Big 12 vs the world

Hunter Green · August 29, 2021

Lubbock Avalanche Journal reports the Big 12 is courting BYU bigtime and that at least 8 other teams are interested in joining. Are we one of them? Are we capable financially to make that jump? The Big12 needs to be pro active, IMHO.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-12-vs-the-world-conference-eyes-expansion-as-commissioner-stands-by-collusion-accusations/

DeepGreen · August 29, 2021

6 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

The Big12 needs to be pro active, IMHO.

The University of North Texas needs to be proactive. If UNT does not make a full court press, headed by our President, Athletic Director, and Board members, to be seriously considered for the admittance to the Big 12, I will be extremely disappointed.

Rudy · August 29, 2021

I'd like to think that Wren and Neal are proactive enough to try. If the opportunity arises, the money is there, we can find it. It just comes down to is there a mutual interest.

Hunter Green · August 29, 2021

3 minutes ago, DeepGreen said:

The University of North Texas needs to be proactive. If UNT does not make a full court press, headed by our President, Athletic Director, and Board members, to be seriously considered for the admittance to the Big 12, I will be extremely disappointed.

Agreed.

Arkstfan · August 29, 2021

What exactly is there to be proactive about beyond indicating interest.

Back when I hired people we’d get 75 to 500 applications depending on the position. Only about one in 10 got a serious look and by the time it got to me the list would be five and I almost always had that 5 narrowed to 3 by the time I was preparing to interview that last five.

It always comes down to what are they looking for and how well ya fit that profile.

Fans over stress on this. Schools reach out to people they know in other leagues and express interest and try to get insight on what they are looking for.

When Big East/AAC raided CUSA the one known was UNT was getting an invite. All the other pieces came together to meet the politics in the league.

Big XII is going to go after BYU because they are the P5 like program out there and the two have flirted before. UCF and Cincinnati are next tier because their geography doesn’t suck and they won’t step on anyone else’s toes much in recruiting. After that you’ve got Boise on the other side of the world, Memphis, and president darling Tulane. After that it’s people who step on their toes in recruiting and even local media.

I suspect odds are long for SMU, Houston, Tulsa unless B12 wants to retreat within the footprint.

Then AAC has to figure out what it is they want and a school fits or doesn’t

Hunter Green · August 29, 2021

8 hours ago, Arkstfan said:

What exactly is there to be proactive about beyond indicating interest.

Back when I hired people we’d get 75 to 500 applications depending on the position. Only about one in 10 got a serious look and by the time it got to me the list would be five and I almost always had that 5 narrowed to 3 by the time I was preparing to interview that last five.

It always comes down to what are they looking for and how well ya fit that profile.

Fans over stress on this. Schools reach out to people they know in other leagues and express interest and try to get insight on what they are looking for.

When Big East/AAC raided CUSA the one known was UNT was getting an invite. All the other pieces came together to meet the politics in the league.

Big XII is going to go after BYU because they are the P5 like program out there and the two have flirted before. UCF and Cincinnati are next tier because their geography doesn’t suck and they won’t step on anyone else’s toes much in recruiting. After that you’ve got Boise on the other side of the world, Memphis, and president darling Tulane. After that it’s people who step on their toes in recruiting and even local media.

I suspect odds are long for SMU, Houston, Tulsa unless B12 wants to retreat within the footprint.

Then AAC has to figure out what it is they want and a school fits or doesn’t

Since the vast majority of us minions here on the board don't know the inner workings of intercollegiate athletics, "proactive" just means exactly that. Is there a meeting requested? Does the university put together a profile/portfolio to said conference explaining our worthiness that perhaps said conference isn't aware of? Is said conference aware of our Master Plan? I don't know. As Hank Dickinson once told me, and I paraphrase, "We're professionals, we know what's going on." I, as a fan and donor, just want assurance that the powers that be are doing everything humanely possible to advance our cause. In the end though, I'm positive Wren and Dr. Smatresk are doing just that.

GO MEAN GREEN!

