Big 12 will have 12 teams by next season...

[Tornado man]

How often is stuff on Sunday's now?

Memphis = No shot in hell. It makes Kansas State look like Harvard for God's sake. They can't even buy their way into a BCS conference.

The problem with those states is that they aren't the big dogs in their state. We don't have the pull in Iowa. Iowa does. Cincy doesn't, Ohio State does. Louisville has Kentucky. Memphis has Tennessee. The Big 10 did an excellent job locking up Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, etc. by getting the biggest schools in the state.

Is this an imposter filling in for the real IcSyU? I agree with you - other than BYU, I haven't seen a team mentioned yet that would add more revenue to the conference, but instead just make the slices smaller. That's suicide for schools like ISU.
TCU doesn't draw, Cincy and Louisville had two great coaches (Kelley and Petrino) that vaulted them into the national stage. Can they stay there? Don't think so -Louisville has taken a nosedive already. Air Force would be a disaster.
Outside of a homerun (like BYU) - the Big 12 should wait.

[Mesaclone1]

The current ten team model is a ticket to oblivion...honestly, it is either expand or die.

We do have to be careful to add revenue generating teams, but within that parameter we must move forward and be innovative. There are a couple of tiers of teams...and at a minimum we will have to add two as soon as is feasible. Ketel is dead on with his point.

Top tier
BYU
Arkansas
Notre Dame

Of these, the only likely one is BYU. That said, it is not unthinkable that Arkansas could defect to join old rivals in the Texas teams and Oklahoma...unlikely, perhaps, but not unthinkable. As for Notre Dame, if the magical chairs music starts playing and they find themselves looking for a chair, the Big 12 is their best option as it allows them to retain a higher level of independence than do the other conferences.

Tier two.
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Air Force

Good solid programs that might find themselves left out of the Big Ten/ACC/SEC/Pac Ten team grab mania. Both Cinci and Pitt can bring in fresh recruiting grounds AND portions of some nice market areas. A Pitt or Cinci team with BCS credentials won't steal the Ohio market from OSU...but they will steal a larger share than they do now. Air Force brings some unique traits and a military fan base that spans the country and an absolutely beautiful campus. A slight notch below Pitt and Cinci, but still a respectable addition for any conference.

Tier 3
Houston
Boise State
Uconn
Rutgers

All 4 lack serious revenue generating potential but do bring decent tradition over the past decade or so. The most likely way any one of these might make it into the conference would be in the event of a move to 16 teams...which is very unlikely IMO.

I think moving to twelve teams is the most likely move for the Big 12 over the next few years...and BYU is the most obvious target.

[CF_Cyclone]

We don't need to add just to add. If we do that then the product gets further watered down. Now if Dan Beebe is fired and the Big XII brings in a guy that has any business sense then they will surely start looking to poach some teams from other BCS conferences to make the Big XII a super conference. This is a long way off though. The first objective that has to be completed is for Beebe to get canned.

I agree, there really are not that many teams available that will add value. Last year Baylor was the bottom of the league in attendance at 36,305 per game and Cincinnati (33,950) , Louisville (32,450), Memphis (25,795), Houston (25,242) and Tulsa (22,502) all had lower attendance than Baylor. TCU (38,187) and Air Force (35,656) were only slightly better. BYU would be good, but unless we can get Arkansas to leave the SEC or ND to join there really are no teams available that would make sense.

[JUKEBOX]

The current ten team model is a ticket to oblivion...honestly, it is either expand or die.

We do have to be careful to add revenue generating teams, but within that parameter we must move forward and be innovative. There are a couple of tiers of teams...and at a minimum we will have to add two as soon as is feasible. Ketel is dead on with his point.

Top tier
BYU
Arkansas
Notre Dame

Of these, the only likely one is BYU. That said, it is not unthinkable that Arkansas could defect to join old rivals in the Texas teams and Oklahoma...unlikely, perhaps, but not unthinkable. As for Notre Dame, if the magical chairs music starts playing and they find themselves looking for a chair, the Big 12 is their best option as it allows them to retain a higher level of independence than do the other conferences.

Tier two.
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Air Force

Good solid programs that might find themselves left out of the Big Ten/ACC/SEC/Pac Ten team grab mania. Both Cinci and Pitt can bring in fresh recruiting grounds AND portions of some nice market areas. A Pitt or Cinci team with BCS credentials won't steal the Ohio market from OSU...but they will steal a larger share than they do now. Air Force brings some unique traits and a military fan base that spans the country and an absolutely beautiful campus. A slight notch below Pitt and Cinci, but still a respectable addition for any conference.

