Not I. I agree that's our best approach, *if* we choose to expand.Originally Posted by Eielson
I think some would have made that same argument about bringing in U of M before the 80s. Florida has huge potential to support multiple strong teams. It may or may not work, but it seems like our best bet. And I don't understand the reasoning that it would not open up recruiting avenues, particularly if those schools do get a boost from being in a P5 conference.
Please get over this Pac12 fascination... never ever ever going to happen unless Texas wants us along for the ride. Texas, in reality, is the cause of the demise of the XII. Pac 12 people disdain "flyover" people, believe me, I live out here. Just listen to Cowherd, he moves out west and now Standford is an all-time great team. They lost to NWestern (and Oregon) and Oregon lost to MSU but Standford "deserved" to be in the CFP. Most people in the west have not traveled outside of their state and do not think they need to. Look at the disdain Cali posters have on this board and LT.
I think it's the same for the other two conferences you mentioned.
I think the only way to grow is kick Texas out, add three more in the South and become united as a conference. Everyone wants a quick solution but that isn't going to happen. The phrase "If you don't like the news, write your own headlines" comes to mind.
BTW, I know it's spelled Stanford.
Until this happens, and it may very well happen, we should just stay put. We're receiving just as much money, or more (including tier 3 rights), than about any other school. And we'll take care of our own scheduling to make sure we are in line for playoff spot with one loss or less. When it evolves that there will be 4 conferences, the other conferences will be begging (and bidding) for Sooners to join. No one will be more valuable (except whorns but without their baggage!) and add more value to that conference than OU!
I'm not so sure about PAC12. They need some exposure in a time zone east of PST and MST. Sure, they have the people, but they don't have the interest. Their conference network isn't as successful as they'd hoped and OU would give instant credibility and instantly be the #1 football program in PAC12. I think in hindsight they know they should have accepted OU (even with ostate) the first time. OUr academics are better than half of PAC12 institutions now (both AZ schools, Utah, both OR schools and Wazzu are rated below OU in USNWR ratings). My greatest pleasure in moving to another conference would be to see the facade of Hypocrite U come tumbling down!
True. As long as we don't collapse in the meantime.
The headwinds against maintaining an elite program in the XII grow stronger each year. Heck, it may already not be possible. We may get to the day when any XII school save perhaps ut won't be able to crack the top 20 in recruiting classes.
If we're talking <=5 years, I think you're right. If we get to >5 years, it starts to get rather uncomfortable to project.
I have wanted USF in the Big XII for my own selfish reason for years. Coach Taggert does seem to have the team moving in an upward direction and they play at Raymond James Stadium. USF is obviously in the top tier...but neither was TCU when they joined the league. Playing in Tampa every other year would certainly yield some more kids like Eric Striker (Armwood HS consistently puts multiple kids in D-1 top tier programs).
UCF...ugh...they didn't win a single game this year, but they did hire Frost and that seems to be a home run hire by all accounts.
You can sit around and see if you'll get invited by some other conference (like an old maid) or go make your own better now. C'mon, we're Sooners, we don't wait for others!
Rather than Ga. Southern, GSU would probably be preferable.
Georgia State University (GSU) is a public research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It has a student population of 32,022, including 24,096 undergraduates
We have over 100 years of history! Fewer losing seasons than ANYONE! It's not going to be dependent on who is in Top 5 that year, or for a few years, but the strength of the program. Hypocrite U is at the top of their game now! Who is knocking down their door trying to entice them to join their conference??? NO ONE!
Recruiting class ratings? Seriously???
I hate to point this out, but no one is knocking down our door or trying to entice us, either. The XII isn't doing any of its members any favors individually.
And I have to say, you're the first person I've seen who isn't worried about recruiting. And don't get semantic about how you put no stock in how recruiting classes are ranked. I'm not talking about hand-waving "star" counts. I'm making the direct point that our recruiting suffers due to our conference affiliation, and will continue to get harder as time goes on and the XII atrophies.
My dear boy, I do not have a "fascination" with the Pac-12. I was vehemently against it in 2011. That is well documented. What I wanted was for us to go to the SEC; also well documented.
Now, times have changed, the conference is sinking, and the best landing place for us of the three conferences that will survives any mass conglomeration of the power conferences is the Pac-12. I look at them as the best of the worst.
