FloridaBig12Fan

Disagree. Where this is going is bigger. That deal could be a catalyst in the other conferences bundling in response, which is a step forward.

It’s not, but if it’s been mediocre, it’s because Texas has been mediocre. That doesn’t change for UT by switching conferences, no matter how much you spin it. Conferences aren’t good or bad based on their mid or low tier programs. When you are the blueblood, standing in line for conference subsidies because you suck at hiring coaches is a fool’s errand. It risks you becoming the Nebraska of the southwest. Now, if you’re saying Texas is no longer, or never was, a blueblood and hence why the Big 12 has a perception problem, then it would make sense to go to the SEC or Big 10. Live off the work their bluebloods have done.

I would think adding more institutions to the profit share that’s driven primarily by 20-30 programs is over. Contraction is more likely. I’m somewhat surprised the major players haven’t been able to use Covid as a natural accelerant in this regard, as they need to be careful in being too exclusionary too quickly.

It won’t go away, just modified and/or slowed. The current conference structure is archaic and doesn’t utilize the regionalism of college football efficiently. There’s just too much money to be made by reorganizing college football into a more national entity of bundled groupings. Regionalism should not be killed off- it’s the advantageous product differentiation- but reorganized into more effective bundling, facilitating a national product. Imo an example of this that the Pac12 is dying on its own. Not only does that hurt the Pac12, but it decreases the market for all. Get USC and company in the Big 12, subsidizing them with central and eastern relevancy.

Perception is a bitch. No program has hurt the conference more the last 20 years than KSU. Despite being a top-20 program over the duration of my life, we can’t have them continuing to punch above their natural weight. Of course, Mississippi St having a good year is lauded as a strength in the SEC. We don’t get that benefit. Then again, i don’t think even the SEC would get it if Bama and LSU were consistently losing to the SEC free riders. Recall pre-Saban SEC.

The best thing for Iowa State, really all Big 12 schools that are not OU, maybe KU, is for UT to hire Urban. Had UT hired Saban to replace Mack, things would be a lot different for both conferences. The SEC would still produce title contenders, but the historic dynasty would likely be in the Big 12, leaving UT satisfied. With UT elite, there wouldn’t have been a need for a 13th data point, thereby clearing the way for both UT and OU to both be in the playoffs. This would also have yielded a lot more social capital for the conference. Add to the chance the conference could have pulled a few ACC or Pac12 teams. UT would be king of college football

Conferences go as their bluebloods go, not the other way around. Also-rans go as their conference goes. What’s the Big 10 without OSU having elite success by not losing to the also-rans of that conference? Texas going to the SEC West, without changes to the college football postseason, isn’t likely to be an improvement in product differentiation with Texas A&M. Conference affiliation is extremely secondary to UT’s problems in having elite seasons (granted it would help increase the budget). It’s nearly all about getting a good staff. Whatever success a new staff would have in the SEC, it would likely be even greater as the flagship of the Big 12. UT in the Big 12 with a good coach staff this year is in the playoffs. In the SEC? Likely at home with A&M. The frustrating thing is the issue isn’t even UT is struggling to recruit, losing to more talented SEC teams in the postseason. Even with Herman and coming out of a horrible decade, UT beat UGa and gave LSU it’s best game. Good grief, just think what a UM or Saban would do in the Big 12 at UT. At the same time, also changing the image of the Big 12.

They may be treated as an also-ran, but they fit imo. Just not as well as they do in the Big 12. What west team should the SEC have moved? Auburn? I don’t think that means anything. The state of Missouri is at the confluence of many cultural regions. As such their fit is an issue no matter what conference imo, but the Big 12 was as good as one could hope for in that regard.

It’s not now, but it was. Nebraska is a conference-mate of Rutgers. Fit isn’t very important now, so based on that I’d take them. Im not a UT fan, but I give the previous UT leadership a lot of credit after NU’s butthurt brought this on the conference. The play was to get the football schools of the ACC once Maryland destabilized, taking the basketball ones too if needed. Unfortunately A&M and Missouri wanting new overlords, and now Clemson’s rise, derailed that. Take the original 12, sans NU, CU, and Baylor, add Clemson, FSU, GT, UNC, Duke, UVa, and one more. Profit

Now, but it was less so for nearly the entirety of the Big 8. If purely based on last century regionalism, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, A&M and CU should all be in the Big 12. Sorry Baylor. That set of 12 then listens to Weinberg and is the first to start pool rights into a network, then going on the attack to add the ACC programs of choice in the mid-2000’s. Removing ACC sweetheart deals, and more desirable conference mates, maybe we even snag ND around 2020. Instead Arky, then Missouri are sucking hind tit in the SEC. Soon to be joined by Nebraska in the Big 10. CU is enjoying being surrounded by equitable disinterest in college athletics.

Well, the SEC could do it with their loyal lunacy. And the Big 10 could swing it with rust belt brute force. For the Big 12, it would need to be a bridge institution. Like a bridge to the heart of the ACC. If you’ve lived in the other P4 conferences, adding Tulane, without P5’s on the other side, to Big 12 would more likely further the Big 12 to G5 status than Tulane to P4/5 status. Adding an athletic department that is second or third tier (in sports) in their area must have immediate on field appeal imo. Like TCU, I guess (sigh). My pipe dream will always be to add Clemson, FSU, ND, UNC, Duke, UVa to the Big 12 to rival the SEC. Drop Baylor, TCU, even KSU if needed. Maybe Tulane fits in continuity in that pipe dream. The ACC suffers from being coterminous with the most important conference. They’re the Auburn of conferences right now. But Clemson has single handily saved the ACC, as otherwise their assets may have been better off doing an A$M and running for the Big 10 or Big 12. Outside of OSU the Big 10 is a dying rust belt brand, but it will remain strong in sheer population and CFB having ingrained cultural importance. The brilliant move to have a revenue mechanism solely exploiting overall general population has given them an advantageous head start that will outlast cord cutting. The SEC is the SEC.

Great post. First, let me say I’m a big Big 12 fan. But we do have a perception problem. This started with a lack of history facilitating losing assets, but more than anything because our bluebloods havent been as good as Bama, LSU, Ohio St, and Clemson. Had UT hired Saban, I firmly believe the scoreboard fans in other conferences would change their tune. Nevertheless, there are assets in the PAC 12 that would be more valuable if in the Big 12 (or any other central/East conference) imo. I’m not sure the reverse is true if UT went west. Your map shows why. The math on adding them may be better than adding their current value imo. Anecdotally, I have found people in Big 12/10/SEC areas know as much or more about the PAC 12 than the general population in the West. CFB matters more here. The central and east want to care about USC, UCLA, Oregon Stanford etc, but it’s tough when they’re effectively playing in their own world. Add them to the schedule in better kickoff times, and it would work imo. And just the act of adding those brands would help the Big 12’s perception problem. Adding more to the demographic diversity helps too. The contention you can’t be successful with three time zones is amiss imo. It’s the fact that those other conferences were desperate and needed to span 3 time zones is why it struggled. Does anyone think the SEC would have faltered adding USC and Texas rather than Missouri and A$M? That said, there is something to be said for cultural continuity and a continuum, which correlates with geographical fit. That’s how you get mouth breathers chanting SEC SEC.