TCU Could Be Top Target for Big 12

[Harry]

TCU is moving up the list of potential candidates because of its presence in college football under Gary Patterson. The Horned Frogs have announced they will leave the Mountain West for the Big East after this season. But those plans could be on hold, sources said.

Expanding outside the current geographic footprint of the Big 12 has always been seen as a priority of the league (it was verbalized by Dan Beebe last year) to draw more television sets. But it appears the TV partners of the Big 12 (ABC/ESPN and Fox) would be comfortable enough with TCU replacing A&M to continue paying out the money in their current contracts with the league, sources said.

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[Coffee and TV]

It would make a lot more sense for both parties. Big 12 needs to stay viable, TCU needs a conference that doesn't have its closest opponent 1000 miles away.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

The problem with TCU.....SIZE...SIZE....SIZE.... in the old SWC days it was often up to visiting teams to fill the stadiums of smaller schools especially in years that they were not doing all that well win-wise. Cheating by some (SMU especially) and the lack of fan support from many smaller schools helped contribute to the demise of the SWC.

TCU does have good crowds now.... but will they when they lose more games than they win.... We have a lot of size [about FIVE times larger] and would get much better crowds (even in bad years) if our conference had more local interest. Our problem is that we are not as well known and don't have a winning reputation.

Curse SMU for lobbying against us for the SWC about 1980.... it really hurt us... we were winning in fotball and basketball with Fry and Blakely...and oddly may have hurt them long term. .

Edited September 23, 2011 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[shaft]

My theory:

TCU to the Big 12 South, Louisville & Cincy to the Big 12 North.

WVA to the SEC.

UConn & Rutgers to ACC.

USF to CUSA. Everybody wins, except the Bulls.

Big East gets its basketball conference back.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

It would make a lot more sense for both parties. Big 12 needs to stay viable, TCU needs a conference that doesn't have its closest opponent 1000 miles away.

--And it will be entirely up to TCU to fill it stadium for games with Big East teams.. ..... there will not much a traveling crowd from their opponent. Even if every student went that would be only about 8,000.... and in bad years the crowds would likely be tiny....worse that what SMU produces.. They need to win BIG TIME all of the time or be in a conference that will brings in fans as well.

---Note: if you were at the Houston game... you saw a lot of fans from our opponent..... it helps to have opponents from nearby universities.

[UNTMike81]

If the BigXII and TCU put this deal together that would be a win for TCU, the Metroplex, and down the road maybe UNT. TCU deserves the recognition and entrance back to the BigXII, realistically Houston deserves same shot. This move will do nothing but help TV ratings, revenue, and bring more tradition back to BigXII!!! Then the big XII can go on offense in the re-alignment game. The BigXII has been playing defense and they need to get re-alignment momentum back on their side.

TCU Fans will support the program. They haven't been this successful since the 1940's and certainly won't enter the BigXII being the door mate of the league. This move really worries me from a UNT Basketball recruiting stand point, but JJ and UNT already have a winning BB program, so it won't be like we can't compete with TCU on that front. Since we just re-loaded our basketball team with some of the best recruits in the state and nationally maybe now that TCU is going Big XII they'll schedule a basketball game with us. Then UNT can say we destroyed another BigXII team. I'd say the same about FB, but we have some rebuilding to before we can play TCU for more than a "Money" game.

[MCMLXXX]

My theory:

UConn & Rutgers to ACC.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/blogs/dog-house/ACC-Wants-UConn-Sources-130345208.html