Tier 3
Houston
Boise State
Uconn
Rutgers

All 4 lack serious revenue generating potential but do bring decent tradition over the past decade or so. The most likely way any one of these might make it into the conference would be in the event of a move to 16 teams...which is very unlikely IMO.

I think moving to twelve teams is the most likely move for the Big 12 over the next few years...and BYU is the most obvious target.

Why did the Big 10 supposedly want Rutgers and UConn then?

[IcSyU]

I DO think that the Big 11 is going to 14 next offseason. And I DO think that whatever the Big 11 does, the SEC is going to follow. I believe that they have their eye on UNC and UNC brings Duke with them to keep the MBB rivalry. And yes, I do believe that they leave WF hanging because WF adds nothing to the SEC.

UNC and Duke aren't leaving anytime soon, nor are Wake Forest and probably Virginia. All of them view themselves as elite academic institutions, and the SEC isn't exactly an academic stronghold.

Is this an imposter filling in for the real IcSyU?

You've finally gotten smart enough to agree with me.

[ShopTalk]

I think they should add Coe College and Drake. Or even Buena Vista College.

Coe would be best though. You simply pencil in a victory instead of playing the game.

They'd bring the big money and conference parity everyone seems to want.

[ISUFan22]

Do not discount Ketel.

He may be wrong, but he has valid reasons for his predictions

Plenty of reasons to doubt...plenty.

In addition, still waiting to hear what teams Nebraska dropped from their schedule.

other than BYU, I haven't seen a team mentioned yet that would add more revenue to the conference, but instead just make the slices smaller. That's suicide for schools like ISU.

Agreed. I see this discussion as adding teams just for the sake of adding programs and increasing numbers. More teams in a conference does not always equal a better conference.

[JUKEBOX]

UNC and Duke aren't leaving anytime soon, nor are Wake Forest and probably Virginia. All of them view themselves as elite academic institutions, and the SEC isn't exactly an academic stronghold.

You've finally gotten smart enough to agree with me.

Vanderbilt

[IcSyU]

Vanderbilt

and how does Vandy fare in SEC athletics?

[Three4Cy]

Uh, no there isn't.

Las Vegas 42nd largest TV market

Albuquerque/Santa Fe 44th largest TV market

Des Moines/Ames - is 71st

Top 100 Television Markets - Station Index

[uthaman]

Las Vegas 42nd largest TV market

But, NOBODY in Vegas gives a damn about UNLV. Ever been to a game there?

[Mesaclone1]

Well, because Uconn and Rutgers do offer new markets. I think either would be a nice additon...but not at the level of ND, Arkansas, or BYU. Geographically, they are a better fit for the big ten due to simple location...and a bit distant for the Big 12.

[CycloneErik]

I agree that expanding back to 12 is a good idea. I cant agree on the 16 team model though.

For those that will say 'everyones saying we're not expanding': That will be the official word right up until the big 12 invites a team or teams. No need to be publicly showing off that youre hunting, and risk it blowing up in your face if it doesnt work out.

I like BYU as an addition as well. National fanbase, could add a lot to the big 12. After them, a Cincy or Louisville could be a good addition. Even Air Force wouldnt be a bad idea from a national audience perspective.

Exactly. The market will dictate that we get back to 12 and have a championship game, or move towards irrelevance, Texas or not.
BYU sounds great. Louisville or Cincy would be my other picks right now, especially Louisville. They may be the little brother in their state, but at least for basketball, they bring a national audience to things, and their football program had a pretty good run there with Petrino.

We'll have to go back to 12. We'll make more money when we do it. Otherwise, when the other conferences look to expand again, we won't have anything to offer in our plea bargain to the south, or a backup plan when they leave.

[Wardecker]

Nothing like realignment talk to bring out the stupid.

None of these universities add anything to the conference, not even BYU. Even if Arkansas were to jump the SEC ship -- which will never happen -- the Razorbacks don't add anything, certainly not TV sets.

Notre Dame would add something, but Notre Dame is not coming.

Get used to ten members and a round-robin league schedule, it's a good thing.

[ketelmeister]

When the other conferences go to 16, and the Big 12 is sitting at 10, we are screwed again. (Unless we get a Big 10 invite, which I doubt)