Local writers from Expansion Candidate Locales:
Forecasting the Odds for the 18 Schools Targeted in Big XII Expansion
HOUSTON +150
CINCINNATI +125
I’ll address these two as a package — this would seem to be the perfect pairing of schools that would check off the most boxes. Yes, soft head coaches like Mike Gundy, who this week fretted over what adding UH would do to his recruiting efforts in Houston, may get their panties in a bunch, but this is business. Houston and Cincinnati both bring football programs that have averaged nine wins per season since 2011, and while Cincinnati expands the footprint into Ohio (making TV happy), Houston brings several possible ratings-generating matchups with other Texas schools (also making TV happy). (SIDEBAR — If I’m the TV networks, I practically make Houston’s giving Tom Herman another gigantic raise a clause in the deal.) These are both schools that have positioned themselves for this moment for the past few years, so rewarding forward thinking is an ancillary, karmic benefit. This is the option — two schools, Houston and Cincinnati — if the Big XII is indeed expanding, that involves the most sensible thinking and the least amount of network partner alienation.
Which means, knowing the Big XII, that they will probably expand by four schools, none of which are Houston or Cincinnati.
Coogfans thread: Forecasting the Odds For the 18 Schools Targeted in Big XII Expansion
Report: Big East is UConn’s Plan B if Big 12 bid fails
Blaudschun followed with a Tuesday commentary advocating UConn’s return to the Big East and that the school should pursue football-only membership in the Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, Conference USA or the Sun Belt, which along with the AAC comprise the so-called “Group of 5”, the little brothers to the “Power 5” of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12.
New UCF coach Scott Frost could be Big 12 X- (and O) factor
Why then is Houston being portrayed as the top choice when the Cougars really bring nothing new to the table? The Big 12 already owns the Houston TV market (see Texas, University Of) and simply doesn’t need another Texas school. The Big 12 is the only conference in the southern part of the country that doesn’t have a footprint in the State of Florida and would benefit much more by adding UCF.
BYU athletics: Tom Holmoe stays mum on Big 12, says BYU welcomes all to its campus
Answering a question about whether BYU is being “proactive” in regards to a recent letter penned by LGBT advocacy groups calling for the Big 12 conference to reject the Provo school because of its policies against homosexual behavior from its faculty and students, Holmoe referred to a remark he made on Twitter the day after the letter was made public.
UNLV lacks one major component to make serious bid for Big 12
I recently asked a high-ranking college administrator from a Power 5 conference this: Which has a better chance — a Mountain West team such as UNLV being invited into the Big 12 or me beating Katie Ledecky in an 800-meter swim?
The reply: “You would lap her before the other happens.”
Rice is the lone C-USA representative on the list, according to ESPN. Why would the Big 12 or any conference be interested in the Owls? There are several reasons. To begin with, they are one of the top universities for academics in the country and certainly within C-USA. The Owls recently unveiled a new $31.5 million football facility. Oh and they are in Houston.
Western Kentucky keeping a close eye on conference realignment
http://www.wbko.com/content/sports/Western-Kentucky-keeping-a-close-eye-on-conference-realignment-390436612.html
If the Big XII were to expand with programs from the American, the AAC would likely look toward Conference USA to replenish its roster of members.
“As a group of athletic directors we really have talked about that in a while,” Stewart said. “But we meet in September in Dallas, that’s part of an annual meeting that we have, and I would imagine that will be a topic of discussion.”
