***Official Big 12 Expansion Thread '16***
- Thread starter cyclones500
- Start date
If we are being honest, all the the schools being discussed are questionable for one reason or another. If that wasn't the case, they would already have been added.
Memphis isn't in my top 4, but my general thought on this is that talking about academics when figuring our athletic affiliations is just lip service for PR, it doesn't mean squat. Even the B1G and their fancy CIC and academic requirements took Nebby knowing full well they were in the process of losing AAU status, even though AAU membership had been a requirement in the B1G all along. If accademics don't count there, they don't count anywhere else.
The SEC is the strongest conference out there, and they have the crappiest academics of the P5. Why? Because this is all about quality football, and they have the best product. Academics don't matter, and anyone trying to figure out what will happen next should ignore any comments coming out of the B12 about the importance of academics.
Actually when it comes to deciding between comparable schools then academics does matter. Memphis academics are pretty bad. IMO, UConn has much better academics. And also has a much better basketball team. Neither football team is great. So, other than location, UConn would have to be considered. Like I said, it will come down to Cinci, BYU, and then UConn and Houston.
Stopped at Purdue on the 22nd. Purdue to the Big 12!
Looking at a schools attendance during their best season is misleading. Sure it is nice they had the 2nd biggest attendance jump in 2015, but that usually means a school came from a low prior year. Going back to 2012 & 2013 and Memphis attendance was in the mid 20k's.
Not saying we take Temple (they finished 1st on the list of largest attendance increase), but they still have their head coach and the Philly TV markets is much bigger than Memphis.
big12 goes outside the box an adds a mix of full and football members
1) Cincinnati (full)
2) temple (full)
BYU. (Football only)
Boise ( football only)
1) Cincinnati (full)
2) temple (full)
BYU. (Football only)
Boise ( football only)
Apparently you've never met a university administrator, or a college recruiter trying to convince skeptical parents to send their kid to the recruiter's campus. Academics are kind of a big deal. Also important is the public's perception of a university's academic prowess, which is impacted by the universities that school chooses to associate with.
Also, Iowa State IS an academic juggernaut - an AAU member, ranked in the top five among colleges of agriculture in the world, a well known engineering program, growing endowment, and the list goes on. When people think of conferences they generally think that the member universities have some commonalities. Unfortunately we've traded AAU members Missouri, Texas A&M, Colorado, and (then member) Nebraska for two schools that aren't in the same league academically, and leaving ISU, Texas, and KU as the only three remaining AAU members. The Big 12 has become a distant 5th among the power 5 in regard to academics. If you don't believe me, just look up the "peer institutions" of ISU, and compare them the peers listed by TCU, WVU, and any of the universities being considered for expansion.
The one thing about Houston is I think it hurts the Texas schools a lot more than non Texas schools so if they want to hurt themselves go for it.
Also I heard aTm fans don't want UH in because they get a lot of recruits from Houston so like you said that may bring Houston back to the Big 12.
Re: BYU as a football-only invitee: I've read quite a few articles about expansion, and this possibility is mentioned frequently. What would be a motivation to do that? I assume part of it is connected to the no-Sunday competition aspect in non-FB sports, but even if it is, why not just leave BYU out entirely and add full members elsewhere?
I have a general idea of the reasoning, but other fans might provide better explanations.
I have a general idea of the reasoning, but other fans might provide better explanations.
Faber University has a lot to offer the Big 12.
Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein 8m8 minutes agoThe two programs I've heard most associated with Big 12 expansion over the past five-to-seven days: Cincinnati and BYU.
Sports Illustrated take on Big12 expansion
http://www.si.com/college-football/...television-markets-media-rights?xid=si_social
http://www.si.com/college-football/...television-markets-media-rights?xid=si_social
The two programs I've heard most associated with Big 12 expansion over the past five-to-seven days: Cincinnati and BYU.
IMO, those are probably locks. It is the next 2 teams. And what strategy does the Big 12 take?
If Texas insists on Houston then an extension of GOR will definitely be required. And if Houston is taken does the Big 12 take UConn? Because UConn is the logical next member of the ACC.
It's funny, people say Texas wants to be in a power conference of large state schools, but somehow the SWC ended up a bunch of religious and commuter schools and the Big 12 seems headed the same way.
The conference is bringing in new members and I'm reading the TV partners aren't excited about it.
Unless the landscape completely changes to include the Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo, Twitters of the world then expansion may be a bit short term
Unless the landscape completely changes to include the Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo, Twitters of the world then expansion may be a bit short term
