Yesterday there was an article on ESPiN Insider that was posted called "Expansion is in the Big 12's future." Though I don't have a subscription to the Insider this leaves me to believe that there are talks for the Big 12 to expand. I can imagine, if this is true, that we would be one of the schools talked about and one of the front runners.

Though I realize I am getting a little ahead of myself there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

My subscription expired last month and I do actually miss it. Looking for a good deal on the magazine as Insider is free if you get ESPN the Magazine and often you can find a year for like $10, which is well worth it IMO.

There was absolutely nothing of substance in it. Basically just rehashing that they've lost their leverage with the ACC GoR and that they'll more than likely have to expand to in the future to keep their footing solid. They mentioned BYU, Boise State, and Cincinnati, but it wasn't any insider info or anything. Nothing to see there.

(06-28-2013 09:10 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  There was absolutely nothing of substance in it. Basically just rehashing that they've lost their leverage with the ACC GoR and that they'll more than likely have to expand to in the future to keep their footing solid. They mentioned BYU, Boise State, and Cincinnati, but it wasn't any insider info or anything. Nothing to see there.

I'm not really sure how ESPN's magazine works. I used to subscribe to it but when all of the stuff came out about ESPN telling the ACC which teams to poach, I decided to cancel my subscription. ESPN called me several times and tried to get me to subscribe again, but I told them how pissed I was and angry with their company (still am...but whatever).

The weird thing that has happened, even though I have not paid for ESPN magazine in over two years, is that I still receive the magazine...and get insider. I've even moved in that time frame and they still send it to my updated address. Guess you can get anything from them if you complain - and as former Big East fans and Bearcat fans, there is plenty to complain about when it comes to the belittling of our conference and team.

I think as long as we can keep getting mentioned good things will happen. Can you imagine Texas on a Saturday night in a renovated sold out Nippert? Gives me goose bumps. I would like to believe West Virginia will help by standing up and saying they are a good conference mate who won't let you down.

Even though there's not much smoke right now I'm of the belief that the eventually B12 will be pressured into adding at least two to get to 12 and have a title game.

(06-28-2013 11:10 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  Even though there's not much smoke right now I'm of the belief that the eventually B12 will be pressured into adding at least two to get to 12 and have a title game.

I believe that to be true also. They will eventually have to add teams, most likely to 12.

(06-28-2013 05:27 PM)Vewb1 Wrote:  

(06-28-2013 11:10 AM)RealDeal Wrote:  Even though there's not much smoke right now I'm of the belief that the eventually B12 will be pressured into adding at least two to get to 12 and have a title game.

I believe that to be true also. They will eventually have to add teams, most likely to 12.

Oh there's no doubt, it will just take them time to realize the fiscal gain they will have from including two more schools. The revenue from a conference championship game and inclusive exposure to new markets should more than subsidize the inclusion of two more teams. Their money guys were just sitting on the indeterminate fact that the Big 12 would be granted a CCG waiver, which they have as of yet been unable to obtain. Once that ruling comes down, you'll see movement quite quickly.

They just need to figure out that there are good schools still out there, ripe for the picking, such as Cincinnati, Houston, BYU, Memphis, ECU, Boise State, UNLV, etc. I feel as though we will more than likely see a split from the NCAA in roughly 10 years with 5-16 team conferences...just my own personal opinion.

It won't take 10 years. You already see that almost all bowl games are aligned with the power conferences. Even ones that used to be far down the pecking order. When they split from the NCAA, they will eliminate the 6 win rule and begin a version of a playoff. Again, this will only be with schools in the power conferences. And I think it will be four conferences of 16 teams each. 64 is a nice number to work with.

64 may not be enough. If the number is too small, it will look like a semi pro league and lose viewers. A large number of the viewers that enjoy college sports, enjoy them because they are college sports. I can't say I will find any interest in a 64 team team semi pro league that is built to prevent David from having a chance to expose Goliath.

The path college football seems to be heading does not seem sustainable.

It's not sustainable...especially for the schools who want to compete but don't have the Big 5 TV money.

I disagree, as I think we'll be able to draw enough alumni and corporate sponsorship to have a great game day experience. And good recruits from smart families will realize playing for UC is more likely to get you to the NFL without injury than playing in the other "college" league.

(06-28-2013 09:58 PM)glacier_dropsy Wrote:  I disagree, as I think we'll be able to draw enough alumni and corporate sponsorship to have a great game day experience. And good recruits from smart families will realize playing for UC is more likely to get you to the NFL without injury than playing in the other "college" league.

I just don't/can't agree with this. If, after we missed through the wonderful years of BK, then the almost good years of BJ, what makes you now think that a) "we'll be able to draw enough alumni and corporate sponsorship to have a great game day experience" and b) "good recruits from smart families will realize playing for UC is more likely to get you to the NFL without injury than playing in the other "college" league."

