Big 12 should go to 14 schools...

Why go to 14 schools? Why not jump straight up to 16 and be the first conference to establish itself as a 'Super Conference'. Four pods of four teams, with OU & tx in different pods.
I think this would set the Big 12 up for the future, and prevent getting folded into another conference when the rest of them inevitably start going to 16. Play from out front instead of behind!

 

I actually like adding Louisville, Memphis, and South Florida. I'm not an expert on this whole deal, but I think they could easily carry their weight on the financial side. Louisville and Memphis would add a lot for basketball, and with the added perks of being in the Big XII, I think their football could soon be at the level of the three schools that departed. As for the three other schools being added in this scenario, I'm not a big fan of those. Texas and academics are two things I don't think we need more of.

 

my 1st thought too...a quiet eviction?

 

Who said I've never stepped foot in an OU classroom?

I just don't see how getting Rice and Tulane into the Big 12 somehow gives the U. of Oklahoma some sort of huge boost in academic prestige, and if there is some little benefit to it, how that would outweigh the overall prestige of, say, moving to the SEC (which I have advocated all along). The SEC would actually be an academic step up from the Big 12, by the way.

 

Perhaps its the expectation of the B1G picking off ISU when they expand to 16? (B16?)

 

We're still considered a pretty good academic school despite being associated with OSU for all these years, so...

 

very true, but they just recently got hammered by the NCAA for infractions......i think? i dunno- i acknowledge their contribution in basketball but i dont think it goes beyond that at all

 

Memphis hasn't done so well recently, but not long ago they went to bowl games 5 out of 6 years (2003-2008). Being added to a conference like the Big XII would give them much better recruiting than being in Conference USA, and it sounds like that Fed Ex guy could pour a lot of money into the program. I don't think great athletes would hesitate at all to go to a school like Memphis once they joined a BCS conference. I think Memphis is kinda considered a "cool" school among teenagers, mainly because of their basketball, but they've also produced some players like DeAngelo Williams and Isaac Bruce over the years.

 

The answer is not to raid the Conference USA. We need to go after bigger programs in the Big East and/or Independents. Why would we want to add more Texas schools to the conference - that doesn't increase our footprint or income and hurts our recruiting strategy throughout the conference.

12 should be the goal. I love the idea of USF and BYU. Cincinnati would also give us Ohio, which would be awesome.

 

I think the most exciting among those is USF, although I could easily be talked into Memphis. I have no problem with WVU.

 

I assumed that is what you meant when you said, "as a fan of OU." Most people that have attended a school would say something like, "since I am an alumni and fan."

I know, assuming. But if you are an alumnus, you would love the idea of their academics getting better and would support it, or one would think so!

 

So, because a team gets in trouble with the NCAA, they shouldn't be allowed to be a member of the Big 12?

Well, OU, OSU, Texas, Kansas, etc should leave the conference now!

 

We are?

 

not quite what i said

my point is that if you're inviting NEW members to the conference, looking at a weak wounded team on probation, or just fresh off if it - may not be the smartest idea

 

12 won't happen. Too much greed, and apparently OU and Texas generate essentially all of the revenue for the conference, so every time we subtract a member, each school gets more money.

 

As much as I, living in Houston, would love to add Rice and get a game in Houston every other year that would not only be a cakewalk but an easy ticket to purchase in a fun atmosphere, the Big12 should not add Rice.

They are barely hanging on to their athletic programs as it is. They don't bring in revenue, and the administration is all anti-athletics. They will be lucky to have a football team in ten years, much less be a valid member of the conference.

 

Sounds like a second coming of C-USA. There are some decent travel locations mentioned, and the schools listed would be easy wins in places that tickets would be easy to come by. I'd obviously rather go to another conference, but if we have to stay in this hellhole we might as well make it a little more enjoyable.

 

Why not try and bring in some of the ACC schools? They expect to get raided by the SEC, so why don't we beat them to the punch. I do like the idea about USF though.

 

If we're going to add teams from the SE area, why not Southern Mississippi? Huge recruiting area there. Add Memphis, Louisville, Cinncinatti, West Virginia and stay the heck out of texas!

 

Here's an idea, for football, merge the remain Big East and Big XII teams. Either Mizzou or WVU will end up being team #14 in the SEC, and we could be the first to go to 16 teams.