If the MWC expanded would you be in favor of ISU jumping ship?

[mdclone]

You have no idea how great it has been for ISU that we play in a conference that is guaranteed at least one automatic qualifier every year, and in a lot of years two qualifiers. Why is that you ask? The almighty $$$. That's right - ISU directly benefits when the Texases and Oklahomas or Nebraskas or Kansases or aTms qualify for the BCS, because the millions of dollars that they earn end up in a central pot that is distributed to all conference members, including ISU. Not to mention the overall lineup. The Big 12's is BCS, Cotton, Alamo, Insight, Holiday, Texas, Pinstripe. The MWC's is Armed Forces, Las Vegas, Poinsettia, and New Mexico. Which collection of bowls do YOU think brings in the most money?

Face it - ISU's ability to make it to a BCS bowl has absolutely NOTHING to do with why ISU needs to be in an automatic qualifier conference. If ISU finds itself on the outside of an auto qualifier conference looking in, it's the death of ISU athletics as we know it. Forget any further facility improvements or stadium expansions. Forget potentially adding any other sports to the lineup. In fact, you could probably even kiss wrestling goodbye. We just would not have the money to compete at the same level that we currently compete at, and most people that think that if we were to drop to a lesser league we would completely dominate for whatever reason just don't get it. We would probably end up in even worse shape than most of the MWC schools are.

I would mostly agree with you, but doesn't wrestling pay for itself or at least very close?

[Stormin]

I don't like the move to the MWC. I think that the original Big Eight should be reformed and dump Texas. Texas cannibalized the SWC and now they are doing the same to the Big XII. Revenue sharing should be instituted immediately and then there would not be the potential for losing any teams. We would all be in it together.

[jdoggivjc]

I don't like the move to the MWC. I think that the original Big Eight should be reformed and dump Texas. Texas cannibalized the SWC and now they are doing the same to the Big XII. Revenue sharing should be instituted immediately and then there would not be the potential for losing any teams. We would all be in it together.

And one of these days you have to come to the realization that this is never going to happen. Texas isn't the only one who's gravy train is in the Big 12 - Oklahoma's never going back. Colorado's just waiting for their invite to the Pac 10. OSU's fortunes are too tied into what happens to OU, so if OU doesn't want a reformation, OSU will never admit to it. Mizzou would rather be in the Big 10 at this point than Big 8 or Big 12, and the same is probably true for Nebraska at this point.

Like I said - it's never gonna happen, and as soon as ISU fans who for whatever reason are unable to let go of the past realize this and move on with their lives, the better it would be for all ISU fans, because the reformation of the Big 8 is NEVER GONNA HAPPEN...

[Cyclonestate78]

I think if we joined, we could see KSU and KU jump too.

I am sure the Mountain West basketball programs would be really excited to have Kansas join the conference.

[bowlfan912]

the bcs is corrupt, i'd go to the MWC

[Cyhart]

A lot of people speculate that we would dominate or be very competitve in a non-BCS conf.
The thing is though, that being in a BCS conference greatly improves our recruiting.
Plenty of players come to ISU simply because we are in a major BCS conference.
By going to a non-BCS conference our recruiting would almost surely take a big hit.
So it is unclear how competitive we would actually end up being in the MWC.

[UNIGuy4Cy]

I would put a 50% chance of us being in the Mountain West in the next 3 years along with KU and KSU. 45% chance the Mountain West big boys join a "new" Big 12 with BYU, Utah, and Boise State all joiningg the conference. 5% chance that ISU goes to the Big 10. Utah and ISU this year, a preview of things to come?

[CyCrazy]

I would put a 50% chance of us being in the Mountain West in the next 3 years along with KU and KSU. 45% chance the Mountain West big boys join a "new" Big 12 with BYU, Utah, and Boise State all joiningg the conference. 5% chance that ISU goes to the Big 10. Utah and ISU this year, a preview of things to come?

My guess is your 94.5% wrong.

[cyatheart]

I'm sorry, but I don't really count the Big 12 as a wrestling conference either when only 1/2 have it.

Yeah, I would think wrestling would probably be eliminated at ISU if this goes down where ISU gets left out of a BCS conference.

[bellzisu]

My guess is your 94.5% wrong.

The Big 12 will re-load and we will stay in it along with KU, KSU, and OSU. Not that hard to predict.

They will simply go out and grab someone like TCU and a couple other teams making it even more south heavy.

[scyclonekid]

Beebe needs to get a tv deal for the Big Twelve NOW. If three teams leave cu, nu, and mu The Big Twelve needs to fill in the holes with Louisville, Colorado State, and Tcu. TCU to the south and Louisville and Colorado State in the north. TCU is an up and coming football and somewhat of basketball, Louisville is good in football and basketball, and Colorado State is in a good size town with decent compariable facilities to ISU. You would have a Denver market and Ft. Collins area market Louisville market and a Dallas market along with Des Moines, and KC. Geographically is not out of sorts either.

[CYCLNST8]

I agree that the Big Twelve will continue to exist, and it would be in our best interest to remain in this conference. Yes; Colorado, Nebraska, & Missouri are the most likely schools to leave. Change may be a good thing. The departures of these schools will force the Big Twelve to rethink what went wrong and how to better keep schools in the future; i.e. television, profit sharing. I think TCU joining is a no-brainer. All we have to do is ask. What would the other two schools be? Boise State? Utah? Louisville? Memphis?

[isuno1fan]

Houston would join before TCU. They are a very large school with a lot of pull in the state. They probably should have been in over Baylor or Tech the first time around.

[CyLoboClone]

My guess is your 94.5% wrong.

would you be enlightening us with "you're" instead of "your"?

[Die4Cy]

I agree that the Big Twelve will continue to exist, and it would be in our best interest to remain in this conference. Yes; Colorado, Nebraska, & Missouri are the most likely schools to leave. Change may be a good thing. The departures of these schools will force the Big Twelve to rethink what went wrong and how to better keep schools in the future; i.e. television, profit sharing. I think TCU joining is a no-brainer. All we have to do is ask. What would the other two schools be? Boise State? Utah? Louisville? Memphis?

Football drives the Big 12, but performance in the other sports matters as well. I think you are right, a re-configured Big 12 ought to include TCU. Louisville absolutely makes sense (especially with the large UPS hub that they have down there), but I don't know who the third team would be.

I can see Houston being selected, the only reason they didn't make it last time was political influence by Baylor alumni. I can see BYU being extended an offer as well, although they are, like Baylor, a private institution.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter. The Big 12 will continue with ISU as a part of it. Hopefully, a shake up will encourage the powers that be down in Dallas to consider adjusting their thinking so that teams might not be so easily enticed to leave the league. If that happens everybody will be better off.