From the WV Gazette, this is the antithesis to the "...there's a 15% chance of expansion" article.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/2016...wJOso.dpuf

EXCERPT:

...when the league’s presidents and chancellors next meet in Irving, Texas, expect a decision to be reached.

It just might be a decision to make a decision.

“You don’t want to string people along,” said one involved, who asked to remain anonymous. “People get annoyed if you do that.”

In speaking with those directly involved with the process, two things are clear. One, the league won’t be rushed into a decision, but probably will make a call in the middle of the summer.

Two, there’s no question the league is still moving in the direction of expansion. Cautiously.

According to the sources, some in the Big 12 office like the prospect of bringing in Cincinnati and Houston, although those touting the latter have almost given up.

There is also “some sentiment” to bring in Memphis.

“At the end of the day though,” said one source, “I still think Connecticut gets in.”

Another source said not to leave out BYU, that the Cougars remain a strong candidate.

*********

So, there you go. You don't want expansion? There are plenty of links out there for you. Want expansion? There are still some of those, too.

Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

Your thinking is the minority.

In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist.

Troll better next time.

(05-22-2016 11:12 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

Your thinking is the minority.

In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist.

Troll better next time.

Pay closer attention. I'm not a troll. Never have been. I just know the Big 12 is talking to Memphis, and the Big 12 has mentioned lots of schools they are debating.

All I can tell you are schools that have been mentioned to us, and they don't include UConn. They have mentioned Memphis, Cincy, BYU, Boise, Houston, USF and UCF. No CSU No UConn.

If you want to call that trolling, fine.

(05-22-2016 11:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 11:12 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

Your thinking is the minority.

In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist.

Troll better next time.

Pay closer attention. I'm not a troll. Never have been. I just know the Big 12 is talking to Memphis, and the Big 12 has mentioned lots of schools they are debating.

All I can tell you are schools that have been mentioned to us, and they don't include UConn. They have mentioned Memphis, Cincy, BYU, Boise, Houston, USF and UCF. No CSU No UConn.

If you want to call that trolling, fine.

Of the B12 cares AT ALL about academics, no way Memphis is even considered... No matter how much money Fred "The Dorf" Dorfman from Fedex throws at it

(05-22-2016 11:35 PM)Sellular1 Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 11:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 11:12 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

Your thinking is the minority.

In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist.

Troll better next time.

Pay closer attention. I'm not a troll. Never have been. I just know the Big 12 is talking to Memphis, and the Big 12 has mentioned lots of schools they are debating.

All I can tell you are schools that have been mentioned to us, and they don't include UConn. They have mentioned Memphis, Cincy, BYU, Boise, Houston, USF and UCF. No CSU No UConn.

If you want to call that trolling, fine.

Of the B12 cares AT ALL about academics, no way Memphis is even considered... No matter how much money Fred "The Dorf" Dorfman from Fedex throws at it

We can debate all we like but what's most evident from the conflicting reports is that, even if there is momentum toward expansion, there is nothing close to consensus on who to add. So at this point one poster's theory is as good as another's.

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think [insert the team i oppose here] is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and [insert the team i support here). And probably 2 more, from [insert teams frequently brought up but not yet listed here). Maybe even [insert dark horse candidate here], somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

FTFY. Now anyone else can use the cookie cutter post!

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

(05-22-2016 11:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 11:12 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

Your thinking is the minority.

In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist.

Troll better next time.

Pay closer attention. I'm not a troll. Never have been. I just know the Big 12 is talking to Memphis, and the Big 12 has mentioned lots of schools they are debating.

All I can tell you are schools that have been mentioned to us, and they don't include UConn. They have mentioned Memphis, Cincy, BYU, Boise, Houston, USF and UCF. No CSU No UConn.

If you want to call that trolling, fine.

One thing you're certainly correct on is this group group of Big12 schools seem to really struggle when it comes to getting on the same page. lol...Every story sounds different depending on the school its sourced from.

(05-23-2016 12:37 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 11:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 11:12 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:26 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-22-2016 10:10 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Interesting.

It suddenly seems Uconn and Cincy are coming up a lot as a possible pair.

No wonder the Houston guy is pissed

I think UConn is a media creation. I think it's Cincy and Memphis. And probably 2 more, from BYU, UCF, USF or Boise. Maybe even Houston, somehow, but only at 14, not at 12.

Your thinking is the minority.

In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist.

Troll better next time.

Pay closer attention. I'm not a troll. Never have been. I just know the Big 12 is talking to Memphis, and the Big 12 has mentioned lots of schools they are debating.

All I can tell you are schools that have been mentioned to us, and they don't include UConn. They have mentioned Memphis, Cincy, BYU, Boise, Houston, USF and UCF. No CSU No UConn.

If you want to call that trolling, fine.

One thing you're certainly correct on is this group group of Big12 schools seem to really struggle when it comes to getting on the same page. lol...Every story sounds different depending on the school its sourced from.

Agree. That's what is taking so long. The Big 12 can't get consensus on much of anything. Doesn't mean they won't. Just means it is difficult, and will take more time than it already has.

BYU
UConn
Memphis
Cincinnati

Add all 4 of the biggest names outside of the P5. Names that will draw viewers.

Put BYU in a division with the Texas and Oklahoma schools.

