BIG EXPANSION NEWS ON RIVALS

[Stallion]

ponyboy-you don't think that bridge has been crossed? Ahm yea it has. These Big 12 weanie teams complaining have made much too much of that clause. It amounts to a couple of Million a year. The teams who played in bigger games got more money-so what. It really was the lack of financial competitiveness from non TV revenue which made those teams uncompetitive with Texas

[Stallion]

Invitations don't go out until these matters are discussed.

[ponyboy]

So you're saying that it's a done deal, then?

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

This would be terrible for SMU. If this happens, then all of the big 12 leftovers move ahead of us on the list

Uh?..How would Baylor & Iowa State who would be Big 12 leftovers "move ahead of us"?

[huskerpony]

As I read it, the article is saying that this is what Fox wants--not necessarily that the Pac-10 has decided to make that offer, or that any of those teams are going to accept. The tv contract will drive everything, but the end of the article stating that Texas could still make moves to hold the Big 12 together would make sense too. But like Stallion said, if Texas wants to keep the Big 12 together, they will have to do something to keep some combination of the North teams from leaving. If all 3 go, the Big 12 is dead.

[Stallion]

There is one more scenario you have to calibrate to judge SMU's chances. Iowa St., Kansas and Kansas St. could combine with say Louisville, Cincinnati and Memphis to form a Western Wing of the Big East which may get devastated in a Big 10 expansion. This could really open up some slots in a MWC/Leftover Conference. Or the best of the MWC/CUSA and Big 12 Leftovers could gel into a new conference which is the scenario which would be the best for SMU. Does anyone think Iowa St and San Diego St belong in the same conference? How about a KSU. UNLV matchup? But for SMU a Conference with Baylor, SMU, TCU, Houston, Kansas, KSU, Iowa St. New Mexico, CSU, BYU, Utah, BSU Air Force and others would be ideal-hopefully this wouldn't include the far west schools. Note I named 13 schools-what if they stopped at 12?

[abezontar]

drop Baylor?

[shadowman]

This would be terrible for SMU. If this happens, then all of the big 12 leftovers move ahead of us on the list

Uh?..How would Baylor & Iowa State who would be Big 12 leftovers "move ahead of us"?

Iowa St. is iffy, Ill give you that, but I could just as easily argue that Iowa St. is a more attractive addition to the MWC over us just as easily as I could argue we are.

Kansas and K. State, no brainers, more desirable to any big conference than us.

Baylor, sad but true, much more desirable than us. It pains me to say it, but there is no scenario where I see us being more desirable than Baylor. They have a ton of money, they play all the sports, most of them well, they have great facilities and they control the bible belt.

[RE Tycoon]

It begs the question, what good is Baylor without the Big 12 dollars? Although they are the largest private school in the country, they don't deliver any media market in the state. I know they're good at basketball, but isn't this all about Football?

Is Baylor > SMU without the Big 12 propping them up?

[shadowman]

It begs the question, what good is Baylor without the Big 12 dollars? Although they are the largest private school in the country, they don't deliver any media market in the state. I know they're good at basketball, but isn't this all about Football?

Is Baylor > SMU without the Big 12 propping them up?

I would think so, as you said, largest private school, LARGE alumni base that is active, much bigger and more active than ours, plus they have committed to football as well, with Briles. Yes, they have had the benefit of Big 12 dollars, but I just don't see us as being ahead of them on anything, other than our location.

You have got to feel that they are on par or even better than us at football, recruiting comparisons certainly bear that out, hard to compare our seasons when one plays in C-USA and one plays in the Big12. If they were on our schedule this year, I certainly feel that they would be favored.

[Stallion]

It would be best if they went to 16 and fit SMU and Baylor in-I would love to reestablish the annual SMU/Baylor Game. It was the best rivalry SMU played on the field for 20 years before the DP. Hoping such a conference would go to 16 you could have a Southern Division of SMU, Houston, TCU, Baylor, New Mexico, Air Force, Colorado St, and another I hazard to guess. Or if the MWC stays together a fun little SMU, TCU, Baylor, UH, UNLV, San Diego St, New Mexico, Air Force with some great trips. But cutting the pie 16 ways for a Second Tier Conference might not make economic sense. On the other hand if the MWC is gonna get a Texas footprint they need to do more than dip their feet in the pond with TCU.

[RE Tycoon]

LARGE alumni base that is active

I beg to differ. Maybe active within a 15 minute drive of Waco.

[skyscraper]

ESPN's mid-major blogger has an interesting take on the Orangebloods report.
It does not mention SMU, but does throw in Tulsa and Houston.

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/22802/the-mountain-west-might-be-more-secure-after-recent-news

A conference needs at least eight members to keep its automatic qualifying status and the Big 12 would be left with Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. That would put teams such as TCU, Utah, Colorado State and New Mexico right in the Big 12’s crosshairs mostly because of their unique television markets (and probably Houston and Tulsa, too).

[skyscraper]

Also, for those of you without a lovely Rivals subscription, the gist of their report is everywhere now.
This Sporting News re-write has pretty much all you need to know:
http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2010-06-03/pac-10-reportedly-ready-invite-six-big-12-teams

[East Coast Mustang]

If I was Mike Slive, I think I'd be setting up a conference call with the Texas, A&M, OU, and OSU presidents ASAP. If SEC is forced to go to 16 (which maybe inevitable at this point) then Texas and A&M are undoubtedly at the top of the list. Don't know if they'd rather see OU and OSU tag along, or if they'd prefer to poach two from the ACC as well