I doubt they want an in-State rival. Besides I think it’s only a matter of time before the rivalry with A&M is rekindled as an annual nonconference game for both schools. Tech has been begging to be considered a rival and UT fans and boosters just laugh it off. As far playing in Houston is concerned, Rice serves that purpose better than UH does. Rice is near guaranteed win for them, UH not so much. I believe they have a few games scheduled against Rice.
I said an in-state rival within easy driving distance.
Tech certainly is not within easy driving distance.
But we are.
UNLV is going to be playing in the Raiders stadium on the strip. P12 should add them and us. UNLV MWC games would look ridiculous in that stadium. Vegas is the next great sports city with hockey and football. The NBA will find their way there. P12 Tourneys in football and hoops are there. We would be the island WVU of the P12 in this scenario but I’ll take it.
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Since it’s all speculation, try this. TV will continue to dictate college football revenues based on fan support/exposure leading to sets of eyes. If one believes the NFL model is successful, why not dictate four, 16-team super-conferences. The heavy hitters who are already making tons of $'s wouldn’t object. Even more money in their pockets (look at UT and OU sticking to 10 teams - less = more). Presidents of current universities already reaping windfalls would be supportive. Hardly anything makes me wince more than seeing us play a worthy opponent in a new stadium that is 70%-80% occupied. Especially if there is national exposure.
And I’m still waiting to see a MAJOR push for increasing season ticket sales to 25,000! Hoping Pez and CDH will really push this. Does anyone think that our recent success in basketball, with corresponding positive, national coverage, wasn’t due in part to nearly every game being sold out? There isn’t a single P5 conference that isn’t underwhelmed by our lack of fan support.
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How many season tix did we sell last year?
How many season tickets did Kansas, Rutgers, Illinois, Oregon State, Vanderbilt…etc…sell.
The 4 16 team super conferences sounds like the possibility, but as the P5’s + ND already make up 65 teams, the G5 type will still go begging.
Irrelevant really, they’re already in the club. No one is kicking then out anyone soon either. That’s the cool thing about getting your ticket punched these days. It’s like being a made man.
I think Al is saying that UT and OU move out of the B12 to one of the other P5 conferences leaving the B12 to dissolve. In that scenario, the P4 could select from the good B12 teams and good G5 teams to fill out to 16 which certainly UH would be added to one of the P4s.
Well that is how I understood what Al said.
Thanks, Ron. Sorry I wasn’t more clear.
The topic was adding UH being a benefit to the inviting conference for recruiting.
Your linked article shows the opposite, that adding us actually hurts recruiting for the conference which further strengthens the point that UH won’t be added for recruiting purposes.
The 4/16 model - which people have been predicting for years - requires a degree of cooperation that college football is not capable of. The Big 12 may get zapped and we may have four major conferences, but probably not with 16 teams a piece. Iowa State ad Baylor would likely become proud members of the American Athletic Conference (actually, most of our conference would join them under the newly irrelevant Big 12 banner, but same difference).
The smartest thing (from the point of view of involved teams) would be for the Big 12 and Pac-12 to solve each other’s problems with a merger of their better teams. The Pac-12 gets the markets it needs and drops some of its dead weight, and the Big 12 will have landed. Those left behind then would either become another central-west conference or you’d have eastern and western almost-P4 conferences. (Closer to P4 than we presently are to P5, but still missing the cutoff.)
The most likely scenario is that either the Big 12 realizes that for all of their differences they are in the best situation they can ask for (including OU and UT)… or a couple teams bolt and our conference takes a hit and we cross our fingers hoping that we are a part of it and that it retains Weak Sister power status like the Big East had in the BCS.
From what I have read, the PAC-12 is not inclined to drop any of its teams. Apparently it’s the PAC-8 schools and the new schools. If they ever go to 16, I’ve read the Pac-8 schools want to be in the same division. That tells me they’re not booting anyone. If anyone gets booted, I have to feel it’s going to be Big 12-2 schools. Similar to the Big-8/SWC merger.
