UH to leave the AAC?

[FroggyStyle]

We had our petition for a 10 team CCG rejected and even though I prefer to stay put at 10, we are talking to candidates. I don't know whethr or not what CK is saying is true but I wouldn't be surprised if they are brought in because of what A&M is doing in the SEC plus good ol' polyticks.

Well here's a crazy theory. Maybe this is why SMU, after all these years, has agreed to a 12 year series with us. Maybe they know that there is a good possibility that they will lose their Texas-based conference mate, and they need a replacement until they figure out what they are going to do.

I'm indifferent towards UH for the most part but I admit they do bring a few things to the table and have some potential. SMU on the other hand...is a lost cause and I wouldn't be surprised if your theory turns out to be correct.

Under this logic we're being considered for the SEC since we had Vandy officials that came to look at our FB stadium. They were so impressed they asked to see our entire campus.

Apples to oranges comparison my friend. If what Cougar King said is true about B12 officials, that's different from having guys from Vandy looking at Apogee. (If anything, your AD was trying to get a series going with them and they were seeing if your facilities were adequate) UNT will most likely never even get considered for the SEC or any P5 conference for that matter.

If any of this comes to frution and UH is invited to the big boys' table, then I see either Rice or UTSA most likely being the AAC Texas replacement. Which in would be astonishing for a 3rd year program.

Edited May 15, 2013 by FroggyStyle

[Eagle1855]

UT pulls higher tv ratings in Houston than A&M does for many games. The Big XII hasn't lost Houston.

THIS.

As for CougarKing's assessment, I fail to see how "UT has lost a great share of footing" in Houston by A&M leaving. Perhaps the Big XII, yes. But UT lost nothing that was already held by A&M and LSU.

I think the real discussion is if UT has a larger hold on Houston than the University of Houston. Which is absolutely possible.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Eagle1855

[10Eagle10]

The folks planted in the legislature have made our Tier I status clear (UT, A&M and Rice are already there. We (UH) are the only ones getting significantly closer with Tech not even in the rearview mirror) which has also satisfied the academic interests of The Big 12 as well.

FIFY...kind of

texas tech is more than a decade away, if they're even that close...Not necessarily the company you should want to be keeping. Also added in Rice, since you omitted them. It's comical that you think the Big 12 is worried about the academic side when they recently added West Virginia and TCU to the already academic powers of Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas State

I lived in Houston. Basically, UT and A&M controlled the college sports news. UH does not secure the Houston market.

Rutgers does not secure the NYC market. Not even a blip.

[H-towngreen]

I think that if the Big12 were to expand they would be looking North. Travel partners for WVU. Cincy is one that comes to mind right away.

[Eagle1855]

I think that if the Big12 were to expand they would be looking North. Travel partners for WVU. Cincy is one that comes to mind right away.

I think Cincy is the first move they make. If you go to 14, it gets interesting. Tulane, Memphis, and Houston all make sense, geographically, but each come with a list of drawbacks. BYU makes sense from a prestige perspective- which I think the Big XII would (and should) find very compelling. Though that's a hell of a haul from Morgantown to Provo.

I don't know if UH is a real consideration or not, but I will say this: if Houston ever DOES get into the Big XII, they have the potential to be very successful. People DID support the team on the way to their almost-undefeated season. Not UT- or A&M-level support, of course, but the conference sells itself to recruits - and that's a good thing in talent-rich place like Houston.

"Want to play major college football? You don't need to travel to that strange town an hour to the north, you can play for the hometown team. Your parents can come to every home game, as well as the many conference games in this very state. You'll be lining up against UT and OU every year. We plan to play for a National Championship."

Pretty easy sell.

I think the Big XII missed their shot at making themselves into an SEC-caliber power conference when they didn't jump on a Florida State/Clemson/Georgia Tech/Va Tech alliance. And that may not have been possible. But it was definitely their best bet at sticking it to the SEC.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Eagle1855

[meangreendork]

Wow that could really change things. AAC would need to replace them with another Texas team I would suppose.

The AAC would need to actually exist, and play games for a year first.

[JesseMartin]

This actually has more legs on it than you think.

