P. Losman went 22nd overall to theBuffalo Bills. The football program hasn't enjoyed a watershed moment since 1998, when coach Tommy Bowden and quarterback Shaun King led the Green Wave to a Conference USA title and 12-0 record, which included a victory over BYU in the Liberty Bowl.
According to Dannen, Tulane has committed $120 million in capital investments to the school's athletic facilities in recent years. With a better and more lucrative conference affiliation, Tulane would have resources to commit even more. Even then, competing in the Big 12 obviously wouldn't come easy for Tulane.
But as one league official noted about Tulane's candidacy, the SEC has Vanderbilt, which might not win SEC titles but significantly enhances the conference's academic standing.
Could Tulane become the Big 12's Vanderbilt?
If the league expands by just two, likely not. Even among academic-minded chancellors and presidents, football strength and media market will be the first boxes checked off the expansion list.
But if the league expands to 14?
Tulane's academic prowess and AAU standing could begin to look mighty attractive.
You better let them know that Tulane's new football stadium only seats 30,000, so all games with WVU will have to be played in Morgantown. I also suggest that fans of Tulane secure some advice from their neighbors in Baton Rouge in regard to leaving their pregnant women at home.
http://wnct.com/2016/07/27/gov-mccrory-cooper-back-ecu-joining-big-12-conference/
Gov. McCrory, Cooper, back ECU joining Big 12 Conference
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Both candidates for governor are now backing ECU’s goal to join the Big 12, a power five conference that announced it was looking to add teams. Governor Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper both released statements endorsing the idea Wednesday.
This comes less than 24 hours after WNCT interview Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas, who called on state leaders to endorse the idea.
The move would put ECU in the national spotlight, and lead to football match ups in Greenville with the likes of Texas and Oklahoma.
“East Carolina University is positioned both institutionally and athletically to be a successful and and valuable member of the Big 12 Conference,” Gov. McCrory said. “Our state has a rich tradition of public universities with both excellent academic prowess and deep commitments to intercollegiate athletics. East Carolina University follow in that rich tradition and is prepared to strengthen that legacy.”
Cooper also praised what the university has done for the state, and how much it could add to a power five conference.
“Academically, ECU is an institution of higher education with nationally recognized undergraduate, graduate, and medical programs. It is a critical component of the crown jewel of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina higher education system,” Cooper said. “In addition, ECU Pirate Athletics is a source of pride for fans across North Carolina. I am confident ECU would make for an excellent member Institution for the Big 12.”
To read Gov. McCrory’s full statement, clickhere.
To read AG Cooper’s statement, clickhere.
Gov. McCrory, Cooper, back ECU joining Big 12 Conference
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Both candidates for governor are now backing ECU’s goal to join the Big 12, a power five conference that announced it was looking to add teams. Governor Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper both released statements endorsing the idea Wednesday.
This comes less than 24 hours after WNCT interview Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas, who called on state leaders to endorse the idea.
The move would put ECU in the national spotlight, and lead to football match ups in Greenville with the likes of Texas and Oklahoma.
“East Carolina University is positioned both institutionally and athletically to be a successful and and valuable member of the Big 12 Conference,” Gov. McCrory said. “Our state has a rich tradition of public universities with both excellent academic prowess and deep commitments to intercollegiate athletics. East Carolina University follow in that rich tradition and is prepared to strengthen that legacy.”
Cooper also praised what the university has done for the state, and how much it could add to a power five conference.
“Academically, ECU is an institution of higher education with nationally recognized undergraduate, graduate, and medical programs. It is a critical component of the crown jewel of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina higher education system,” Cooper said. “In addition, ECU Pirate Athletics is a source of pride for fans across North Carolina. I am confident ECU would make for an excellent member Institution for the Big 12.”
To read Gov. McCrory’s full statement, clickhere.
To read AG Cooper’s statement, clickhere.
