*****The Super, Mega, Huge Big 12 Expansion Thread*****

[ISUAgronomist]

Beer sales don't net a whole lot of profit.

And we're in trouble if the Big 12 falls apart. By my estimation we have about $80,000,000 in debt service currently just from the Pollard tenure. Well, our future cash flows are about to take a MAJOR hit.

Will they put the new Football facility on hold?

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Twitter

The BYU Cougarboard tipped this. They think OU is just posturing for a network affiliate, and they are joining if OU stays. Think positive I guess.

Even if that is the truth, this is not the way to go about doing it.

 

[Stormin]

Beer sales don't net a whole lot of profit.

And we're in trouble if the Big 12 falls apart. By my estimation we have about $80,000,000 in debt service currently just from the Pollard tenure. Well, our future cash flows are about to take a MAJOR hit.

Please itemize.

Exit fees could be huge.

 

[Chipper]

01-Sep-2011 BE9L/G Horseshoe Bay Resort (KDZB) Lubbock Smith Intl (KLBB) 09:50PM EDT result unknown (?) n/a
01-Sep-2011 BE9L/G Univ of OK Arpt (KOUN) Horseshoe Bay Resort (KDZB) 06:56PM CDT 09:42PM EDT 1:46
01-Sep-2011 BE9L/G Lubbock Smith Intl (KLBB) Univ of OK Arpt (KOUN) 05:16PM CDT 06:37PM CDT 1:21
31-Aug-2011 BE9L/G Austin Executive (KEDC) Lubbock Smith Intl (KLBB) 05:04PM EDT 05:36PM CDT 1:32
31-Aug-2011 BE9L/G Lubbock Smith Intl (KLBB) Austin Executive (KEDC) 08:19AM CDT 10:53AM EDT 1:34

 

[shawn_200m]

Beer sales don't net a whole lot of profit.

And we're in trouble if the Big 12 falls apart. By my estimation we have about $80,000,000 in debt service currently just from the Pollard tenure. Well, our future cash flows are quite possibly about to take a MAJOR hit.

Is our scoreboard going to get repossessed?

 

[jdoggivjc]

I still can't believe people are so willing to let Nebraska, A&M, and Oklahoma off the hook for this mess, and in fact are feeling sympathy for them. Any one of those for schools could have preserved the conference years ago, but were instead more interested in the race to see who could become most powerful. The three schools everyone is now pitying are the three schools that helped create the Texas monster that everyone now loathes, and instead of manning up and cleaning up the mess, they all (apparently) have cut and run, leaving the less powerful in limbo. Texas is just as complicit in this, but at least Texas has tried holding this together.

I honestly cannot believe people are not only completely letting them off the hook, but are pitying them. ALL of them created this mess and NONE of them should be getting our sympathy, especially when the FOUR schools that destroyed this conference are going to land on their feet. I honestly believe when all is said and done ISU will be just fine, residing either in an expanded Big East or the compiled fourth superconference, but these four schools are causing us to sweat.

 

[IcSyU]

Please itemize.

Exit fees could be huge.

The Big 12 will cease to exist...no exit fees in that case.

We have about $40,000,000 in JTS currently I think in east/west improvements. Another $5,000,000 in the scoreboard. $8,000,000 in the BB practice facility. $20,000,000 in the football building. $10,000,000 in the new Olympic sports complex. I don't remember the cost of the new video board and ribbon in Hilton.

 

[Rods79]

I could agree with you. The SEC, Big 10 and PAC will want to grab while they can grab with the understanding that this is all going that way. They won't want to have the other conference get everybody good without a fight. Somebody will have to pull the trigger first and they will all start shooting pretty quick.

The way I see it...say Oklahoma decides to go to the Pac-12 with Larry a-hole Scott; that effectively ends the Big 12 as we know it...so there are now 8 teams floating out there abandoned. Since Larry a-hole Scott is a money grubbing conference destroying ***** who wants 16 team leagues, he "expands" (like he has been mentioning) with 4 Big 12 teams. When the Pac-12 gets to 16...SEC goes to 16 (which they've been planning from "rumors"), which forces the B1G to 16...and then the rest is too chaotic to predict. The key part of this is chaos...that is how it stays out of the legal system...it will be like a game of musical chairs.

Hopefully along the line someone decides they might as well go to 18, or they decide ISU is a good fit somewhere in the system (I'm thinking this is the most likely, but I am optimistic).

The thing that kills me about these stupid superconferences is that the media tries to say they will be more fair...and I don't see how it is fair at all to leave out a team like ISU, a member of the AAU, and a member of a major conference for most of its history.

 

[CycloneWanderer]

Some good lawyering could take care of that in a worst case scenario.

 

[Cato2handjam]

I have to believe with all the public comments and lack of stability within the Big 12 ranks that that OU is about to hit the eject button.

David Boren - OU President's comments in the Houston Chronicle:

“The Big 12 is not the same Big 12,” Boren said. “I was extremely disappointed when Nebraska departed. Disappointed when Colorado departed.”

"The Sooners want a strong, stable conference. Bob Stoops has all but said he has no interest in being part of a diminished Big 12."

“We want to do what’s best for the university,” he said.

Add that to what Pinkel was saying earlier... today on the radio:

"Obviously we have some issues in our league. … When Nebraska leaves one year, Colorado leaves and then also now Texas A&M. So it’s three real good football teams are leaving…

“Without question there are some issues that other leagues don’t have. You don’t hear anything about any other league in the country having these problems. And we all know where it starts…

“There’s no other league in the country where this stuff goes on. And it’s really a shame because the potential of the league is really tremendous.”

