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http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketb...s-schedule

BYU might stand as the most attractive potential partner because of its large following, excellent facilities and considerable wealth, but the challenges of adding a partner that declines to participate in Sunday competition is among the obstacles that appear to be too considerable.

That leaves three possible scenarios for the expansion issue.

1. The Big 12 could choose to move east to add Cincinnati and Connecticut. Cincinnati has developed the most consistent football program of potential expansion candidates and is located in a major media market. UConn is four-time NCAA champion in men’s basketball and also adds the cachet of the dynastic women’s basketball program.

2. For football recruiting purposes and long-term potential, the Big 12 could advance into Florida by adding Central Florida and South Florida.

3. The Big 12 could decide not to expand at all.



The Bottom Line Regarding Expansion & Championship Games for the Big 12
http://www.frogsowar.com/2016/2/1/108002...-expansion

So who are we adding? Well, let's start with who we aren't adding: UCONN.

I like UCONN, I wish they weren't terrible at football, but unfortunately UCONN's entire value to the Big 12 is their media market, which is only valuable if the Big 12 tries to start a conference network. As we outlined earlier, that isn't happening, so I will take UCONN off the board.

Other teams we aren't adding: BYU, Boise State, USF, UCF, or Memphis.

Unfortunately, each of these schools fails in one of a series of areas: No investment in football, horrible APR, bad market, restrictive religious affiliations, and/or a total lack of support from their fan bases. BYU is easily the best of that list, but the departure of Bronco Mendenhall signals to me that they know it isn't happening. There is just too much going on their with the Mormon Faith, the Big 12 seems convinced that touching it would be a bad idea. Too little, too late.

So, that leaves: Houston, Cincinnati, ECU, and Colorado State.

I think we can take Colorado State off the board right away. The Big 12 has shown no interest in heading west, and C-State just can't seem to get its act together regarding any piece of its athletic program.

ECU comes off for the same reason, they simply haven't invested in their overall athletics program to the point that they would be a good fit. Spending $9m a year on football simply won't help you make the big time.

So, we are left with Houston and Cincinnati. For me, I can make a lot of sense of this move.

Both schools have made significant investments in their athletic programs, especially Football and Basketball. Both schools have had consistent success in recent times, both schools have historical successes to point to, and for me both solve critical needs: Getting a travel partner for WVU, and keeping the Big 12 a southwest/east conference.

Believe it or not, I think that opposition to adding Houston will be much less than others anticipate. There are several benefits to adding Houston from a competitive balance and market perspective, and I think the argument of "making recruiting harder" is actually BS. So you are telling me Houston isn't already the most recruited market in the country? All major conferences hit the area hard for talent, adding Houston to the Big 12 won't make a significant impact on that competition.

And while Cincinnati isn't a football power today, they are clearly making strides to get there. Hiring Tommy T was a significant move, while they have also put considerable money into facilities and other sports, namely basketball. I have no doubt Cincinnati would be a significant competitor in the Big 12 north.

Not even in the conversation. BOT knew realignment was coming when they started the murder for hire process a few years back.

Obviously we aren't going to be picked up for the Big 12 or ACC. It doesn't mean we can't position ourselves for the AAC and later moves.

http://csnbbs.com/thread-768846.html

This is someone opinion of possible Big 12 expansion. Regardless, anyone thinking UAB would be mentioned even in an opinion article is simply being naiive.

(02-03-2016 05:40 AM)rook360 Wrote:  Obviously we aren't going to be picked up for the Big 12 or ACC. It doesn't mean we can't position ourselves for the AAC and later moves.

http://csnbbs.com/thread-768846.html

we would be coming off a bowl season and two years as a the top bball team in cusa. UAB would have been first choice to replace whoever left the AAC. at this point we are years away. we need to hope they put off expansion for a few years

(02-03-2016 03:36 AM)blazinrunner Wrote:  Not even in the conversation. BOT knew realignment was coming when they started the murder for hire process a few years back.

Flying Mouse was screaming his head off about it, that realignment was coming and that we, the UAB Fans had to suck it up and make the required investments or be left behind. He was dead right.

Sure, the BOT knew that they were hamstringing us by refusing to build any facilities. They know better than most how valuable they are to improving your program and it's lifeblood, recruiting. Why do you think they never allowed it at UAB?

We have to strain a gut and keep pushing it forward. We've gotten kind of fat and happy - "well, I paid my pledge", instead of continuing to push as hard as we possibly could. We have a lot of ground to make up.

We talk about will the Big 12 offer us, when the reality is that we still are not that great an option for the AAC to replace a team *they* lose to the Big 12.

I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

That piece doesn't really reveal anything that someone couldn't make sense of already. They have shown they wouldn't want anyone from the MWC aside from Air Force and they didn't want to be in the conference. BYU would be okay if they weren't limited by the religious stuff. UConn is great for basketball, but we all know football drives college sports. Same with Memphis. They're steadily getting better, though. ECU has great support, but they really haven't separated themselves from the pack. The Florida schools, like the ones in C-USA, would be a long term investment, but why would a power conference need to settle for them? When the core of your conference is in Texas, you don't really worry about recruiting and it's not about the markets as much as it is the respective programs.

Either way, I have to agree that Houston and Cincinnati are both the most likely and make the most sense to me.

Another thing is that I can't really envision the ACC or the, Big XII, even at the disadvantage they are at now, getting cannibalized by the other power conferences.

WVU needs a travel partner, so that opens things up for Cincy...

UAB's making some noise with this recruiting class. If we can build on that with another strong class next year and add these facilities (new stadium, football support facility, etc.), UAB will be an attractive addition to the AAC. We will be on down the list for something like the Big XII obviously. But if the Big XII expands and disrupts the AAC, that creates an opportunity for us.