I'm leading one of the discussions on this over at Coogfans (contrary to popular belief, I'm actually one of the higher rated posters over there) , so I'm pretty on top of the smoke that's been coming up. I'm not sure what I can and can't say for obvious reason, so I'll just explain in a nutshell.

1) Leading a discussion on a message board puts someone in a position to know more than, oh...

2) ...the fact that anyone can read these PUBLIC boards and have the exact same information?

Mad research skillz, yo.

[Green P1]

I like the idea for two reasons.

1. It makes the Big 12 suck more.

2. It screws SMU.

[glick1980]

The Big 12 does not need any more Texas schools. Lets not forget that Houston had some good years in the SWC with decent support, lets also not forget that they had some horrible seasons in the SWC with support levels that were so astonishingly low that it helped destroy the conference along with SMU and Rice.

[UNTLifer]

Small privates created problems for the old SWC. Come to think of it, small privates would cause anyone problems.

[Baby Arm!]

IF the Big XII elects to actually expand back to 12, its pretty much common knowledge they have a short list of targets and Houston isnt one of them. , Notre Dame (doubtful at best), Clemson, and Florida State

[H-towngreen]

IF the Big XII elects to actually expand back to 12, its pretty much common knowledge they have a short list of targets and Houston isnt one of them. , Notre Dame (doubtful at best), Clemson, and Florida State

You can cross Clemson and FSU off that list after the agreement the ACC just made in regards to TV money.

[10Eagle10]

If the Big 12 decides they need a CCG, then the most logical choices seem to be

level 1: BYU, Cincinnati

level 2: South Florida, Memphis

level 3: Houston, New Mexico, Tulane, UConn

[untjim1995]

If UH gets in the Big XII, its only because UT lets them in. No one else gets to say yes--just UT. UT was forced to take TCU when Neinas was the Big XII commissioner because the non-Texas schools wanted another team in Texas to play and keep their recruiting base down here very open. They won't be so open about adding in UH, a school with decidedly more advantages than little ol' TCU. Unless...

Let's say Texas knows that they are welded to the Big XII thru the GOR that is signed until 2025. But they know that the Big XII feels like SWC 2.0 right now and is getting more marginalized as time goes on. The state of Texas is a big state, but the other states tied to the conference are small and don't bring many TV sets. The exceptions seem to be OU Football and KU basketball. But both schools appear tied to their little brothers in their states, although KU appears to ahve less ties binding them with KSU than OU has with OSU and T. Boone Pickens' wealth. So Texas knows that it is the hottest girl in these parts and the suitors would normally just form a line to the left and take them if it were that easy. But, for so many reasons, its not. Texas cannot go anywhere with the kryptonite bomb known as the LHN, so the suitors will stay away until that gets removed, either by UT or ESPN. Lets assume they get rid of the LHN, though. That doesn't solve anything, though, for Texas to move anywhere--they still have the "Tech problem" and the Baylor lawsuit issue. Add in TCU's limited pull to help Tech and Baylor and you have quite a grip, so to speak, by that trio on Texas' private parts. However, if Texas looked at this objectively and in a long-term fashion, adding UH may actually help their cause to eventually leave. Follow me on this.

If UH, and Cincy, got added to the Big XII, you can get a CCG again for the league. It would keep its AQ status and would have some big TV markets added in Houston (which they already control, but they did in DFW, too) and Cincinnati. Texas could then leave the Big XII for another landing spot, without being dependent on taking the cousins nobody wants. The B1G already said no way to Texas, via its infamous "Tech problem" email that disqualifies them because of their low academics. The Pac-12 wants Texas, so they would actually take Texas and the Okie schools to get them, but they won't take Baylor because of its religious views. So Baylor, knowing all of this, and seeing the LHN basically pulling UT down, goes ahead and starts building a new stadium, based on revenues from being in an AQ conference with the current Texas schools. As soon as that first bond gets sold, Baylor is even more welded to UT--unless Texas has another big state school in place that helps keep the conference AQ and agrees to play Baylor in OOC games, which is what it will take to get Baylor covered. Plus, you leave Tech with the same deal if you don't go west, but instead head north to the Big Ten, which I still believe is their only option left that carries enough weight to overcome the huge advantage A&M got over everyone by moving to the SEC by themselves with recruits and your fanbase. That would leave 11 schools in the Big XII at that point, which means replacing one school would not be difficult if it kept its AQ status.

