Big 12 expansion

Hunter Green · July 1, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/100511/big-12-expansion-no-longer-an-if-but-rather-a-when

Harry · July 1, 2015

Good find Hunter. You could say this coming season might be a dress rehearsal for Houston. Their schedule is very favorable and they could very well be in the playoff mix as the G5 rep. Memphis would be another good choice. I see Colorado State as a long shot, primarily due to geography. I wonder why BYU wouldn't be a consideration.

Hunter Green · July 1, 2015

I love the mention about TCU and the committment from their BOR's that got them into the Big 12. What made us a candidate for the SWC back in the day,but not a candidate now?

Ben Gooding · July 1, 2015

Good find Hunter. You could say this coming season might be a dress rehearsal for Houston. Their schedule is very favorable and they could very well be in the playoff mix as the G5 rep. Memphis would be another good choice. I see Colorado State as a long shot, primarily due to geography. I wonder why BYU wouldn't be a consideration.

If you see Colorado St as a long shot due to geography than you shouldn't have to wonder too hard about BYU.

emmitt01 · July 1, 2015

Speaking of the Big XII I see that Kenny Hill has landed at TCU

NM Green · July 1, 2015

When I read the tea leaves deeply I see ou getting ready to bolt for the big and this will force Texas' hand to the pac if they are not already actively setting things up.

UNT needs to be ready to lineup with the following: Houston tcu k state Iowa state Kansas Baylor okie state Texas tech smu byu and Boise.

RV do what it takes relationship wise to be extremely aggressive right now. Even if we miss the first train if the acc comes after tcu we need to be ready to deliver the metroplex as the large state university in north texas.

OU has lost so much clout in this new big 12. The little privates were never supposed to rule the roost. None of the candidates to bolster the 12 are attractive so ou will leave. Texas has two juicy games next year with nd and ou. A&M has at least 6 just playing their conference. So the 12 will dissolve and we better be lining up with the new formation.

Gotta see it to be it.

GMG

emmitt01 · July 1, 2015

When I read the tea leaves deeply I see ou getting ready to bolt for the big and this will force Texas' hand to the pac if they are not already actively setting things up.
UNT needs to be ready to lineup with the following: Houston tcu k state Iowa state Kansas Baylor okie state Texas tech smu byu and Boise.
RV do what it takes relationship wise to be extremely aggressive right now. Even if we miss the first train if the acc comes after tcu we need to be ready to deliver the metroplex as the large state university in north texas.
OU has lost so much clout in this new big 12. The little privates were never supposed to rule the roost. None of the candidates to bolster the 12 are attractive so ou will leave. Texas has two juicy games next year with nd and ou. A&M has at least 6 just playing their conference. So the 12 will dissolve and we better be lining up with the new formation.
Gotta see it to be it.
GMG

aTm plays the most compelling games in Texas right now. Texas will deny it until the end of days but they recognize this fact and will push to bring the UT/aTm game back.

Ben Gooding · July 1, 2015

The only game UT plays that is or will consistently be worth a damn is vs OU. They understand that and I am sure they have imagined getting USC, Oregon, UCLA and Arizona St in Austin every other year. Once the Big12 privates fade away (which they eventually will) there will be not much to look foward to as a UT fan. Best case scenario for UNT is to watch the Big12 implode and let the musical chairs begin.

Cougar King · July 1, 2015

When I read the tea leaves deeply I see ou getting ready to bolt for the big and this will force Texas' hand to the pac if they are not already actively setting things up.
UNT needs to be ready to lineup with the following: Houston tcu k state Iowa state Kansas Baylor okie state Texas tech smu byu and Boise.
RV do what it takes relationship wise to be extremely aggressive right now. Even if we miss the first train if the acc comes after tcu we need to be ready to deliver the metroplex as the large state university in north texas.
OU has lost so much clout in this new big 12. The little privates were never supposed to rule the roost. None of the candidates to bolster the 12 are attractive so ou will leave. Texas has two juicy games next year with nd and ou. A&M has at least 6 just playing their conference. So the 12 will dissolve and we better be lining up with the new formation.
Gotta see it to be it.
GMG

Whatever you're smoking, give me double. The only place UNT has a chance for is a depleted AAC or maybe the MWC, no offense but not only does your athletic department not have the right tools or people to get things done, you guys are about 10 years too late to the party. All those schools you mentioned have been making investments for many years and therefore have earned the right to be P5 or are top P5 expansion candidates. If UNT had a future in all of this, the media would have mentioned it already.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Cougar King

Cerebus · July 1, 2015

Such a climate will make the landscape ripe for another seismic conference realignment shift, at which point other commissioners will be circling Big 12 programs like a shiver of sharks, just waiting to pick schools off to form their inevitable superconferences.
To avoid being picked apart, the Big 12 will have to act pre-emptively. A novel concept for this league, yet a necessary one.

Here the's deal. OU want's to stay where it is. It likes the geography, it likes being a big fish in a little pond. OU is a behemoth when it comes to Iowa St, Kansas St, etc. They want to expand the B12, stay where they are and live the good life. This is why they have been leaking to anyone who will listen that expansion is "inevitable."

