ISU the worst brand in the Big 12?

[ISUagger]

Ouch. That wasn't very nice.
Mailbag: Biggest brands, recruiting troubles - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Shows what ESPN/Ubben thinks of us.

[chuckd4735]

Unfortunately, its kind of hard to argue.

[BringBackJohnny]

I would put ISU at 9 or 10. Small market with two D-I schools and lack of real football success and bball success in the last 8 years. Its kind of like being Cherry Coke Zero. Yeah people know who you are but you are playing to real nitch market at that spot.

[ISUCubswin]

This bottom quote is what hurts the most:

Here's how I'd rank them overall:

1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Oklahoma State
4. West Virginia
5. Baylor (Heisman winners help out...a lot)
6. Kansas State
7. Texas Tech
8. TCU
9. Kansas
10. Iowa State

You could make a lot of different arguments in a lot of different directions (really everyone from 3-9 is up for debate), and these rankings will certainly fluctuate from year to year, but that's how I'd slot the Big 12 for now in terms of overall brand strength.

[jbhtexas]

I would put ISU at 11 or 12.

11 or 12 out of 10???? Ouch, that does hurt. In fact, that's just plain cruel...

[CyFan61]

I don't know how you argue with him. Every other school on that list has had some exceptional football success in fairly recent history - other than Kansas (and even they made the Orange Bowl just 5 years ago), but their basketball pedigree is more than enough to keep us in the #10 spot.

[MartyFine]

Unfortunately, its kind of hard to argue.

We're just talking football here, right? Worse off than KU?

Edit: I now see we are talking about everything, which I take to mean all sports. There is no way that ISU is 10. Check the all-sports rankings.

[1UNI2ISU]

Even if its just football, Kansas was in an Orange Bowl 6 years ago...

[Judoka]

It's legit to put us in the bottom part of the conference in brand, but saying that "3-9" is up for debate, meaning we are unquestionably at the bottom is wierd. Baylor/TCU/Tech/K-State all have brands that aren't that different from us.

[CyFan61]

Edit: I now see we are talking about everything, which I take to mean all sports. There is no way that ISU is 10. Check the all-sports rankings.

I think the concept of "brand" means that all sports are weighted according to their level of importance in fans' minds.

I would think it's something like this:

75-80% football
15-20% men's basketball
5% everything else (mostly women's basketball, or maybe baseball in the South)

That 5% may be generous.

[Bret44]

I opened this and thought it said band and said to myself, "Well this is what the deserve for the "The ball is bigger than the hoop."

[ISUagger]

I'm glad Lazard thinks our brand is fine.

I think Ubben is talking about football mostly with just a little men's basketball. Obviously other things don't matter.

[chuckd4735]

We're just talking football here, right? Worse off than KU?

Edit: I now see we are talking about everything, which I take to mean all sports. There is no way that ISU is 10. Check the all-sports rankings.

Unfortunately, different sports will have different weights when it comes to brand and appeal. Please make an argument for a team in the Big 12 to have a worse brand. You may be able to make the argument, but it wont be easy.

[ribsnwhiskey]

Ubben trolls us even in the offseason.

The real truth is, as in everything else, it is:

1.Texas
2.Oklahoma
3-10. The rest of the league.

We may not have a "national brand", but how many other teams in the conference put as many butts in the seats in football, basketball, wbb, volleyball, etc as we do (given popluation bases).

I'm pretty sure ubbs tried to get into ISU and was rejected, and it isn't that hard to get into ISU.

[VTXCyRyD]

I would put ISU at 11 or 12. Small market with two D-I schools and lack of real football success and bball success in the last 8 years. Its kind of like being Cherry Coke Zero. Yeah people know who you are but you are playing to real nitch market at that spot.

Do they make that. I would buy it if I found it.