SMU does have one angle to get in the Big XII

[Dukie]

Most of the commentary on the Group of 5 schools trying to be chosen for the Big XII has focused on Boren's comment about reaching out to schools about "what proposals they might make" and figured that "proposals" just meant their pitch as to why their teams, academics, fan base, TV market etc are the best available.

But what if "proposals" really means proposals for how little money they will accept for how many years? We all know TCU and West Virginia took reduced shares for years (they only get full shares around now, I believe). We also know that the Big XII TV contract goes through 2025, and *requires* their broadcast partners to pay an additional $23MM/year for each school added--the "pro rata" clause that's talked about here:

http://www.cbssports.com/college-footba ... expanding/

Now, that article and most like it still assume that entering schools will get that $23MM pro rata share. I think that may be an erroneous assumption. It's more likely to me that the Big XII is really asking applicants, how little will you take for how long? And if SMU is willing to be an outlier in terms of low bids, maybe it can get in, because the current members will profit more from paying SMU $10MM/year and splitting the rest than they will paying BYU the full $23MM/year.

See this article about the ACC Network for how I stumbled onto this idea:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... /87413384/

Key quote: "It’s not a coincidence that the Big 12’s expansion plan is transparently a short-term cash grab. The league essentially asked wanna-be members to submit their best proposal – meaning in part, 'How little would it take for you to join us?' The Big 12’s TV deals stipulate a pro rata rights fee increase with each new member. It’s why there’s a push to add not just two but four schools (and hey, why stop there?). New members would get only partial shares for several years, while the 10 current members would divide some percentage of that extra money."

[max the wonder dog]

My longshot scenarios for SMU in a P5 are:

A. TX and OU split for greener pastures and SMU has a chance at joining a much weaker Big 12.

B. ACC, Big 10 or PAC12 decide they need an outpost in TX. If the Horns stay put and Houston is in the Big 12, SMU would be the most attractive team remaining.

I look for reasons to be optimistic

[One Trick Pony]

Sure optimism is the key essential to happiness in this world.

Please invite your friends to the ball game so we have more than fifteen hundred .

[Dukie]

It's hard to be optimistic. To the extent I'm optimistic, it goes back to the dollars. All these schools want in the Big XII, but how many of them can self-bankroll and underbid the others? Maybe only SMU and Memphis.

[BIGHORSE]

Turner and Hart should tell the Big 12 that we will take much less money than

other schools, like the frogs get 20 million a year, we could just take 15 million a year, we

should tell them we will do whatever we must do to get in.

[smupony94]

We offered to build a fountain in honor of all the current Big 12 presidents

[BIGHORSE]

We offered to build a fountain in honor of all the current Big 12 presidents

with Turner's picture on them?

[mrydel]

We could offer to count the number of teams in order to name the conference

[smusic 00]

If it's a check writing contest, we win. Otherwise, whoops!

[Dukie]

We could offer to count the number of teams in order to name the conference

I mean, this has been an underrated skill set within that conference.