Here's their problem. UT doesn't give a damn about the B12. They think that with their money and prestige they can compete anywhere. They know that OU is tied to them, wherever they go OU has to follow. Everyone else in the B12 is on their own.

There are currently 65 teams in the P5 conferences. UT's new AD wants to reduce that number, fewer mouths to feed means more for UT. They don't want to share with teams like Kansas St, or Washington St, or Vanderbilt, or pretty much the entire ACC. If they can step out of the B12, make it go the way of the Big East, and find a home in an existing conference or create an entire new conference, they will do so... and OU will have to follow them.

So either OU wins and the B12 survives and 67+ teams share the playoff money, or UT wins. If UT wins the B12 explodes, other conferences probably collapse or reform. The SEC, PAC12 and B10 will add schools. The ACC will be be cannibalized. We end up with 55 or fewer teams sharing the money. I know where my bet lies.

The best part for them? Because of the governance rules they just passed they will get to hoard all the football money and not endanger the March Madness money.

malonish · July 1, 2015

Thought you were on double secret probation?

foutsrouts · July 1, 2015

I'd like to dream of these scenarios myself, but we must show in advance that we can put butts in the seats to even be considered IMO, and that includes a major improvement in our absolutely pathetic basketball attendance. The only recent positive in regard to attendance is what we showed at the Dallas Bowl a year and a half ago. Of course it wouldn't hurt if a large bundle of money fell from the sky along with a freakin' baseball team. As usual, the only answer is to win baby win.

Arkstfan · July 1, 2015

Here's the rub. Boren says a third of the presidents agree with him about expanding. Even if you round up, that's four. It takes eight votes to expand.

ColoradoEagle · July 1, 2015

I'd like to dream of these scenarios myself, but we must show in advance that we can put butts in the seats to even be considered IMO, and that includes a major improvement in our absolutely pathetic basketball attendance. The only recent positive in regard to attendance is what we showed at the Dallas Bowl a year and a half ago. Of course it wouldn't hurt if a large bundle of money fell from the sky along with a freakin' baseball team. As usual, the only answer is to win baby win.

Current basketball attendance isn't a reflection on the fans. Even dedicated fans won't take the time out of their day or especially drive 20+ miles for a bad product.

foutsrouts · July 1, 2015

Current basketball attendance isn't a reflection on the fans. Even dedicated fans won't take the time out of their day or especially drive 20+ miles for a bad product.

Other than our actual performance on the court, the saddest part of it all is that we're lucky to get a couple hundred of our 35,000 plus season ticket holders to show for the average game, and most of them live on or near campus.

ColoradoEagle · July 1, 2015

People came out for Johnny Jones' teams, because they were decently coached and it always felt like there was a chance to win. Even living close to campus isn't going to bring people out for Benford ball.

Cowtown · July 1, 2015

All the "Frogs in the know" that I chat with say that IF the Big 12 expands, it will not be in TX.

WVU needs a friend. Start there, then look West.

Andrew · July 1, 2015

I stil don't understand how hard it is to just base all of this on geographic location like pro sports. Or any other sport in countries around the world. It's not hard till fill a conference with every division1Texas team and OU and OSU.

Rudy · July 1, 2015

Because colleges view themselves as superior to one another. And some hate schools so much they'd disown their kids if they went to certain schools. Others will shun potential mates because they went to or support a certain school. If people could get over that, they would then see the value of strictly regional conferences.

Cowtown · July 1, 2015

Its all about $ and recruiting.

Houston doesnt bring anything to the table that the Big 12 (TEXAS) doesnt already have. That is fertile recruiting ground for the Horns. Orange greed doesnt want to bring in another mouth to feed.

BUT, What has the Froggies all worked up is the talk of OU to SEC. If that happens and the landscape shifts to 4, 16 team conferences, and you include the Irish...when the musical chairs stop there will be one school left out. If the ACC is the East Coast conf, SEC - South, Big - North & Pac - West...the back fill will come from the Big 12. So who gets left out? The new kid on the block? The sand aggies whose only hope is to hang on to UT's coat tails? Someone from the midwest?

mgfan · July 2, 2015

IF we want to make move up in the world the BOR will have to make a commitment to football and winning, but that doesn't seem like that will happen.

forevereagle · July 2, 2015

I stil don't understand how hard it is to just base all of this on geographic location like pro sports. Or any other sport in countries around the world.

You're right, let's do it like the NFL and pair with teams in NY, PA, and DC. Or we could look at the MLB example and have teams in TX, CA, and WA.

Eagle1855 · July 2, 2015

Whatever you're smoking, give me double. The only place UNT has a chance for is a depleted AAC or maybe the MWC, no offense but not only does your athletic department not have the right tools or people to get things done, you guys are about 10 years too late to the party. All those schools you mentioned have been making investments for many years and therefore have earned the right to be P5 or are top P5 expansion candidates. If UNT had a future in all of this, the media would have mentioned it already.

He says it like a dick, but most of what he's said in this post is absolutely true.