MOAR XPANSN: Big XII go/nogo decision down to BYU, Houston, or Cinci
Reading-between-the-lines reports from Big XII has their expansion to, finally, 12, about imminent, adding two of BYU, Houston or Cincinnati... unless if they decide not to.
http://www.frogsowar.com/2016/6/6/11860950/big-12-expansion-its-down-to…
And meanwhile, here is an opinion from a columnist that thinks the SEC could potentially rip up the Big XII and ACC by stealing their four top dogs. It's a very logical point, but it doesn't actually say this going to happen.
http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2016/06/06…
I guess Cincy makes sense for WVU, but otherwise not so much
I think you could argue Cinci makes MORE sense than BYU, or even Houston.
- Cinci gives them a border state rivalty for WVU.
- Cinci gives them more exposure in Ohio, a key recruiting ground for the second-tier talents (i.e. kids who don't go to OSU or UM).
- Cinci has somewhat better recent basketball history; Houston's is dated, and BYU's was never all that good.
- Houston is yet another Texas team. Do Texas, Baylor, and Tech all want yet more recruiting competition in the state? And Houston adds virtually no new eyeballs to the TV (see: Jim Delaney).
- BYU is a WEIRD place, brah.
I would definitely assume that Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor and TCU would all be anti-Houston. Just makes it even harder to recruit in-state whereas a Cinci or a UCF makes it easier for them to access Ohio & Florida
Additionally Houston adds nothing to the Big 12's current footprint, TV presence, or any additional markets
how many Cincy football fans are there in Ohio? That is not going to move the needle much at all.
I live in Cincinnati --- the ratio of Bearcat fans to Buckeye fans is above 1. And Bearcat fans definitely do not like Ohio State.
Anything that is good for UC is (somewhat) bad for Ohio State. Non-OSU B1G fans should be hoping for a UC Big XII invite.
I think that's generally right, but I bet a higher profile UC, in football, hurts Kentucky (and maybe MSU) more than it hurts OSU. For years OSU has gotten almost anyone it wants in football, and I can't see that changing any time soon. I could see UC taking more of the second-tier Ohio football recruits, though, instead of the third-tier guys they've probably been getting.
Part of me wants to see UC go just because I'd rather not see them in the Big Ten.
you are right --- a Big XII Cincinnati isn't going to start seriously competing with Ohio State for recruits from northeast Ohio or the Columbus region. That's the heart of Buckeye territory, always will be.
But they should become more of a factor for the top-notch talent produced annually in Southwest Ohio.
UC does need a better coach than Tubberville: but that's a whole different topic.
You're right on Kentucky, they wouldn't like a promoted UC. Michigan State I wonder about --- they've pulled Southwest Ohio recruits of late but of course Dantonio has roots here. That may diminish a bit when he leaves.
One school that mystifies me in terms of their relative lack of recruiting Southwest Ohio is Indiana.
I never really think of Indiana as actively recruiting football players. I imagine a fall Saturday rolls around and someone on campus notices it and says, "Oh shit, does anyone want to play football this weekend?"
lived in cincinnati for a year, and that city seems to be 1/4 wildcat fans, 1/4 bearcat fans, 1/4 hoosier fans, and 1/4 buckeye fans. i think raising the profile of the hometown team to the big 12 would raise the number of cincinnati fans and over time could help erode blind buckeye allegiance in the southern part of the state. so i fully support cincinnati upgrading conferences (as long as it is not big ten)
what would be even better is if the big 12 also added michigan state instead of byu or houston. then we could kick out rutgers and be back to 12 in the big ten. wishful thinking, i know.
and I'd say that OSU, UC and UK have the biggest fanbases here by FAR and I don't really even know who would be 4th as far as CFB (Xavier comes in a 4th in CBB). There seems to be a small sect of IU fans but I wouldn't say they vastly out number the Michigan or ND fans here. I'd put the ratio more like 50% UC, 35% OSU, 15% UK and even the UC fans are split into two groups: those that also like OSU and those that hate OSU with UC's campus being the epicenter of Buckeye hate and that signal getting weaker as you leave the city.
As far as the Big XII move, I think it'd be awesome as someone who lives here. Nippert only hold 40k but people pack it even though it's more of a basketball school. Personally I'm all for anything that rescues one of the last 2 legitimately respectable former members of the Big East from the dregs of the American.
There seem to be a lot of Notre Dame fans here. Most of those XU basketball fans also follow ND football, and I think there are more of them than you realize. (They far outnumber OSU basketball fans, that's for sure.)
But I live about a mile from Moeller, and I grew up about a mile from St. X., so maybe I haven't been getting a fair sample of the city at large.
I think they're #3 in metro Cincinnati in terms of # of football fans, ahead of UK. Catholic town, big Catholic high schools, and ND is annually in on those top-tier Catholic school recruits.
God forbid if UK football ever got good. There are definitely UK fans here but they just aren't UK football fans.
Houston actually brings Houston TV market more than you think...
Right now the top 2 draws in Houston aren't Big XII teams, it's an SEC school #1 and an American Conference team #2.
Houston doesn't kill the SEC, but it's somewhat beneficial for the Big XII...much more than RUTGERS for the Big Ten.
Houston is probably somewhere between Maryland and Rutgers. However, I'd put them ahead of Cincinnati when you're talking TV market impact.
