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

[CrossCyed]

Not part of this discussion, but one has to think that with the serious issues that ESPN has had with getting the LHN launched could honestly put the Texas going independent pipe dream to bed. Many people seem to think that this is a vehicle to allow that move, but that is hardly the case. First of all, Texas can't go independent in everything. All schools that are independent in football have a spot that their other sports reside. Going independent in all other sports (especially MBB) is simply not an option for Texas. They would have to find a conference for all their other sports, and no BCS conference is going to say Texas can just park those sports without football.

As far as the LHN being an advantage? Hardly. They already have the #1 football recruiting class in the nation for 2012 right now, despite going 5-7. Are people honestly worried that they will now grab the top 25 recruits in the nation and nothing else? Anybody thinking that the LHN is anything more than a marginal advantage and provides more than diminishing returns for the University of Texas is just looking for a reason to complain. People at schools like ISU aren't worried about it, because Texas isn't going to get THAT much better at anything because of it.

 

[HoopsTournament]

Texas abusing its power in the Big 12 - KansasCity.com

This is spot on, Texas has run off 3 teams of the top teams in the conference thus far with the "Do what is best for Texas" model. Its only fair to say Nebraska went along with it until they didn't which was also part of the issue. This model sounds good on paper and still could attract the likes of National names BYU and Notre Dame, but conference survival will require a reavluation of this philosophy and committment to the other institutions both financially but equally important are history, loyalty and trust. Plenty of national names could be doing the money grab right now but they aren't - why? Loyalty, History and Trust. Not Money and power.

There will be a backlash and I look for Iowa State to be used as an example of a Historical, Loyal and trustworthy partner that did nothing wrong other than not have enough population to feed the greedy that coincidently already had enough to sustain.

First, Colorado leaving had nothing to do with Texas. They have been wanting to go to the Pac 10/12 for years and jumped at the first chance.

Second, A&M and Nebraska have sided with Texas (and OU) on revenue sharing since the beginning. They are being hypocrits crying about not getting their fair share when they could have voted for equal revenue sharing LONG ago. Also, A&M is the ONLY one who stuck it to the rest of the conference saying that they would hold ISU, KU, KSU, MU and Baylor to their promise of the $20 million payout. Guess we won't have to worry about that now!!

I am not saying Texas is perfect, but saying that they are solely to blame is ridiculous.

 

[CycloneWanderer]

I don't understand how UT is the bad guy in all this. A$M demanded the extra cash to stay in the conference while UT and OU declined. A$M spurned UT when they approached them to form a joint TV network. A$M is leaving the conference despite the increased revenue and easier path to the BCS; they are willing to kill the Big 12 just to serve their own ego.

 

[Tre4ISU]

Texas abusing its power in the Big 12 - KansasCity.com

This is spot on, Texas has run off 3 teams of the top teams in the conference thus far with the "Do what is best for Texas" model. Its only fair to say Nebraska went along with it until they didn't which was also part of the issue. This model sounds good on paper and still could attract the likes of National names BYU and Notre Dame, but conference survival will require a reavluation of this philosophy and committment to the other institutions both financially but equally important are history, loyalty and trust. Plenty of national names could be doing the money grab right now but they aren't - why? Loyalty, History and Trust. Not Money and power.

There will be a backlash and I look for Iowa State to be used as an example of a Historical, Loyal and trustworthy partner that did nothing wrong other than not have enough population to feed the greedy that coincidently already had enough to sustain.

I disagree. The rules allowed Texas to do what they have done. aTm is leaving because of Texas but it's not about something unfair Texas has done. They are leaving because they have a large inferiority complex. This wasn't about Texas being unfair or the LHN being unfair. It was about Texas being able to do it and aTm couldn't. If the Big Ten had the same rules as the Big 12, OSU would be doing the same thing. I, for one, don't have a problem with Texas and the LHN. I think they should be able to get what they can get. It's tough for us but that's just how it is.

 

[CycloneWanderer]

Two words A$M don't understand - Diminishing Returns.

 

[cyclone83]

Not part of this discussion, but one has to think that with the serious issues that ESPN has had with getting the LHN launched could honestly put the Texas going independent pipe dream to bed. Many people seem to think that this is a vehicle to allow that move, but that is hardly the case. First of all, Texas can't go independent in everything. All schools that are independent in football have a spot that their other sports reside. Going independent in all other sports (especially MBB) is simply not an option for Texas. They would have to find a conference for all their other sports, and no BCS conference is going to say Texas can just park those sports without football.

I think the Longhorn Network would get much more interest from cable carriers if they would offer all 8 home games including 4 or 5 marque matchups. Cable companies smiply aren't that excited about socking their subscribers for a fee increase to watch Rice and K State. ESPN may really want Texas to go Independent to save their investment in the LHN.