UAB has the potential to become THE power team of the G5 level with these recruits, the facility additions, and this coaching staff (led by Bill Clark). Depending on when the dominoes start to fall and when things start moving again, things could get very interesting.

(02-03-2016 01:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

Way behind? Who would you classify as way in front of us that's not in a middle of nowhere market? IMO, there's not a single school that's the obvious favorite to be an AAC call up. That means we have the opportunity to separate ourselves if we get the discussed facilities built, continue our current bball momentum, and start strong with football in 2017-2018.

(02-03-2016 02:28 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 01:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

Way behind? Who would you classify as way in front of us that's not in a middle of nowhere market? IMO, there's not a single school that's the obvious favorite to be an AAC call up. That means we have the opportunity to separate ourselves if we get the discussed facilities built, continue our current bball momentum, and start strong with football in 2017-2018.

Marshall

MARSHALL ???? Huntington, WV = "middle of nowhere market"

(02-03-2016 02:28 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 01:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

Way behind? Who would you classify as way in front of us that's not in a middle of nowhere market? IMO, there's not a single school that's the obvious favorite to be an AAC call up. That means we have the opportunity to separate ourselves if we get the discussed facilities built, continue our current bball momentum, and start strong with football in 2017-2018.

ODU is miles ahead of us in my opinion. I would also assume they would currently take rice, southern miss, and Marshall before us without even thinking about it. La tech, wku, and mtsu are also part of the equation. Just my opinion, but we are either neck and neck or behind all these schools as far as I'm concerned.

Birmingham is market #45. Charleston-Huntington is #67.

Birmingham is a larger TV market than Louisville, Memphis, Jacksonville, FL, New Orleans, and Buffalo.

While Rice is in Houston, they get practically ZERO media coverage. (its worse than what UAB gets in Bham) SoMiss has the same middle-of-nowhere market probs that Marshall has. WKU & MTSU are legit.

(02-03-2016 02:51 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 02:28 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 01:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

Way behind? Who would you classify as way in front of us that's not in a middle of nowhere market? IMO, there's not a single school that's the obvious favorite to be an AAC call up. That means we have the opportunity to separate ourselves if we get the discussed facilities built, continue our current bball momentum, and start strong with football in 2017-2018.

ODU is miles ahead of us in my opinion. I would also assume they would currently take rice, southern miss, and Marshall before us without even thinking about it. La tech, wku, and mtsu are also part of the equation. Just my opinion, but we are either neck and neck or behind all these schools as far as I'm concerned.

Before the commitment to football, I might have agreed with you. At this point, UAB will be at or near the top of the list when it comes to CUSA programs looking to move up to the AAC given our new stadium, new support facilities, our success in basketball, big TV market, growing city that is generating a lot of buzz in regional and national publications, etc. Add to that our history and relationships with many of the programs currently in the AAC, and I think we have a leg up on most of the others.

(02-03-2016 02:58 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 02:51 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 02:28 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 01:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

Way behind? Who would you classify as way in front of us that's not in a middle of nowhere market? IMO, there's not a single school that's the obvious favorite to be an AAC call up. That means we have the opportunity to separate ourselves if we get the discussed facilities built, continue our current bball momentum, and start strong with football in 2017-2018.

ODU is miles ahead of us in my opinion. I would also assume they would currently take rice, southern miss, and Marshall before us without even thinking about it. La tech, wku, and mtsu are also part of the equation. Just my opinion, but we are either neck and neck or behind all these schools as far as I'm concerned.

Before the commitment to football, I might have agreed with you. At this point, UAB will be at or near the top of the list when it comes to CUSA programs looking to move up to the AAC given our new stadium, new support facilities, our success in basketball, big TV market, growing city that is generating a lot of buzz in regional and national publications, etc. Add to that our history and relationships with many of the programs currently in the AAC, and I think we have a leg up on most of the others.

I agree with this.

(02-03-2016 03:00 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 02:58 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 02:51 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 02:28 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(02-03-2016 01:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I really don't know what uab fans could have done when we couldn't donate to the program or hire the coaches we wanted. The board knew exactly what it was doing at the time.

As far as the AAC goes, yeah, we are currently way behind in that race. Our market may be the only thing we have going for us at the moment. We need to have our football team come out playing the best damn ball we've ever seen at UAB.

Way behind? Who would you classify as way in front of us that's not in a middle of nowhere market? IMO, there's not a single school that's the obvious favorite to be an AAC call up. That means we have the opportunity to separate ourselves if we get the discussed facilities built, continue our current bball momentum, and start strong with football in 2017-2018.

ODU is miles ahead of us in my opinion. I would also assume they would currently take rice, southern miss, and Marshall before us without even thinking about it. La tech, wku, and mtsu are also part of the equation. Just my opinion, but we are either neck and neck or behind all these schools as far as I'm concerned.

Before the commitment to football, I might have agreed with you. At this point, UAB will be at or near the top of the list when it comes to CUSA programs looking to move up to the AAC given our new stadium, new support facilities, our success in basketball, big TV market, growing city that is generating a lot of buzz in regional and national publications, etc. Add to that our history and relationships with many of the programs currently in the AAC, and I think we have a leg up on most of the others.

I agree with this.

I agree with this if it all comes to fruition in the future. The problem is this isn't where we currently stand. I am well aware of how well we are recruiting, but how many of these guys will actually see the field? How many will pan out on the field? How long will it take to actually get things built? There are still a lot of questions, and we only have one year of Clark as a head coach to go off of. I trust in everything we are doing now, but to an outsider you can see why people would have a lot of questions still.