That's not saying they should be one of the 2...I'm just saying the TV impact is bigger than you say above.
is going to be a football only member, they bring a lot of possible scheduling headaches because they do not play athletic events on Sundays.
That's ridiculoous.
These are all sports where part of the Big 12 postseason occured on a Sunday: M/W Golf, Baseball, Wrestling, Women's Bball, M/W Track and Field, M/W Tennis and Soccer.
There goes my prediction of BYU to the NFL.
I hope the B1G adds enough members to have the 'old' B10 teams, minus Penn State, in one division. That way I don't have to worry about cross-division games.
Rather, why don't we give them penn state, and heck, even pay the Big 12 to take them off our hands.
BTW, FUCK penn state and all their delusional joepa loving fans!
We can also throw in a slightly used Rutgers, I know they are our rivals, but if it helps get rid of PSU I am all for it.
I've had the good fortune of meeting several people from Iowa State. They are all humble, grounded, intelligent folks. We could then move Purdue to the east and put ISU in the west. I know it doesn't do anything for TV dollars and the like, but I'd feel better about the conference, and isn't that what really matters?
is a badass idea and there is already a rivalry with Iowa and a potential great rivalry game with Nebraska. And their BBall team isn't so terrible.
Also, any way we can get Penn State and their cultist fans who openly support 30 years of child rape as far from the B1G as possible would be just fine by me.
I like your thought about the new rivalry games!
As penn state could also have one with baylor!
/ducks!
Typically you'd rather be the instate school in highest profile conference. Back when the ACC was looking to expand, Virginia Tech was not one of the schools the ACC wanted. UVA was not going to vote for VA Tech to be included. VA Tech surpassed them in football and was became the school that local talent wanted to go to. VA Tech was not going to get a 'Yes' vote from UVA until some state lawmakers got involved.
If UVA had their way, VA Tech would be playing in the American Conference right now.
Would be a great move for basketball. Not much else...
You already have the Iowa market covered with having UI there. And that's not a big market to begin with. You're also making a pretty lameduck addition with football, and I'm not sure what ISU's academic standing is. Could be good, but with being too damn lazy to do my own research, I'd guess they're somewhat middle of the road.
Wherever the Big Ten goes next, it'll go into a market it doesn't already have (unless ND comes crawling back). Poach GaTech away for the Atlanta market, for example. Elite school, solid athletics, and a huge, untapped market for the B1G. Checks off all three boxes.
is a very good engineering school,
http://www.engineering.iastate.edu/the-college/college-facts/rankings/
and returning to my premise, which is that the only thing that matters is what I care about, that's a good thing.
Penn State is going to finish 4th in the East in perpetuity.
I think they're going to finish behind Maryland some years (this year included).
Lubrano (one of the PSU psycho alumni elected trustees) regrets signing off on PSU's payments to Sandusky's victims. Same SOB who showed up to support Sandusky in Sandusky's appeal for a new trial.
There are some rational PSU alumni, but some majority of them are happy to support those who enabled Sandusky's vile crimes.
I so wish we would kick them to the curb.
BTW, FUCK penn state and all their delusional joepa loving fans!
Is that "peace" before or after some courts finally force the NCAA to start paying players? And then the entirety of Diviision I-A, er, FCS II (NTFCS) (formerly FBS) gets ripped in half -- schools that want paid non-students for their teams, a la Alabama and LSU (merely formally recognizing what is happening today anyway), from schools that have no interest in that (Vandy, Northwestern, etc.) and schools in the middle unsure where to go (including us).
Not to mention the possibility of lawsuits about concussions forcing teams to stop playing football altogether.
Long-term peace is, uh, not in the plans, I don't think.
players will never be paid. Very soon they will likely be able to profit from their likeness, autograph, etc., but they will never be paid by the institution for their services. The implications are more complicated than most people will readily admit when they argue it on principle and would end essentially end college athletics as we understand them (at least the profit sports).
I'm sure money will win out in the end, but of all the conferences, the Big XII just has so much baggage with every school involved it just doesn't seem worth touching.
UT - wants to be the top dog at the expense of fairness
OU - always wants to bring its little brother OSU along
Baylor - will return to the stone ages where it belongs soon enough
Kansas - yay Basketball, do they do anything else?
K St - Bill Snyder can not live forever can he? Basketball is relevant every 15 - 20 years.
TCU - put all of it's eggs in the football and baseball basket has nothing for any other sport.
Texas Tech - is in Lubbock and Mike Leach & Bobby Knight are not walking through that door.
West Virginia - Enough said.
It's all about football and television.
Nevermind the fact that all these schools play a number of other sports and TV dollars are beginning to disappear.
Well Houston's not getting in, so I'd imagine they'll find a way around the Sunday play and do BYU and Cincy. Both make sense for the conference (both adding TV markets and having relatively good and well-rounded athletic programs).
Penn State & Baylor in their own penal conference?
the emphasis. In this case it seems either "penal" or "penile" would work.
FedEx is involved with selling Memphis to the Big XII, offering to sponsor the title game. Well, The Big XII just announced it's bringing its title game back...
byu and houston at least have some competitive justification and would be somewhat acceptable to fans who are sick of adding mid majors. Houston probably wins out to them due to location and not mormon baggage. Cinncy adds nothing at all to football fans in the heartland
if texas tech and tcu are smart, they will vote for expansion regardless of texas demands. Because if oklahoma bails, that's it
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