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and those who think Baylor and TCU are locked in with the big boys because of their recent successes and new/renovated stadiums ignore the fact that if Texas, Tech, OU & OSU should decide to "go west" and join the PAC it would destroy the Big XII, leaving the rest of that group begging for an invite from the SEC, Big 10 or ACC. With their relatively smallish stadiums (that I doubt would sell out if their programs dropped off from top 25 caliber and no longer had the larger state schools to help boost attendance), they may not be as attractive as some of you think. Texas may be down performance wise, but they remain one of the cash cows of college athletics. TCU and Baylor are very fortunate to be where they are and I'm sure the powers that be at those schools are uncomfortable when they hear anything that suggests the Big XII could collapse.

Bottom line is that if the Big XII does expand it will be because none of the P5 wants to be left out of the Championship Playoffs but rest assured SMU will not be one of the schools they consider. Like it or not, we simply don't add value and that will hurt Houston's chances as well. My money would be on BYU and the big Florida schools (UCF & USF) as the most likely candidates. Cincy and UConn are longshots but are both more attractive than SMU and Houston.

Georgetown was nothing before John Thompson. Duke wasn't anything before Coach K. Baylor was nothing before Briles, and TCU was nothing before GP/Fran.

All schools go through their ups and downs, good coaches and bad coaches.

The thing that separates the Iowa States, TCUs, and Baylors of the world from the second tier schools is an alumni base and university that have a consistent commitment to athletics.

What makes SMU unique in this situation is that we have a really long history of a commitment to athletics. And we have a 25 year history of zero commitment to athletics, which gave us 25 years worth of alums who don't care about sports.

The question of the day, obviously, is whether or not the older alumni and the city of Dallas can fund a consistent commitment to athletics until the alumni from the last 5 years make enough money to take over. Otherwise, when LB leaves, there is no money to fund the next great coach, and the program won't have that run of success. SMU Basketball and football need a run of ten years of prolonged success in order to make up for 25 years of ineptitude and get enough momentum to override the 25 years worth of alumni who don't care.

We are 3/10 of the way there in basketball, and 0/10 of the way there in football. If the major conferences consist of 80 teams, we are in good shape. But if the majors are closer to 65 or 70, we have no shot until we hit those 10 year thresholds.

You have to create the value.

It's depressing lol

Just remember that when the Big east was still the Big East, we were one of the first teams invited...before Tulane, Tulsa, ECU et al. We have value with our TV market, academic prestige and SWC pedigree. With our recent BB success and even just a pulse on the football field, we are a sleeping giant. ECU may average 55k for home games, but they still had to wait for the Big East to fall apart before they received an invite. Attendance and FB success only take you so far.

And let us not forget our fallen former comrades like Rice, UTEP, USM, Marshall who are left wandering the desert in the reconstituted CUSA making about $250k a piece on their crappy tv deal.

Five scenarios for Big XII by Sporting News

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-footba ... f8urkhgg8g

Water Pony wrote:Five scenarios for Big XII by Sporting News

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-footba ... f8urkhgg8g

SMU to SEC........B10......Pac-12......ACC?

The B12 is HQ'd in Dallas, the DMN does a serious piece on B12 expansion and offers these 4 schools as the most likely candidates: Cincy, BYU, UConn and Colorado St.

2 are chosen entirely for their TV markets, UConn & Colorado St.

I am 100% convinced that SMU would dominate either of those schools in FB if they were in the same conference and our commitment was there.

I am also convinced SMU can be superior to Cincy or BYU in FB if we are committed, although not to the degree as with UConn or Colo St.

So when people laugh about the possibilities of SMU joining a P5 conference I don't get it. How can serious people say add UConn or Colorado St to a P5 conference and totally dismiss SMU for another.

SoCal_Pony wrote:
So when people laugh about the possibilities of SMU joining a P5 conference I don't get it. How can serious people say add UConn or Colorado St to a P5 conference and totally dismiss SMU for another.

That's just media brainstorming. They figure the Big 12 needs markets and those schools are near major ones. The Big 12 has our market and no other P5 conference is looking to expand (at least not from the G5 ranks) so we won't be seriously mentioned as an expansion candidate in these types of articles. Of course being mentioned in articles doesn't mean any of those schools are going anywhere, it just means expansion is a hot button topic and writers need to write something to get clicks.

ponyinNC wrote:Just remember that when the Big east was still the Big East, we were one of the first teams invited...before Tulane, Tulsa, ECU et al. We have value with our TV market, academic prestige and SWC pedigree. With our recent BB success and even just a pulse on the football field, we are a sleeping giant. ECU may average 55k for home games, but they still had to wait for the Big East to fall apart before they received an invite. Attendance and FB success only take you so far.

And let us not forget our fallen former comrades like Rice, UTEP, USM, Marshall who are left wandering the desert in the reconstituted CUSA making about $250k a piece on their crappy tv deal.

Yep, more proof that we are fixtures if the umbrella expands to 80 (the Big East was the 6th power conference), but out if it is limited to 64.

One Trick Pony wrote:

ponyinNC wrote:ignore is a wonderful tool

Unfortunately when you guys quote him I still see the [deleted] on tap. He hasn't earned the right to complain about anything at SMU.

'He hasn't earned the right' I've been to more games, and provided more support to the program in recent years, than you and all your disinterested alumni friends combined.

I'll be back on the Blvd.

footballdad wrote:

One Trick Pony wrote:

ponyinNC wrote:ignore is a wonderful tool

Unfortunately when you guys quote him I still see the [deleted] on tap. He hasn't earned the right to complain about anything at SMU.

'He hasn't earned the right' I've been to more games, and provided more support to the program in recent years, than you and all your disinterested alumni friends combined.

I'll be back on the Blvd.

You contribute nothing of value to SMU, just fly off to where you came from.

Who's talking to who lol

JasonB wrote:Yep, more proof that we are fixtures if the umbrella expands to 80 (the Big East was the 6th power conference), but out if it is limited to 64.

We won't be the only ones left out at 64. Who gets kicked out when ND and BYU join because they have no other options? Forget any scenario where a current G5 school goes up if it's limited to 64.

Now that I've joined in beating a dead horse, I'll go back to just reading the nonsense instead of contributing to it.

footballdad wrote:

One Trick Pony wrote:

ponyinNC wrote:ignore is a wonderful tool

Unfortunately when you guys quote him I still see the [deleted] on tap. He hasn't earned the right to complain about anything at SMU.

'He hasn't earned the right' I've been to more games, and provided more support to the program in recent years, than you and all your disinterested alumni friends combined.

I'll be back on the Blvd.

Putting aside any online purse fights, I will read (agree or disagree) virtually any post that footballdad puts out for two reasons:

1) Debate is often healthy, and just because I disagree with someone else doesn't mean that one of the parties is not necessary;

2) ponyte said he knows him, and has lined up against him in the past, IIRC. That alone would be enough. For all I know, footballdad was the recipient of The Block. Regardless, I tend to trust opinions of folks that have earned my own trust.
Since I have no idea how to "unfriend" here or virtually anywhere else online, I figure that I need to put on my big-boy pants if I engage folks on what is by nature, opinions.