I think the only thing really being decided right now is who OU is brining to the PAC16 with them.

 

[ManBearClone]

The thing that kills me about these stupid superconferences is that the media tries to say they will be more fair...and I don't see how it is fair at all to leave out a team like ISU, a member of the AAU, and a member of a major conference for most of its history.

Yeah and Miami will get off with a slap on the wrist and ISU gets the death penalty trying to do it the "right" way and ESPN won't bat an eye.

 

[twojman]

Just a few months ago we were celebrating a seemingly unified conference with great new 2nd tier tv deals and re-written revenue sharing (towards more equality), with promises for more money coming with the tier 1 deal in 2015.

For the record I celebrated nothing. One school making decisions for the conference is not good.

 

[CarrollCyclone]

I still can't believe people are so willing to let Nebraska, A&M, and Oklahoma off the hook for this mess, and in fact are feeling sympathy for them. Any one of those for schools could have preserved the conference years ago, but were instead more interested in the race to see who could become most powerful. The three schools everyone is now pitying are the three schools that helped create the Texas monster that everyone now loathes, and instead of manning up and cleaning up the mess, they all (apparently) have cut and run, leaving the less powerful in limbo. Texas is just as complicit in this, but at least Texas has tried holding this together.

I honestly cannot believe people are not only completely letting them off the hook, but are pitying them. ALL of them created this mess and NONE of them should be getting our sympathy, especially when the FOUR schools that destroyed this conference are going to land on their feet. I honestly believe when all is said and done ISU will be just fine, residing either in an expanded Big East or the compiled fourth superconference, but these four schools are causing us to sweat.

I hear what you're saying. I will add that I read that Nebraska did at the last minute try to get Texas to commit to a conference network, saying that was the only way to show true commitment to the Big 12 long-term, NU was willing to do it. UT said they would not do that.

The fact that we have a league and a commissioner that allows Texas to use the Big 12 as their personal playground is why we are in this mess.

A competent commissioner would not have let programs such as Nebraska and A&M leave on their watch.

 

[kurecabinboy]

I have a couple political questions. Will Presidential politics come into play here? Will Rick Perry be forced to intervene to save the Big 12 and, thereby save his chances of winning the Iowa caucus? If he doesn't act, he could kiss Iowa goodbye, in my opinion.

Second, is it inevitable that the federal government will look into conference realignment issues if the Big 12 implodes? It could banish a handful of athlethic departments to NCAA serfdom and these schools will not go quietly. Iowa has a couple powerful Senators who could work with their colleagues to hold hearings and take action. If implosion of the Big 12 has a domino effect across the other conferences, a whole host of other powerful Senators would demand that Congress intervene.

 

[drednot57]

Who is Dan Wetzel? I am of the impression from last night BYU is in and there will be 2 other teams. Also I am with others...add the whole Big East and be an 18 league conference.

Dan Wetzel is Yahoo Sports #1 reporter. His rep is very high due breaking almost all of the CFB scandals way before anyone else did. Dan should win a Pulitzer Prize for the work he's done while working for Yahoo.

 

[drednot57]

No. OU is looking to jump ship. They may be gone real soon.

Really, then why are Boren and Castiglione leading the expansion search? Just to give themselves extra things to do while preparing a move to another conference? I don't think so, Buster!

 

[Yes13]

I'd say this is the best worst case scenario (4 16 team conferences and we get left out). Sucks, but not terrible.

PAC 12
OU
Texas
TTU
OK State

Big 10+2
Kansas
Maryland
ND
Rutgers

SEC
Missouri
Va Tech
A&M
WVU

ACC
Syracuse
USF
Pitt
Cincinnati

CUSA
BYU
Memphis
K State
Iowa State
Baylor
Houston
SMU
TCU
Tulsa
Louisville

 

[el tornado]

A shame that a select few people can determine the fate of all.

Maybe they will start to eliminate teams from their own conferences.

Northwestern in the Big 10?
Vanderbilt in the SEC?
Wash State in the Pac 12?
Both Miss and Miss State in the SEC? I know, Mississippi is a HUGE market...

Having lived in the Chicago area for 20 years now I can tell you that there is very little interest in what Northwestern does. But alas, they are in major market. You know what schools I see people wearing attire for the most in Chicago? Wisconsin and Iowa.

 

[drednot57]

The reason why OU's comments are troubling:

OU: "We will do what's in the best interest of the University of Oklahoma."

ISU: "We are committed to the Big XII."

JP has also said he and Pres. Geoffroy will do what's in the best interests of ISU. Presently these interests are best served by sticking with the Big 12. If the Big 12 dissolves, then they will act in the best interests of ISU; if that means joining the Big East conference then so be it. I believe ISU will stay in a BCS conference, and that we may be pleasantly surprised in where ISU ends up when it's all said and done.

 

[drednot57]

I don't see the other conferences making a move frankly. I don't believe the media hype about super conferences. Yep some will go to 16, but not all of them. I don't think ACC wants 16 teams. And Big 10's history has shown me that they will not expand. They did this time to get the title game. Not many reasons for them to expand further unless they can poach ACC and I think the ACC is solid.

That is why I think the Big East is stable. The media does a good job of making people think otherwise with their super conference hypothesis. But it is just a hypothesis right now.

FIFY