I mean sure AAU means something to the Big10. But that is for the current moment while they have the luxury of caring about academics.
As long as they are 1B to the SECs 1A, they can (and probably will) be selective. If something changes that and suddenly they have to poach other conferences… It would be smart to go after markets and brands more than academics.
All I’m saying is that two things should happen
UH needs to continue to work at making sure that we can get to the top of the new Big 12. If the Big 12 falls apart we need to make sure we are at the top of the list.
Big 12 needs to be aggressive in adding valuable teams if the opportunity presents itself.
On #1, it’s always good to have a contingency plan, but as has been repeated ad nauseum on this board, the Big 12 isn’t likely to fall apart simply because no other conference wants its schools.
It’ll be very stable simply because none of its members have any place else to go.
They aren’t going to 24.
They aren’t interested in non-AAU
Add to that the Big10 and SEC aren’t direct competitors in the classical sense. They derive viewers from different regions and drive national viewers based on time-tested rivalries within their conference. They don’t have to keep up with the SEC on TV money. The Big10 gauges success based on a number of factors - Academics being a major one. And to be honest, the SEC can make 5 billion a year and still won’t keep Michigan and Ohio State from dominating recruiting in the northern US. So the B10 will always have teams competing for a playoff spot.
True. It’s basically a contingency plan. We need to act like the Big12 could fall apart at any moment.
Very likely it is safe.
But Houston has been complacent before. We need to use the same urgency that got us to the top of the AAC when we enter the Big12.
Because if, and I can’t stress it enough… If it falls apart… We cannot afford to be left out in the cold. We don’t have the luxuries of being a private school like Baylor, or funded by PUF money like UT or aTm.
I hope your scenario plays out. We have everything in place now, new on campus stadium, more
dorms and residential student housing, and growing academic reputation. This is our second
chance at big time. I hope the support in game attendance is there, even though case can be made it’s more about TV ratings.
When the Big 12 added TCU and West Virginia, those schools received a 50 percent revenue share in 2012-13, 67 percent in 2013-14, 85 percent in 2014-15 and 100 percent in 2015-16. Bowlsby said when the three American Athletic Conference schools make it official, he expects a similar graduated scale.
Even 50 percent of more than $40 million is a massive increase for the three AAC schools, who reportedly received $7.96 million (UCF), $8.52 million (Houston) and $9.44 million (Cincinnati) last year, according to the Orlando Sentinel. BYU, independent of conference affiliation, got about $39 million in athletic revenue last year from its own TV deals and NCAA championships revenue, according to the U.S. Department of Education.