Big 12 Falling Apart

[theeagleman5]

Sorry, my friend...but TheEagleman thinks the NCAA lives in the dark ages....coaches can jump institutions at the drop of a hat (Kiffin, Self, etc) with no penalty at all....they just keep cashing the checks....but a player wants to switch schools because the coach who promised him he would be around for his 4 yrs goes elsewhere and he has to sit out a year?.....not fair at all...and if a coach or coaching staff is found guilty of major violations, why are they not personally penalized instead of just the school....suspensions without pay might stop a lot of the garbage going on out there....

[Texasgrip]

Of course, this subject is dominating the airwaves in Houston. Most hold that it does indeed "hinge" on UT's decision. Now that CU has officially left the Big XII, and Nebraska is set to announce tomorrow, it appears all but over.

There are a couple of interesting aspects being discussed here that may not be elsewhere. First, before I heard ANY talk of Nebraska, CU, and Big XII collapse, we were hearing talk of UT possibly going independent (this was being discussed two weeks ago down here). Second, as "locked at the hip" as KU and KSU are, how much more UT and A&M? They've been playing together in the same conference(s) for over 100 years. There is much discussion about A&M being courted by the SEC as well, and although most think both schools would go to the PAC-16, it's not "out of the question" that A&M could indeed split off for the SEC.

I also read that these changes would take some time to implement. Regardless of how soon realignment is announced, it will be two years before the restrucuring takes place.

[SDSUJacks]

I have been all over this all day. Very interesting. I think the impact will be felt all across the country and even down to leagues such as ours. Does it mean we get a couple schools to fall in out lap or that ORU goes to the MoValley or Oakland to Horizon or SDSU, NDSU, USD to the Big Sky? We shall see.

My predictions:

Misery doesn't get BigTen invite unless ND agrees to come to BigTen and that aint happening.

UT, aTm, OU, oSu and TT all heading to "PAC16". Odd that PAC10 values Colorado as much as they do. Denver is very much a pro sports town, or, at the very least, a Broncos town.

Kansas, K-State, Mizzou, Baylor, ISU will join w/ Mtn West. If they add them and Boise St and toss SanDiegoState, Wyo, Air Force and Colo State they would have the makings of a very nice conference for both hoops and fball. It would be BCS which is very, very, very crucial. Problem is the conference is said to want to keep everyone, for whatever reason (Colo St and Wyo are dead weight).

Four Superconferences are being formed. They might just rule the roost one day soon. Meaning saying bye-bye to BCS and NCAA and forming their own TV deals, post-season tourneys etc and not sharing any of the money w/ anyone else. Would be the "Big 64".

You guys laugh at me for talking about football but that is absolutely what is driving this....BIGtime. Watch KANSAS and their top 3 bball program and nationwide following get left out of all of this and that will tell you that college football is king. No other sport even comes close. Sadly though, this is all about eyeballs on TV sets and butts in seats at football games. Big money will ruin major college sports. Our programs will still have the innocent student-athlete feel tho. GO MID-MAJORS!

[SDSUJacks]

Texas still holds the BigXII in it's hands. If they leave it's all over (if it isn't already). If they stay the BigXII simply adds TCU and Utah and actually becomes better in bball and fball (just not in a TV, nationally relevant /interesting way) and the BigXII goes on. BigXII has massive issues in it's leadership. Next step would be to get it's network and a better deal w/ ESPN. However, I fear it is much, much too late.

The sole reason all this is happening.....THE BIG TEN NETWORK.

[SDSUJacks]

Only reason, IMO, that the "Big 64" wouldn't leave and start their own "bubble" is that they would realize how that would turn off most fans who view college sports as innocent student athletes. That and the fact that they wouldn't have whipping boys anymore. Big 64 needs us patsies and we need their money. We'll get 750k to play at Nebraska in fball this year. In the past we've made over 500k by playing ISU, Minny, etc. Heck, lowly Wyo paid us 17k to go out there and whip them in hoops. And why would Big 64 want to shut out schools like Colorado State and Tulsa? It's not like those schools are taking BCS bids and Final Fours away from Big 64.

If not for money I would be fine w/ Big 64 doing their own thing and us playing for a title against our true peers. Wouldn't taint it for me one bit. ut of course money is what it's all about.

[Old Titan]

I find it chilling that this entire process is being driven by POTENTIAL revenue from POTENTIAL TV dollars.

It remains to be seen whether or not the money is actually there, from POTENTIAL ad dollars and POTENTIAL contracts from cable networks.

Meanwhile, the REALITY is increased travel costs for the far-flung schools, more time on the road for the student-athletes, and fewer fans able to afford the time or money to travel to many road contests in most sports.

And all this coming at a time when our economy is shrinking, fan viewership is fragmented across ever-emerging media, and travel expenses are skyrocketing out of control.

Bold Prediction: in twenty years, when expenses and fan outcry have resulted in these super conferences fragmenting back into smaller, regional leagues, this period of irresponsible growth will be remembered as a gross example of blind greed run amok.

[vcboy2000]

Jacks, we don't laugh at you for talking college football. We live in Oklahoma for crying out loud. We laugh at how big of a deal you think FCS is on a national scale. College football is NOT king. Division 1 College Football is the king. Followed by D-1 College Basketball and then everything else. What I will give you though is the fact that a large state school with a FCS program is better positioned to make the jump to D-1 Football than schools with no program at all. So while FCS football may not make you relevant in current conference expansions, it could in the very near future if you guys make the jump.

