Just cause im bored: Big XII expansion

[KillBilly]

I think we should add Louisville and BYU as well. I would like to see Oklahoma and Oklahoma State come to the north with guarantee rival games with a south team every year so that Oklahoma and Texas still play every season.

BYU
Louisville
Tech
A&M
Texas
Baylor

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Kansas
Kansas State
Mizzou
Iowa State

This is the correct answer. I've even got the division names, "The Big 8 division" and "The SWC division." The cross division rivals would be the following:

Oklahoma-Texas
Oklahoma State- Texas A&M
Mizzou-Louisville
Kansas-BYU
Kansas State-Texas Tech
Iowa State-Baylor

The Good:
1. Keeping UT, A&M and Tech in the same division is mandatory because our hate for all things Horn and Aggie requires annual release.
2. Moving the Okie schools provides better balance of power.

The Bad:
1. Tech doesn't love/like/hate or anything KSU. Indifference =/= rivals.
2. Taco Tech and Xerox State have stoked much hate for each other because they keep flashing Tech's traditional handsign, which is part of our SWC heritage. Gay and stupid in the eyes of Okie Lite but we consider Guns up to be big part of our identity...hence the hate. So cross-division rivals: TTU vs. XSU.

The Meh:
1. You can kick Baylor to the curb for all we care.

[Sammy11]

I doubt ND ever joins a league but at this time, they WILL NOT join the Big 10. The Irish brass detest Jim Delaney and the subtle jabs and bullying he does to get them to join his league. Remember this is about $$$$ and ND does not need $$$$. If they ever had to choose leagues, they can do it off of preference and not necessity.

An 8 game conference schedule allows ND to keep the MSU, USC and Navy games annually and rotate BC, Purdue and others. The Michigan series was contrived in the 1970's and means little. Nothing that a Texas or an OU cannot fix.

Last, Jack Swarbick was runner-up to Dan Beebe for the Big 12 Commish job. His mentor is DeLoss Dodds and Lord Dodds had all but extended an invite to ND to join the Big 12 in every sport but football. If/when the football conference expansion thing comes up, the TV package precedant that the Big 12 has makes it attractive to ND as it can have its own network still. I imagine that OSU and Michigan are paying attention to the revenues like everyone else and while Jon Miller likes to say that the Big 10 is "going to get paid" in its next cycle, it is chump change to what having your own network can provide (especially if you are ND). NBC/Comcast being enganged in the next round of Big 12 talks could spike that interest from the Irish (if the conference need ever arises- which I don't think it will)

Additionally, ND lusts to be relevant in college football again. Brian Kelly is on record saying recruiting Big 10 territory won't cut it. The open door that Texas recruiting can provide ND will not be lost on Irish coaches.

Don't assume the Irish to any conference, especially the Big Ten. That assumption has taken urban legend status.

ND is a big enough fish that the Big 12 would bend over backwards, and possibly let them play 6 league games (5 north opponents + south rival) to accomodate their entry. This makes Purdue, Michigan, and USC de-facto league games in terms of SOS.

Where say ISU would have 5 north foes + 3 south foes... ND would have 5 north foes + 1 south + USC + Michigan + Purdue. Navy would be kind of like a permanent non-con game. ND has benefits of Big 12 and of indy.

[CyBroncos]

ND is a big enough fish that the Big 12 would bend over backwards, and possibly let them play 6 league games (5 north opponents + south rival) to accomodate their entry. This makes Purdue, Michigan, and USC de-facto league games in terms of SOS.

Where say ISU would have 5 north foes + 3 south foes... ND would have 5 north foes + 1 south + USC + Michigan + Purdue. Navy would be kind of like a permanent non-con game. ND has benefits of Big 12 and of indy.

Would Texas allow ND to get that kind of special treatment?

[heitclone]

Fresno, a team we can beat.

Sadly, I would say this wouldn't be the case on a regular basis. Fresno has made a habit of beating much more prestigous programs than we have the last decade.

[snowcraig2.0]

ND is a big enough fish that the Big 12 would bend over backwards, and possibly let them play 6 league games (5 north opponents + south rival) to accomodate their entry. This makes Purdue, Michigan, and USC de-facto league games in terms of SOS.

