Consider this Big XII

[SMUstang]

The leftover 8 plus Houston, SMU, Rice and Cincinnati. This would essentially restore what is left of the SWC and what is left of the Big 8.

[Dukie]

The leftover 8 plus Houston, SMU, Rice and Cincinnati. This would essentially restore what is left of the SWC and what is left of the Big 8.

Rice is not getting back with SWC mates, ever. No more than the U of Chicago is rejoining the B1G.

[SMUstang]

If the AAU has any significance to the Big XII, as well as endowment, then Rice would be a solid add.

[Water Pony]

If the AAU has any significance to the Big XII, as well as endowment, then Rice would be a solid add.

I wish academic reputation and endowment were a factor in conference alignment, but sadly no. I admire the Owls, but they are unlikely to get an invitation. Media impact, size of alumni base and athletic reputation will be more impactful.

[Bergermeister]

I wish academic reputation and endowment were a factor in conference alignment, but sadly no. I admire the Owls, but they are unlikely to get an invitation. Media impact, size of alumni base and athletic reputation will be more impactful.

And SMU is in the same boat as Rice. I admire the Ponies, but SMU is unlikely to get an invitation.

[PonyTime]

I wish academic reputation and endowment were a factor in conference alignment, but sadly no. I admire the Owls, but they are unlikely to get an invitation. Media impact, size of alumni base and athletic reputation will be more impactful.

And SMU is in the same boat as Rice. I admire the Ponies, but SMU is unlikely to get an invitation.

Hate to say this but I believe that Rice has appeared in and won more bowl games than SMU over last 20 years. Also has made numerous appearances in College World Series and won quite a few conference championships in Baseball. Basketball has been a wasteland down there for years though.

[indianmustang]

I wish academic reputation and endowment were a factor in conference alignment, but sadly no. I admire the Owls, but they are unlikely to get an invitation. Media impact, size of alumni base and athletic reputation will be more impactful.

And SMU is in the same boat as Rice. I admire the Ponies, but SMU is unlikely to get an invitation.

Hate to say this but I believe that Rice has appeared in and won more bowl games than SMU over last 20 years. Also has made numerous appearances in College World Series and won quite a few conference championships in Baseball. Basketball has been a wasteland down there for years though.

Rice appeared in 5 and won 3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Owls_football#Bowl_games

Smu appeared in 6 and won 3
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMU_Mustangs_football
[/url]

[PonyTime]

Thanks - I have tried hard to erase the last two from my mind.

Giving up over 100 points to La Tech and Florida Atlantic does that to a ponyfan.

I don't think that Rice and SMU are on the same level now as their baseball has tapered off lately and Football misses the Bailiff years. They were much better positioned about 8 years ago than they are now.

[mustangxc]

I would love to have the 6 SWC schools together. I don't think it would ever happen, but this would be a fun conference.

West
Rice
Houston
SMU
TCU
Baylor
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
Memphis

East
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
West Virginia
Temple
Cincinnati
UCF
USF

[birddogger]

If the AAU has any significance to the Big XII, as well as endowment, then Rice would be a solid add.

I wish academic reputation and endowment were a factor in conference alignment, but sadly no. I admire the Owls, but they are unlikely to get an invitation. Media impact, size of alumni base and athletic reputation will be more impactful.

Rice is a world-class university—except when it comes to athletics. It has its priorities in order and wisely does not rely on its athletic department for its identity. But for that same reason, it doesn’t belong in a reconstituted AAC or BigAm. It might if it followed the Stanford model, but it hasn’t and doesn’t seem to have the will to do so. It would likely require too many fundamental changes. Hats off, though, to sticking with its mission.

If I were the benevolent dictator of the AAC/BigAm, I’d modify some of the suggested memberships and alignments that have been proposed here. I would move the Kansas schools to the West, keep Tulsa over inviting Rice and invite either of BYU or ISU. In the East, I’d keep Tulane and ECU move Memphis there and add Navy, which has a nice national following and travels well. This leaves two 10-team divisions with a 9-game division schedule, plus 3 or 4 non-conference games for each school:

WEST
Houston
SMU
TCU
Baylor
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
Kansas
Kansas State
Tulsa
[BYU/ISU]

EAST
Memphis
Tulane
Iowa State
West Virginia
Temple
Cincinnati
UCF
USF
ECU
Navy

We’d have a cracking good basketball conference that I’d argue is top 2 or 3 with the potential for 8-10 Top 25/March Madness teams.

I don't like Tulsa and do not believe Tulane brings viewers, either, so you might talk me out of keeping them, but they are founding AAC members and offer not much less or about the same as K-State, SMU and Temple in terms of TV viewership. From an SMU-centric POV, I'd like to add BYU, so that most weeks we would be playing someone we really dislike: BYU, TCU, and Baylor. And throw in distasteful TT and Tulsa for seasoning and this board would be full of bile and hurling insults, just like when we were kids. And we'd get to hate everybody in the East during BB season.

[Topper]

SMU, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane are basically in the same boat. No TV viewership while TV contracts will govern what happens next. Although they don't act like it, Baylor and TCU are in the same boat unless they are on a broadcast game against a big state school. In the long run I think that the big schools will try to rid themselves of schools like Northwestern and Vanderbilt before they will think of adding more small private colleges. Duke and Wake Forest may be the best positioned privates because they are in a very powerful basketball league. Notre Dame and BYU have strong TV audiences but hard to say that they will fit in a conference structure although Notre Dame certainly would be welcome anywhere.

[EastStang]

Tulane is in a large market and New Orleans is a great destination to go to a game and is not an impossible drive from SMU, Houston, or Memphis. I think that Tulane should do with New Orleans like SMU is trying to do with Dallas. Make itself New Orleans' team. Houston, Tulsa, Memphis, and Cincinnati already have the metro name. Temple ought to try that with Philly (although they may not want Philly fans). Navy has a National following. UCF and USF have been doing that with Orlando and Tampa. ECU is in the sticks with no real following outside of its alums. In NC you see Carolina, Duke and NCS hats all over the place and a few App State and ECU.

[gostangs]

Tulane is in a large market and New Orleans is a great destination to go to a game and is not an impossible drive from SMU, Houston, or Memphis. I think that Tulane should do with New Orleans like SMU is trying to do with Dallas. Make itself New Orleans' team. Houston, Tulsa, Memphis, and Cincinnati already have the metro name. Temple ought to try that with Philly (although they may not want Philly fans). Navy has a National following. UCF and USF have been doing that with Orlando and Tampa. ECU is in the sticks with no real following outside of its alums. In NC you see Carolina, Duke and NCS hats all over the place and a few App State and ECU.

I love NOLA but it is not a large market. Number 50 tv market. Tulsa and Tulane dont do much for our tv payout and ultimately wont be worth a “slice”. We barely are and we are in the number 4 TV market.

[Water Pony]

A one off report on Big 12's interest in UCF:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb ... entnewsntp

[Charleston Pony]

I've said all along that if I was running the Big XII I would reach out to UCF and Cincy in hopes of salvaging some value for the conference, not to mention adding a couple of eastern time zone teams to supplement West Virginia...but ultimately everyone in the Big XII is hoping to bail on their conference mates and to retain those healthy revenue sharing checks. Of the remaining AAC schools, I would say Memphis and Houston are probably the next best bets after UCF & Cincy right now. Bottom line is that size/attendance really matters.