(05-22-2016 11:12 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  ...In the world of G5 schools, UCONN has one of the most P5-esque profiles. Any future P5 expansion from a pool of G5 schools will have UCONN on the shortlist......

UConn sounds like a good Big 12 candidate until you look at a map.

UConn and BYU both make sense for the BigXII in every way but geographically. The reason I'm not so sure either get in is because, as dysfunctional as the BigXII may be, I'm not sure that they'll be quick to compound the island issues they created with WVU by adding two more islands to the conference.

(05-23-2016 12:23 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  We can debate all we like but what's most evident from the conflicting reports is that, even if there is momentum toward expansion, there is nothing close to consensus on who to add. So at this point one poster's theory is as good as another's.

No network no expansion anyways.

This is a WV writer who would seemingly have no reason to pump up UConn's prospects. I'll take what he is saying as fairly reliable and an indication that the networks are making it clear that the only way a B12 Network is viable with the available expansion candidates is by including UConn. I think from a network perspective, UConn is head and shoulders the best candidate. We have valuable tier 3 content that gets eyeballs in the number 1 media market. No other candidate does.

(05-23-2016 08:18 AM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  This is a WV writer who would seemingly have no reason to pump up UConn's prospects. I'll take what he is saying as fairly reliable and an indication that the networks are making it clear that the only way a B12 Network is viable with the available expansion candidates is by including UConn. I think from a network perspective, UConn is head and shoulders the best candidate. We have valuable tier 3 content that gets eyeballs in the number 1 media market. No other candidate does.

Hey, it very well could be. I'm not debating that. I'm only saying that, to us, the Big 12 has mentioned all the usual suspects in the media, except for UConn and CSU. Thus, it makes me wonder, that's all. As Attack said, the only certain thing with the Big 12 is that have a hard time making a decision as a group, lol.

I am laughing my butt off that people keep saying UConn when football is not their selling point. The expansions for the P5 conferences have to do with football. UConn does not have the eyeballs to justified for an expansion for tv networks. Boise State have more people watching their football games than UConn. Sorry, I do not believe UConn would get in. They fit better with the likes of Duke and Wake Forest.

(05-23-2016 08:27 AM)TripleA Wrote:  As Attack said, the only certain thing with the Big 12 is that have a hard time making a decision as a group, lol.

Hmm, Now where have we seen that before?

Here's what I can tell you, as someone who's worked around some of these clowns. A lot of these reporters have no idea what the hell is going on. They are just repeating rumors that they are reading online or having whispered in their ears by idiot fans. There's no actual reporting happening.

However, and this is really important, Mitch Vingle is not one of those guys. He is an actual reporter with actual sources at WVU. From my perspective, if he is telling you that expansion is moving forward, you can bet that is what the people at West Virginia are hearing too.

I would also guess that David Boren has cozied up to him and other Big 12 beat writers to push his agenda just as Texas is so free to push it's agenda. Through all of this I still see it as an Oklahoma versus Texas deal. Oklahoma wants to expand and they want a conference-wide television network. Texas doesn't want either of those things but is trying to do whatever it can to continue to keep the wolves at the door.

Personally, I think Texas is eventually going to be forced to compromise on some level because the drumbeat is relentless.

I think Houston is the bargaining chip here. I don't think the Cougars make a lot of sense for that league as it needs to expand its footprint, not reinforcements within the existing footprint. I do not want to make the Houston fans angry but that is the truth.

However, if Texas is not willing to give up the Longhorn Network, then you just circumvent Texas by having teams in the Dallas and Houston DMA's – the two largest markets in that state. I think that is exactly what the pro-expansionists are saying amongst themselves right now. Will that work? Who knows? I have no idea how popular the University of Houston is within its own market? However, that is probably their strategy - at least for now.

I would guess that Texas does not want Houston at all. I think they likely see them as both derivative and redundant. I also believe that Texas will eventually agree to modify LHN in exchange for a lot of concessions from the league – including Texas being able to pick the 11th and 12th members.

The problem for the Big 12 is that everyone has now laid their cards on the table and everyone has publicly dug in their heels. That is not good for that conference is now you were going to definitively have a loser in this confrontation. That becomes especially problematic if the loser is your number one bell cow, Texas. If the pro-expansionist a push too hard, they could push the Longhorns right out the door and that would not be good for anyone in that conference.

They need to figure out an exit strategy – a way for someone to lose but to also not appear to have lost. That is going to be very tricky given the way this entire situation has played itself out.

Incidentally, this is also why there is just no way in hell that any current P5 school is going to join that conference. What kind of a lunatic would join a conference that is that openly dysfunctional and splintered if you have other viable options?

Therefore, any rumors you hear of expansion that does not involve a program desperate to move into the top ranks is definitely fabricated.

If I were the Big 12 brass, I would be working behind the scenes with the Texas powers that be to figure out a way to make this happen on their terms as much as possible. The original agreement was made under Darius and everyone with a brain could see that it was not going to work over the long term. The terms were just too favorable for Texas and to punitive against everyone else. If they don't get a conference-wide television network they are not going to survive as literally all of their competition either already has one or soon will have one.

Sit down with Texas, workout and expansion timeline, and go from there. Otherwise, wait for your grant of rights contract to near completion and wave goodbye to Oklahoma and someone else when they join the SEC.