Texas might just be the fox watching the henhouse by adding UH to the conference. The hens in the state might think they are living in a great shack, but the fox might just get away with everything it really wants. With the way things are going, the Big XII is going to be on life support. Their home schedule is just awful to sell tickets to right now, as compared to A&Ms. If recruiting continues to go the way it did this year and beyond with A&Ms SEC advantage, Texas is gonna have to do something--but they are going to have to be stealthy about it. Otherwise, Tech and Baylor are going to dig in even more. They already got in the Big XII on the backs of Texas and A&M back in 1995. Neither of those schools wanted the Aggies to leave, but the Aggies used the LHN as their way out of the Big XII. Now, Baylor and Tech know that Texas is the big dog. And they aren't about to let the dog get off the leash.

Edited May 15, 2013 by untjim1995

[meangreanmick]

This actually has more legs on it than you think.

I'm leading one of the discussions on this over at Coogfans (contrary to popular belief, I'm actually one of the higher rated posters over there) , so I'm pretty on top of the smoke that's been coming up. I'm not sure what I can and can't say for obvious reason, so I'll just explain in a nutshell. Fpr starrters, UT has lost great share of footing in Houston and East Texas to A&M and the SEC. Bringing us in returns a lot of Big 12 interest in the area.

Next thing, there is a war in the state legislature between Perry and his cronies and UT lead by Powers. Don't forget that UH has the 3rd most political power in the legislature, so our alumns, politicians and financial backing are quite crucial to UT's cause so they want our help along with Tech's in order to put a formidable defense against Perry. UT's logic is having 3 of the largest schools in Texas (UT, Tech and UH) as Big 12 schools which in turn isolates A&M and punishes them athletically and politically.

I can also tell you that talks have indeed been confirmed by our folks within Athletic Department. Ever heard the saying "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"? That's basically what's going on here.

Also, we did have Pac 12 officials attend our final game at Robertson vs Tulane which increase The Big 12's interest in us as well, considering that they do not need another major conference in Texas and most certainly not the largest city either. We have also increased our basketball arena renovation spending by 10-15 million more dollars, so this may have been the reason for doing so. It is said that there were a handful of men in suits on campus today (presumably Big 12 officials) looking at our Student Union (which has been in the process of being rebuilt, remodeled and expanded which will be done and ready to open in January 2014. The reason we were able to receive the funding and green light to go through with this while UNT has not is because of our political power, something that your administration really needs to work on).

We also have until June 30th, to announce our leave to another conference and bail without paying exit fees or be stuck with a $10 million exit fee.

ANother thing the folks we have planted in the legislature has made our Tier I status clear (us, UT and A&M are the only ones with Tech closely behind) which has also satisfied the academic interests of The Big 12 as well.

Of course, take all of this with a grain of salt. Nothing is set in stone yet but sat the same time, don't underestiate how deep our pockets really are and what connections we do have when the time comes to play politics.

Let me know if you have any questions or you guys are welcome to read our discussion or the one on The Big 12's board

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=215&f=2804&t=11552764

retarded or joking, I can't tell?

[GL2Greatness]

10Eagle10, on 15 May 2013 - 10:10 AM, said:

FIFY...kind of

texas tech is more than a decade away, if they're even that close...Not necessarily the company you should want to be keeping. Also added in Rice, since you omitted them. It's comical that you think the Big 12 is worried about the academic side when they recently added West Virginia and TCU to the already academic powers of Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas State

Rutgers does not secure the NYC market. Not even a blip.

