Conference Re-Alignment Thread Part Who Knows

[coogrfan]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

Pete Thamel of the New York Times has tweeted today:



I know very few seem to agree with me but there will not be a Big 12 school left out in the cold period. Worst case for all of them is Big East. The only potential exception to that is Baylor because of TCU already in the Big East but I still feel it is much more likely that they are in rather than out.

If Baylor (a tiny private school that would never have been invited to join the Big XII if they hadn't had the extreme good fortune to have alums in both the Governor's and Lt. Gov's office when the SWC died) gets into a second BCS conference while Houston (the third largest public university in the state of Texas, located in the nation's fourth largest city) remains stuck in CUSA, I'm gonna be seriously pissed.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

It's funny that people think Texas and Texas Tech are attached at the hip. Tech could leave just like A&M did. They don't need Texas' permission. Tech is just as "married" to Texas as A&M was. I'm not saying that's what Tech will do, but the idea of them only doing what UT allows is comical.

[coogrfan]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

It's funny that people think Texas and Texas Tech are attached at the hip. Tech could leave just like A&M did. They don't need Texas' permission. Tech is just as "married" to Texas as A&M was. I'm not saying that's what Tech will do, but the idea of them only doing what UT allows is comical.

The only way Tech is getting an invite to another BCS conference is as a tag along.

[Redacted01]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

If Baylor (a tiny private school that would never have been invited to join the Big XII if they hadn't had the extreme good fortune to have alums in both the Governor's and Lt. Gov's office when the SWC died) gets into a second BCS conference while Houston (the third largest public university in the state of Texas, located in the nation's fourth largest city) remains stuck in CUSA, I'm gonna be seriously pissed.

Size has nothing to do with it. Houston is just fine in C-USA; conference will remain the same for a few years probably. Houston wasn't even considered for the Big 12 anyway, so it's probably time to let it go. TCU should have had Baylor's spot if anyone.

If the Big 12 is on a lifeline and the rest go their separate ways, who says legislature doesn't do something to get Baylor somewhere again? Problem is, there is really nothing they can do this time because the Pac-12 isn't going to want more than 4 teams and I doubt they take Baylor over Tech, though Baylor is certainly on the rise as of late.

[TDenverFan]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

What are the qualifications of becoming an AQ anyways? I thought it was based on a good 'ole boy network where the conferences elect themselves (kinda like the Holy Roman Empire). If the big boys can strip the Big XII's AQ and give it to the Mountain West, that's one thing. It's another thing if they strip it and don't award it to anybody else.

I'm still not sold on the PAC expansion. If they could get away with getting Texas and Oklahoma, they'd do it. Texas is ideologically to the left anyways; I don't know about Oklahoma. Anyone else that they bring will be center-right. Perhaps Texas will keep it together after all, but we won't know until it happens...

I believe the conference must be top 6 onthe following:

Win %
bowl win %
OOC win %

The Mwc, big east, and ACC all fulfill 2 of those I think.

[TDenverFan]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

I was wrong:

Here's an article on it http://www.bcsfootball.org/news/story?id=5126859

[coogrfan]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

Size has nothing to do with it. Houston is just fine in C-USA; conference will remain the same for a few years probably. Houston wasn't even considered for the Big 12 anyway, so it's probably time to let it go. TCU should have had Baylor's spot if anyone.

No one from the SWC other than UT and TAMU was "considered".

http://www.kilgorenewsherald.com/news/2010-06-29/Advice_%28and%29_Entertainment/Bob_Bullock_and_the_Big_12.html

After Arkansas bolted from the Southwest Conference for the Southeast, athletic directors from the Southwest Conference and the Big 8 began discussions about their own superconference. The talks centered on Texas and Texas A&M joining the Big 8, leaving TCU, Houston, Rice, Baylor, Texas Tech and SMU to fend for themselves in a much weakened Southwest Conference.

The athletic directors overlooked a few critical factors. (Lt. Gov.) Bob Bullock and Gov. Richards were Baylor grads. Bullock and Sen. John Montford, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, were Texas Tech grads, as was House Speaker Laney and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rob Junell. Stiff-arming them would not be easy.

Bullock, invigorated by the triumph and praise of the previous legislative session, summoned Bill Cunningham of UT and Herb Richardson of A&M to his office early in 1994, when the conference shuffle – converting the Big 8 to the Big 10 -- was on the verge of being a done deal. Glaring at the two men he said, “You’re taking Tech and Baylor or you’re not taking anything. I’ll cut your money off and you can join privately if you want, but you won’t get another nickel of state money.”

