Big 12

[Oliver]

When did this not become about expanding the brand and tapping into new markets...does it make any sense for the Big12 to take another team in a city and region they completely own?

We should be thinking Pac, B1G, ACC, in that order in my mind..

[PonyKris89]

I know those that think like this are probably in the minority, but I believe the Big 12 is best
when they play to their strength and that is the brand of Texas Football
and I mean Texas in the broad sense.

Adding these outlier schools just dilutes the brand, IMO.
They need to keep the door cracked for an SMU and Houston uprising.

Nothing wrong with solidifying the brand regionally.

[smusic 00]

Give Patterson UT's roster and he goes 11-1 or 12-0.

uhhh, he did that w/ TCU's roster this year. and undefeated in 2010 (w/ rose bowl win)

Shhhh, you'll [deleted] off the whorens

[Treadway21]

I know those that think like this are probably in the minority, but I believe the Big 12 is best
when they play to their strength and that is the brand of Texas Football
and I mean Texas in the broad sense.

Adding these outlier schools just dilutes the brand, IMO.
They need to keep the door cracked for an SMU and Houston uprising.

Nothing wrong with solidifying the brand regionally.

This would be smartest for the intensity of the competition and the most interesting match ups. But that is not what UT and OU care about. They only care about getting into the championship game with the least amount of difficult games as possible and make the most money possible from TV.

[Water Pony]

Interesting blog post about the Big XII's dilemma. The idea of playing PAC12 schools is one solution to their weak OOC schedule and earn recognition without a Championship Game. The alternative is expanding by two or four teams.

http://fishduck.com/2014/12/big-12s-big ... ct-pac-12/

[PK]

Hope our admin and AD lobby the hell out of the big 12 24/7. Don't know if we have a good time window or not...but hope springs eternal. Our last coaching staff did us no favors in preparing for future alignment.

[sbsmith]

$$$$$$$$$$$

[geno]

If Texas could turn back the clock they'd have gone with BYU and WVU instead of TCU/WVU. They do not want another Texas school to compete with but underestimated TCU's ability to compete right away.

So I have some connections with some substantial UT people and trust me they are not worried about TCU in the long term or short term. What they tell me is TCU had enough success that their includsion wasn't going to be received by poll voters as weakening the conference so it wouldn't hurt thier chances for winning BCS bowl spots or now playoff spots but that they are not concerned about TCU at all actually challenging them over time. ITO TCU is benefiting from a good coach and UT being down because of some lazyness on Mack's part the last few years. They are 100% certain that either a) Texas will get the act together and reassert itself and/or at some point Patterson will leave and TCU will fall back down. They basically think TCU is the same as Texas Tech under Leach. They will have some success but ultimately they cannot compete against them over time. In their mind the conference will always be Texas and OU fighting for top dog with a few other decent teams that help promote that Texas and OU should be considered at the top of college football when they win the big 12.

This is exactly what the Texas Exes that I run around with tell me and some of them are relatively big cigars with ties to the athletic department. And I suspect that they are right. TCU and WVU are not going to compete with UT in the long run unless the Horns become worse at developing talent than they already are. Give Patterson UT's roster and he goes 11-1 or 12-0.

You may not have noticed it, but Patterson went 13-0 two years ago and 11-1 so far this year, with the talent he recruited.

[Ponymon]

It aggravates me so that the four Texas schools are so selfish that they won't allow SMU and Houston in their club. Looking at the map in the DMN today, the obvious choices for expansion should be SMU, UH, Cincinnati and Memphis. It certainly doesn't hurt the league in Bball and look at the success of TCU, Baylor in football with the right coach and their attendance at games. I know, I know it will "never" happen but it is a shame!

From what I remember reading about the history of the old Southwest Conference, SMU was instrumental in getting Tech into the conference. They OWE us and should reciprocate!

[Stallion]

Actually we black-balled them for years

[Topper]

Give Patterson UT's roster and he goes 11-1 or 12-0.

uhhh, he did that w/ TCU's roster this year. and undefeated in 2010 (w/ rose bowl win)

Not with UT's roster

[Topper]

It aggravates me so that the four Texas schools are so selfish that they won't allow SMU and Houston in their club. Looking at the map in the DMN today, the obvious choices for expansion should be SMU, UH, Cincinnati and Memphis. It certainly doesn't hurt the league in Bball and look at the success of TCU, Baylor in football with the right coach and their attendance at games. I know, I know it will "never" happen but it is a shame!

From what I remember reading about the history of the old Southwest Conference, SMU was instrumental in getting Tech into the conference. They OWE us and should reciprocate!

SMU and Stanely Marcus of all people. A lot of Tech people were getting rich in the oil fields in W. Texas about that time, and they were threatening to send their wives somewhere other than Dallas to shop if they didn't get some support.

Interestingly, it seems to me that TCU's demise in the 60s coincided with Tech's admission. They fought over most of the same players and Tech was able to attract a lot of the talent that once went to TCU. We are in the same boat as Tech pre SWC: Top conference schools are enhanced by the conference.

[orguy]

Schools must earn their opportunities with wins which generate butts in the seats on game day. SMU has done neither with any consistency. Why some on this board think we can waltz into the big 12 just by existing is fantasy.

Regarding the UT comments. Of course they think TCU will level off. TCU may level off but my view is that they can compete. Its not all Patterson. Clearly OU and UT are down but both programs have been down for long stretches in the past. Others have proven they are going to be a force in the future. Year in year out I think teams like Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State and even West Virginia are going to have a shot at the title and not just in years where the big 2 are "down".

[Mustangs35SMU]

Why some on this board think we can waltz into the big 12 just by existing is fantasy.

Because we did it to the Big East.

But agreed with your overall post.

[PoconoPony]

We do not fit in the Big 12. We fit in the ACC where there is a balance of private and public schools, where football is respected and not everything, where basketball is appreciated and where our minor sports would be compatible.