ACC and SEC are at 14 now..if we go that way...here's how I hope it sets up.

[isuno1fan]

If ND joined as a full member (ONLY WAY THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED), then it will be ND & Louisville and that will be all.

The only interesting thing would be if ND joined as a full member the B12 might be able to go get FSU given the $$$$ a ND, Texas, OU conference would pull. I believe we have a verbal deal with Louisville and would hate to see us back out on that. So 14 would only make sense if it is ND, Louisville, FSU/Miami (greatly prefer FSU here) and one other. Arkansas or Kentucky would be awesome.

The above scenario is highly unlikely though. I think ND stays independent and we grab Louisville + Rutgers/Tulane.

[chuckd4735]

I'd throw up at that scenario. The idea of adding South Florida or UCF to get into the "fertile recruiting grounds of Florida" is a damn joke. ISU already recruits Florida and doesn't do a bad job of it, you don't need some also-rans from the state to get that taken care of.

I don't really see any reason to go to 12 unless ND is involved. You could make a case for the likes of a Louisville/Cincy combo, but is it really worth it? Unless there is heavy pressure to get to 12, I don't really see any reason to expand unless ND is on board.

Going to 14 by adding USF and Tulane? The hell?

I honestly think once TV is renegotiated that they will want us at 12 just to get the CCG back. But I agree with your Florida statement. With that argument, we might as well add a Cali team while we are at it.

[isuno1fan]

I like 10 also, but we'll need the CCG back for the networks I agree. Gotta find two more teams somewhere most likely. 14 won't happen unless the stars really align.

[Al_4_State]

Count me in the "barf" crowd. 14 team leagues suck.

[chuckd4735]

I like 10 also, but we'll need the CCG back for the networks I agree. Gotta find two more teams somewhere most likely. 14 won't happen unless the stars really align.

I'm not sure how much each Big 12 team is scheduled to make annually now, but existing Big 12 school to not loose money with expansion, each new team would have to bring that amount of money to the table. There are not too many teams who are willing to come to the Big 12 who are able to do that.

X/10 may be less than Y/12, but I dont see any way Y/12 will be less than Z/14. (x being the money the Big 12 makes right now, y being the money the Big 12 would make with 12 teams and z being the money the Big 12 would make with 14 teams.)

[Clonefan94]

I'm not sure how much each Big 12 team is scheduled to make annually now, but existing Big 12 school to not loose money with expansion, each new team would have to bring that amount of money to the table. There are not too many teams who are willing to come to the Big 12 who are able to do that.

X/10 may be less than Y/12, but I dont see any way Y/12 will be less than Z/14.

Plus, with the new TV contract, I would think we stand to make more over all with 12 teams than we would with 10. I would think the Championship game and the added revenue for that would be a big boost over negotiating wth 10 teams.

[erikbj]

Notre Dame will not have the same non-conference schedule under these scenarios. They will need cupcake games against Army, Air Force, Northern Ill (examples).........then play the strong conference schedule.

The conferences are getting stronger and more powerful everyday......9 game schedules plus now conference vs. conference games (B1G vs Pac 12), that leaves two non-conference games a year and the last thing a team that is going to do is schedule ND.

[BryceC]

Why do people keep bringing up Tulane? The only way we end up in a conference with them is if the Big 12 blows up and we end up in a smaller conference.

[WalkingCY]

A couple "speculative" criteria first:

1) With the Pac 12/Big 10 alliance, I believe Notre Dame may be pressured into joining the Big 12 (hoping might be a better word...but I'm going with it).

2) A couple of guiding principles. Unbalanced as it POTENTIALLY is, Texas-Oklahoma-Notre Dame will WANT to be in the same division...will in fact, insist upon it.

3) With the addition of ND, the Big 12 can take a "chance" on upgrading Tulane and bringing them aboard as a strong academic institution...and as an inroad into SEC country.

4) Adding South Florida...or perhaps UCF...enhances recruiting in Florida for the conference AND potentially brings a lot of Florida TV's.

5) Guaranteed rivalries are a must in any cross-conference setups.

All that considered, here goes:



Blue Collar Division

West Virginia
Louisville
TCU
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State


Mid-America Division

Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor
South Florida
Tulane


Guaranteed Rival games:

West Virginia-Notre Dame
Louisville-Texas Tech
TCU-Tulane
Iowa State-South Florida
Kansas- Baylor
Kansas State-Texas
Oklahoma State-Oklahoma


For the heckuvit...here's a projected schedule for ND...includes a 9 game conference slate...necessary with 14 teams, I think. It shows that they can play a very "Notre Dame-like" schedule with some very big "national" type games:


Notre Dame Schedule

Michigan
at Stanford
Navy
Oklahoma
at Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor
at South Florida
Tulane
at West Virginia
at Louisville
Kansas State


Another advantage to this setup...if we get to 14 we could set up a similar Big 12/ACC challenge format to counter the media impact of the B1G/Pac12 setup.

Not happening.

[HFCS]

I'd throw up at that scenario. The idea of adding South Florida or UCF to get into the "fertile recruiting grounds of Florida" is a damn joke. ISU already recruits Florida and doesn't do a bad job of it, you don't need some also-rans from the state to get that taken care of.

I don't really see any reason to go to 12 unless ND is involved. You could make a case for the likes of a Louisville/Cincy combo, but is it really worth it? Unless there is heavy pressure to get to 12, I don't really see any reason to expand unless ND is on board.

Going to 14 by adding USF and Tulane? The hell?

The Big 12 is now based in Texas/Oklahoma from a population standpoint. Iowa and Kansas just don't have that many people.

WVU helps a little but it's still a small population state.

We've lost the balance of a Texas conference along with population centers in OK, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

Adding WVU, Louisville and Cincy even without ND gets us a population block to replace what was lost. WVU and Louisville are every bit the athletic departments that CU and Missouri were, probably better.

Tulane does offer some things as well. They're not the slam dunk obvious fit Louisville is, but they have upside given what we've lost.

ND/Louisville to 12 is the ideal solution, but people thinking that Louisville/somebody else to 12 is a step backwards are 100% out of their minds and begging to end up right back where we have been before.

[Hayes30]

Just bring in Louisville and Cincinnati and lets get back to 12

SOUTH
texas
texas tech
baylor
oklahoma
oklahoma state
tcu

NORTH
iowa state
kansas
kansas state
west virgina
cincinnati
louisville

[acgclone]

Does an entire thread based on pure speculation and people just throwing out scenarios that they dreamed up deserve its own thread or should it be rolled into the expansion thread?

I've not read one thing that is remotely credible or even likely.