Edited August 29, 2021 by Hunter Green

UNT 90 Grad · August 29, 2021

Proactive would mean being prepared for a time when the Big 12 might be looking for new members. The time to be proactive has passed. It’s time to be active.

Tom McKrackin · September 2, 2021

greenjoe · September 2, 2021

Would it be considered poor form to ask to be put on the agenda at a soon to be held Big 12 meeting and ask to be considered for membership ? Then, there would be no question about our desire to be invited and our request would have to be dealt with, up or down.

keith · September 2, 2021

On 8/29/2021 at 1:12 AM, Arkstfan said:

What exactly is there to be proactive about beyond indicating interest.

Back when I hired people we’d get 75 to 500 applications depending on the position. Only about one in 10 got a serious look and by the time it got to me the list would be five and I almost always had that 5 narrowed to 3 by the time I was preparing to interview that last five.

In order to be in that last 5, you need to have been in that initial 75-500. I think that's the point. Also, it is more than just indicating interest. It is putting your best case forward and standing out among the initial pool of applications. Don't be the 70-495 resumes that get tossed in the trash can without a second look.

El Paso Eagle · September 2, 2021

Let's assume the B12 will expand - If they take Houston does that open a spot for Rice?
If SMU strays in the AAC would they want anther D/FW area school?

Our best hope for an AAC invite is in all honesty for SMU to get a B12 invite.

Should we be pushing for a MWC invite?

Edited September 2, 2021 by El Paso Eagle

Rudy · September 2, 2021

3 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Let's assume the B12 will expand - If they take Houston does that open a spot for Rice?
If SMU strays in the AAC would they want anther D/FW area school?

Our best hope for an AAC invite is in all honesty for SMU to get a B12 invite.

Should we be pushing for a MWC invite?

We should be beyond pinning our hopes and ambitions on $mut. We should have been pushing for a MWC invite for a couple of years now. Now we should be knocking on the Big 12, MWC, and AAC invite.

drycreek · September 2, 2021

On 8/28/2021 at 8:37 PM, Hunter Green said:

Agreed.

AGREE---TIME IS RIGHT

untjim1995 · September 2, 2021

13 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Let's assume the B12 will expand - If they take Houston does that open a spot for Rice?
If SMU strays in the AAC would they want anther D/FW area school?

Our best hope is in all honesty for SMU to get a B12 invite.

I don't think SMU will get a Big XII invite while TCU and Baylor are already in the conference. However, UH is a no-brainer for them. My guess is that the AAC would replace UH with UTSA or Rice, as SMU being in Dallas blocks us, as usual...

8 minutes ago, Rudy said:

We should be beyond pinning our hopes and ambitions on $mut. We should have been pushing for a MWC invite for a couple of years now. Now we should be knocking on the Big 12, MWC, and AAC invite.

Sadly, this is correct. Ask @MeanGreenTexan, who also shares our affection for going West to the MWC. Now, just to be clear, the MWC hasn't shown even one iota of interest in us as a potential member--like zero percent. That said, the clear majority on her ALWAYS bring up our time in the Big West and missing newspaper deadlines for late games out west. So even if we got an MWC invite, the strong majority of the fans don't want it--they like drivable games against regional teams. Remember the "Build the Belt" BS we used to read on here or that CUSA is our "dream conference"?

MeanGreenTexan · September 2, 2021

2 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

I don't think SMU will get a Big XII invite while TCU and Baylor are already in the conference. However, UH is a no-brainer for them. My guess is that the AAC would replace UH with UTSA or Rice, as SMU being in Dallas blocks us, as usual...

Sadly, this is correct. Ask @MeanGreenTexan, who also shares our affection for going West to the MWC. Now, just to be clear, the MWC hasn't shown even one iota of interest in us as a potential member--like zero percent. That said, the clear majority on her ALWAYS bring up our time in the Big West and missing newspaper deadlines for late games out west. So even if we got an MWC invite, the strong majority of the fans don't want it--they like drivable games against regional teams. Remember the "Build the Belt" BS we used to read on here or that CUSA is our "dream conference"?

