Expansion Candidates

[CYCLNST8]

Obviously everyone's first choice is to wind up in another Power conference, but it's also possible that no one wants the Big 12 leftovers. If we were to expand by 2-8 teams, I'm curious as to what the most popular choices would be. Feel free to explain/justify your picks & rankings. Poaching from another Power conference (or Notre Dame) is highly improbable at this point. Please save the b*tching about how bad our options are for another thread.

I maxed out the poll, so not making the cut are:

UCONN, Tulane, Northern Illinois, Military Academies, & NDSU (too bad).

 

[Shawker]

I don't know why people are opposed to Houston and UCF. They are large schools with a lot of alumni and in Houston's case they've had quite a bit of success in the big two sports. Cincinnati and Memphis have as well for that matter.

 

[JM4CY]

Whar Notre Dame?

 

[TXCyclones]

Yuck, no. No city college of Cincy, Houston, Boise, San Diego, etc. And no directional schools. Just yuck.

Kind of surprised that, considering the choices, that UCONN didn't get added as an option since they got left out last time.

 

[cyIclSoneU]

BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF are easy answers in terms of keeping TV money high I think. The fourth pick is what is interesting IMO. I think I lean Houston and then you put TCU and Houston in opposite divisions. Every school instantly has an annual game against a school in a key recruiting metro.

 

[CYCLNST8]

Yuck, no. No city college of Cincy, Houston, Boise, San Diego, etc. And no directional schools. Just yuck.

Yeah, I think of Boise State, Houston, & UCF as bloated community colleges as well. Whereas the last round of realignment was shaped by eyeballs in television markets, the consensus seems to be a la carte streaming driven by actual fan support will be more important this time around. UCF is a huge school in a great market, but do they have any real dedicated fans? Honest question.

 

[CloneGuy8]

UNLV is interesting as they're not brought up a lot, but I could see them having success if they ever made it to a power league due to their location. No idea how passionate their fanbase is as a whole though so viewership wise, it may not be the right move to add them.

 

[Sigmapolis]

BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF are easy answers in terms of keeping TV money high I think. The fourth pick is what is interesting IMO. I think I lean Houston and then you put TCU and Houston in opposite divisions. Every school instantly has an annual game against a school in a key recruiting metro.

Not sure who made this case to me first, but yes, I think you need to have four Texas schools split between two divisions (and likely Baylor with Houston in the "south" and Tech and TCU in the "north," giving each division one Texas public university and one private/religious university). Being able to sell one road game in Texas (at least) each year for every team in the conference, and plus a footprint in Ohio and Florida, two other fertile recruiting beds, is probably the best way to salvage the situation that the B12 has.

 

[CYCLNST8]

UNLV is interesting as they're not brought up a lot, but I could see them having success if they ever made it to a power league due to their location. No idea how passionate their fanbase is as a whole though so viewership wise, it may not be the right move to add them.

To those of us who can remember, Jerry Tarkanian made UNLV a brand name in basketball. The Thomas & Mack Center is a fantastic venue.

Despite their lack of any meaningful football success, that program hit the lottery with Allegiant Stadium. The right coach could turn that school into a juggernaut with California recruiting. UNLV has a very high ceiling. The Pac 12 may add UNLV eventually despite their lack of AAU status. They're already using the stadium for their championship game.

 

[jdoggivjc]

If those are the options I'm picking "None of the above". I'd rather wage ISU's future in getting into either the Big 10 or Pac 12 than expanding the conference with any of those schools.

 

[CloneJD]

If those are the options I'm picking "None of the above". I'd rather wage ISU's future in getting into either the Big 10 or Pac 12 than expanding the conference with any of those schools.

Well no **** but that wasn’t the question posed.

 

[CYCLNST8]

Not sure who made this case to me first, but yes, I think you need to have four Texas schools split between two divisions (and likely Baylor with Houston in the "south" and Tech and TCU in the "north," giving each division one Texas public university and one private/religious university). Being able to sell one road game in Texas (at least) each year for every team in the conference, and plus a footprint in Ohio and Florida, two other fertile recruiting beds, is probably the best way to salvage the situation that the B12 has.

I've heard from multiple YouTubers & bloggers that Baylor, TCU, & Texas Tech may be resistant to elevating another Texas school.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Bama
Ohio State
New York Jets
Toronto Blue Jays

 

[CYCLNST8]

If those are the options I'm picking "None of the above". I'd rather wage ISU's future in getting into either the Big 10 or Pac 12 than expanding the conference with any of those schools.

Read post #1 again.

 

[Dandy]

Cincinnati is a lock. I feel like Houston is a lock too. Memphis has to be right up there. Kind of struggle with the fourth between UCF and SMU, picked UCF.

 

[CloneJD]

Byu and either houston or ucf. That conference should consistently have a couple of teams in the top 25 and might preserve p5/auto-bid status.

 

[CloniesForLife]

If we had to go this route then BYU and Cincy are the no brainers. I think I'd the lean towards Houston and Memphis for the other 2. Don't quite get the UCF love

 

[cyIclSoneU]

Not sure who made this case to me first, but yes, I think you need to have four Texas schools split between two divisions (and likely Baylor with Houston in the "south" and Tech and TCU in the "north," giving each division one Texas public university and one private/religious university). Being able to sell one road game in Texas (at least) each year for every team in the conference, and plus a footprint in Ohio and Florida, two other fertile recruiting beds, is probably the best way to salvage the situation that the B12 has.

I would do West and East based on the four that I prefer

West:
BYU
Kansas
K-State
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
TCU

East:
Iowa State
West Virginia
Cincinnati
UCF
Baylor
Houston

Give everyone a protected crossover rival to include KSU-ISU, Baylor-TCU, Tech-Houston.

 

[Number Monkey]

Yeah, I think of Boise State, Houston, & UCF as bloated community colleges as well. Whereas the last round of realignment was shaped by eyeballs in television markets, the consensus seems to be a la carte streaming driven by actual fan support will be more important this time around. UCF is a huge school in a great market, but do they have any real dedicated fans? Honest question.

If you want the above choices by average audiences:

UCF
Cinci

Memphis
Houston

UCF and Cinci have some respectable numbers, averaging around what TCU/Tech did last year. They'd probably increase with better competition. Memphis and Houston were closer to Baylor/Kansas numbers.

The only AAC with more is Navy, and that's because to their games with ND and Army.

The rest were all really, really low.

 

[CYCLNST8]

Cincinnati is a lock. I feel like Houston is a lock too. Memphis has to be right up there. Kind of struggle with the fourth between UCF and SMU, picked UCF.

BYU is the obvious first choice if you can set aside your Mormon hatred.