[theeagleman5]

TheEagleman agrees with Jacks on this one....this is the beginning of the end of the NCAA...by 2020 or even sooner, it will be 4 major football/basketball conferences and they will be holding their own tournaments and sharing all the TV revenue.....

[ManiacAlum]

Football is 'Big Time'? No kidding... but just because a school technically fields a football team does not make it anywhere close to being in the same stratosphere as big-time college football.

All this would do is make that Grand Canyon sized gap even bigger. Also, the idea that some schools will move up because others will move down doesn't make any sense. I don't expect this to effect the Summit League in any way..

OSU is extremely lucky to be attached to OU... and UT has been trying to play that "we're stuck with A&M" card ever since the SWC dissolved 20 years ago. Neither school needs the other financially, but politics will keep them from ever splitting up

[Titansoccer8]

SDSUJacks...not sure why you think Colorado State and Wyoming are dead weight...in all honesty, from an athletics perspective, Colorado State offers more and is more competitive than Colorado. The reason...Fort Collins gets behind their school and supports it with total passion...even though their facilities aren't the most desirable. CU on the other hand, has never had community support for it's athletic programs. Football has forever been changed at CU...not sure they'll ever get back to the success they had in the 90's, especially now that they'll be competing against Pac10 schools. Ever been to a CU basketball game? What a joke! The only time the Coors Event Center is sold out is when KU is in town...and 99% of the fans in the seats are KU fans.

By the way, Gary Barnett was on a local radio station lastnight saying that Texas A&M is evidently looking at joining the SEC and not the Pac10...

When it comes to dead weight...how could one not think of South Dakota State!!!?

[92EagleFan Matt B]

Now that Boise State has accepted an invitation to join the Moutain West Conference, will the WAC begin looking for someone to replace them? And if so, who would be possible candidates?

This is a quote from the WAC commish.

"I expect that one of these teams will do just that – step up and perform. And as I have said many times – when schools join the WAC, they get better and I am sure that too will be the case regardless of the team or teams that will join the WAC in the coming months. The WAC Board of Directors will begin immediately to evaluate possible replacement teams. However, a specific timeline has yet to be determined as we continue to follow the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics that is currently underway."

[vcboy2000]

SDSUJacks...

When it comes to dead weight...how could one not think of South Dakota State!!!?

Oh, now you've done it Titansoccer8. You've given him another platform to pump up SDSU athletics. And this thread was going so good!

[LarryL]

I know the SEC is drooling over the possibility of adding Florida State and Miami, but I hope to God the ACC does not get gobbled up. I would rather see the ACC add a few more teams from the Big East, and become their own "Super Conference".

[ORUTerry]

The media seems to think that the SEC would also go after Clemson (paired with South Carolina) and Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech (paired with Georgia). Lots of possible changes.

[ORUJason]

I remember when the WAC had 16 teams who played together for around 5 years and then the 8 mountain west teams split off to form their own conference. Once the PAC-16 has played together for 5 years or so, what would stop that conference (or any other conference of 16 teams that gets a group of schools who are frustrated with the status quo and think they can get more $ on their own) from breaking up into 2 8-team conferences. Once a group of 6+ teams has played together for 5 years, I think they qualify for auto bids in all sports except football. I am not saying this is likely, but if one group of 8 teams thought they could get more $ by signing their own deal and not having to split the $ 16 ways, it's always a possibility.

[LarryL]

The media seems to think that the SEC would also go after Clemson (paired with South Carolina) and Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech (paired with Georgia). Lots of possible changes.

Clemson/USC and Ga/Ga Tech would be natural rivals that have been playing each other every year forever, and would make sense. Just not too sure I like the ACC being broken up.

[SDSUJacks]

Jacks, we don't laugh at you for talking college football. We live in Oklahoma for crying out loud. We laugh at how big of a deal you think FCS is on a national scale.

I can see where you think I think FCS football is a big deal to everyone and that's probably my own fault. I don't think it's a big deal to everyone but the top 30 or so FCS teams it is a very big deal. We get nearly 14k in a stadium that seats barely 11k. When we renovate our stadium we'll soon draw close to 20k. That's a big deal......to us anyway.

[SDSUJacks]

SDSUJacks...not sure why you think Colorado State and Wyoming are dead weight...in all honesty, from an athletics perspective, Colorado State offers more and is more competitive than Colorado. The reason...Fort Collins gets behind their school and supports it with total passion...even though their facilities aren't the most desirable. CU on the other hand, has never had community support for it's athletic programs. Football has forever been changed at CU...not sure they'll ever get back to the success they had in the 90's, especially now that they'll be competing against Pac10 schools. Ever been to a CU basketball game? What a joke! The only time the Coors Event Center is sold out is when KU is in town...and 99% of the fans in the seats are KU fans.

I have basically said the same thing you have about Colorado a few times. Just not sure, other than geography, why the PAC10 would want Colorado. KU football is just as good and basketball is 100x better. I guess it's just for the Denver area but like you've said, they could care less about anything other than the Broncos or a good Nuggets or very good Buff football team.