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From The Daily Kansan at the University of Kansas:

Every week, many people make shopping lists when they go to stores. With conference realignment shaking up the college sports world, conferences like the Pac-12 and the Southeastern Conference are making shopping lists to expand their conference. If the Big 12 wants to survive, they need to follow the pattern.

Replace the expired items

Expired items in the fridge are useless and should be thrown away. The Big 12 conference needs to throw the rotten item out and replace it with something that lasts longer. The useless item being referenced is Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe.

Beebe has been commissioner since 2007. When Nebraska and Colorado left the conference a year ago, Beebe’s favoritism toward Texas showed in the release of the Longhorn Network. That’s not a huge issue, but not being as aggressive in conference expansion is a big mistake. Beebe should have immediately talked to programs. Instead, the Big 12 continues to crumble because of a poor commissioner.

Get the essentials

On a grocery list, this includes items like bread, milk and eggs. For the Big 12, essentials need to be programs that will keep the conference going in the long run. The conference is falling apart, and it needs other big time programs.

Arkansas would be a great addition. It has a rich historic tradition and fit geographically in the Big 12. Arkansas may be content in the Southeastern Conference, but it would be an instant contender in the Big 12.

Houston fits geographically and provides a decent market. Adding another Texas school to the Big 12 could hurt the conference, but Houston’s football program is on the rise and provides competition.

The last team the Big 12 should add is Brigham Young University. The program has historic success in football and a large national following. BYU went independent last year, but stepping into an automatic-qualifying conference would be a valuable option.

Look for the best deal

There is always that deal that no one can resist. For the right price, quantity and quality, people will accept the deal. While the Big 12 is looking at big time programs, the best deal is Southern Methodist University. Yes, the school and athletic program aren’t highly touted like BYU, but with Texas A&M leaving the Big 12, a connection to a new area is appealing.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is huge for marketability, SMU is considering expanding its stadium and the school has great academics and a football team on the rise. Oh, and it has an expressed interest to join the Big 12. If the Big 12 wants to stay alive, accepting SMU would keep the conference on life support.

— Edited by Stefanie Penn

http://www.kansan.com/news/2011/sep/07/ ... g/?c=16078

I do like that part about 'academics'. But yes, a good article & we are a deal. So much of a deal that - I would bet - that within 5 yrs we'd be in the top 25 consistently.

What a shot for our athletic programs' recruiting!

Well the author got two things right- get rid of Beebe and add SMU.

GO PONIES!!!

65 is back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in my entire life that it is the best answer i have ever heard. gump, you are a genius.

With PAC 12 hesitating about OU/OSU, plus UT/TT and SEC seeding power to Baylor and the northern Big 12 school on approving A&M's move, college football and its traditions are at a tipping point. I predict OU, and as a result UT, will step away from the cliff, and commit long term to the Big 12 (whether or not A&M gets to leave). The result would depressurize the pending chaos.

With or without Beebe, the Big 12 convinces BYU to come and immediately adds Houston and SMU. At 12 members with a solid traveling epicenter in Dallas, the Big 12 looks strong for the long term with OU and Texas the first among equals. Their path to BCS will be better, as well, and all their sports, athletes and fans will not have to suffer the travel demands of going to the Pacific Coast and its Time Zone. Forget any other combination or wish list like attracting ND or Arkansas. It won't happen.

The result is we avoid the chaos and destructive nature of 16 member super(?) conferences.

After all that's said & done, why would any conference want TU as a 'conference mate' knowing what has happened? Anyone who doesn't play well in your conference sand box perhaps should be kicked out? Hmmmm???

One of the problems with the lil12 was the Texas schools & sometimes the OK ones uniting against the North so this does have to play itself out. Maybe the conference will allow teams like us to enter but with some proviso regarding our allegiance - to the Texas schools (TU) or the conference? Who knows but it will get interesting - hopefully.

If the whorns do stay, which is too bad, I just don't see them letting us in. We were their worst nightmare in the 80's & through the 30's & 40's. Hope you're right Water' but don't see it.

I want UT as a conference mate. Or anyone else that helps us get to AQ.

Water Pony wrote:I predict OU, and as a result UT, will step away from the cliff, and commit long term to the Big 12 (whether or not A&M gets to leave). The result would depressurize the pending chaos.

With or without Beebe, the Big 12 convinces BYU to come and immediately adds Houston and SMU. At 12 members with a solid traveling epicenter in Dallas, the Big 12 looks strong for the long term with OU and Texas the first among equals. Their path to BCS will be better, as well, and all their sports, athletes and fans will not have to suffer the travel demands of going to the Pacific Coast and its Time Zone. Forget any other combination or wish list like attracting ND or Arkansas. It won't happen.

The result is we avoid the chaos and destructive nature of 16 member super(?) conferences.

I count 13 teams in the scenario where A&M stays. If you were saying A&M goes, we're back into the issue of super conferences as SEC moves to 14 or 16 and everyone tries to equal them.

Water Pony, Why is the Big12-2(3) in trouble? The Longhorn Network and the unequal sharing of proceeds. The only way the Big12 really makes it in the long run if for Texas to give up these perks and they do not have a history that suggests they will. There is nothing unusual in what is going on. Many of us predicted it last year when Texas held the conference hostage and threatened to leave if it did not get special treatment. The other schools includin A&M caved in because they had no other option. Many of us said then that the other schools would be looking for a way to get out and they have. The only thing holding the conference together is the cost of eveyone getting out. From all the news reports A&M, OU, OSU, TT, & TU have a place to go. The others do not. What do the others have -- a potential law suit for tortuous contractual interfearance. And there is a lot of money at stake if either the schools that leave or the conferences they go to loose. So what is being asked right now is "How much money will it take to settle your potential claim?" If they can come to an agreement the schools all leave, if not then the schools and conferences have to decide whether they want to risk the potential liability. If your prediction that the conference stays together comes true and Texas doesn't change then it is only a matter of time until this all happens again.

I am assuming the Aggies pay a big penalty in order to leave. Baylor and others finally agree on this one departure on the condition that all remaining member "recommit" to a hard, long term deal. If OK/OSU were to go, the Big 12 situation becomes untenable and (with the except of UT) suffer irreparable harm, especially Baylor, KS, KSU and ISU.

Why does everyone assume the Pac 12 offer even exists?

USC, UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford and Colorado, with its new found sense of purpose, have enough votes to veto any new membership in the Pac-12.

We Trojans do not want UT, the Okies, and especially TT.

I predict Big-12 makes amends and stays put.

Texas will never allow SMU into "their" conference, unless it is the last option. For you youngsters who do not remember, they hate us and will do anything and everything to keep us down. While we deserved the probations we obtained in the past, the impetus for their being imposed upon us was clearly at the behest of the Longhorns.

No Fruit Sucks Like the Big Orange of Texas

Not so fast, my friends!

Bevo currently on bended knee in Norman. OK tells UT to shape up. Here is Boomers wanted list, big payment from Aggies, BYU and two more, Houston and SMU. Why? Give Big 12 a future (and wink, the PAC 12 is not inviting OK/OSU, TT and UT). Publically, OU and UT save Lone Star Football and preserve a BCS centered in the Great Plains and Texas. UT sheepishly agrees.

What makes you think that OU wants us? Like UT, they have an annual game in Dallas. Is it because SMU and UH are the best two remaining non-BCS teams in their demographic. Once you add BYU, you might have to look at Boise and AFA.