…this would be his presentation on expansion candidates. Of course he would have much more supporting data, but this is how it might go. (Please read the last sentence again and take a deep breath, this is just the same kind of speculation that the rest of you already put out.)
“Gentlemen, since our last meeting at Big 12 Media Days when you voted to pursue expansion of the conference, we have been in contact and negotiations with several universities across the country. Here are the finalists for our expansion opportunities:”
TWO TEAM EXPANSION TO TWELVE
“The scenario to expand by two teams has lead us to these two finalists, both of which have agreed in principle to advance to final negotiations and invitation acceptance should an affirmative vote be brought forth. Our first team is BYU. BYU has offered a conditional acceptance and agreement to a standard entrance agreement similar to that which WVU and TCU agreed to upon entrance to the Big 12. The condition of no Sunday athletic activities is the only condition to entrance; the conference will make every scheduling effort to accommodate this condition. In exchange BYU will restrict sports broadcasting on BYU-TV to the already agreed upon third-tier rights standard to all other Big 12 members.”
“Our second team for expansion is the University of Cincinnati. In addition to a fine athletic program the inclusion of UC fulfills our commitment to WVU to find a regional opponent in the next level of expansion. UC has offered acceptance and agreement to a standard entrance agreement similar to that which WVU and TCU agreed to upon entrance to the Big12. No other conditions are demanded by UC.”
FOUR TEAM EXPANSION TO FOURTEEN
“In addition to the two teams already presented we have been in contact and negotiations with additional universities across the country. Here are the finalists for our expansion opportunities to grow the conference to fourteen teams. It is recommended that invitations also be extended to the University of Memphis and the University of Houston. Both of these universities have up and coming athletic programs which have the potential to benefit from conference membership as well as enhance the opportunities for growth of the conference foot-print and media markets; particularly UH as the 10th largest media market in the country. In 2015, the top ten football games viewed in the Houston market were SEC games; Houston games and Big 12 games comprised the other four games viewed in the top ten. Inclusion of the University of Houston affords the conference the opportunity to turn the tide of SEC intrusion into the Southwest market.”
SIX TEAM EXPANSION TO SIXTEEN
“After considerable review of the current landscape of college football and conference alignment and the current state of the CFB Playoff system, it is suggested that expansion to a so-called ‘Super Conference’ of sixteen members is not only in the best interest of the Big 12 Conference from a stability and competition standpoint but also affords a superior position to the conference as we enter into future negotiations for a Big 12 television network. We have agreement in principle from additional teams, some currently in Power 5 conferences, to accept an invitation if and only if the sixteen-member scenario is accepted by the conference. We have two finalists from several team who showed interest, but these two rose to the top during final phases of discussion and preliminary negotiations. Our two finalists to move the Big 12 conference to sixteen teams are the University of Nebraska and the University of Missouri; both former Big 12 members who wish to return under the scenario of a 16 team Super Conference. Both teams will require some financial support to make the move from the B1G and the SEC respectively. However, both teams understand the conditions of release from their current conferences and the consequences of making this move. This is not un-similar to the financial assistance given to WVU in making the transition from the former Big East conference.”
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
“My final recommendation is that the opportunity for expansion to only 12 or 14 teams does not provide any long-term stability, nor does it provide a strong footprint for negotiation for a TV network. I therefore recommend that the Board approve the 16 team Super Conference scenario as the most viable expansion opportunity.”
“Gentlemen, since our last meeting at Big 12 Media Days when you voted to pursue expansion of the conference, we have been in contact and negotiations with several universities across the country. Here are the finalists for our expansion opportunities:”
TWO TEAM EXPANSION TO TWELVE
“The scenario to expand by two teams has lead us to these two finalists, both of which have agreed in principle to advance to final negotiations and invitation acceptance should an affirmative vote be brought forth. Our first team is BYU. BYU has offered a conditional acceptance and agreement to a standard entrance agreement similar to that which WVU and TCU agreed to upon entrance to the Big 12. The condition of no Sunday athletic activities is the only condition to entrance; the conference will make every scheduling effort to accommodate this condition. In exchange BYU will restrict sports broadcasting on BYU-TV to the already agreed upon third-tier rights standard to all other Big 12 members.”
“Our second team for expansion is the University of Cincinnati. In addition to a fine athletic program the inclusion of UC fulfills our commitment to WVU to find a regional opponent in the next level of expansion. UC has offered acceptance and agreement to a standard entrance agreement similar to that which WVU and TCU agreed to upon entrance to the Big12. No other conditions are demanded by UC.”
FOUR TEAM EXPANSION TO FOURTEEN
“In addition to the two teams already presented we have been in contact and negotiations with additional universities across the country. Here are the finalists for our expansion opportunities to grow the conference to fourteen teams. It is recommended that invitations also be extended to the University of Memphis and the University of Houston. Both of these universities have up and coming athletic programs which have the potential to benefit from conference membership as well as enhance the opportunities for growth of the conference foot-print and media markets; particularly UH as the 10th largest media market in the country. In 2015, the top ten football games viewed in the Houston market were SEC games; Houston games and Big 12 games comprised the other four games viewed in the top ten. Inclusion of the University of Houston affords the conference the opportunity to turn the tide of SEC intrusion into the Southwest market.”
SIX TEAM EXPANSION TO SIXTEEN
“After considerable review of the current landscape of college football and conference alignment and the current state of the CFB Playoff system, it is suggested that expansion to a so-called ‘Super Conference’ of sixteen members is not only in the best interest of the Big 12 Conference from a stability and competition standpoint but also affords a superior position to the conference as we enter into future negotiations for a Big 12 television network. We have agreement in principle from additional teams, some currently in Power 5 conferences, to accept an invitation if and only if the sixteen-member scenario is accepted by the conference. We have two finalists from several team who showed interest, but these two rose to the top during final phases of discussion and preliminary negotiations. Our two finalists to move the Big 12 conference to sixteen teams are the University of Nebraska and the University of Missouri; both former Big 12 members who wish to return under the scenario of a 16 team Super Conference. Both teams will require some financial support to make the move from the B1G and the SEC respectively. However, both teams understand the conditions of release from their current conferences and the consequences of making this move. This is not un-similar to the financial assistance given to WVU in making the transition from the former Big East conference.”
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
“My final recommendation is that the opportunity for expansion to only 12 or 14 teams does not provide any long-term stability, nor does it provide a strong footprint for negotiation for a TV network. I therefore recommend that the Board approve the 16 team Super Conference scenario as the most viable expansion opportunity.”
