A&M and BU presidents lobbied for UH for Big 12 inclusion

[malonish]

How much a factor was it that TCU has consistently had a much better football program over 15 years?

Funny how that works sometimes

[ponyinNC]

How much a factor was it that TCU has consistently had a much better football program over 15 years?

As usual, the simplest explanation is the correct one.

[ponyboy]

It was a big factor, but hardly the only one.

[Stallion]

how about the factor that TCU has had better attendance every year for 15 years

[ponyboy]

There's another.

[West Coast Johnny]

TCU's television ratings while in the MWC were much greater than Houston's in CUSA. TCU's games on versus were the highest rated football they had - big fish in a small pond. TCU had a snowball's chance in hell of getting into the big 12, until Chuck Neinas and Fox executives met with big 12 Ads and presented the TV ratings and the ADs quickly changed their tune.

Baylor for that matter was looking at getting banished to CUSA if the Big 12 imploded and they would grasp at any straw including Houston.

Yes but from what I have heard that's only half the issue.

After A&M left nobody knew if MU was following. The Big 12 looked at Pitt, WVU, BYU, and UL before TCU and all were either trying for other leagues (ACC for Pitt or SEC for WVU), overplaying their negotiating hand (BYU), or too timid to fight the court battle to leave the BE in under the 27 months required in bylaws until the B12 set in more stability. (UL)

This scenario gave TCU the opening it needed and from there on their ratings carried them.

TCU's ratings made them a contender but both factors had a significant role in getting TCU in.

You are right. The TV networks were one step away from throwing the Big 12s TV contract in the trash as the coference only had 8 teams. It can't be emphasized enough - TCU had no - or very little conference red tape to navigate when the Big 12 came calling. They had allready gotten out of the MWC and they hadn't yet played their first big east game. TCU probably wouldn't be in the Big 12 today had the timing of realignment been different.

[Charleston Pony]

how about the factor that TCU has had better attendance every year for 15 years

not to mention playing in high profile BCS Bowl Games? I must have missed the year that Houston qualified for one of those. "Almost" got Houston a lot of publicity, but...

[BigT3x]

A&M must have been playing the same game the Catholic 7 did with Tulane.

[EastStang]

I wonder if Baylor would draw more fans for a game against SMU or Houston than it would WVU? Or if OSU would draw more fans for SMU or Houston than WVU? I wonder if TCU would draw more fans for a game with SMU or Houston than WVU? UT and OU sell out games against San Angelo State, but other schools won't. This is about TV and what it wants. Also TCU brought BCS top 4 status which neither SMU nor UH could deliver.

[Cougar King]

how about the factor that TCU has had better attendance every year for 15 years

not to mention playing in high profile BCS Bowl Games? I must have missed the year that Houston qualified for one of those. "Almost" got Houston a lot of publicity, but...

Which of course is still more than SMU has ever accomplished without cheating. Keep in mind SMU needs UH much much more than UH needs SMU. Remember, there's a Group A (UH, Cincy, UCONN, Temple) and a Group B (Everybody else) in our TV contract for a reason.

[StallionsModelT]

Dude. UH and SMU aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Embrace the AAC because for the next several years that is where we will both be hanging our hats.

[Cougar King]

Dude. UH and SMU aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Embrace the AAC because for the next several years that is where we will both be hanging our hats.

That is most likely the case and we plan to own the league until the day we can leave comes.

[StallionsModelT]

Good luck with all of that but its going to take a lot more than winning our conference and sneaking into the Top 25 every three years to find a landing spot in a better conference. In all liklihood, the American is going to be our (SMU/UH) destination for quite a while.

A lot can happen and the landscape is constantly changing, but we have a pretty solid footing now.

[sbsmith]

how about the factor that TCU has had better attendance every year for 15 years

not to mention playing in high profile BCS Bowl Games? I must have missed the year that Houston qualified for one of those. "Almost" got Houston a lot of publicity, but...

Which of course is still more than SMU has ever accomplished without cheating. Keep in mind SMU needs UH much much more than UH needs SMU. Remember, there's a Group A (UH, Cincy, UCONN, Temple) and a Group B (Everybody else) in our TV contract for a reason.

Those group designations would actually mean something if the Group A teams were making more money from the TV deal. As it stands now, those Group A teams are still slowly drowning just like the Group B teams with the Big 5 teams laughing while passing by in speedboats.

[PonyKai]

Yay! P*ssing contest between two midgets! It's ON!