CBS: Oklahoma president wants Big 12 to consider re-expanding to 12 schools

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BleedGopher

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per CBS:

As long as the Big 12 has less teams than the other Power Five conferences, there will be people talking about the conference expanding. On Wednesday, it was Oklahoma president David Boren's turn.

"I'm an advocate of living up to our name," Boren said. "I was an advocate of it when we saw Louisville go other places and other things. I like being 12 rather than 10. I like that as long-range stability for the conference. Is it urgent? No.

"We should [expand] if we can find the right partners. Something we should strive for while we have the time, stability."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...oma-president-prefers-the-big-12-has-12-teams

Go Gophers!!
 

Well that's an easy one. Big 12 better start it's move to 16 before the other leagues use the Big 12 teams to get to 16 themselves.

4 Leagues of 16 teams seems like a more round number to me. So I'd guess the Big 12 won't be around that much longer.
 

Sparlimb said:
Well that's an easy one. Big 12 better start it's move to 16 before the other leagues use the Big 12 teams to get to 16 themselves.

4 Leagues of 16 teams seems like a more round number to me. So I'd guess the Big 12 won't be around that much longer.
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I think the same thing, 4 large conferences. B1G, PAC, SEC are here to stay so the Big 12 and ACC need to be the first to strike or risk being dismantled by the others.
 

Ski U Master said:
I think the same thing, 4 large conferences. B1G, PAC, SEC are here to stay so the Big 12 and ACC need to be the first to strike or risk being dismantled by the others.
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I think that's an interesting idea, but as long as the ACC keeps FSU & Miami (and even outside that, they have another handful of other nationally interesting teams - Ga Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, Va Tech, not to even mention BC, & Clemson) and the B12 keeps Texas & Oklahoma, neither of them is going to implode anytime soon.

Now, if some conference poaches Texas then all bets are off because Oklahoma would probably jump and then who's left there of national prominence? Okla State has been relevant, but only for the past decade or 2. Of course, Baylor & TCU were in the national picture last year, and have been for the past several years, also, but they're small schools with a smaller national base.

I know people like the idea of 4 big 16-team conferences, but unless somebody grabs Texas, I just don't see it happening.
 

Maybe they should look at T A&M and Missouri. Good universities in the region. All they have to do is not treat them like stepchildren.
Oh, I forgot, they can't manage that. Texas and Oklahoma have a divine right to win.
 


I don't understand the allure of a 16 team conference from a fan's perspective. Can someone explain it to me?
 

If the Big XII really wants to get back to 12 schools, just go get Houston and SMU and be done with it.
 

matt said:
I don't understand the allure of a 16 team conference from a fan's perspective. Can someone explain it to me?
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Nothing having to do with conference expansion has been done with the fan's perspective in mind. It's all about maximizing revenues for its member schools; if the fans benefit from that, great. If not, then so be it.
 

SelectionSunday said:
If the Big XII really wants to get back to 12 schools, just go get Houston and SMU and be done with it.
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The problem is, that adds zero television sets to the conference footprint or national interest to the conference overall.
 



TexasAggie11 said:
The problem is, that adds zero television sets to the conference footprint or national interest to the conference overall.
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Yes, I understand that. Point being, just go back to the SWC/Big 8/Big XII thingie and call it a day. No matter who they add they're gonna' be Conference #5 in the football/basketball power structure. Not passing power/influence of Big Ten, Pac 12, SEC, ACC no matter who they add. I suppose some combination of Cincinnati, BYU, and UConn (maybe Boise State) would be the best they could do?
 


SJUgopher said:
Sure it does. It adds a conference championship game.
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But adds zero long-term stability to the conference. UT-Austin and OU would both bolt at the first sniff of an offer elsewhere or at the first sign of trouble.
 

matt said:
I don't understand the allure of a 16 team conference from a fan's perspective. Can someone explain it to me?
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I think it became a popular theory as a result of the 4 team playoff proposal. This way each conf champion gets a spot in the playoff and there is not ambiguity in selection with a committee.
 



Ski U Master said:
I think it became a popular theory as a result of the 4 team playoff proposal. This way each conf champion gets a spot in the playoff and there is not ambiguity in selection with a committee.
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I think this is true and it would allow teams to schedule tougher non-conference opponents without the risk of being eliminated from championship contention early in the season due to a loss.
 

Ski U Master said:
I think it became a popular theory as a result of the 4 team playoff proposal. This way each conf champion gets a spot in the playoff and there is not ambiguity in selection with a committee.
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Also gives the ability to leave the NCAA and have a 32 team league which only play each other (NFL like). Doesn't work as well for basketball.
 

