Houston regent Tilman Fertitta: Cougars ‘excited to come to the dance’
http://www.hookem.com/story/houston-regent-cougars-excited-come-dance/
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So the big argument against us is that they don’t want another Texas team soaking up Texas recruits…but the biggest reason teams from other states want to play Texas teams is for the recruiting opportunity…So do they think that Cincinnati or UConn would just keep fielding their powder puff teams and leave Texas recruits alone? Why is that a knock only against us?
If a kid wants to play in the little 10 and he is from Houston, than he can stay home and play. Advantage Houston.
Saddest part about moving to the P5: no more underdog dynasty features.
Best part about moving to the Big 12? We still get to kick SMU’s arse on a regular basis… every P5 school has to schedule some patsies on their schedule.
These are probably the last 2 that need to get in…
Memphis? Take a look at their facilities.
UCF? This says it all - http://www.ucffootballschedule.com/schedule/2015.php
HEY PAC…PLEASE CALL…NOW!!!1!!!@!@
I would be in favor of a pac12 invite.
Tons of articles over the last 2 days. Some have probably already been posted on this forum and there’s a ton more out there, although, they get a bit repetitive. I’ll try to hit most of these and provide what I think is a pertinent snippet from each as I usually do:
National Guys
It’s high-stakes political football as Texas ‘supports’ Houston entry in Big 12
Stewart Mandel
That being said, is Kansas or Iowa State really going to oppose Texas? Their own continued fortunes are directly tied to those of Texas and Oklahoma. If they want a particular school, they’re probably going to get it.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to like about Houston, especially coming off a 13-1 season and Peach Bowl win over Florida State. And of course there’s a much-better chance the school could hang on to coveted coach Tom Herman if he knows the program will soon gain Power 5 status.
Trotter: Zero percent. The Pac-12 isn’t what it was five years ago. And I could argue that, for all of it’s turmoil, the Big 12 is somehow actually in better shape for the moment than the Pac-12 is. The Pac-12 Network is a major albatross for that league right now, and there doesn’t appear to be any relief in sight.
With ACC Network Deal Looming, The Big 12 Is Expanding
Perrin has apparently since changed his tune, or Texas decided to lump in with the rest of the conference despite his thoughts. Between UT-Austin, TCU, Texas Tech, and Baylor, the state of Texas is well-represented in the Big 12, but Houston is the 10th-largest television market in the United States, per Nielsen, and has a couple of fairly important political actors as supporters. It also fields a stellar football team that knocked off FSU in the Peach Bowl to finish 8th in final AP Poll last season. With a coach in Tom Herman who could likely score any open job he wants, the move to a bigger conference would benefit both Houston and the Big 12, so naming them the front-runners in the process is a fair move.
Why Big 12 expansion plans should end SEC expansion talk
So what does this all mean? If the Big 12 expands and eventually gets some form of a TV network, I think it decreases the likelihood of there being four power conferences with 16 teams each. For years, people have been predicting that is where college athletics eventually would settle.
Tracking every team that’s ever wanted to join the Big 12
Thank you again for the reporting.
The only truce is that none of these journalists or reporters know what is, won’t, will happen. We all have to remember that this about revenues. With that said which conference would benefit financially from expanding? I have always tried to keep that in mind.
Local Big12 guys:
Texas’ flip on expansion issue is key step for Big 12
Report: Deal could be brewing between Texas, Houston
Longhorns’ administrators have changed their stance in six weeks
Data suggests expansion helps league with CFP bids, TV deals
Analysts from Navigate Research have shown Big 12 administrators that, with expansion, their research indicates the league’s probability of placing at least one team in the CFP playoff pool jumps to 77 percent each year. The league currently has a .500 batting average after two seasons.
In addition, the Big 12 has 75 regular-season football telecasts to offer to its TV partners each year as a 10-member league. The total jumps to 90 telecasts with 12 teams and 105 with 14 teams. The larger the inventory, the higher the future payday if the league adds four teams that can enhance the brand when it is time to renegotiate new deals.
If your Big 12 expansion hopeful falls short, this could be the reason why
A look at issues that might hamper perceived frontrunners
Most schools have something to nitpick in vetting process
Big 12 envisions expansion by 2017 football season
Houston: The Cougars would be the fifth school from Texas if added to the 10-member league. That’s a lot of geographic repetition in an era when conferences seek to brand their leagues on a national level. For perspective, no other Power 5 league currently has more than four members from the same state. That would be the Pac-12, with UCLA, USC, Stanford and California.
