ruowls
1st String
Posts: 1,894
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation: 86
I Root For:
Location:
|
RE: Thanks Rick GREENSPAN
(04-09-2014 03:59 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote: (04-09-2014 03:01 PM)Bay Area Owl Wrote: (04-09-2014 02:35 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote: (04-09-2014 10:23 AM)Caelligh Wrote: I say we set our standards higher: Big 12, at a minimum. Maybe we don't have the records or attendance in football and basketball to get in right now, but we can already show progress in making the investments needed to get there. The Big 12 geographic footprint, level of competition, etc. are more attractive than what the AAC offers, and the Big 12 does not include a Houston-area school in its membership.
Ultimately, yes, but I expect the Big 12 to look much more favorably on a school from the top of the AAC than one from the top of C-USA or the Sun Belt.
I don't agree with this, because Rice has some intrinsic qualities as a university that still make it more attractive than, say, UH or UCF. All else being equal, universities are going to choose to athletically associate with the more distinguished schools, especially schools with deeper pockets. Assuming Rice gets its ship in order, Rice can put together an attractive case for why its academics, Houston location, and long historical tradition in D1 make it more appealing than commuter schools like UH and UCF. Rice has to get its athletics act together, but Rice's academic reputation still matters for something. TCU's admission into the Big 12 was based on a personal relationship between CDC and DeLoss Dodds. Rice can still get a foot in the door as a distinguished academic school, but it has to then offer an organized and promising athletics program.
Shot-calling conferences like the PAC-12, Big Ten, and SEC are going to demand that any new entrant be distinguished academically, either as a flagship public university or a good private school. Boise State and Fresno State will never get into the PAC-12. I just don't see the PAC-12, Big Ten, or SEC bringing in any commuter schools, because they can afford to be very choosy. The big conferences consider Rice as disorganized athletically, but if Rice can get its act together, Rice would offer some appeal, especially with the Houston market. It's the more iffy conferences like the AAC that have to micro-manage TV market-share, etc. The big boy conferences still think they can shape the TV market.
PS: I think Rice should focus its attention on getting into a P5 conference, where the big money is, rather than worrying about positioning itself with the AAC and MWC, etc. Rice should look for favorably match-ups within the non-P5 (ie, Texas schools and schools that are easy to travel to, even by flying), but the prize is definitely P5 admittance.
Then how in the world did Utah and Colorado get into the Pac-12?
Utah and Colorado got into the Pac-12 because they are the doctoral degree granting flagship university of their state. Up to the 50's, the University of Idaho was in the "Pac-X".
Fresno State, San Jose State, and San Diego State will never get into the Pac-12 because they are not doctoral degree granting universities (I believe San Diego St may have a few joint programs with UCSD). The 2 most likely universities in CA that could have joined the Pac-12 had they continued their D1 football programs were UOP and Santa Clara. UC Davis has moved up from D2 to FCS and could be an option if they continue to upgrade. Cal Poly (the SLO version) who has moved up with UC Davis will never be an option because they are not a doctoral granting university.
Therefore, the Pac-12 needed to look eastward for schools equivalent to Cal, UCLA, UA, ASU, UO, OSU, UW, and WSU. Private schools equivalent to USC and Stanford are even harder to find. Santa Clara and UOP were the only ones that had been within the Pac-12 footprint. BYU was a choice but they didn't fit into the culture. UNM or NMSU aren't athletically up to snuff. Neither are U of Idaho or U of Montana. That is how Colorado and Utah got in. Any further expansion by the Pac-12 will have to be east of the Rockies which is why Rice would be an option when paired with Cal and UCLA like schools (UT to be specific).
|
|