(02-25-2012 10:35 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  I could see this split:

Baylor-----------------Texas
Brigham Young---------Iowa State
Kansas----------------Kansas State
West Virginia----------Louisville
Oklahoma State-------Oklahoma
Texas Christian--------Texas Tech

It splits the TX teams, which gives both divisions visibility in Texas. But with the cross-division rivalries, it ensures that each TX team plays 3 out of 4. The newcomer TCU is the loser in terms of getting the annual matchup with UT.

It preserves the Red River Rivalry, but precludes a CCG rematch. It splits the Oklahoma and Kansas twins, while preserving their rivalries. WVU and UL are split, but get the cross-division rivalry. By putting several football-centric schools in the division opposite OU/UT, it provides some semblance of balance.

It provides some measure of geographic balance, with one division being "wider" and one "taller", although the "wide" division is certainly farther spread. UT gets the division with the smaller travel costs, and while they may not like giving up OSU in football each year, at the same time it helps them avoid a tough opponent. While their divisional slate isn't all cupcakes, outside of OU they should be able to take those teams each year, which allows them the flexibility to schedule a tough out-of-conference game without fear of making their schedule too tough.

For the most part, as a KU fan I like this schedule competitively, although it would make travel a ***** for my Jayhawks.

This is a good one, you take all the factors into account. The main difference between our final results is that from your Big 12 perspective you give more weight to the tradition of the regular season Oklahoma/Texas game being a deciding factor.

Had to think a bit about this one before responding but if BYU is truly talking with the Big 12 about joining, wouldn't part of that discussion be about division make up and who their cross rival might be?

A program like TCU, they might not make as big of a squawk about this but BYU is quite known for making mountains out of mole hills so to speak. Perhaps they wouldn't care so much about how they are placed but if they did I couldn't see any "cross rival" pairing that they would make a bigger squawk about then a pairing with Iowa State. Hell, to the highly sensitive theocrats that might be considered a slap in the face for their over sized ego's.

A cross rival with TCU, a previous rival in a previous conference as well as a team in the state of Texas, now that is a prize to soothe those theocrats into giving up certain demands. Telling them that they will be paired up and playing Iowa State every year? That would probably just piss them off.

Everyone is stuck on this idea of Texas and Oklahoma playing twice a year. The very fact that they would play every year as cross division rivals actually makes it less likely that they play each other in the championship game.