Oops, writer forgot about the ACC and North Carolina.
Big 12 press pass: A look at possible expansion front-runners, contenders and dark horses
BYU, UH, Cincy thought to be favorites
Houston
The governor of Texas supports it. So does the president of that school in Austin. But would adding Houston help enough to offset the hurt that could come for non-Texas schools in recruiting?
The scoop: “It’s been a decade or more in the making, but they finally have things lined up to make a compelling case for entry into the Big 12. That includes upgrades in facilities, a competitive product on the football field, top-level coaches in Tom Herman and Kelvin Sampson. It makes sense now more than ever for Houston to join a Power 5 conference, and that wasn’t the case even five years ago.” — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle
Why Texas is bending on adding Houston to Big 12
http://newsok.com/article/5510604
Whatever happens with Houston, this much is clear — Texas isn’t the obstinate tyrant that many believe it to be. It waffles. It flip-flops. What’s more, it bends when the best interest of the Big 12 is at stake. That’s what it did with the grant of rights in 2012, and that’s what it did earlier this week by agreeing to explore expansion.
I don’t pretend to know what motivates the Horns to want to keep the Big 12 together. Maybe they like being the biggest fish and believe they can better control decisions. Maybe they prefer a league with like-minded schools in a similar area. Maybe they see this as a league in which their teams have the best chance at championships.
Whatever the reasons, Texas likes being in the Big 12 — even if Bevo has to bow his horns a bit.
Houston and BYU would be best for Big 12
Houston is an athletics power that like TCU before it, has earned the right to be at the big boy table. If the Big 12 doesn’t grab them, someone else will. A traditional basketball power that spawned NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler along with a current coach in Kelvin Sampson, who would be primetime entertainment to watch when Houston has to play in Norman. The school also fields a men’s golf team with 16 national titles, a solid baseball squad and a football team that has become a force to be reckoned with. Don’t believe me, think back to 2009, when Houston whipped No. 5 OSU in Boone Pickens Stadium. I know I will never forget it. Also, the market brings in the fourth-most populated area that is bigger than Cincinnati and Memphis combined.
Kansas State Q&A: Big 12 expansion edition
The Big 12 seems serious about expansion. What schools might the conference add?
Who will start on Kansas State’s offensive line this season?
Deante Burton could be a surprise player on K-State’s offense
My top two teams would be BYU and Houston. They are the highest-profile football programs on the market, and both could strengthen the Big 12 immediately.
To get to 14 teams, I would also add Colorado State to help build a geographic bridge to BYU and Cincinnati to give West Virginia a nearby friend.
Peterson peers into his Big 12 expansion crystal ball
The Favorite:
Houston
Location: Houston, Texas
Current conference: American Athletic
Pro: Beat the Pac-12 in snatching the Cougs from the American Athletic Conference. The football program is strong, and someday Tom Herman will be the highest-paid college coach in America. The basketball program isn’t horrible, and the school resides in the fourth-largest city in America. There are 1,900 Iowa State alums living in the Houston area, fwiw.
Con: A fifth Texas school?
Get over it. There’s enough recruits in Texas to go around. It’s easy travel for Iowa State fans living in Iowa — by air, at least.
Big 12 fit: 5 stars
Chance of an invite: 60 percent
Football: ISU, Leath to give Houston ‘fair shake’ in expansion, after ‘prestige’ programs
http://amestrib.com/sports/football-isu-leath-give-houston-fair-shake-expansion-after-prestige-programs
Location in relation to the rest of the league is an issue Leath believes the Big 12 must consider when looking at expansion targets.
“We do have to look a little bit at geography,” Leath said. “If you put two or four different schools that are wildly different geographically, and it’s very difficult on our student-athletes and specifically raises the cost.”
Articles from Expansion hopeful locations:
“At this point in time the Power Five conferences certainly are looked to as the most competitive conferences,” he said. “They derive the most money from their multi-media agreements, their television agreements. And therefore, certainly we aspire to be in those conferences and compete at that level.”
Big 12 Expansion: Examining the pros and cons of adding Colorado State
But, what Rams fans must realize is this: No matter how great the pros and how poor the cons weigh out when the Big 12 evaluates their school’s merits, CSU is definitely behind (1) Houston and probably behind (2) Cincinnati, possibly a few more.