Tech has higher admissions than UH, they have a significantly higher graduation rate, they do more total research, they have a PBK chapter that UH has been trying to get for years and they are competitive with UH in all the major rankings and Texas Tech like UH was able to gain access to NRUF funding before the other 6 candidates and will have access to that for at least 4 years before the others and neither Texas Tech or UH are close to being AAU members especially since the AAU is really not looking to add new members and only does so every 5-10 years and UH especially will need to significantly raise their graduation rate to even come close to being considered.....the AAU is about much more than total research

and all of the universities you listed are significantly better than north Texas

and I see little chance that UH gets into the Big 12 any time soon.....the Houston market is not at risk of being lost to Texas A&M any time soon people don't just stop cheering for UT, Texas Tech, Baylor, or TCU and start cheering for TAMU after one season of placing 3rd in their division of the SEC and winning the Cotton Bowl......TAMU had a long streak of beating UT from 84-94 with only a single loss in that time period and UT responded by hiring Mack Brown and winning a national championship, playing for a second one, and going 3-1 in BCS games while TAMU is 0-1 in BCS games and probably would have played for a MNC in 2012 if they had not run off to the SEC

so it is not the first time that TAMU has had some runs of slight success.....they just fail to make the correct decisions to keep them rolling while UT adjust and moves on

and as far as SMU in concerned.....north Texas is like an abused woman.....no matter how many times they get beat down they still think that SMU somehow needs them and can't make it without them so they just keep taking more beatings and telling themselves they are what allows the other one to make it because they need them to get by while the other one just keeps crapping on them and even if what SMU is doing overall is still not world beating they have still won 3X as many bowl games in the last 4 years than north Texas has won in their entire history

and as for the post just below mine talking about small privates (something north Texas fans seem obsessed with) 8 of the 11 schools in the AAC are public universities and 4 of them are larger than north Texas (UH, Temple, UCF, USF) and Cinci is very close in enrollment at just the main campus as well.......so the AAC is hardly a conference that is filled with the north Texas fans obsession of small privates.....get a clue

Edited May 15, 2013 by GL2Greatness

[Legend500]

All of this talk reminds me of when SMU (and more than a few PonyFans posters) indicated that they were interested in joining the Big XII. You could hear the laughs coming from Irving in Denton.

It's far more likely that Houston rejoins the CUSA once it realizes that being surrounded by small privates doesn't make you look any bigger.

[UNTexas]

"If any of this comes to frution and UH is invited to the big boys' table, then I see either Rice or UTSA most likely being the AAC Texas replacement. Which in would be astonishing for a 3rd year program." - FroggyStyle

Rice yes. UTSA no.

Either way the Big 12 will look at folks like Boise State before they look at a power house 5-7 Conference USA team such as Houston. Forget Tier 1 bs like ole boy is saying. If it's true that ESPN is ruining everything and the sky is falling, academics mean shit. Maybe Houston goes somewhere else and probably not. Does it matter? No. UTEP has more bloggers pushing that Big 12 crap than Houston and they aren't going anywhere.

[Rudy]

This actually has more legs on it than you think.

I'm leading one of the discussions on this over at Coogfans (contrary to popular belief, I'm actually one of the higher rated posters over there) , so I'm pretty on top of the smoke that's been coming up. I'm not sure what I can and can't say for obvious reason, so I'll just explain in a nutshell. Fpr starrters, UT has lost great share of footing in Houston and East Texas to A&M and the SEC. Bringing us in returns a lot of Big 12 interest in the area.

[DallasGreen]

As was said the last time U of H played in the Cotton Bowl ( the real Cotton Bowl) not the Jerry'sWorld bowl it has become---- half their alums eat at the 7-11 and the other half hold it up. Any move by U of H screws the " evil empire" of SMU so more power to the ' Coogs if they can pull it off.

[RushnStudies]

I think the real discussion is if UT has a larger hold on Houston than the University of Houston. Which is absolutely possible.

Oh, it's not just possible- it's a fact. If what quite a few UT alumni have told me is correct, (1) more UT alumni live in the greater Houston area than in any other place in the state, and (2) UT draws tons of t-shirt fans that UH just doesn't.

