Big12 in Serious Talks...

[NorthTexasWeLove]

With Fresno State. Just, yuck. 

[DeepGreen]

Good lord.  The Big 12 must be really desperate to have a presence on the West Coast.

[Greenrex]

I was just curious if there were any quotation marks we could hang on that statement?

[UNTLifer]

47 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

With Fresno State. Just, yuck. 

Why?

[NorthTexasWeLove]

31 minutes ago, Greenrex said:

I was just curious if there were any quotation marks we could hang on that statement?

https://247sports.com/Article/Conference-realignment-Fresno-State-University-president-reportedly-confirms-Big-12-interest-in-Bulldogs-207287554/

[NorthTexasWeLove]

The assumption now is that the AZ schools couldn’t convince Utah to go with them to the big12 bc they don't want to be associated with BYU. 

TCU is pulling strings to prevent SMU from getting an invite for the sake of recruiting and market saturation. 

SDSU is reportedly going to the PAC. 

The Big12 has made it clear they want to expand westward. 

So, Fresno State. I guess that's the why. 

[Cougar King]

Fresno State: Can we join?

Big 12: No.

 

 

That's the talks that were had.

[ADLER]

For once, I agree with Cougar King.

The Big XII doesn't NEED any additional teams. They are talking expansion because they have an incredible opportunity to cherry-pic schools from the PAC.  Every PAC school seems to be be making provisional plans in case a PAC member accepts an invitation to the BIG 10 or the Big XII. 

If one or two PAC schools do join another conference, the remaining PAC schools will be like rats abandoning a sinking ship as none will want to remain in the functionally dead and bankrupt PAC.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

11 minutes ago, ADLER said:

For once, I agree with Cougar King.

The Big XII doesn't NEED any additional teams. They are talking expansion because they have an incredible opportunity to cherry-pic schools from the PAC.  Every PAC school seems to be be making provisional plans in case a PAC member accepts an invitation to the BIG 10 or the Big XII. 

If one or two PAC schools do join another conference, the remaining PAC schools will be like rats abandoning a sinking ship as none will want to remain in the functionally dead and bankrupt PAC.

I agree, they don't. But Fresno didn't reach out. The Big12 reached out to them according to their president, allegedly. 

[GMG_Dallas]

I feel this is like O'Dell Beckham Jr reportedly flirting with multiple Super Bowl title contenders only to end up nowhere (and still be nowhere). Sometimes you have to generate a bit of a market for yourself if you want one.

"SDSU is going to the Pac 12? Sheeeeet we've been talking to the Big 12 but we'd love to do the Pac 12 a favor and consider any offers they may have."

If the Big 12 wants to expand west, I feel there's better options such as the Aztecs of SDSU who have yet to officially join the Pac 12.

[El Paso Eagle]

6 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

The assumption now is that the AZ schools couldn’t convince Utah to go with them to the big12 bc they don't want to be associated with BYU. 

Bring the Arizona schools, then if/when the Big 2 go to the Big10, give Utah a greatly reduced share. 

[ADLER]

10 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Bring the Arizona schools, then if/when the Big 2 go to the Big10, give Utah a greatly reduced share. 

Therein lies the problem. No PAC school wants to be the first one legally responsible for breaking the Grant Of Rights contract, but nobody wants to be one of the rejected remnants remaining in the PAC when the music stops, stuck in sports purgatory with Mountain West schools. (Not that there's anything wrong with MWC schools, it's just a big drop from what the PAC once was)

 

.

Edited March 27, 2023 by ADLER

[NT80]

This "interest" is fishy.  The revelation comes from the Fresno school Prez as they are trying to get a tax hike passed a second time for Stadium and Athletic Center expansions (that failed last November).  What better way to spark voter interest than to say a P5 may be interested...

"Measure E, if passed, could be the ticket to upgrades for Fresno State that would at least boost the school's candidacy to join a Power Five conference as an expansion candidate. Among targeted projects by Fresno State, per The Sun, are a $160 million renovation project to Valley Children's Stadium and a $47 million renovation of the Duncan Athletic Center.

The campaign to pass Measure E is the second in as many years. Fresno County voters opted against Measure E this past November by a 47.14-52.86 vote, per The Sun."

[MDH]

They do draw eyeballs, butts in seats, and have on field success. They'd be a great fit in the PAC if it weren't for their snobbery around academics (CSUs don't have doctoral programs). I suspect most around here haven't spent many hours watching their games due to pacific time zone.

Born in Fresno, parents taught there, AMA.

Edited March 27, 2023 by MDH

[NT80]

3 hours ago, MDH said:

They do draw eyeballs, butts in seats, and have on field success. They'd be a great fit in the PAC if it weren't for their snobbery around academics (CSUs don't have doctoral programs). I suspect most around here haven't spent many hours watching their games due to pacific time zone.

Born in Fresno, parents taught there, AMA.

 

I have watched Fresno football games before.  Always thought they were well coached and very skilled, especially offense.  