What's best for UNT? VS What's best/easiest for my travel budget in attending away games? One seems a little more selfish than the other to me.

But honestly, why would MWC want UNT right now? We've only won 4 games in football the past 2 years.

We must win CONSISTENTLY in football. Then, when we do awesome things like win C-USA & a Tourney game in b-ball, we look REALLY GOOD to the MWC.

untjim1995 · September 2, 2021

21 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

What's best for UNT? VS What's best/easiest for my travel budget in attending away games? One seems a little more selfish than the other to me.

But honestly, why would MWC want UNT right now? We've only won 4 games in football the past 2 years.

We must win CONSISTENTLY in football. Then, when we do awesome things like win C-USA & a Tourney game in b-ball, we look REALLY GOOD to the MWC.

Well, it appears that only football matters to the conferences above us, so it’s got to be done on the gridiron.

My fear is that UH and many others go to the Big12, while SMU stays in the AAC. Then we watch UTSA, Rice, UAB, MUTS, and Marshall go to the AAC and we get stuck in CUSA.

MeanGreenTexan · September 2, 2021

2 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Well, it appears that only football matters to the conferences above us, so it’s got to be done on the gridiron.

My fear is that UH and many others go to the Big12, while SMU stays in the AAC. Then we watch UTSA, Rice, UAB, MUTS, and Marshall go to the AAC and we get stuck in CUSA.

I think we can attest SMU has put themselves in a pretty nice spot concerning football during the Dykes tenure. Their only problem is attendance/interest, which unfortunately for them, is a pretty big black eye.

Unfortunately... something about glass houses.

untjim1995 · September 2, 2021

12 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I think we can attest SMU has put themselves in a pretty nice spot concerning football during the Dykes tenure. Their only problem is attendance/interest, which unfortunately for them, is a pretty big black eye.

Unfortunately... something about glass houses.

It really doesn't help our case when SMU trounces us when we play, reaffirming their place above us on the CFB totem pole.

untjim1995 · September 2, 2021

Big 12 expansion: League wants four teams with focus on BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, per report - CBSSports.com

MeanGreenTexan · September 2, 2021

6 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Big 12 expansion: League wants four teams with focus on BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, per report - CBSSports.com

BYU, Cincy & Houston make sense. Why UCF? That school is nowhere near the rest of the conference's footprint. Makes zero sense. Memphis or SMU would make a ton more sense.

Also, kinda proves the point about RECENT football success being a harbinger of conference 'move-up' ability.
5 years ago, UCF finished 6-7 with a Cure Bowl loss to Arkansas St. Yet here they are after a recent undefeated "National Championship" run, they're being targeted by a P5 conference for expansion.

drex · September 2, 2021

Tulsa is rumored to be considering dropping football...they will not be a player in Big XII expansion.

untjim1995 · September 2, 2021

6 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

BYU, Cincy & Houston make sense. Why UCF? That school is nowhere near the rest of the conference's footprint. Makes zero sense. Memphis or SMU would make a ton more sense.

Also, kinda proves the point about RECENT football success being a harbinger of conference 'move-up' ability.
5 years ago, UCF finished 6-7 with a Cure Bowl loss to Arkansas St. Yet here they are after a recent undefeated "National Championship" run, they're being targeted by a P5 conference for expansion.

I saw that UCF has a season ticket base of 26,500. That's damn impressive for a G5...

Edited September 3, 2021 by untjim1995

UNTflyer · September 2, 2021

37 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Big 12 expansion: League wants four teams with focus on BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, per report - CBSSports.com

I think a move to AAC is more realistic for us.

MeanGreenTexan · September 2, 2021

2 minutes ago, UNTflyer said:

I think a move to AAC is more realistic for us.

It would be ideal, that's for sure, but it would almost certainly require SMU to move first.

MrAlien · September 2, 2021

BYU makes sense for the Big12 because they have a huge media following, more so then some current members.

Which other schools will leave or join the Big12? will they be a power conference going forward? They will need to add more then just a couple schools to make up for the massive loss of TX and OU.