Where say ISU would have 5 north foes + 3 south foes... ND would have 5 north foes + 1 south + USC + Michigan + Purdue. Navy would be kind of like a permanent non-con game. ND has benefits of Big 12 and of indy.

Texas would not allow this, nor would it be feasible. How would ND win the conference title?

[snowcraig2.0]

I really think the Big 12 is going to sit tight for 2-3 years, then look to add teams before the teir one right come up.

[Sammy11]

Texas would not allow this, nor would it be feasible. How would ND win the conference title?

Simple.

Tiebreaker rules are put in place to determine North champion with ND playing fewer games.

Scheduling would be a headache but workable.

Texas is 1 vote and if it meant getting them or not, I think the votes would be there.

[cysocool]

I think we'll stay at a ten team league for awhile, but if we expand this is how I'd like to see it.

New Big 12 per Cysocool-

North: Pittsburgh, Louisville, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, and Kstate

South: Oklahoma, Texas, OSU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor

[heitclone]

I think Pitt and L'ville are good choices but I don't see them leaving the Big East. Cincy is a much more realistic option IMO. Cincy is gradually transitioning to a football school, while Pitt is going the opposite direction. To me the the idea of playing in the premier bball conference while still having a shot at BCS games is too much to give up. Joining the Big 12 isn't going to help either in football, as they already have arguably the easiest route to a BCS game possible.

[Stormin]

I think the Big 12 may sit tight for quite a while and possibly NOT expand to 12 teams at all. I think the Big 10 is going to find out that they have more or less just cut up their pie by an additional piece. IMO, Nebraska didn't add any more sets and the Big Ten had enough tradition and fan draw that they did not have to add another team.

PLUS, I actually think not having a Conference Championship game in football is a good thing. I think that in almost all years that we could very well have 2 BCS qualifiers.

I actually think that having only 10 teams is a benefit to ISU.

[Aclone]

If we're picking the "best" candidates, regardless of other factors, I think that it should be Iowa and Illinois. Not only for the natural rivalries with current members, but it would serve to allow the B12 an "in to the lucrative Chicago television market.

[Al_4_State]

If we're picking the "best" candidates, regardless of other factors, I think that it should be Iowa and Illinois. Not only for the natural rivalries with current members, but it would serve to allow the B12 an "in to the lucrative Chicago television market.

I think Illinois and Minnesota would make more sense. Iowa offers the B12 nothing just like ISU offers the B10 nothing.

Then you get Minneapolis and Chicago.

[ricochet]

I think the Big 12 may sit tight for quite a while and possibly NOT expand to 12 teams at all. I think the Big 10 is going to find out that they have more or less just cut up their pie by an additional piece. IMO, Nebraska didn't add any more sets and the Big Ten had enough tradition and fan draw that they did not have to add another team.

I sort of like the idea of a 10 team league, but remember the Big 10 had 11 teams. That is about the worst case number of teams to have in a conference. I'm surprised it took them this long to add a 12th.

[Arkansas]

I think the Big 12 may sit tight for quite a while and possibly NOT expand to 12 teams at all.

Quite possibly true and, despite my feelings earlier on, I think I'm pretty good with staying at 10 teams. If there is any expansion, you'll see it happen just prior to the tier 1 negotiations as someone else had mentioned.

[cykadelic2]

Quite possibly true and, despite my feelings earlier on, I think I'm pretty good with staying at 10 teams. If there is any expansion, you'll see it happen just prior to the tier 1 negotiations as someone else had mentioned.

If there is expansion, it will include ND and it will occur as a result of Tier 1 negotiations. Any scenario that doesn't include ND is not worth mentioning.

Two factors will affect ND. One is their ability to get a Tier 1 deal on their own. It's possible they may get more money in a Tier 1 deal with the B12 where the network is guaranteed to have a game each week instead of having only ND home games like Comcast/NBC does now. Comcast/NBC is in need of programming so they may incent ND to join a conference (or another network may).

The other factor is the future of the BCS. ND may be better off in a conference under a new BCS scenario.

There was a reason the B12 retained their name.