 

[Al_4_State]

Nebraska and A&M created the monster that is Texas because they wanted to do exactly what Texas is doing. They voted with Texas to deny equal revenue sharing. Had either of them been in favor of equal revenue sharing, we would have it today.

Once they realized they couldn't be Texas, they ran away. Both schools are gutless hypocrites.

 

[justcynn]

If Texas is not to blame, then the question is then why aren't we hearing more about other National Brands wanting to get theres as ND has done for years, what Texas is doing now and BYU is trying to do? If the model was sustainable, the Big 12 would be in the drivers seat with all of the realignment talk. Sure A&M has inferiority issues as did Nebraska, especially on the field, but why no talk of SEC powers or Big 10 Powers or Pac 10 Powers wanting to get the money they deserve from being the biggest fish in their pond?

 

[ISUAgronomist]

no talk of SEC powers or Big 10 Powers or Pac 10 Powers wanting to get the money they deserve from being the biggest fish in their pond

Conference bylaws is the short answer.

 

[CrossCyed]

I think the Longhorn Network would get much more interest from cable carriers if they would offer all 8 home games including 4 or 5 marque matchups. Cable companies smiply aren't that excited about socking their subscribers for a fee increase to watch Rice and K State. ESPN may really want Texas to go Independent to save their investment in the LHN.

Again, then Texas has nowhere good to park the rest of their sports.

 

[justcynn]

Conference bylaws is the short answer.

Exactly, the bylaws the membership including the most powerful agreed to, if the powerful wanted more power and money based on their worth like Texas and formally Nebraska and soon to be formally A&M, why aren't they rushing to do what is best for "x" and join up in a conference that allows unequal revenue sharing and independent networks?

 

[cyman05]

1. Everybody makes such a big deal of unequal revenues between conferences members, and I know another 2-3 mil would mean a lot for ISU, but revenues are pretty close to equal before 3rd tier rights.

2. When the Big 12 schools voted to let schools have their 3rd tier rights, didn't they know the Horn Network would happen with them getting a bunch of money? Yeah, nobody expected $15 mil/yr, but what'd they think was going to happen?

 

[Boomer]

2. When the Big 12 schools voted to let schools have their 3rd tier rights, didn't they know the Horn Network would happen with them getting a bunch of money? Yeah, nobody expected $15 mil/yr, but what'd they think was going to happen?

3-5 million a year, NOT backed by ESPN was what everyone expected

 

[cykadelic2]

I think the Longhorn Network would get much more interest from cable carriers if they would offer all 8 home games including 4 or 5 marque matchups. Cable companies smiply aren't that excited about socking their subscribers for a fee increase to watch Rice and K State. ESPN may really want Texas to go Independent to save their investment in the LHN.

Disagree with the last sentence. Texas is more valuable to ESPN on a 1st Tier broadcast platform than they are on a 3rd Tier regional platform.

The outlandish money ESPN paid UT for LHN is essentially to keep UT happy and position ESPN/ABC favorably for the upcoming 1st tier negotiations (assuming the B12 still exists). Also, UT is much more valuable to ESPN (and vice versa) if UT is in a conference, not as an indy. And if UT values their other sports as much as I think they do, they will do everything they can to keep the B12 alive to avoid going indy or going to the P12 where they would give up their 3rd Tier rights.

 

[Boomer]

FlightAware > OUA36 > 28-Aug-2011 > KCLL-KOUN

 

[bosco]

What if there was a conference that had unequal revenue sharing but the top team would make 45 million and the bottom team would make 40 million from just the TV contracts. Do you think there would any teams beating down the door to join?

 

[justcynn]

1. Everybody makes such a big deal of unequal revenues between conferences members, and I know another 2-3 mil would mean a lot for ISU, but revenues are pretty close to equal before 3rd tier rights.

2. When the Big 12 schools voted to let schools have their 3rd tier rights, didn't they know the Horn Network would happen with them getting a bunch of money? Yeah, nobody expected $15 mil/yr, but what'd they think was going to happen?

I don't think the debate is whether current teams in the Big 12 have issue with this, clearly the survival of the Big 12 with the current structure and promise of more money in the future is the best plan, my point is if it is such a good model, we should have no issue plucking Arkansas from the SEC or some other national brand from the other major conferences. Maybe that will happen and I hope it does, but the Arkansas example is extremely unlikely and begs the quesiton on whether this is really the right model for conference partners to sustain.

 

[NobodyBeatsCy]

FlightAware > OUA36 > 28-Aug-2011 > KCLL-KOUN

What does it mean?!? What does it meaaaaaaaaan?

 

[alarson]

FlightAware > OUA36 > 28-Aug-2011 > KCLL-KOUN

OU to MU to OU to TAMU?

Well thats... interesting.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

FlightAware > OUA36 > 28-Aug-2011 > KCLL-KOUN