***OFFICIAL BIG 12 EXPANSION THREAD 2.0***

[acgclone]

Do you think the Big 12 would stop at 14? Or just take 4 and see what happens?

I am purely guessing but I personally would stop at 14 because it would give you more cross-divisional games to play. I think that would help the value of the TV contracts, future network, etc. If you add teams from Florida and the Southeast, surely the original teams will want as many games with the costal division as possible and I'm sure they will want to play in Texas as much as possible.

[cyfanatic]

And do what, offer the whole conference? This is not like 2010 or 2011.

What if the ACC and Big 12 are on equal standing at some point in the realignment shuffle? Doesn't seem like it is at this point...but it could end up being that way (if for some reason ND jumped in with the ACC on a full-time basis). And if the NCAA/TV networks want a 4 league 16 team setup...who is to say that the Big 12 survives? And if we do not survive...it makes sense that the Pac 12 would take some of the Big 12 members. All speculation but one would hope we are looking down the road and positioning ourselves for different scenarios as this all evolves. It isn't over...that is certain.

[cyfanatic]

I am purely guessing but I personally would stop at 14 because it would give you more cross-divisional games to play. I think that would help the value of the TV contracts, future network, etc. If you add teams from Florida and the Southeast, surely the original teams will want as many games with the costal division as possible and I'm sure they will want to play in Texas as much as possible.

I see that and agree. I guess I just have the feeling that TV/NCAA envision the 4/16 setup as the likely "ending" point for all of this madness.

[UNIGuy4Cy]

They say its a race to 16, I say its a race to 18. Nine teams in each division, there is your 9 conference games. Then the winner of the two divisions play in the championship game. No way do teams like Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse get left out. Just cant happen without litigation and government involvement, no one wants that.

[cyfanatic]

They say its a race to 16, I say its a race to 18. Nine teams in each division, there is your 9 conference games. Then the winner of the two divisions play in the championship game. No way do teams like Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse get left out. Just cant happen without litigation and government involvement, no one wants that.

I could certainly see that happening because there will be litigation if it stops at 4/16. Whether the litigation has any strength will be determined upon which schools would be getting left out. Duke will not be left out...no way!

[Bader]

They say its a race to 16, I say its a race to 18. Nine teams in each division, there is your 9 conference games. Then the winner of the two divisions play in the championship game. No way do teams like Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse get left out. Just cant happen without litigation and government involvement, no one wants that.

I'm concerned about that big ISU-ISU matchup, or does the NCAA allow you to count the spring game?

[Clark]

I'm concerned about that big ISU-ISU matchup, or does the NCAA allow you to count the spring game?

On the bright side it's a guaranteed win. If you're a glass half empty kind of person though it's a guaranteed loss.

[UNIGuy4Cy]

I'm concerned about that big ISU-ISU matchup, or does the NCAA allow you to count the spring game?

Sorry meant to say, there is your 8 game conference games we want to go back to,

[MLawrence]

They say its a race to 16, I say its a race to 18. Nine teams in each division, there is your 9 conference games. Then the winner of the two divisions play in the championship game. No way do teams like Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse get left out. Just cant happen without litigation and government involvement, no one wants that.

I could see this happening. I think eventually CCGs are going to be glorified quarterfinals matchups with the winner getting an automatic bid to the four team playoff.

[Bader]

Sorry meant to say, there is your 8 game conference games we want to go back to,

I figured, just couldn't pass up the low-hanging fruit. I hate the idea because that's basically two 9-team conferences that relationship for a title game a la the Sugar bowl or Rose bowl in 2014. If you only play a team once a decade you aren't in the same conference.

[snowcraig2.0]

Why not merge with the PAC. Baylor and TCU (secular schools) would be screwed, but the other 8 in the Big 12 would be set. Three 20 team monstrosities.

[Al_4_State]

Why not merge with the PAC. Baylor and TCU (secular schools) would be screwed, but the other 8 in the Big 12 would be set. Three 20 team monstrosities.

Barf.

[Fanof14]

This realignment story is interesting, but I don't get all the negative vibes from some people on this site. Some post information like the Big Ten is the best conference or the Big XII is the lesser of the big four. Maybe those posters are closet EIU fans, otherwise I don't get it.

Here's the deal, if you read between the lines. The Big XII, SEC, PAC, and Big Ten are the big four. This has probably been determined by media marketing experts, like it or not. The scenario to get down to just those four conferences is complex. How many teams each will have may be a bit up in the air, especially ten years down the road. You can probably assume, however, that each conference has to have the same number. The first hurdle is to eliminate any serious consideration of other conferences. The Big East is gone and now their working on elimination of the ACC. At one point, the ACC may have been considered to replace the Big XII, but that didn't happen. My guess is that the Big XII was more appealing for media related reasons.

The ACC (Carolina schools) is fighting to stave off the attack, but the attack isn't coming just from the Big Ten, its coming from all of the big four plus media. The Big XII and SEC will eventually get openly involved to pick up teams from the ACC. For one reason or another, the Big Ten was just chosen to spearhead the attack. My guess is they are the most motivated, after all, it was Delaney's dream to get to four superconferences.

Where does that leave Iowa State and the Big XII? We should be fine. The only real threat at this point is that the Carolina schools would be able to rally and somehow save the ACC. The odds don't seem to be in their favor.

What happens as we reach the end of the GOR? Who knows, but at least Iowa State has established itself in one of the big four. Besides, after some time with the new system, the discussion will probably be more focused on adding teams to conferences rather than dropping any.

Bottom line, the Big XII is every bit as fine a conference as any other. Some schools may look at a different conference as a better fit, but ultimately the Big XII is second to none. The money between the big four conferences is and will be close, especially once the Big XII completes their quest for a network of their own. With just 10 teams, it has to be difficult to have enough inventory. We hear this complaint out the Big Ten and that this was part of the reason to add Maryland and Rutgers.

[MartyFine]

Why stop in the 14-20 range? Why not have a 120+ team conference? We could call it NCAA Division 1 football.

[Wesley]

Why not merge with the PAC. Baylor and TCU (secular schools) would be screwed, but the other 8 in the Big 12 would be set. Three 20 team monstrosities.

ESPN probably wants to force ND into a league somewhere and take the independent option off the board for playoffs.

And they probably do not want Boise States and Kent States in any playoffs.