PAC eventually will have to take more MWC programs than just SDSU to survive. 

I see Fresno has a metro area population of about 550,000, larger than I thought.  Does the SF Bay Area media or LA area ever mention them or broadcast their games besides when they play a local program?   If the Big12 is trying to enter into the SF/LA media centers would Fresno qualify as providing them that?   I have seen no Big12 confirmation of mutual interest in Fresno.  The PAC would be the logical invite.

[MDH]

2 hours ago, NT80 said:

 

I have watched Fresno football games before.  Always thought they were well coached and very skilled, especially offense.  

PAC eventually will have to take more MWC programs than just SDSU to survive. 

I see Fresno has a metro area population of about 550,000, larger than I thought.  Does the SF Bay Area media or LA area ever mention them or broadcast their games besides when they play a local program?   If the Big12 is trying to enter into the SF/LA media centers would Fresno qualify as providing them that?   I have seen no Big12 confirmation of mutual interest in Fresno.  The PAC would be the logical invite.

Fresno metro is just over 1m but they deliver most of the entire Central Valley and actually a fair bit of so cal and nor cal, too. Last 2 times they’ve played in LA they’ve sold over 20k tickets of their own.

 

SDSU by comparison doesn’t deliver their own market, be it on tv or in the stands. Their alumni are less focused on football and generally don’t remain in the area. They’re in the conversation for pac purely for a travel destination, success on field (not as high as Fresno’s), basketball, and better academics (CSU flagship). 

Edited March 28, 2023 by MDH

[Mike Jackson]

Adding any G5 schools to the PAC 12 is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.  You can’t have viable “Pacific Coast" conference without a foothold in LA area.   Even if SDSU had local buy in, that would be the San Diego market not the LA market.  Heck even the Chargers with a very good roster is having a lot of difficulty getting their fair share of the LA market and they relocated there. 🤷🏽‍♂️  I think bringing in Houston and a geographic rival in Texas would have saved the Pac 12.  If they exist in 7 years retaining all 10 they have today, I think everyone would be surprised.

Edited April 2, 2023 by Mike Jackson

[wardly]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:28 PM, ADLER said:

Therein lies the problem. No PAC school wants to be the first one legally responsible for breaking the Grant Of Rights contract, but nobody wants to be one of the rejected remnants remaining in the PAC when the music stops, stuck in sports purgatory with Mountain West schools. (Not that there's anything wrong with MWC schools, it's just a big drop from what the PAC once was)

 

.

From what I have read over the past few months is that while Arizona is open to the Big 12, Arizona State is not,and they are a package deal. The TV networks want the Phoenix market with Tucson being just an add on.

[NT80]

3 minutes ago, wardly said:

From what I have read over the past few months is that while Arizona is open to the Big 12, Arizona State is not,and they are a package deal. The TV networks want the Phoenix market with Tucson being just an add on.

Well, the same was said about Oklahoma and Okla. State.   

[aztecskin]

look we'll join the big 12. its fine. We'll play (sigh) Oklahoma State and (ugh) Texas Tech, and (oof) Baylor and deal with the fall out. It's our cross to bear. 

[UNTLifer]

4 hours ago, wardly said:

From what I have read over the past few months is that while Arizona is open to the Big 12, Arizona State is not,and they are a package deal. The TV networks want the Phoenix market with Tucson being just an add on.

AZ St. is like, "Why travel farther to get our behind's kicked?  We can save money on travel and still be irrelevant." 

[ADLER]

16 hours ago, wardly said:

From what I have read over the past few months is that while Arizona is open to the Big 12, Arizona State is not,and they are a package deal. The TV networks want the Phoenix market with Tucson being just an add on.

They are not a package deal. The law is written that both must be provided the option, but one may decline. So, the Big XII must extend invitations to both, but ASU is able to decline and stay with the PAC.

That probably will not happen. Every school is fearful of being stuck in the PAC with MWC schools when/if additional PAC schools join the BIG 10,

[wardly]

They are a package deal in that Arizona State makes the decision for both of them. If the Sun Devils decide Arizona will go with them. However the opposite is not the case. Arizona by itself is not that attractive as the Phoenix market is the key.

[unt-chief]

I thought smu was talking about going to the Pac 12. If the more important schools leave the conference, does that really help the pony?

[PlummMeanGreen]

2 minutes ago, unt-chief said:

I thought smu was talking about going to the Pac 12. If the more important schools leave the conference, does that really help the pony?

Not if the PAC 12 loses P5 rating that  doesn’t help SMU at all. 

Easy to see SMU powers cannot justify building a south end zone expansion  using ex Dallas Mayor/SMU alum Garry Weber’s  $50 million donation if they stay in a G5 conference.

I agree with Gray Eagle that the P5 & G5 designations have to go. That would be a game-changer in so many ways. 

UNT needs to build our end zone venue  because we flat out need it but mostly for all the other ancillary athletic facility square footage space that will come with it. 

SMU’s rendering…