Rather than 4 16 school conferences, I expect we’ll end up with 4-20 school conferences. We currently have five conferences with 10, 12, 14, 14, 14 and ND. That’s 65. Is there room for 15 more schools? I don’t know. But I could see 4 18 school conferences shorter term. That’s 72.
Regardless, if i’m in the Big 12-2 and my school is isn’t located in Austin, Norman or Lawrence, I would be very concerned long term. For the other schools (Big12-2 or other conferences), I would say they need to boost their sports AND academic profiles, e.g., see Houston, University of.
Not gonna lie, I miss the state and regional rivalries of the SWC days. Imagine the level of enthusiasm the program would enjoy if we had Tech, Baylor, Tech, etc. on our schedule every year.
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I fully believe that is their preference. I think it depends if the Pac-12 keeps sliding. If it does, I don’t think the top half of the conference accepts that indefinitely. I am assuming that both are likely to be the case.
So if I’m Washington State, Oregon State, Arizona, or Utah (and not just them)… I’m at least a little bit nervous.
I don’t think the PAC12 will contract, I think it will either remain as is or expand. If the original PAC8 want to stay together, then that would put ASU, AZ St, Utah, and Colorado together. They would need an additional 4 teams to balance it out.
Lets look at the distances involved if Houston would go to the PAC12:
Distance in miles from Houston to:
Arizona 1060
Arizona State 1174
California 1919
Colorado 1138
Southern Cal 1547
UCLA 1547
Stanford 1901
Washington 2440
Washington State 2275
Oregon 2367
Oregon State 2448
Utah 1642
We would be in the same division as ASU, AZ St, Utah, and Colorado. Arizona would be the closest school at 1060 miles. Just think of the travel costs. I am sure we would accept if offered, but this would be much more difficult travel than we are accustomed to. I would hope the other additions would be closer.
ACC travel miles, Houston to Our Divsion in bold:
Annapolis 1460
Cincinnati 1057
Dallas 240
Greenville 1350
Hartford (Storrs) 1750
Memphis 555
New Orleans 365
Orlando 975
Philadelphia 1572
Tampa 987
Tulsa 495
There’s a lot to be said for the AAC.
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If one P5 conference shows interest in UH, that may prompt the others to evaluate extending an invite. Until that happens, we will not be an expansion prospect for the remaining P5 conferences because they see no need to do it now.
We’ll be offered when a conference sees they’ll lose the chance to add UH, which will be precipitated by one other P5 conference getting serious about adding us. Companies usually don’t become takeover targets of multiple suitors until the first bid is made.
Distance doesn’t matter as much as ease of travel. Getting from Houston to any of the teams in the proposed PAC division would be pretty easy
Obviously flying to Waco on a chartered flight would be cheaper than to Salt Lake City but that isn’t in the cards.
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I can only think of one company that prompted a bidding war after it came out it was being taken over. And by that point there was already a contract signed with a $1 billion backout clause.
So, no, other conferences won’t be interested in us because we will have already announced becoming a member of a p5 conference.
Good Points…this is why I think the ACC makes the most logical sense from almost all angles. It is easily number ONE on my board.
Too much bad blood between us and the Big 12
The B1G Ten is nice to think about but we don’t fit into their profile (Flagship state school with AAU status). They’d have to make an exception for us and convince all of their members that UT is off the table and UH is the best option to get them into the state of Texas.
I don’t see us as a fit in the SEC…we are progressive urban school?? Plus we are so close to an existing member…one that fits their standards perfectly…large rural flagship or secondary flagship school.
The PAC…makes very little sense in the current form. Without a bridge package or Big 12 rejects, wed be on an island all by ourselves Even if they added us and say a UNLV…
Some sports writers have suggested 8 conferences of 12 teams each. Organized regionally.
Those 8 conference winners become the National Playoff teams.
And, yes, current Independents like Notre Dame would have to join 1 of those conferences.