Big 12 Non-Expansion Link Dump - October 18th

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 5:59pm

Tipsheet: Big 12 stands pat, remains weak

Sweepstakes is a nice word for it. Tipsheet can think of others not suitable for sharing here. Once again the conference failed to build a consensus on what to do next, so it remained at 10 teams.

While Nebraska, Colorado, Texas A&M and Missouri continue on with their new athletic lives in different conferences, the Big 12 still languishes as the least of the Power 5 conferences.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:02pm

Guerin Emig: Big 12 arrives at sound decision, even if it’s little too late to save itself

And we roll our eyes. What choice do we have? One moment during Monday’s news conference, Bowlsby said his only expansion recommendation to conference presidents was to be decisive, and the next Boren said: “We would never say never.”

It’s how it goes in the doomed Big 12. Even on days its most important people make some of their most reasonable decisions, they step all over themselves in doing so.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:03pm

The Big 12’s decision against expansion should keep intact the A.A.C., which has tried to present itself as the sixth power conference — a moniker it may deserve competitively but falls far short of financially. The A.A.C. is also not one of the five conferences to which the N.C.A.A. has granted autonomy in areas such as scholarship limits.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:12pm

John Werner: Big mistake for Big 12 not to expand

While the other four Power 5 conferences have expanded in recent years, the Big 12 still has its boots stuck deep in the Red River. The Big 12’s leaders appear to have no foresight as the conference is in danger of slipping farther behind some of the other power conferences in national visibility and overall strength.

Marsaave · October 18, 2016, 6:14pm

I know this is all just fan talk, but could FOX make a power move with the AAC ?

92010Coogs · October 18, 2016, 6:19pm

They could but how many eyeballs would they get? The AAC will never be a P conference. The cartel will never allow it. That’s the core of this entire issue.
Fox could try to push for our inclusion into the BIG10 along with BYU. That would make perfect sense but what do I know?

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:20pm

Mitch Vingle: Not a good day for Big 12 . . . or WVU

WVU president E. Gordon Gee, for his part, stood fast in his convictions. He was “very enthusiastic” about expansion all along. (He gave me that quote last Monday.) So I only buy the “unanimous” party line if it’s used in relation to conference unity.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:23pm

Berry Tramel: Expansion wouldn’t fix what’s broken in the Big 12
http://newsok.com/article/5522999

And expanding at this time didn’t make the Big 12 stronger. A BYU/Houston combination wouldn’t necessarily have weakened the conference, but it wouldn’t have fixed the problems, either.

So it was prudent to stay at 10.

That’s unfortunate for a school like BYU, which has been playing big-time football for 40 years and has a great fan base. Unfortunate for Houston, which has traveled TCU Boulevard and upgraded its facilities and program without help from a major conference.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:25pm

So it’s no expansion, which isn’t the best scenario for an Iowa State football program that needs expansion to facilitate regularly reaching the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.

It could use the football scheduling loophole that means not playing all the conference’s toughies annually. Reaching six victories is a lot more attainable when you’re not playing Oklahoma every year.

2002Coog · October 18, 2016, 6:33pm

This is hilarious! Current Big XII members interested in weakening their schedules in conference so they can be bowl eligible, but somehow people think adding UH will be dilutive? What a complete dumpster fire of a conference. Despite the short term sting in the form of not getting a TV pay raise, I’m actually pretty glad this didn’t work out. I think we will benefit in the long term when the Big XII dies. And we all know that it will.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:36pm

The Big 12 does something smart, finally, by rejecting expansion

The Big 12 is the one to be courted right now, and particularly as the TV partners saw the candidates so weak as to make the legally binding pro rata clause more of an exploited loophole than a negotiated clause, the only move was to stand down.

If a year passes, or two, or more, and the Big 12 needs to add programming, then the same pool of candidates will be available — with more information available to make the right choice.

pray10 · October 18, 2016, 6:55pm

That’s it for the articles right now. There’s a ton more, but it starts getting repetitive or the writers are idiots (looking at you Orlando Sentinel writer using the “Cougar High” term). Here’s some tweets:

Twitter Musings

92010Coogs · October 18, 2016, 7:04pm

So they are in negotiations for a title game with Fox and espn. Folks, just imagine if Fox does not go along. It sounds as if they have a verbal agreement. Would that explain what boren said about paying up? This is pure speculation on my part but remember it always take two to tango. We might be in for another surprise.

PAWRFUL · October 18, 2016, 8:30pm

It appears from the writers perspective … the disintegration of the Big12 is just beginning …

NO ONE believes Boren and his unity fairy tale …

And good ole Monty still has Texas starting a new P-conference

And a Brian Davis out of the Austin American Statesmen has UH and Texas playing in the B1G

It will probably get better in the days ahead … this ole dog (Big12) may not hunt anymore but it is STILL generating a LOT OF rumors

wewantyoursoul · October 18, 2016, 8:56pm

Where is Monty getting the new conference info from? (His ass is not an acceptable answer…even if true)

This idea really intrigues me.

2002Coog · October 18, 2016, 9:02pm

These ideas of his have come up in several other posts. I’m not sure anyone knows where he’s getting this info from (other than his typical BYU sources), but it is very intriguing to say the least.

aldineblue · October 18, 2016, 9:54pm

i frankly am happy to read of what apparently was a huge break between Texas and OU, with Boren and OUs allies able to stop expansion easily…Lots of pushback from schools who hate Texas already…

UHzed · October 18, 2016, 10:00pm

(quick fingers strike again!)

Patrick,

Thanks ever so much for your curation of this topic. It has proven helpful in trying to understand the what is that this was.

The Battlestar Galactica metaphor continues, Officer Barbee (South Park) is waving his hands and directing the crowd away from the “non-event,” and we move on…

derek78 · October 19, 2016, 3:48am

He’s got UH, A&M, and OU as Texas’ three non-conference opponents.

pray10 · October 20, 2016, 2:08pm

Cincy writer

https://twitter.com/jwilliamscincy/status/788509301740544000