(03-27-2018 10:11 PM)dayooper Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 08:43 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 06:29 PM)dayooper Wrote:  

(03-26-2018 05:23 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  As long as Nebraska was recruiting and not being recruited, that's good. I think Oklahoma and Kansas is a safe pairing and very much helps diversify the conference's portfolio in everything in the short and long term.

I agree wholeheartedly. I know there is some handwringing about Kansas football, but their basketball(and Oklahoma football) more than makes up for it. While Texas is the big prize, I don’t think they want to leave, even without OU and KU in the Big12. It would add another football power to the West (hopefully Scott Frost can bring back UNL) and having another basketball school can always help January/February BTN ratings.

To further illustrate, Kansas and Oklahoma are like an RBI double. You could have swung for the fences and struck out but instead played it safe and still scored a run and set yourself up for more runs.

In addition to your above points, having Oklahoma makes it more attractive for Texas down the road. Kansas and Oklahoma open up future expansion further south or west. Both make Nebraska feel more welcome after adding Maryland and Rutgers for Penn State.

I think the author of the article is full of crap as far as his "sources" are concerned but I don't disagree with the overall logic behind the moves.

OU gives the Big10 the best chance at Texas. OU greases the wheel for Texas down the road. I think the Big10 can get to 20 and still make it work. Ideal? No, but possible. That would allow other impactful schools along with Texas to join the Big10.

That all being said, if Oklahoma and Kansas were the end game for the next 30 years, that would be fine as well.

you also don't need to get to 20 to have a Texas addition anyway.

The conference had an odd number for many years and did fine, and 18 is already an ideal situation where the conference can have 3 divisions and push for either conf championship deregulation or allowance for a semifinal (3 division champs + 1 at-large).