Twelve thoughts on Big 12 expansion
10. Let’s admit the whole realignment process is ridiculous, even as we hope it works out for Memphis in the end. There shouldn’t be such a vast divide between Power Five conferences and the rest of the universe. It’s one of the ugliest aspects of college sports. Why should Louisville be so much richer than Memphis? Why should Baylor be so much richer than Connecticut? Let’s say Memphis gets an invitation to the Big 12 over BYU. Good for the Tigers, right? But BYU has a excellent, even storied athletic program. Why should BYU be left out? The same goes for any number of fine institutions, now groveling for their financial lives.
Big 12 Expansion Watch: Politics, predictions and more
It’s interesting to note that Fenves didn’t unequivocally endorse Houston, but rather said, “I support considering” Houston. Probably it’s all just part of the backroom political game being played out there over two sorts of possible expansions (UT into Houston, Houston into the Big 12).
Anyway, it’s a fascinating game of poker – Texas Hold 'Em, guess you’d say.
Big 12 expansion: Should UCF fans worry about gaining support for Houston?
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ucf-knights/knights-notepad/os-big-12-expansion-houston-20160721-story.html
On a scale of 1-5 (5 being absolutely yes), this should rank around a 3.5. An endorsement from Texas is no small feat, with the school serving as one of the most influential players in the Big 12. Texas’ 180-degree turn to support any school for expansion is a clear confirmation that whether or not the Big 12 will expand isn’t the question, but rather which teams will be added. You’ll remember Texas once strongly opposed Big 12 expansion.
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Pac 12 view on Big 12 expansion from Jon Wilner:
The ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 are not in the expansion business right now, and nothing the Big 12 does in the next few months will change that.
That could be the route to riches again, but there’s no guarantee — technology and consumer behavior may well alter the dynamic before the 2023-24 negotiating windows.
What impact will cord cutting have on the pool of cash ESPN and Fox have for rights fees?
Will streaming take hold as a lucrative option?
Will Hulu and/or Apple and/or Google and/or Facebook and/or Company Unknown enter the live-sports distribution game?
A decade from now, we could have four superconferences.
We could have alliances, based on football scheduling, that provide the necessary inventory for bigger media rights paychecks.
Or we could have the status quo.
Perhaps even in the Big 12.
Patrick my apologies if you already mentioned this article.
What will AT&T/DirectTV do next?..
Thanks for all these summaries
Solid logic, CougarRed
Today’s expansion articles are from the UCONN and Memphis area of the woods:
UCONN
With Big 12 Calling, Pasqualoni Era Should Be In Distant Past
The next month or two probably would be a good time for state politicians and sports fans to stop banging on UConn and show some unity. Austerity understandably is the password these days, but you can austere your way back to the Yankee Conference. If this Big 12 expansion goes on without UConn, it could be a long, long time before another Power Five opportunity — with $30 million in revenues annually — comes along.
This is it, Connecticut.
UConn Brings In Aspire Group To Help Boost Ticket Sales, Especially For Football
Numbers provided by UConn paint a depressing picture of the state of interest in UConn football.
When Rentschler Field opened in 2003, 24,000 season tickets were sold. That number grew consistently, peaked at 28,000 and stayed near that number for five seasons. In 2014, the season ticket base had fallen to 20,000. It was just 16,000 last year. Average overall attendance has also fallen — from an average high of 38,248 in 2010 to 28,224 last year.
UConn has surpassed 14,000 season tickets allocated for the upcoming season, slightly ahead of last year’s pace.
Sunday Gravy: Big 12 expansion may be UConn’s last shot at joining the Power Five
UConn has a few things working in its favor to crack the top two. BYU refuses to compete on Sundays, a hindrance for non-football sports, and, reportedly, is difficult to work with at the administrative level. Houston is a major TV market with perhaps the best young football coach in the nation. But the Big 12 already has four Texas schools and may be eager to expand its reach, especially into the desirable New York market.
Memphis
Big 12 bid would be ‘huge’ for Memphis economy, spirits
The U of M matters to Memphis in a way unlike other expansion candidates in larger cities. So joining the Big 12 may have a deeper impact in the community here than it would in Cincinnati or Houston, for example.
Relax, Memphis, it’s FedEx
Beyond that, the company is deeply invested in the university and in the community. It has to recruit smart people to Memphis and then retain them once they arrive. That’s why FedEx bought the naming rights to FedExForum. You think it needs more brand visibility in this town? No, it needs Memphis to flourish. It needs employees to like the place. And the University of Memphis may be even more important than the Grizzlies, as a source of labor, innovation and growth.
SEC article: