Not to mention that Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF are huge tv markets. It can't be that difficult. These teams can join and they don't get ful share until 5 years down the road...like Rutgers and Maryland etc..
Big 12 Expansion
- Thread starter 2clones4cy
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Things are changing. Do you have numbers that show more people watch UCF games on TV? I'm pretty skeptical that UCF ratings are better than ISU or KState and we know less fans go to games which is a great indicator of how many will watch a road game on TV.
I'm not skeptical they are in larger markets, I'm skeptical in a future where people pay for college football subscriptions or events that UCF and Cincy will have more people put down cash to watch UCF and Cincy than any program in the Big 12 (because of KU hoops).
BYU has a rabid college sports fan base. The other teams you mention are in areas where pro sports are #1 or other BCS programs like Ohio State, Florida, FSU and Miami absolutely dominate college fandom statewide. I actually think Memphis has more room for upside than UCF and Cincy in a world where fans put down $ directly to watch Memphis on TV or web. People in Florida and Ohio are watching pro sports or the traditional powerhouses, Memphis doesn't have that quite as much with the Vols fading quite a bit and not being located near them. BYU already has legions who would drop cash to watch some BYU sports on TV.
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Everyone talks about the B1G and SEC going to 16 teams, but I haven't heard fans from either conference speak positively about the 14 team setup. Still, if the ACC truly does fall apart, there will be some schools that are just too good to pass up and the reality is that the B1G and SEC will have first dibs.
I would expect UNC to be the most highly sought after school and I think the B1G would get them. UNC would like the appeal of an academic conference where they might be able to compete in football and still keep basketball at a very high level. Georgia Tech also makes a lot of sense for the B1G. Atlanta and Charlotte will become the next large markets to carry the B1G Network.
For the SEC, Virginia Tech is almost a no-brainer. The next option is trickier. During the last round of realignment, there were rumblings of a gentleman's agreement among the SEC presidents to not pursue additional schools in states where SEC schools already exist. If true, Florida State would appear to be out, and the only state that would really make sense is North Carolina. Would it be NC State or Duke? Duke has a larger national following, a better football team (although very few fans who actually go to games), and of course an incredible basketball pedigree. So I'll guess they go with Duke.
What would the Big 12 do next? Clemson and Florida State would be easy calls. Other potential options would include Miami, Virginia, Pitt, NC State, maybe Louisville or Syracuse. I don't know what the right move would be, but I think that out of all the conferences, the Big 12 would be the one most likely to not go with a straight geographic division alignment. I would guess that it would divvy up two Texas schools per division and maybe one Florida school in each as well (if it added Miami) to help even out the strength as well as the recruiting pitches for its teams.
So here is where I think things would stand after that all went down.
Big 12 - divisions TBD
Baylor
Clemson
Florida State
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Miami
North Carolina State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Pitt
TCU
Texas
Texas Tech
Virginia
West Virginia
B1G West
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin
B1G East
Georgia Tech
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
North Carolina
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
SEC West
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Missouri
Texas A&M
SEC East
Duke
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech
I would expect UNC to be the most highly sought after school and I think the B1G would get them. UNC would like the appeal of an academic conference where they might be able to compete in football and still keep basketball at a very high level. Georgia Tech also makes a lot of sense for the B1G. Atlanta and Charlotte will become the next large markets to carry the B1G Network.
For the SEC, Virginia Tech is almost a no-brainer. The next option is trickier. During the last round of realignment, there were rumblings of a gentleman's agreement among the SEC presidents to not pursue additional schools in states where SEC schools already exist. If true, Florida State would appear to be out, and the only state that would really make sense is North Carolina. Would it be NC State or Duke? Duke has a larger national following, a better football team (although very few fans who actually go to games), and of course an incredible basketball pedigree. So I'll guess they go with Duke.
What would the Big 12 do next? Clemson and Florida State would be easy calls. Other potential options would include Miami, Virginia, Pitt, NC State, maybe Louisville or Syracuse. I don't know what the right move would be, but I think that out of all the conferences, the Big 12 would be the one most likely to not go with a straight geographic division alignment. I would guess that it would divvy up two Texas schools per division and maybe one Florida school in each as well (if it added Miami) to help even out the strength as well as the recruiting pitches for its teams.
So here is where I think things would stand after that all went down.
Big 12 - divisions TBD
Baylor
Clemson
Florida State
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Miami
North Carolina State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Pitt
TCU
Texas
Texas Tech
Virginia
West Virginia
B1G West
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin
B1G East
Georgia Tech
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
North Carolina
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
SEC West
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Missouri
Texas A&M
SEC East
Duke
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Virginia Tech
Or the Big 12 crumbles first and we're the same place on your list that Wake Forest is.
Big 12 and ACC should be forming some sort of alliance so they just merge if more than 2 teams get poached from either. The fact that they didn't partner for the Big 12's wrestling situation is not a good sign. Both probably have too much hubris.
I posted the idea of a Big 12-ACC merger to form a 24-school megaconference about a year ago. (25 if Notre Dame gets in for all sports only, which I expect they would decline.) 23-game conference basketball schedule would undeniably be the best and most exciting in the country. 4 divisions of 6 schools for football with conference semifinal and championship games.
Sure it sounds crazy but it just might be worth it at the end of the day. The problem is that the schools with most of the value (Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, North Carolina, etc.) would probably think their best option is to bail the arrangement and go to the Pac or the B1G or independent, so it wouldn't work out. But it's an interesting thought at least.
I think I had the divisions for football as follows.
Northwest
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
Pitt
West Virginia
Southwest
Baylor
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas
Texas Tech
Northeast
Boston College
Syracuse
Wake Forest
Virginia
Virginia Tech
(One of Duke, UNC, NC State)
Southeast
Clemson
Georgia Tech
Florida State
Miami
(Remaining two of Duke, UNC, NC State)
Alternatively you could keep the North Carolina schools together in the Southeast and flip Clemson up to the Northeast.
The whole reason the idea should be in place is BECAUSE the OUs, FSUs and Texas's might try to do their own thing or jump to another league. There should be no questions if another round of poaching happens, if either conference were smart they'd just be working toward an automatic merger. It's not like either conference would lose a lot by adding 2/3 of the other.
Remnants fully merge and bam you have the clear #4 conference (probably #1 in basketball) with no doubt and nobody left behind.
That 24 team conference would be cool, but wouldn't happen. And they would have to have a playoff for the conferences own championship game lol.
Why not a 12 team playoff? Top 4 teams get byes And 8 other teams play the first weekend. P5 conf. Champs get automatic bids, can add 2 or 3 of the top mid majors and 4 or 5 at large teams. Would only add one week to the playoff ( same as 8 teams), potential Cinderella teams, and could even let schools bid for opening round home game ( like FCS playoffs).
It's not even close. UCF is top 40 tv audience.
UCF...http://http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/17/5216550/college-football-tv-ratings-2013-regular-season-final-sec
6-8 is all the bigger the playoffs should be.
Probably 6, one for each conference then one at large/nonP5 if worthy that year/ND
Probably 6, one for each conference then one at large/nonP5 if worthy that year/ND
Sounds great, but you realize the first target of these conferences will be Texas though. How can the big 12 keep them? Longhorn Network is struggling, they have to watch A&M beat them for recruits now which is making them crazy. I got to think they will look for an out. OU will follow, probably KU too. The scraps will stay together and add Memphis, Cincy, UCF and others.
my only hope is Texas wins a national title soon, or the state legislature steps in to protect Baylor, TCU, Tech.
The big 12 is not safe by a long shot.
8 is fine. P5 champions with 3 at large as determined by the BCS (or some other computer-based formula).
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