The Rest of College Football

[Dr. Strangelove]

OR...if they decide to stick with an eastern look

West Virginia
Louisville
Cincinnati
Rutgers
South Florida
East Carolina

Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
TCU
Baylor
Houston

Add Central Florida and BYU as members 13 & 14 if they want to go that big.

[entropy]

MW is fine if you add back BYU and TCU. BSU, TCU, BYU, Houston, KSU and Baylor are better than any 6 you can put together in the BE

[entropy]

http://newsok.com/article/3605958

More on ou's position

[entropy]

Big 12 football: Expansion talks blinded us
Posted by berrytramelon September 20, 2011M at 9:05 pm I’m like everyone else. For 15 months, and particularly for one month, I’ve focused on expansion as the key to Big 12 survival. When Nebraska and Colorado left the league last year, we thought the Big 12 was vulnerable at 10 teams, despite a period of euphoria over the new Big 12 cable television contract.

Then when Texas A&M bolted the league in August, we figured the Big 12 was done. Figured that the conference could not possibly fill the Aggies’ shoes, and thus the Big 12 would wither away as other schools departed.

The latter might still be true. But expansion, or lack thereof, is not the biggest problem. We kept focusing on the symptoms, not the disease. As I wrote earlier Tuesday, a high-ranking source at a Big 12 school said OU is willing to remain in the Big 12, if The Longhorn Network makes concessions and if commissioner Dan Beebe is removed. Those moves, more than adding any schools, would bring stability to a conference that teeters on the edge of oblivion.

We talked about some of the issues, the Longhorn Network especially. I had no idea the extent of frustration with Beebe, other than from the Nebraska precincts. But the Huskers who claimed Beebe was a Texas puppet have been fortified by the source’s news.

We should have seen it coming, if for no other reason than OU president David Boren made a passing reference to it on Monday, when discussing realignment. Boren took an obvious jab at the conference office, for allowing Nebraska and Colorado to get away last year.

But talk about The Longhorn Network gets tiresome. Even talk about Texas power grabs gets old. Realignment — this school going there, that school going here — never gets old. I’ll bet I’ve received 500 emails the last year from people with an expansion plan. I’ve never received one email from someone with an idea for a new Big 12 commissioner.

And you know why. It’s fun to move schools around. Fun to add BYU or TCU or Louisville or Houston or West Virginia to the Big 12. Fun to dream about Arkansas and Notre Dame. Fun to talk about who’s going to the ACC, now that Syracuse and Pitt are headed there. Fun to talk about what the SEC will do, should it want to get to 16 teams. Fun to talk about the Big Ten. Fun to talk about Pac-16 pods and divisions and championship games in JerryWorld and the Rose Bowl.

Not so fun to focus on why the Big 12 was in trouble in the first place.

But now we know. Nebraskans were right. Texas appeasement has crippled the Big 12. My source blames Beebe, and there’s probably merit to that. But the Big 12′s fundamental flaw goes back long before Dan Beebe.

Beebe actually pushed for equitable revenue sharing but was voted down by the Big 12 power brokers: Texas, OU, A&M and Nebraska. Beebe’s predecessor, Kevin Weiberg, pushed for a Big 12 Network. He was rebuffed by the same set of schools and instead went to the Big Ten and formed that league’s network, and now is doing the same at the Pac-12.

Truth is, the Big 12/Big Eight/Southwest Conference always have been weak-commissioner conferences. They don’t possess a strong leader like Roy Kramer, late of the SEC, or Jim Delany of the Big Ten or Larry Scott, who is working wonders at the Pac-12. I’m not talking personality. I’m talking power. I’m talking expectations.

The Big 12/Big Eight rarely has hired a strong leader and let him lead. That goes back long before Dan Beebe, back to the days of Carl James (remember him?) and Chuck Neinas.

Texas appeasement dates long before Dan Beebe. The conference was formed with the idea that making the Longhorns happy would keep UT in the conference. If Mama Bevo ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. It wasn’t a kooky theory. It just turned out to be the wrong theory.

In reality, making Mama Bevo happy eventually drove off Nebraska, and now has driven off A&M. The league might die for the same reason some thought it would survive.

Not that Beebe is off the hook. On his watch, the Big 12 has lost three members, two of them virtually irreplaceable. Perhaps he didn’t create the environment by which frustration grew, but it’s absolutely true that Beebe didn’t stand tall when the league needed a strong leader most. The new TV deal was great news for the Big 12; making Texas A&M feel like the Big 12 was the conference for the Aggies would have been better news.

I like Beebe. I think he tried, early in his administration, to make necessary changes. He was rebuffed, so he went into survival mode.

Can’t blame him. As recently as 18 months ago, when the Big Ten started the whole mess by declaring it was interested in expansion, speculation was heavy that the Big Ten would court Texas. Oh no, everyone thought. What would become of the conference if Texas left.

Instead, we’re seeing what became of the conference since Texas stayed. And soon enough, whether the Sooners and Cowboys go West or not, we’ll wonder what will become of Dan Beebe.



Post Extras: * * *

[whodean]

Pac-12 officially "affirms decision not to expand."

Much todo about nothing. again.

