Maybe you’ve never heard of something called bylaws. Politicians could threaten funding for Tech and UTA all they want, it’s not going to change any of the other members’ minds when it comes to adding UH.
I respectfully disagree based on our past and current reputation in the state of Texas. If we get added to the B12 tomorrow we’re just little insignificant brother just like the SWC and they’ll CUSA us again the first chance they get.
We need to focus on our NATIONAL reputation and that future is in the ACC or the P12. Travel costs will be offset by the P5 contract increase. We’ll be a lot better off financially than we are now. Forget the B12. They have no class, no ethics, and their fans smell bad.
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Yes the past is bad. I was talking purely financially. Would you rather be in a conference where you earn $45 million a year and spend $15 million on travel costs or in a conference where you earn $30 million and spend $20 million on travel costs?
I think the landscape of college athletics has changed permanently. Gone are the days of 80+ years of conference stability. I think realignment will be the norm, every 10-15 years as media contracts come up for renewal.
Maybe joining the ACC or PAC may offer some kind of permanence, but it’s just a likely that there is no permanence (i.e. being guaranteed to be among the elites), except for the blue blood programs. We could join the PAC and in a few short years find ourselves in a much reduced conference as the blue bloods in that conference leave for wealthier, better paying conference/s.
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You can ignore success only for so long.
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I dunno. The media networks and P5 seem to be quite willing to ignore success with no qualms.
The problem is that the P5/media can remain irrational far longer than any G5 can stay solvent.
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Actually, I’d take the ACC or PAC 12 over the Bug 12 any day of the week. The Big 12 is top heavy just like those conferences, and the top teams in the ACC and PAC 12 conferences would be plenty exciting. Remember, ND agreed to play 5 football games each year against ACC teams. Could you imagine playing them in TDECU? How about a matchup against Clemson or Florida State on our home turf? Not to mention, a basketball schedule against ACC teams would be insane.
My hope is that the commissioners from the ACC and PAC 12 see the value of the Houston market as well.
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The PAC has received our sales pitch ad nauseam recently. To the point that the PAC even had to smack our AD on the butt with a virtual newspaper.
The SEC was also pitched many a time but it’s unknown if they’ve been pitched since they added aTm.
The big12 we already know has been pitched.
So far those three have rebuffed us.
The question is whether we have approached the ACC and BIG 10 touting our strengths.
Of the two conferences that haven’t outright rejected us, I’d prefer the big 10.
I never understood the fascination with the Pac 12. It’s a logistical nightmare. The ACC seems perfect for us, but I’m not sure the conference sees it that way. Geography is ignored and politics prevents us from joining the Big 12-4+2. I don’t think anyone knows what’s in store for us in the future; however, UofH has built up our reputation and facilities to the point that we are starting to be hard to ignore as a nationally competitive program. Now, let’s go win some more games!
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I think the majority of fans are interested in a regional matchups but that’s never gonna happen unless the Big 12 disbands and UT in Oklahoma jump ship. It’s nothing but a pipe dream, that’s all.
The PAC 12 an ACC seem to be the only two options left within reach. Between the two the ACC probably makes more sense for all the reasons previously discussed. The PAC 12 might not appeal to you but it’s still a major step up from the AAC. You don’t think it will be fun watching teams like Stanford, USC, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA play at TDECU Stadium? To me, this is much more exciting than watching games against any AAC team.
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I would love to join the Pac 12 or any other power conference, but I don’t think Pac 12 is even a possibility. I would never say never yet it’s highly unlikely. I don’t see any reason why Pac 12 would be interested in UofH. So what, we scheduled s few Pac 12 teams, doesn’t mean we are joining their conference.
I would argue that UH today is a very attractive school for any P5 conference expansion than it was in 2010. In 2010, UH still had 1960-70 athletic facilities, average academics and a iffy fanbase.
We now have P5 like facilities with the football ops center coming in the near future. So now we can put a check by that.
Our athletic programs can win and even beat top P5 programs. Check.
Houston, with a metro population of 6.7M, can give the PAC12 a lot of eyeballs 
which TV networks love and would help the low performing PAC12 Network.
When all of these conferences start negotiating their new TV deals, they’re going to consider expansion and how much will they get from the networks. Unfortunately we have to wait 4-5 more years to know our faith.
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^^^this
My feeling is that we need to think beyond conference expansion though to other possibilities, like expansion of the CFP or strengthening of the AAC through further expansion (BYU, Boise St) or fall out from other conference’s implosion (UT & OU leave the B12).
There are many scenarios in which the chess pieces can move to benefit us, but, to further your point, we need to be ready
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Usually contracts have an automatic renegotiation kick in if enough teams are added. Hopfully AAC has that in theirs. It would be an interesting trick to pull if say UCF, Cincinatti, Memphis, and UH all became powers and eyeball destinations to just add two teams just because those four could force larger contract.
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I believe the new ESPN+ deal has a ‘conference constitution clause’ (may have butchered the term) that most people assume is in place for the possibility of 2-4 of the so-called top teams in the conference leaving due to expansion. I think it can go both ways…adding BYU and Boise St (or whatever combination of higher tier G5 schools), or adding Texas Tech and Oklahoma St (or whatever combination thereof) would change the value of the conference the other way.
Our only viable option is to get into a P5. uta knows it & has put the necessary pressure to keep us out. Don’t agree? Our G5 position speaks for itself. The gap is widening every season. The cartel and the cartel only will decide if a cfp expansion is profitable to them. There is ZERO chance that the AAC becomes a power conference On the other hand the BIG10 is a real possibility. Adding the Texas market will be a plus for them when their TV contract comes up around 2024. Our demographic is made for the BIG10. Ask your neighbours where they come from. There is a very good chance they come from the snow belt. Keep in mind that a U of H invite to the BIG10 will be the worst news for the small12. On one side you have the SEC into Texas. Just imagine the recruiting ramifications for a BIG10 presence into Texas. This has always been about recruiting and recruiting alone.
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Your reasons mentioned is why I think UT would want us in the B12, so they can have some control over us. Of course their interest in us will only happen if another P5 is interested in us but I don’t trust UT.
Although we would get great recruits being in the B1G, UT and the southern schools would ask recruits, do you really want to play in nasty snowy weather below zero degrees? That would scare off a lot of recruits from UH.
My preference is the P12 which should rebound by the time realignment starts.
UH still has an iffy fan base.
A lack of AAU status and being non-contiguous with the rest of their footprint makes UH a long shot for Big 10 expansion.
Improving by the season
Tier one status isn’t too bad.
I agree that it’s a long shot to get in the B1G, but with UH you now have Texas in your footprint and can then charge the full cable subscription rate for the Big Ten Network. Now you would have Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State coming to Texas to play us and recruit. There will be a lot of Texas eyeballs on those games.
Yes I still think it’s a long shot but it would make since money wise for the B1G to get into the state of Texas and if they could grab OU, that would be great.