Sactowndog
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RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-28-2020 01:22 PM)Thiefery Wrote: (03-28-2020 07:22 AM)Wahoowa84 Wrote: (03-27-2020 10:45 PM)JRsec Wrote: (03-27-2020 10:27 PM)Wahoowa84 Wrote: An airport meeting is unlikely...but fun to speculate. If USC could convince UCLA and Stanford to explore their options, then things could get serious. UT-Austin and Oklahoma athletic departments carry a lot of weight and could collaborate in forming a new conference.
Getting these 5 schools AD aligned would do the trick. The California schools don’t want to get too far behind the BIG or SEC. Their current approach is getting them further behind in resources and championships, in the money making sports. The Cali schools can still be the core of a major conference if they expand the footprint with powerhouses like UT and OK.
TX and OK have options for making more money...such as just joining the SEC or BIG. Nevertheless, working with Cali schools can allow them to increase their revenues while maintaining their successful business model.
The 5 schools meet at an airport and develop the ground rules:
1) Cali schools get to select 2 more members of their conference than the Texahoma combo
2) Texahoma schools get to select whichever schools they need to be comfortable with creating a new conference
3) The new conference has to generate substantially higher TV revenues for the founding 5 than either PAC or B12 could
Potential 12 team conference:
East- TX, OK, TT, Baylor, OSU, ASU
West- USC, UCLA, Stan, WA, Cal, AZ
Potential 14 team conference adds
East- KS
West- OR
If you are going to go that route just start with the 12 AAU schools and add the best value from the rest until you get to 16:
Arizona, California, California Los Angeles, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Oregon, Southern California, Stanford, Texas, Utah, Washington
Next best in Value: Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech (because of Texas)
West: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, U.C.L.A., Oregon, U.S.C., Stanford, Washington
East: Iowa St., Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Utah
Both the Big 12 and PAC 12 GOR's expire in 2025. They can arrange the conference as they please without fear of legal entanglements.
The 5 high value schools (TX, OK, USC, UCLA and Stanford) aren’t interested in an academic alliance. They are creating the athletic conference that best helps them to create more value. They need schools that generate rivalries and passion among their fans. They need schools that have TV viewership. Their business models are what needs to be developed.
AAU membership is a nice resume builder, but it is not the driving force for forming this conference. A school like Colorado would be fine in the BIG (they are somewhere between UMD and Rutgers in creating value...they are all sole flagship AAU schools) and the BIG can afford to subsidize 50 years to help Colorado potentially develop a strong athletic department. AAU membership does not help any of the founding 5 athletic departments to grow their value.
Either of the small private schools in Texas (Baylor or TCU) have a better shot of winning a lottery ticket to the new conference. UT-Austin successfully builds its value by playing more games in Texas. At a minimum, UT-Austin needs 2 other TX schools plus OK in the new conference.
Also, the conference size needs to start smaller than either the BIG or SEC. The Big12 has a solid revenue advantage, compared to the ACC or PAC, because it doesn’t have to share TV revenue with too many schools. This new conference is not meant to start as a perfect peer of the SEC or PAC. It first needs to build cohesion which occurs by playing more games against each other.
While I agree with Texas wanting maybe to bring two other Texas based schools (Tech and TCU).. I think they could satisfy those schools with a guarantee that they or Tech plays them atleast once every other year. Also in this format I would ask Nebraska if they would want back into the fold. Take Utah out, then this gives Nebraska it's traditional games vs ou and co.
I don't like the idea of CA bringing 4 schools, but it seems from more of the plugged in WestCoast posters that it's a must. Both AZ and ASU would definitely be in as well since that is a growing state in population. Washington and Oregon would also be in. So that's the Pac division.
I think TCU comes along if Nebraska says no. Nebraska would be a huge get to re-establish the midwest region along with ou. If Nebraska comes into play, they would join UT,TT,ou, okie, ks,iowa st and co. If not, TCU comes into play and a vote off between co/utah/kstate for the other spot imo.
For the schools that are left behind..especially in bu (possibly TCU), it could form another salty conference. BU, TCU, UH, SMU, KSU, utah, co, csu, oregon st, washington st, Boise st, Fresno, SD, Nevada.. pick 12.. would be better than conference USA, no?
I think people are under rating Utah. I think Utah gets in over one Arizona school. I also think you can’t ignore the 21st largest state and the Denver size market. So I can’t imagine Colorado not being in the East.
And yes the left overs could build a decent next tier conference also Texas and CA based.
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