Also, you are dreaming of anyone "kicking Texas out." Texas, for better or worse, controls the fate of the conference. We pretend to be hanging in there with them. But, as we saw in 2011, the Pac-12 told us, "No thanks" without Texas.
When Texas does jump ship, we will have to jump with them or be stuck in an even further watered down conference. The Big 12 risks being like the old football Big East - taking on schools simply for the sake of having more members. It didn't work for the Big East, and won't work for the Big 12.
Competition is ultimately the key. The competitiveness of the conference continues to sink. We need out. The sooner the better. Only viable options are Pac-12, ACC, and Big Ten. If, and when, we jump, that is my order of preference; but, I have a fascination with none of them.
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
President Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987
Don't you think a yearly trip to either Tampa/Central FL or Atlanta would get us some needed press in that part of the country? Throw some money toward the new athletic departments to build their facilities and grow some rivalries. What is the downside?
I set my DVR to record "The Biggest Loser" and now it records the Longhorn Network all day.
Hey tycat947, did you get dumped by a Baylor girl or something? What is your obsession with them? Regardless of whatever the post is about (OU) you find a way to bring in "hypocrite u". That amount of animosity can't be healthy man!
Can someone explain to me how we will open a recruiting pipeline by adding directional Florida schools? So we'll starting stealing 4 and 5 star recruits from the SEC or ACC who would rather play in the Big 12 because they'll get to play 1 game a year back in their home state (as a visitor)?
No one is knocking down doors for anyone because of GOR. If Big 12 collapsed, the the other 4 conferences would be on the phone in a heartbeat to Norman and Austin. Hypocrite U would be at the bottom and not receive a call.
Tell me again how all those Texas recruiting championships helped the whorns get to where they are today? How did the great Oregon recruiting help them lose a 31 pt halftime lead to a Big 12 TCU depleted squad?
No obsession at all. Just calling out that hypocritical institution at every chance. No other Big 12 school is even close to fitting that description.
Lost of guys come here with nearly zero chance to play at their home field. Striker, Mixon, Stills, Murray and Jefferson just to name a few. We need to expand our recruiting base because the SEC has expanded into Texas.
Sorry, just not buying it. Can't see how adding a directional Florida school is going to tip a youngster into choosing OU over an SEC school. When a kid leaves his home state to play across the country it is to play for that university. If we want to beef up recruiting, we need to start winning more games...not adding smaller (success, not enrollment) schools sporadically around the country.
My preference would be to move to another conference when the opportunity presents itself. As far as expanding, unless we are talking about adding teams like The University of xxxxxx or xxxxxx State University then we should stand pat. Any schools that are added need to, in and of themselves, add to the prestige of the conference not added just because of the television market where they are located.
We don't get bad press in any part of the country - we are Oklahoma. We made the playoff this year with the same record rejected Baylor had year: and, our loss this year was to a team with a record worse than the one that beat Baylor!
Respect and press isn't our problem. Our problem is that the conference is becoming C-USA II/SWC Re-treads.
I've got no problem vacationing in Florida. However, I've also got no problem vacationing in Cali, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. Also, I've got no problem with road trips down along the Eastern seaboard and Southern states of the ACC.
I have little interest in visiting much of Big Ten territory. But...I'd take even the Big Ten over what the Big 12 has become. Schools with long football and basketball traditions interest me far more than Florida startups and TCU, Houston, and the like.
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
President Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987
UConn?
Conference Realignment: Big 12 Expansion and Why UConn has a Shot
By Aman Kidwai @TheUConnBlog on Jan 4, 2016, 9:19a 49
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Conference realignment discussions can quickly devolve into meaningless rumor milling and speculation. But recent events suggest a shift may be imminent. Can UConn snag a spot if conferences start playing musical chairs again?
Since the last round of conference realignment left UConn in the American Athletic Conference, speculation has run rampant about the long-term future of the Husky athletic department.
Would it decline as revenue lagged behind the "Power-5" conferences? Should the basketball team find a way to move to the Big East? When will the ACC/Big Ten/SEC/Big 12 come calling?
