Excerpt:

Excerpt:

A source has confirmed to CBSSports.com's Bryan Fischer that Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby has accepted the position and will become the Big 12 commissioner. A press conference has been tentatively scheduled for Friday.

Bowlsby, 60, has been at Stanford since 2006 and previously was athletic director at Iowa from 1991-2006 and Northern Iowa from 1984-91.

Bowlsby will replace acting commissioner Chuck Neinas, who took over when former commissioner Dan Beebe was fired in 2011. ESPN.com first reported Bowlsby was offered the job.

One of Bowlsby's first duties is decide if the league should expand. With the addition of West Virginia and TCU, they have 10 members for the 2012-13 season. But there are several within the conference who want the league to expand to 11 or 12 for stability reasons and others who want the league to remain at 10 schools.

Industry sources told CBSSports.com if the Big 12 does expand Louisville would be its first target as a full member and the Cardinals would leave the Big East. The Big 12 also has hopes to try and sway Notre Dame to join the league, either as an all-sports member or just for as an Olympic sports member.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...y/18943073

Now is time to start paying attention to any further realignment.

We need a final decision on what is going on with the BCS tournament first. THEN is the time.

The Big 12 commissh spot being filled was one of the necessities as well.


I am surprised we havnt gotten more on the Alliance. That may be coming out soon after the BCS talk too.

Of course. Now ND is headed to the B12. Forget FSU and CLEM, they are yesterday's news.

Alliance I think we'll hear some concrete news tomorrow when the invites are announced officially.

He's younger than Slive or Delany, but coming into the job at 60 may mean that his term is relatively short. While it would likely be so in any case, that suggests even more so that conference expansion will be Bowlsby's defining action.

The real question is 14 or 16 the magic number for the SEC, ACC, PAC12, Big 12, Big 10 and Big East? I believe 14 is the magic number and the SEC and ACC are there. So let the dominoes start falling again.

I don't think any movement, if there is any movement at all, will happen until after July 1st, when all the conference membership changes officially happen...

I think the Big East could loose as many as four more teams.

(05-03-2012 07:50 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Of course. Now ND is headed to the B12. Forget FSU and CLEM, they are yesterday's news.

Nah the new rumor you will be hearing all over the place is that a Clemson official sat in on the Big 12 meeting.

(05-03-2012 07:51 AM)stever20 Wrote:  Alliance I think we'll hear some concrete news tomorrow when the invites are announced officially.

Ahhh that is happening tomorrow? What a wonderful coincedence.

(05-03-2012 08:18 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  The real question is 14 or 16 the magic number for the SEC, ACC, PAC12, Big 12, Big 10 and Big East? I believe 14 is the magic number and the SEC and ACC are there. So let the dominoes start falling again.

14 is the cap with two divisions. Going to 16 with two divisions is something you do only under drastic circumstances because basically it is like running two conferences.

We really need a final statement to come from those BCS meetings.

(05-03-2012 08:18 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I don't think any movement, if there is any movement at all, will happen until after July 1st, when all the conference membership changes officially happen...

I think it would happen prior to July 1st quite frankly. Some/Most leagues have a difference in if you leave prior to July 1st/after July 1st.

On one hand, I just can't imagine jumping right into expansion, especially with the TV negotiations well on their way.

OTOH, you can bet he was asked about his philosophy on expansion during the interview process, so his thought processes may be well enough formed to forge right ahead, if it is in concert with the Presidents.

My guess is the former.

(05-03-2012 08:18 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I don't think any movement, if there is any movement at all, will happen until after July 1st, when all the conference membership changes officially happen...

Neinas state publicly no further expansion would occur if at all while he is in office--he leaves June 30th.

(05-03-2012 08:55 AM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  On one hand, I just can't imagine jumping right into expansion, especially with the TV negotiations well on their way.

OTOH, you can bet he was asked about his philosophy on expansion during the interview process, so his thought processes may be well enough formed to forge right ahead, if it is in concert with the Presidents.

My guess is the former.

The dilemma is that you're better off expanding before TV negotiations are finished (since you can offer the conference championship game right then and there) as opposed to afterwards (where you end up spending months renegotiating a recent contract like the SEC and ACC are doing right now). To the extent that the Big 12 wants Louisville, it's also better to get that done prior to the Big East signing its own new TV contract.

(05-03-2012 08:21 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  I think the Big East could loose as many as four more teams.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. If you say that then you must hate the Big East, because only people that hate the Big East would say that.

So Notre Dame could become a full member but if not the Big 12 would need two all sports (UofL,UC,Rutgers or BYU.) Notre Dame as an olympic member could open the door for a Marquette, Depaul, St. Louis, Xaiver, ect. The Big 12s new commish comes from the PAC 12 which was just aggressive in expansion and it paid off....So lets see what happens over the next 2-3 months.

(05-03-2012 08:59 AM)buckaineer Wrote:  

(05-03-2012 08:18 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I don't think any movement, if there is any movement at all, will happen until after July 1st, when all the conference membership changes officially happen...

Neinas state publicly no further expansion would occur if at all while he is in office--he leaves June 30th.

Yep. WVU and TCU will officially enter the Big XII on July 1st, as will the new commissioner...

(05-03-2012 09:51 AM)PirateMarv Wrote:  

(05-03-2012 08:21 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  I think the Big East could loose as many as four more teams.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. If you say that then you must hate the Big East, because only people that hate the Big East would say that.

Wilkie is obviously a nBE hater.

(05-03-2012 10:20 AM)cardshouse Wrote:  So Notre Dame could become a full member but if not the Big 12 would need two all sports (UofL,UC,Rutgers or BYU.) Notre Dame as an olympic member could open the door for a Marquette, Depaul, St. Louis, Xaiver, ect. The Big 12s new commish comes from the PAC 12 which was just aggressive in expansion and it paid off....So lets see what happens over the next 2-3 months.

Wait. ND has a "special relationship" with the BE. They'd be joining them as a full member right?

(05-03-2012 08:15 AM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  He's younger than Slive or Delany, but coming into the job at 60 may mean that his term is relatively short. While it would likely be so in any case, that suggests even more so that conference expansion will be Bowlsby's defining action.

Smart move to hire someone like Bowlsby who is older and has a ton of experience and credentials, because the Big 12 commissioner needs to be able to smartly handle several powerful egos who like to throw their weight around, people like Boren, Dodds, and Pickens. Hiring a younger, up-and-coming commissioner is not a good fit for that league -- they tried that with Dan Beebe.