I don't usually engage in the "where are we going" conference speculation, because frankly, it just makes my head hurt. I'm more of the "you guys figure it out, tell me what conference we're in when it's done, and I'll see y'all at the game" alum. While I agree that thinking big and thinking of the school's future is important, I think it was absolutely ridiculous to drop C-USA for the Big East, because look at the holy mess we're in now. Ugh. As I said... tell me what conference we end up in, and I'll see y'all at the game. UH has wanted to get into the Big 12 for a very long time- this is not news- and UT has actively worked to prevent that from happening- this is also not news. I don't believe UT will ever see adding UH to the Big 12 as an advantage, and for that reason, unless some contingent of schools decides to stick it to UT and lobby on our behalf (which is very, veeery unlikely), UT will continue to hide the keys to the conference from UH. I would like to see UH in a "premier" conference as much as any alum would, but this move to the almost-BE was too risky. It was not the right move at all.

I was actually pretty happy in C-USA, and I like UNT's move to the conference. I think there are potentials for some good sports match-ups there. And we'll finally be rid of those Sun Belt basketball refs as well!

[Scarcar]

"Either way the Big 12 will look at folks like Boise State before they look at a power house 5-7 Conference USA team such as Houston". - Diamond Eagle

I believe 1 of the 5 wins was against UNT. I don't know why you would talk trash if UNT's record was I believe 4-8 in the Sun Belt.

[FroggyStyle]

"Either way the Big 12 will look at folks like Boise State before they look at a power house 5-7 Conference USA team such as Houston". - Diamond Eagle

I believe 1 of the 5 wins was against UNT. I don't know why you would talk trash if UNT's record was I believe 4-8 in the Sun Belt.

On top of this, it's not like it was a close game either seeing that they racked up well over 600 yards of total offense and forced their beloved McCarney (who's only a step or two better than Dodge) to quit at halftime. (Which was confirmed by many GMG posters.)

Me and most other TCU fans don't give a damn whether UH is invited to The Big 12 or not but UNT can't in o way, shape or form knock anybody's football performance. Not even Southern Miss who went 0-12 and will take UNT to the woodshed this year.

Hell, if they weren't so pathetic, I wouldn't mind making a series with them and turn it into a 3-way battle for a DFW trophy. (Not the Iron Skillet, too much history in that for UNT to be involved esp since they arent a former SWC school.)

As a matter of fact, I wonder why UNT (or NTSU as it was known at the time) wasn't invited to the SWC while every other Texas school was.

[emmitt01]

On top of this, it's not like it was a close game either seeing that they racked up well over 600 yards of total offense and forced their beloved McCarney (who's only a step or two better than Dodge) to quit at halftime. (Which was confirmed by many GMG posters.)

Me and most other TCU fans don't give a damn whether UH is invited to The Big 12 or not but UNT can't in o way, shape or form knock anybody's football performance. Not even Southern Miss who went 0-12 and will take UNT to the woodshed this year.

Hell, if they weren't so pathetic, I wouldn't mind making a series with them and turn it into a 3-way battle for a DFW trophy. (Not the Iron Skillet, too much history in that for UNT to be involved esp since they arent a former SWC school.)

As a matter of fact, I wonder why UNT (or NTSU as it was known at the time) wasn't invited to the SWC while every other Texas school was.

They don't offer English at TCU do they?

[Legend500]

Typical AddRan fans forgetting that there was one other state school which didn't get into the SWC - UTEP and forgetting the reason UNT, Houston and UTEP were kept outta the SWC - integration. Still It is true that UNT doesn't have much of anything to say about anyone else's football program - right now.

Now as to why TCU is not playing UNT right now - 1) there's no history between the schools, 2) UNT wants a home & home, and 3) it does little to help TCU - unlike other schools in the area, TCU doesn't have attendance problems or scheduling problems which UNT can fill.

Interesting fact - Normal & AddRan were playing each other before SMU ever existed.

"Either way the Big 12 will look at folks like Boise State before they look at a power house 5-7 Conference USA team such as Houston". - Diamond Eagle

I believe 1 of the 5 wins was against UNT. I don't know why you would talk trash if UNT's record was I believe 4-8 in the Sun Belt.

We can talk smack because we're not dumb enough to think that a 5-7 record in any non-AQ conference makes us eligible for the XII.

SMU made a good move in moving the the AAC, but Houston is really getting screwed. It's ended up with the same lot of private schools it griped about taking from the WAC in 2005, which have very limited upsides.