The university representatives apparently believed the subject was open for discussion, that they had a negotiating position. When they expressed hesitation, Bullock cut them off. “If you want to try me, go ahead,” he said.

“Governor, we understand,” Cunningham said.

At that moment, for all practical purposes, the Big 8 became the Big 12.

http://www.ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=75976&pid=685059

"As luck and fate would have it, Texas Tech had some very powerful members of the legislature," said former Tech AD Bob Bockrath. "Candidly, if not for the influence, it'd be the Big 10 — that's taken, so some other name. I don't think Texas and A&M saw Tech and Baylor as equal partners."

Former Baylor AD **** Ellis said : "It was a battle of the haves and have-nots. Baylor, we kind of snuck in. I'm sure there's resentment from SMU, TCU and Rice."

If the Big 12 is on a lifeline and the rest go their separate ways, who says legislature doesn't do something to get Baylor somewhere again?

Not gonna happen. The extraordinary combination of circumstances that allowed TT and Baylor to have so many key players in places of influence when the SWC died no longer exists, and is unlikely to ever be repeated.

Problem is, there is really nothing they can do this time because the Pac-12 isn't going to want more than 4 teams and I doubt they take Baylor over Tech, though Baylor is certainly on the rise as of late.

As others have pointed out, Baylor ain't going to the Pac; they want no part of a fundamentalist Baptist school.

[nortobc]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

SEC will expand to 16, picking up A@M, and Missouri in the West and Florida State and Clemson in the East.

[acts238shaun]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

Baylor to Big East makes sense. Baylor gets better in football and their basketball program fits in an already tough Big East. BBal in Big East is = SEC Football.

[untrugby]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

They are landing Hawaii, Reno, Boise State, and Fresno State, which are better than Utah, BYU, and TCU, IMO. If those 3 had stayed, I think the MWC would become an AQ. Now... They need the Big 12 schools to have a chance.

final poll rankings from the past 3 years

BYU 25, 12
Utah 18
TCU 7, 6,2

Boise 11, 4, 9
Missouri 19, 18
Nevada 11
Hawaii none
Fresno none
iowa st none
kansas none
kansas st none

they lost more than they gained. The MWC could have been close with boise, TCU and byu.

[wildthing2022000]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

There could easily be a split between the football schools and the basketball ones. The problem is that with this new TV deal the Football schools want the majority of the money and the basketball schools might be better going it alone. Who knows though.

I think we would have to wait and see where the SEC gets teams 14 and possibly 15 & 16 first which might affect the ACC if the SEC takes a couple of teams which might lead the ACC to raid the BE and take the north east schools which would make the Big East more of a midwest football conference.

[UWfan206]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

Me being a Pac guy would much rather have Kansas or Missouri over Texas Tech/

Also LOL @ the Iowa St. guy.

[Amoo316]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

Anybody who can get their hands on Kansas would accept Kansas, the question is going to be if they are married to KSU in these moves. Their football program isn't top notch, but their B-Ball program is too good and too big of a money maker not to have them.

[Cusefan]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

I think we would have to wait and see where the SEC gets teams 14 and possibly 15 & 16 first which might affect the ACC if the SEC takes a couple of teams which might lead the ACC to raid the BE and take the north east schools which would make the Big East more of a midwest football conference.

If the SEC raids the ACC, The ACC will not be a better football conference than the Big East, couple that with the new TV deal(which is reportedly better than the ACC deal), and Big East basketball which makes good money.

Look at Syracuse for an example, a move to the ACC will probably make SU more money but Syracuse or any other big time basketball program will not give up the foot print they have in NYC.

[Tovarich]

Re: A&M to the SEC starting to blow up again on Twitter

I don't get the sense Kansas and Kansas State are attached at all. I think Kansas has more of a rivalry with Missouri anyway. The PAC would love Kansas-but option A is Oklahoma, Texas, and then Larry will put up with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech to get their big brothers. Most other conferences won't do that-Oklahoma can go to any conference they like if they'll depart without Oklahoma State. Texas can go anywhere it wants-but the PAC is the only conference willing to bring Texas Tech along. If Texas wont concede to the PAC what it needs to join, Kansas and Missouri with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State would be a solid plan B if Larry thinks that those 4 schools are worth 84M per year to the TV contract, which is what would be required to keep the per-school per-year TV income the same. Plan C is to stay as it is. Larry Scott will not expand just for the sake of expanding. If 21M per school per year with 12 teams is as good as it gets, that's how we'll stay. There are no 4 other schools outside of those 6 that do anything but take away way more money than they bring in.