Conference Realignment & The Big 12

[carlspacklerrocks]

Saw this long but pretty interesting article from a media person who says that there will be a lot more shuffling of schools between major and smaller conferences because TV and clothing sponsors will want it that way. It predicts 4 16-team major conferences with no more Big 12 and OU ending up in the SEC.

It's kinda crazy, but a lot of what it says also makes sense.

http://www.thechaosindex.com/cest-l...-to-change-a-whole-lot-more-than-you-realize/

 

[CTOkie]

I think that, behind closed doors, four 16-team conferences is what the NCAA wants and what will become reality.....with conference championship games and an extended playoff venue.

 

[OklaBama]

Very interesting article. I've been in the minority, but still feel top programs should be in the same conference competing and the nothing programs such as Kansas and Iowa State should go to another conference as the article suggests Kentucky and Vanderbilt may do. So I like what is being suggested. Pile on.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Speculation but you have to be prepared if true.

Oklahoma is wise to be exploring future options if necessary (SEC or PAC-12).

If inevitably there will be 4 (16 team) conferences, you have to consider how your conference stacks up to the other conferences with respect to quality and TV market size.

If the PAC-12 has to take 4(P5) schools to get to the required 16 teams, they will probably go to the Big 12.

Almost happened with the last round of expansion.

The Big 12 has 6 teams Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State (shared 1/2 population with Iowa) and West Virginia that only have a combined state population of just 10 million.

Without Texas giving up the LHN and the $15 million per year they receive a Big 12 Network will probably not happen.

Texas is a school that the B1G, SEC, Pac-12 and ACC would love to have join their conference due to its tradition and TV market size. Texas will always be courted by the other conferences.

Oklahoma would like the BIG-12 to expanded to 12 schools but I believe Texas is currently not in favor of conference expansion.

I think a decision is supposed to be made in the next several months.

Don't know how all this will shake out but you have to be prepared if it occurs.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Brentwood Sooner]

If OU went to $ec or Big 10 they could get 40 million a year instead of 23 million

 

[CTOkie]

Speculation but you have to be prepared if true.

Oklahoma is wise to be exploring future options if necessary (SEC or PAC-12).

If inevitably there will be 4 (16 team) conferences, you have to consider how your conference stacks up to the other conferences with respect to quality and TV market size.

If the PAC-12 has to take 4(P5) schools to get to the required 16 teams, they will probably go to the Big 12.

Almost happened with the last round of expansion.

The Big 12 has 6 teams Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State (shared 1/2 population with Iowa) and West Virginia that only have a combined state population of just 10 million.

Without Texas giving up the LHN and the $15 million per year they receive a Big 12 Network will probably not happen.

Texas is a school that the B1G, SEC, Pac-12 and ACC would love to have join their conference due to its tradition and TV market size. Texas will always be courted by the other conferences.

Oklahoma would like the BIG-12 to expanded to 12 schools but I believe Texas is currently not in favor of conference expansion.

I think a decision is supposed to be made in the next several months.

Don't know how all this will shake out but you have to be prepared if it occurs.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

I would endorse Big12 expansion only if big name teams were added. We already have two dwarfs in Kansas and Iowa State and K-State may fade after Snyder leaves. I keep hearing teams like Tulane and Memphis, but we have to aim higher. Lewisville and Houston would be my choices, with Lewisville added to the Big12 North and Houston to the Big12 South.....but I see the Big 12 being dismantled with OU, UT, TCU, OSU, Baylor and Tech being taken by either the SEC ot Pac12 within the next few years.

 

[owenfieldreams]

the point about moving in and out of the top league based on performance is how English Premier League works.

 

[Soonersincefitty]

I'm probably thinking too far out of the box but, why can't OU go Indy?
Are we that much less the brand name than Notre Dame? Really, I mean they seem to be doing OK despite their last title being in 1988. (28 years ago)
Schedule the big dogs when possible and if we must honor the Red River Rivalry, OK, Texas, every year.
Like Dame does USC.

I just grow tired of all the hand wringing year after year about it and was just trying to come up with something to make it stop.

 

[soonernacho]

If OU went to $ec or Big 10 they could get 40 million a year instead of 23 million

OU 2015 revenue of $134 million ranks number 8 in the country. Ahead of plenty of sec and big 10 teams. Joe C thinks big picture more than knee jerk fans.

 

[Brentwood Sooner]

OU 2015 revenue of $134 million ranks number 8 in the country. Ahead of plenty of sec and big 10 teams. Joe C thinks big picture more than knee jerk fans.

How much did they pocket?? Vandy get more than OU because of the $ec, $ec or bust

 

[8085sooner]

The BigXII will have to add two serious teams. We have way to many mid to minor Colleges. OU and Texass are the only schools that have 80k plus stadiums. OU and Texass are the only teams that can sellout every game. ISU, Baylor, TCU, OSU, KU and KSU add nothing as far as College football, TV and tradition.
The best move is the PAC, they need both OU and Texass, The BIG and the SEC already have major Stadiums, major traditions, with major fan bases.

