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from CBS Report:

"The provision mandating that a conference maintain a group of five members together for five consecutive years was removed on August 1, 2011, so the Big 12 isn't in any danger of outright disbanding unless it can't get eight eligible members together for a season. Considering SMU, Houston, and the suddenly vulnerable TCU are all viable expansion candidates right there in the state of Texas, to say nothing of programs like Louisville and Cincinnati who may be in danger of losing BCS conference status, disbanding seems exceedingly unlikely."
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/32089149

Looks like Big 12 and Big East could stay afloat even after all of this. I didn't know that provision had been removed...

Very interesting...

I could see the leftover Big 12 cobbling a conference together with the surviving Big East football programs (Cincy, Louisville, S Florida, TCU), then adding three from C-USA (maybe Houston, UCF, SMU). That gets you 12. If they prove stable, they might be able to convince Boise to hop on board with another MWC team to be named later, or even BYU. Might not be BCS after the next cycle, but maybe. Would be good bball too.

Its not a home run, but at least a double. Better than current situation.

This is the "in" we are looking for. Be agressive and SELL SELL SELL the program and university.

Top 5 media market (LYNCHPIN footnote for us)
#62 school in the nation according to US News
Best non BCS recruiting class in the country last year and likely again this year
Financial commitment to athletics
Moody upgrades and proposed Ford expansion
Crum Center
Bush Library

Get in guys....just get in.

If you can get TCU, boise, kansas....you may still qualify....

would look somewhat like this, and I think we'd have a better than 50% chance of getting in...

Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Missouri(longshot, they're likely to fall somewhere), TCU, Louisville, Cincinnati, USF, and some combo of SMU, Houston, UCF, BSU, BYU, ECU, Tulsa, Memphis

If u can get cincy, tcu, boise, mizzu and kansas.....all have BCS points for this cycle....You probably would be above current big east

sell tickets...revenue generation is a BIG issue with SMU.

no more sad-sack hand-wringing about the lack of a media/marketing department, but there needs to be some VERY creative thinking in the next 72 hours from the AD and the University leadership.

actually, it ends up looking like the old school CUSA mashed up with Big 12 rejects. I think you could get a decent tv contract with those schools and markets, especially with those good bball teams.

Follow me....follow me to freedom!

You know some of those schools may only want to join for football only and keep the BE TV contract for basketball. SMU/Houston/Baylor can't replace Georgetown/Marquette/ND on the schedule. Louisville, USF, Cincy and even TCU might opt to be BE in all sports and try and join a Big XII for football only. Another wrinkle to consider.

S

Any conference with Kansas is auto bid for NCAA....

Basketball is far easier subject....

BCS is the argument

Dooby wrote:Not so fast my friends. Anybody recall the NCAA rule for maintaining a conference with an automatic bid in the men's and women's basketball tournaments and other tournaments? Isn't that also 5 teams that have played together in the previous year? Hard to have a conference when you can't automatically get a team in March Madness.

with everything that is going on, i would anticipate the NCAA issuing waivers for this.