It was mostly pure speculation until this past offseason, when we learned the Big 12 would not need to dilute the per-school share from its television contract if it expanded. The sharing of the TV money is a huge hurdle to expansion for any conference, as its leadership would have to believe the gains for the next deal would outweigh the short-term loss. As Pete Thamel of Campus Rush said in a report last week, "if there were obvious and lucrative ways to expand the league and enhance revenue, the Big 12 would have taken those steps long ago."
But now their hand may be forced by the lack of a conference championship game. NCAA rules require a conference to have 12 members to hold a championship game in football. The Big 12 only has 10 following the recent departures of Missouri and Texas A&M. From 1996 to 2010, the conference played a championship game sponsored by Dr. Pepper and broadcast on ABC. The game has taken place in multiple NFL stadiums, including Arrowhead Stadium, AT&T Stadium, Texas Stadium and NRG Stadium. The ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 all have conference championship games.
Whereas the ACC and Big Ten are unlikely to consider expansion anytime soon, if at all, the Big 12 has reasonable motivation to add to its ranks. So prepare yourself for rumors, fiery hot takes and speculation this offseason.
Thamel, who has credibility in matters of the Big 12 and conference realignment, spoke to a number of sources and offered a few thoughts about where UConn stands in the article linked above:UConn came up in a surprising number of conversations considering its geography, lack of relevant football history and void of local recruiting. UConn would be attractive in a scenario in which the league adds a cable network, as it theoretically could bring a lot of eyeballs in the Northeast. The strong academics and basketball program would also be assets, as would the notion of the Big 12 adding a flagship state school. But if the conversation inevitably turns back to football, UConn wouldn't cut it.For whatever it's worth, Thamel listed UConn third after the two top candidates: Brigham Young and Cincinnati. UC seems like the safest bet right now, but BYU may not have enough mutual interest from the Big 12 for a variety of reasons. I was also surprised by Temple's absence from Thamel's list and to see that the Florida schools are not in the picture.
It may seem as though UConn is not an ideal fit for the Big 12, and it probably isn't. But it does offer one of the best overall packages (quality of athletics, TV markets, academic reputation) of the schools available, and that may supersede geographic convenience.
But if the Big 12 is only adding two, UConn's chances may not be great.
The possibility also exists that it decides to expand to 14. In this scenario, UConn's chances improve dramatically, as the additional schools joining can mitigate the geography issue and the value of UConn's strong northeast presence may hold more significance.
Here are the key dates and conversations which will dictate the Big 12's offseason plans. Feel free to share your thoughts, predictions and/or conspiracy theories in the comments!
1. NCAA Convention, Jan 14-16
This is when the NCAA will vote on the Big 12's appeal for an exception to have a conference championship game with only 10 teams. It appears the appeal will be denied, in which case the Big 12 will almost definitely be looking to add at least two new members. Having a conference championship game represents earnings of roughly $2 million per year per school in addition to offering a marquee matchup to help the conference bid for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
2. Does the Big 12 start a TV Network?
If the conference is working towards building a television network, there may be signs from the media business newswire which precede any other news about actual expansion. A TV network increases the likelihood of the Big 12 expanding to 14, and with it UConn's chances of receiving an invite.
3. UConn's Involvement
UConn Report, a really cool website that you should all subscribe to, reported weeks ago that preliminary conversations have taken place between UConn and the Big 12. This information arrived before the news that the Big 12's championship game appeal was likely to be denied.
If a P5 spot is up for grabs, regardless of how snug the fit is, UConn should be going after it. Simple as that. It looks like UConn's leadership appears to be somewhat ahead of the curve this time around, so that's good.
Plus, check out Susan putting the full-court press on Kansas State president Kirk Schulz while KSU was in town for a women's basketball game. Schulz was the head of the Big 12's expansion committee last time around.
4. If there is any expansion, will it be to 12 or 14?
If a TV network is in the works 14 makes the most sense. Having 14 teams also helps the Big 12 in its next round of TV rights negotiations with ESPN, but that isn't for a while.
Still, it may make sense to go to 14 no matter what to grow the conference's presence in more markets, add the best schools available, and better help West Virginia with its geographic isolation.
"I'm going to request that you stop posting in this thread." - circa 2008
"Why does there have to be so much immature stuff on here?" - circa 2010
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