 

[OklaBama]

The BigXII will have to add two serious teams. We have way to many mid to minor Colleges. OU and Texass are the only schools that have 80k plus stadiums. OU and Texass are the only teams that can sellout every game. ISU, Baylor, TCU, OSU, KU and KSU add nothing as far as College football, TV and tradition.
The best move is the PAC, they need both OU and Texass, The BIG and the SEC already have major Stadiums, major traditions, with major fan bases.

You make a good point. For me personally, the only down side is the kickoffs begin too late in the day for people here in Oklahoma a lot of times.

 

[owenfieldreams]

When this all boils down to fish or cut bait time, OU will likely have 4 reasonable options; stay in an expanded Big 12, join an eastern PAC-12 configuration with UT, join a western configuration of the Big 10 with either UT or KU, or join a western configuration of the SEC with OSU. Each scenario has merit, each has negatives. As fans we have our own personal preferences but we have to trust the administration to make the decision that gives the athletic dept. the best chance for long term success.

 

[BringBackRoyal_rivals20022]

The BigXII will have to add two serious teams.

It can't. The Big 12 is the demographic weakling of the P5. There are no realistic attractive candidates for expansion -- just the assortment of mid-majors with small to minuscule fan bases that everyone always mentions, none of which would do a damn thing for the conference's long-term problems (as a school merely existing in a market does not necessarily deliver that market for anyone), and all of which would be welfare cases in the Big 12.

 

[BringBackRoyal_rivals20022]

I would endorse Big12 expansion only if big name teams were added. We already have two dwarfs in Kansas and Iowa State and K-State may fade after Snyder leaves. I keep hearing teams like Tulane and Memphis, but we have to aim higher. Lewisville and Houston would be my choices, with Lewisville added to the Big12 North and Houston to the Big12 South.....but I see the Big 12 being dismantled with OU, UT, TCU, OSU, Baylor and Tech being taken by either the SEC ot Pac12 within the next few years.

See above about adding big-name teams. This conference has no leverage.

Louisville is not leaving the ACC, and Houston is one of the last schools the conference should add. If we're adding schools, we need to be expanding the conference's population footprint (but not with schools with tiny fan bases -- which is why we shouldn't expand at all). The Big 12 already owns the Houston market.

 

[BringBackRoyal_rivals20022]

When this all boils down to fish or cut bait time, OU will likely have 4 reasonable options; stay in an expanded Big 12, join an eastern PAC-12 configuration with UT, join a western configuration of the Big 10 with either UT or KU, or join a western configuration of the SEC with OSU. Each scenario has merit, each has negatives. As fans we have our own personal preferences but we have to trust the administration to make the decision that gives the athletic dept. the best chance for long term success.

The last scenario will never happen. The SEC is never going to add two teams from Oklahoma.

 

[soonernacho]

The BigXII will have to add two serious teams. We have way to many mid to minor Colleges. OU and Texass are the only schools that have 80k plus stadiums. OU and Texass are the only teams that can sellout every game. ISU, Baylor, TCU, OSU, KU and KSU add nothing as far as College football, TV and tradition.
The best move is the PAC, they need both OU and Texass, The BIG and the SEC already have major Stadiums, major traditions, with major fan bases.

Actually some of these big XII teams do well on TV. Big XII style of play can be fun to watch. Baylor OU had higher TV ratings than OU texas. TV audience cares less about stadium size. Pac XII ratings suffer from bad time slots and less regional football passion.

 

[soonernacho]

How much did they pocket?? Vandy get more than OU because of the $ec, $ec or bust

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/

This is why OU administration is content in the big XII. They are not in a hurry to fix what isn't broken.

 

[OklaBama]

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/

This is why OU administration is content in the big XII. They are not in a hurry to fix what isn't broken.

Interesting how much less PAC 12 teams do, but I understand after thinking about it. You are probably right about the powers that be not being in a hurry to make a move if money is the goal. However, if winning national championships is a goal, the B12 isn't as likely to make it to the final game until it expands, adds better teams, and goes to a CCG format. A ten team conference is no longer doable especially with teams like Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech, and soon to be Kansas State. IMO.

 

[8085sooner]

Actually some of these big XII teams do well on TV. Big XII style of play can be fun to watch. Baylor OU had higher TV ratings than OU texas. TV audience cares less about stadium size. Pac XII ratings suffer from bad time slots and less regional football passion.

It's not the individual game, it's the strong fanbase that supports their team for every game. Go to the national board and a Baylor fan sighting, is about as rare as Bigfoot. OU fans and football fans will watch OU play a crappy team. Hell the first time I went to an OU @ Baylor, we had more fans, then they did. We need, big fan bases, big stadiums and fans that will watch, travel and support their team, playing a 2-4 dog.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

The area of concern is what is Texas going to do if/when the LHN is not renewed/cancelled.

Texas receives $15 million per year from the LHN. However, in its first five years ESPN has lost $48 million on the LNH. (Google has many articles on ESPN losses from the Long Horn Network).

ESPN is not in the business of losing money.

Can a Big-12 Network (????) bring in enough money for Texas to recoup its loses from a discontinued LHN.

If not what will Texas do.

I think this the reason Oklahoma is exploring its options (speculation).

HAIL TO PITT!!!!