[Wild Hoss]

I'm perfectly happy with the Big Ten at 12. If other conferences want to go bigger, go ahead and let them.

I concur. Unless the possibility of adding the Irish comes along, we ought to be focusing on getting our operation running smoothly as-is. Perhaps more to the point, we ought to be looking to take advantage of the fact everybody else is running around like the proverbial decapitated chicken and hit up ABC/ESPN for a contract renewal.

As a KU fan here at work told me yesterday, he is envious of Nebraska's "perch of safety" in the Big Ten. I believe this reflects the general consesus that we're the one stable conference out there. That's got to be worth something.

[Wild Hoss]

Pac-12 officially "affirms decision not to expand."

Much todo about nothing. again.

Smart move on their part. They are being treated as Texas and Oklahoma?s booty call in this whole sordid mess, and they have just sent a message that they?re going to require dinner and a show before they put out.

This will let Bevo and the Boomers stew in uncertainty for a year, and be more amenable to negotiations in 2012 with the additional stress of ATM?s departure in play. If the PAC is really lucky, the remaining former Big 12 North members might make a move on their own, leaving OU and Big Texas literally homeless, and crawling to Larry Scott on their hands and knees.

[Hannibal]

None of the remaining conferences need to expand. There is absolutely zero chance that the PAC-12, ACC, SEC, or Big 10 ever get left ouf of some kind of organized post season. The only consequence of that kind of arrangement would, most likely, be that BYU, Texas, and ND can't be independent.

[entropy]

OU's recent leaks are serving 2 purposes.. making Texas chose publically to save the Big12 or destroy it and shift away the "blame" from them.

however, this...

PAC-12 AFFIRMS DECISION NOT TO EXPAND
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-- In light of the widespread speculation about potential scenarios for Conference re-alignment, the Pac-12 Presidents and Chancellors have affirmed their decision to remain a 12-team conference. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said, “after careful review we have determined that it is in the best interests of our member institutions, student-athletes and fans to remain a 12-team conference. While we have great respect for all of the institutions that have contacted us, and certain expansion proposals were financially attractive, we have a strong conference structure and culture of equality that we are committed to preserve. With new landmark TV agreements and plans to launch our innovative television networks, we are going to focus solely on these great assets, our strong heritage and the bright future in front of us.””
- Pac-12 -


changes the game for OU. I'm sure this has just reduced their negotiating power significantly. It could also be why OU wants to now stay under conditions. They were rejected again. I bet Texas leverages this against OU.

[Dr. Strangelove]

B1G should add Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Woo-hoo!

[Dr. Strangelove]

None of the remaining conferences need to expand. There is absolutely zero chance that the PAC-12, ACC, SEC, or Big 10 ever get left ouf of some kind of organized post season. The only consequence of that kind of arrangement would, most likely, be that BYU, Texas, and ND can't be independent.

This makes me curious as to why exactly the ACC expanded to 14. The only guess is that it helped them avoid being raided? Otherwise I think they may be overestimating the draw of Syracuse in NYC. Or overestimating the NYC college athletics market in general.

From comments by Coach K and others, the ACC is planning for 16 as well. I'm assuming that means UConn and someone else...

[Wild Hoss]

None of the remaining conferences need to expand. There is absolutely zero chance that the PAC-12, ACC, SEC, or Big 10 ever get left ouf of some kind of organized post season. The only consequence of that kind of arrangement would, most likely, be that BYU, Texas, and ND can't be independent.

Absolutely...which is exactly why Delaney and Big Ten are sitting this circus out. With the largest population base of any conference and four marquee teams, we're good to go regardless of what occurs.

The other aspect is the quality v quantity arguement. Adding 2-4 teams, 1-3 of which are shit for TV ratings, accomplishes nothing. The ACC will figure this out in about 5 years.

[whodean]

ESPN feeling defensive:

The statement from ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz reads:

The driving force on realignment lies with the conferences and universities. The Big 12 determined in 2010 to grant each of its schools the ability to create their own networks. As a result, the Big 12 stayed together and the University of Texas made the decision to launch its network. ESPN subsequently won a competitive bid to become its media partner. We have since seen Kansas State and Missouri create opportunities while Oklahoma is exploring its media options. The concept of LHN remains the same as it was 15 months ago.

[WM Wolverine]

Pac 12 wasn't interested in only Oklahoma/OSU, they needed Texas to come too?

This situation made pretty much everyone look bad; Big XII, Pac 12, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor/Iowa State/KSU...

[iam416]

I think it was clear -- at least to some (me included) -- that the P12 had no interest in a 14 team league. That meant UT always had the leverage. And it should come as a surprise to almost no one that the used it to prop up the B12 once again.

Heh, from 12 days ago:

I think it's rather clear that UT is going to work to save the B12. If they can do that, then the superconference train brakes for awhile and UT and ND can maintain the status quo, which is their first, second and third choices.

However, if OU leaves, then the B12 is dead and SC race is on. At that stage, the best option for UT and ND is the B10. I think preliminary talks have taken place, but that it's much more precautionary than anything else.

Also, I don't think the P10 takes OU w/o UT. They'll want 16, not 14. So, I think the B12 will hold and this will get put off for a bit.

Eat it, Nostradamus!