Why would an excellent college football player wish to play is a lesser conference? And why should more people believe that we are a better draw than we were during the BK years and now, all of a sudden, go "all in" with their expendable cash? I am a UC fan and that just doesn't make sense to me.

college football is probably unsustainable, but the reason it is unsustainable has nothing to do with the slow drumbeat of conference expansion. The concussion issue is real, and the data that continues to be gathered looks more and more mortifying by the year. There will come a point where universities, which supposedly have a higher calling and place in society, decide that they can't support an activity that gives its participants a much higher than average chance of serious and long term physiological issues. I don't know when it will happen, but it will. In the end football will go the way of boxing.

Ctip, I'm not sure what you mean by 'we missed' during the BK years. I had some of the most fantastic fan experinces of my life during the BK years. The halloween game vs USF when the student section was awesome. The night game vs Miami when we had all the pass interference calls in the first half and we boat raced em in the second half, and MU fans after the game were admitting that the game day experience at Nippert was far beyond anything they had seen in the MAC.

The season finale vs Pitt under the lights. Walking up Clifton after a pre game meal at Skyline that night, and being met by a campus full of tailgates/bonfires/music/good vibes...I knew we were on the right track. We still are.

To Mopper's point, I think over the next 40 years, the lawyers are going to remove a lot of the violence from football. Once they find a revenue stream that is endorsed by some of the public, it is impossible to stop them. And they may actually be doing good in this case. Renovate Nippert not just for Football, but also for soccer, and rugby, and cricket, etc. Who knows what will be king when my kids are making baby bearcats.

(06-29-2013 01:47 AM)Mopper Wrote:  college football is probably unsustainable, but the reason it is unsustainable has nothing to do with the slow drumbeat of conference expansion. The concussion issue is real, and the data that continues to be gathered looks more and more mortifying by the year. There will come a point where universities, which supposedly have a higher calling and place in society, decide that they can't support an activity that gives its participants a much higher than average chance of serious and long term physiological issues. I don't know when it will happen, but it will. In the end football will go the way of boxing.

Yeah I think the game of football will be gone in 2-3 decades. Hopefully America gets serious about soccer then.

I don't think schools like UC are the only ones in trouble. At some point the teams will lose all affiliation with the schools themselves, I mean if the big 5 break away from the NCAA you can bet your ass they will loosen the academic restrictions and start giving the players a salary. Further down the road why would these guys attend school at all? The game will loose its draw when alumni realize they are paying for a semi pro football team to use their facilities.

Also, it's hard to believe there has not been more legal action surrounding this. Taxpayers aren't going to subsidize this crap forever.

(06-29-2013 04:58 AM)glacier_dropsy Wrote:  Ctip, I'm not sure what you mean by 'we missed' during the BK years. I had some of the most fantastic fan experinces of my life during the BK years. The halloween game vs USF when the student section was awesome. The night game vs Miami when we had all the pass interference calls in the first half and we boat raced em in the second half, and MU fans after the game were admitting that the game day experience at Nippert was far beyond anything they had seen in the MAC.

The season finale vs Pitt under the lights. Walking up Clifton after a pre game meal at Skyline that night, and being met by a campus full of tailgates/bonfires/music/good vibes...I knew we were on the right track. We still are.

To Mopper's point, I think over the next 40 years, the lawyers are going to remove a lot of the violence from football. Once they find a revenue stream that is endorsed by some of the public, it is impossible to stop them. And they may actually be doing good in this case. Renovate Nippert not just for Football, but also for soccer, and rugby, and cricket, etc. Who knows what will be king when my kids are making baby bearcats.

I guess what I meant by "missed" is we had wonderful, remarkable football seasons, but the excitement and success never carried over to the next year and the next year, etc. Perhaps it was really tempered by the losing season we had during CBJs first season (and Lord knows he made enough people gag with his "Hold the rope" and "Represent the C"). In any case, it just seems to me that we had an opportunity to really grow an enthusiastic base for season ticket holders, but that enthusiasm has not carried over.

>>>>Yeah I think the game of football will be gone in 2-3 decades. Hopefully America gets serious about soccer then. <<<<


Where am I ?

(06-29-2013 08:37 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  >>>>Yeah I think the game of football will be gone in 2-3 decades. Hopefully America gets serious about soccer then. <<<<


Where am I ?

I know it sounds a little crazy, but if a player dies on the field of an NFL game which I see as inevitable with the size, speed and ferocity of some of those guys, the sport will change forever and parents will stop letting their kids play the game. Hell my wife and I have already decided if we have a boy he won't be playing football.