Which will come first 12 teams in the Big 12 or an 8 team playoff? Those in the camp of getting 2 more schools to join should look to those who are currently in no man's land. One would be BYU and I would think Houston would take an offer. If you are in the camp that an 8 team playoff is coming, then there is no reason to expand. Last year they could have had two teams in neither were Texas nor Oklahoma.
 

If they add teams my bet is on Colorado St and BYU. You add Denver and Salt Lake City as tv markets plus two decent football programs. Colorado St is building a new stadium in the heart of the Fort so they should be able to match up facilities wise with their confernce counterparts. Cincy a has a chance too but my bet is they look west.
 

Just think of the subscription numbers for the Longhorn network if they add Fort Collins...
 

Sparlimb said:
Just think of the subscription numbers for the Longhorn network if they add Fort Collins...
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Ha! The Big 12 is really screwed by UT's greed in having their own network. The conference needs to expand into other big markets so schools like SMU and Houston don't do anything for them. I don't know if BYU or CSU provide enough oomph? I think it is going to be difficult for the Big 12 to attract good programs given the Longhorn network and general weakness of this conference compared to other power conferences. I think it is just a matter of time before UT and/or OU bolt and effectively kill the Big 12 as a power conference. There is a possibility the ACC folds first but my money is on the Big 12 disbanding first leaving 4-Power conferences that will eventually have 16 teams each.
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
Ha! The Big 12 is really screwed by UT's greed in having their own network. The conference needs to expand into other big markets so schools like SMU and Houston don't do anything for them. I don't know if BYU or CSU provide enough oomph? I think it is going to be difficult for the Big 12 to attract good programs given the Longhorn network and general weakness of this conference compared to other power conferences. I think it is just a matter of time before UT and/or OU bolt and effectively kill the Big 12 as a power conference. There is a possibility the ACC folds first but my money is on the Big 12 disbanding first leaving 4-Power conferences that will eventually have 16 teams each.
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The only thing that could possibly save the Big 12 would be if some of the have-nots of the conference agree to take a lesser share of the pie in order to attract a big name from the ACC who is nervous about a collapse. The have-nots, such as Baylor, may be mortgaged to the max and unwilling to accept such an agreement... except if they know they will likely be left out of any new conference. They've made the offer before.

However, if I were a big name ACC program, I'm not sure I would want to go to a conference where there were first and second class programs. Or, really, 1a (UT-Austin), 1b (OU, etc.), and 2 (Baylor, Iowa State, etc.).

Poaching four teams from a G5 conference could be a risky move. Do their athletic departments have what it takes to run with the big boys in the facilities and recruiting arms race? What about travel footprint - UT-Austin is already having problems affording the flights for student athletes.
 

A brief history of OU's attempts to leave the Big 12:

zjxwup.jpg
 

TexasAggie11 said:
A brief history of OU's attempts to leave the Big 12:

zjxwup.jpg
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They came oh so close that last time!

You make some good points about how the Big-12 could save itself. And as you noted, would any legit power school outside of UT settle for a overt class system? I'm glad we don't have this mess and I'm sure the SEC and PAC-12 would agree.
 

Would think the B12 would want a school near Vest Virginia seeing they are out there by themselves. Doubt UConn but Cincinnati is there.

For pure speculation would the B12 make a run at Arkansas along with trying to get either Missouri or Nebraska back?
 

scools12 said:
Would think the B12 would want a school near Vest Virginia seeing they are out there by themselves. Doubt UConn but Cincinnati is there.

For pure speculation would the B12 make a run at Arkansas along with trying to get either Missouri or Nebraska back?
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I can't think of a credible reason any team would leave the SEC of B1G to go back to the husk of the Big 12. The money is too good and the prestige is superior in both.
 

scools12 said:
For pure speculation would the B12 make a run at Arkansas along with trying to get either Missouri or Nebraska back?
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This would be analogous to a school leaving a contract with Nike in favor of Russell Athletics.
 

I think BYU and CSU fit better in the Big XII culturally than Cincy and UConn. I could see BYU and Cincy as the winning candidates as well.
 

They need to get BYU and Cincinnati to join.

BYU is an outlier, but has an interesting brand, and loyal fans that travel.

Cincinnati brings the BB team which counts for something, and with wining brigs some football passion. They also have Paul Brown Stadium for big select games and big TV market. (OK big by Big 12 standards)

Houston, SMU, and Rice are the old left out SWC teams that should be better, but they just do not have a whole lot of momentum. Gary Patterson saved TCU from being part of that same club. I think Houston has the biggest upside of the three. If SMU could have gotten away with cheating like all their peers including Texas did, they'd be in the Big 12 now, but the NCAA for once enforced their own rules and put the screws to them. They will never recover.
 


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