(07-12-2018 07:37 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  Say the B12 does have departures of OU, oSu, KU & WVU.
Texas has offers, but does not budge.
The UT people explore if they can create their own, new conference with essentially total control, yet have revenue coming in that is competitive with what was offered by other top conferences.
Assuming with Texas, that TCU, TTU, Baylor, KSU, and ISU remain, that would be six schools.
Texas leads in offers to Houston, Rice, SMU, and Tulane.
That would make 10.
Suppose they go further and add Memphis, Cincinnati, USF, and UCF.
That would be 14.
One can change the names with CSU or BYU and such.
I am not breaking them into divisions; you get the point.
Texas would be only highly elite member. Texas may exchange a few very prominent old conference opponents for lesser names in totality, but provide a more submissive group to financially and politically control and dominate.
Would the other P5 conferences keep them in their power fold along with the privileges afforded? I expect so, at least initially and minimumly for that level.
Certainly there would be drawbacks. But I believe Texas will consider such, again if they can financially swing it to their liking. They drop the Big12 name, calling the group something new. They would need a generous network backer.
I am not advocating this; rather trying to anticipate Texas' mindset when the time comes. If the effort fails or results become too lackluster, Texas exits and takes a 'P4' offer.

All it takes to destroy that option is a Champs Only format for the remaining P4. Even if we kept the CFP Selection Committee if Texas's SOS was judged to be lacking the opportunity to make the CFP being missed a few times would be enough to end it.