The race to be the next TCU

[Harry]

A decade ago, TCU was hardly the apple of the Big 12 eye; or any other major conference for that matter.

The Horned Frogs had just posted an average attendance of less than 30,000, which ranked well below the likes of UTEP, New Mexico and Hawaii.

TCU’s facilities didn’t measure up. And though a budding mid-major program at the time under Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs were no juggernaut on the field yet, either.

Today, however, TCU is the blueprint for those still in Group of 5 purgatory angling for Power 5 inclusion. And with prospective Big 12 expansion being perhaps the final train out of the Group of 5 station, the race is on among those schools to position themselves as strongly as possible should the moment of Big 12 expansion ever arrive.

read more:  http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/100904/the-race-is-on-among-group-of-5-schools-to-be-the-next-tcu

[UNTexas]

If it's about TV markets, and we know it's a big factor, then outside Texas is a big deal. The Big 12 already has the Texas market locked up. Houston is a descent choice but if I'm looking to expand the brand and have a bigger footprint, then I look out the Red & Rio Grande. That's just me.

[foutsrouts]

A decade ago, TCU was hardly the apple of the Big 12 eye; or any other major conference for that matter.

The Horned Frogs had just posted an average attendance of less than 30,000, which ranked well below the likes of UTEP, New Mexico and Hawaii.

TCU’s facilities didn’t measure up. And though a budding mid-major program at the time under Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs were no juggernaut on the field yet, either.

Today, however, TCU is the blueprint for those still in Group of 5 purgatory angling for Power 5 inclusion. And with prospective Big 12 expansion being perhaps the final train out of the Group of 5 station, the race is on among those schools to position themselves as strongly as possible should the moment of Big 12 expansion ever arrive.

read more:  http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/100904/the-race-is-on-among-group-of-5-schools-to-be-the-next-tcu

Yep. Patterson has worked miracles there no doubt. They were pretty much SWC doormats since the days of Bob Lilly in the late 50's.

[Cerebus]

There will be no next TCU.  The P5 aren't looking to dilute their money by adding people.  Instead, look for marginal P5 teams to get shifted down. 

[untjim1995]

There will be no next TCU.  The P5 aren't looking to dilute their money by adding people.  Instead, look for marginal P5 teams to get shifted down.

I think that is right, except I think that UConn will move up next from the G5, most likely to the ACC.

The more I think about it, the more I can see several G5 schools try to go the BYU route and become quasi-P5 by being independent in football. Like it was back before the 90s, we had many independents in football, not just Notre Dame. Miami, FSU, Penn State, Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College, etc...I could see schools in the top end of the AAC and MWC try this--including  UH, UCF, USF, ECU, Memphis, Cincy, Boise State, SDSU, and Fresno State. Each of those schools could partner up with other leagues around them for the other sports, just as BYU and Notre Dame have done. 

[Cerebus]

The ACC won't be around, there will be four power conferences.  There will be consolidation and a good number of schools won't make the cut. Teams could go indy, but they would be cut off from the real playoff money anyway, so why do it?  

[untjim1995]

The ACC will be around, but the Big XII won't--there are too many TV sets in the ACC footprint and too few in the Big XII footprint outside of Texas

[Cerebus]

The ACC will be around, but the Big XII won't--there are too many TV sets in the ACC footprint and too few in the Big XII footprint outside of Texas

I don't think either of them will be around.  There will be a new hybrid.  The SEC, PAC12, B10 have too much history for the names to go away.  

[untjim1995]

The biggest problem that the P5s are gonna have is having somebody getting the rug pulled out from underneath them with nowhere to go, especially when Wake Forest, Washington State, Mississippi State, and others like them have a place at the table while, potentially, Baylor, TCU, Iowa State, and others don't. In reality, the P4 conferences will probably recognize that its better to go to conferences of 18 just to bring them aboard and invite a selected few out of the G5 to be in their club.

You could then break things down regionally in this hypothetical, assuming the NCAA mandated this to ensure that certain teams got included:

West

UCLA, USC, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, Boise State, BYU, UT, Tech, TCU, and Baylor

South

OU, Oklahoma State, Mizzou, Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Bama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Vandy, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Memphis

East

Miami, USF, UCF, Florida State, Clemson, Ga Tech, Duke, UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Virgina, Va Tech, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Boston College, Notre Dame, and Uconn

North

Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan St, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, KSU, and Cincy

[mgfan]

"Those with Power 5 aspirations have made hires with that in mind. Despite going 8-5 and beating Pitt in a bowl game last season, Houston fired Tony Levine and brought in Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who arrived with a reputation as a rising star in coaching. Already the Cougars have been a force on the recruiting trail, landing commitments from two of the top 10 prospects in the state of Texas."

 

He would have gotten an extension here at Ol' UNT.  It cannot be understated that RV and BOR is content with being mediocre. 

[Aldo]

I would love an 8-5 record.