Assuming the Big 12 lost Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State or Kansas, then I think the most obvious additions would be:

1. Cincinnati: The strongest combination of football, basketball, academics, research, geography, and ratings. Cincy gives West Virginia a travel partner and opens up Ohio recruiting. Ohio is the only major football state without multiple P5 programs as well.

2. UCF: Strongest G5 football program and ratings over the past decade, still has major upside and opens up the Florida market. I think UCF would become the clearcut 3rd best program in Florida.

3. Houston: Strong football and basketball, reclaim some of the Texas market shares by putting a foothold in the largest market.

4 is where it gets interesting...

BYU: Football legacy and probably the best from a rating standpoint but BYU's best days may be behind them. I don't know that such a crazy, religious institution sets itself up well to recruit against the big boys.

SMU: Helps lock down the Dallas-Fort Worth market, improving football and good basketball coupled with great academics.

Memphis: Strong combination of football and basketball.

USF: Good market, good academics/research, and can be a great football program when they have their **** together. The combination of UCF/USF plants a strong flag into the Florida market.

At the end of the day, I think that Memphis would be the best addition. I think they have the highest football upside of the remaining schools and it solidifies an Eastern expansion strategy. Their great basketball program is a major bonus as well.

(06-03-2020 11:34 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  

(06-03-2020 11:08 PM)BraveKnight Wrote:  

(06-03-2020 09:36 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  

(06-03-2020 10:26 AM)BraveKnight Wrote:  

(06-03-2020 07:20 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  Over on the AAC board, there is a clear consensus that quite a few schools are "dying" (sort of) to replace UConn.

The problem isn't a lack of schools wanting to join. For example, there has been a strong lobbying campaign by App State fans on the AAC message boards. There are probably at least 10 or 15 schools that would like to join the AAC. After all, they could boost their conference revenues by $4, $5, or $6 million per year by doing so.

The problem, it seems, is that the AAC Presidents have a very short list of schools they would accept (BYU, Army, maybe Air Force), but that none of them are interested in joining the AAC. Stalemate.

You keep talking about us adding C-USA and Sun Belt schools that none of us want but you. Most of us would rather stay put if we can’t add a MWC school or BYU/Army.

There have been many participants in the AAC message board discussions who have expressed their opinions in support of adding teams, ranging from Air Force (FB) to Boise State (FB) to App State (FB) to UAB to VCU (BB) to Dayton (BB) to St. Louis (BB) to Georgia State (FB) to SUNY-Buffalo to FAU or FIU to North Texas to Southern Mississippi to UMass to Liberty, and several others, as well.

Anyone who wants to visit the AAC message board and read through the various threads on the topic will see a wide range of opinions being expressed over there.

Obviously we want Air Force/Army/Boise State, I just said that.

I have now reread what you wrote, and see that you also included some "MWC schools." My mistake.

It's clear now that we don't disagree about the MWC schools.

(06-03-2020 11:08 PM)BraveKnight Wrote:  I was talking about all sports schools.

I'm not sure what you mean - - you're not saying that you would be in favor of inviting let's say a Boise State or Air Force for all sports, are you? It's my impression that most AAC fans on the message board would invite Boise State or Air Force for FB only, and I would agree.

(06-03-2020 11:08 PM)BraveKnight Wrote:  No one is seriously considering Ga State, UAB, North Texas, F_U, or any of the other G5 schools you mentioned except for you. Some people have expressed interest in Colorado State and SDSU, and a small bit wants Buffalo, but interest in any of those CUSA/Sun Belt schools is minimal.

We agree that some have expressed interested in Buffalo, Colorado State and SDSU. But you have omitted ODU and Georgia State, and I'm quite sure that you would have to admit that you yourself have written some negative responses to those on the AAC board who have ardently proposed admitting ODU or Georgia State to the AAC.

If necessary, I could go back through the threads and actually find your negative responses to those who proposed adding ODU and Georgia State.

When it comes to "Ga State, UAB, North Texas, FAU/FIU" I am not in favor of adding any of those schools. I did mention in a very recent hypothetical thread that I might consider adding UAB or perhaps ODU or WKU, but only if the AAC were to lose Cincy, UCF, Houston, and Memphis.

So let me clarify that I am not in favor of inviting UAB or any of those other schools that you mentioned as replacements for UConn.

I am leaning more and more toward adding App State FB, however, and wouldn't be opposed to adding Marshall FB.

Don’t think I made negative comments about Georgia State or ODU except in response to you, you can go check if you’d like. Also I meant I wasn’t including non-football schools when I said no one was considering schools other than the ones I mentioned. I’m actually a big fan of adding VCU/Dayton/Saint Louis. I wouldn’t mind Boise all sports as their basketball program is decent, but I say no to AFA all sports.

(06-03-2020 11:56 PM)UCbball21 Wrote:  Assuming the Big 12 lost Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State or Kansas, then I think the most obvious additions would be:

1. Cincinnati: The strongest combination of football, basketball, academics, research, geography, and ratings. Cincy gives West Virginia a travel partner and opens up Ohio recruiting. Ohio is the only major football state without multiple P5 programs as well.

2. UCF: Strongest G5 football program and ratings over the past decade, still has major upside and opens up the Florida market. I think UCF would become the clearcut 3rd best program in Florida.

3. Houston: Strong football and basketball, reclaim some of the Texas market shares by putting a foothold in the largest market.

4 is where it gets interesting...

BYU: Football legacy and probably the best from a rating standpoint but BYU's best days may be behind them. I don't know that such a crazy, religious institution sets itself up well to recruit against the big boys.

SMU: Helps lock down the Dallas-Fort Worth market, improving football and good basketball coupled with great academics.

Memphis: Strong combination of football and basketball.

USF: Good market, good academics/research, and can be a great football program when they have their **** together. The combination of UCF/USF plants a strong flag into the Florida market.

At the end of the day, I think that Memphis would be the best addition. I think they have the highest football upside of the remaining schools and it solidifies an Eastern expansion strategy. Their great basketball program is a major bonus as well.

Could also consider Colorado State for the #4 spot, they have nice facilities, good fanbase, big budget, good location in relation to other B12 schools, good potential.

I have a soft spot for Colorado State. My three kids earned undergrad and grad (or both) degrees there, and it would be a hop, skip, and jump over the hump for me to attend a UC/CSU game there. But the school is located in a recruiting desert and, despite a new stadium, hasn't made a sustained effort or financial commitment to excel on the field and court.

(06-03-2020 10:07 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(06-03-2020 12:19 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  Likewise, if Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 next year, 2021, I have no doubt that the remnant Big 12 would remain a P5 league within the CFP until the CFP expires in 2025. It would be breach of contract to try and boot them. But I don't see any way that rump Big 12, no matter who it adds - Cincy, Houston, UCF, USF, Memphis, BYU, whoever - could possibly remain a "P" league in the next iteration of the CFP once the contract expires.

So long as the P5 remain in the NCAA, there is no system within the A5 structure to strip Autonomy status from a conference that is made up of schools that all want to continue operating under the autonomy rules.

If the P5 stay in the NCAA, the first question is whether the Big12 would retain their contract bowl status. If not, they drop down into the chase for the Access Bowl spot, while the Go6 share bumps up marginally from a 1/6th share to a 1/5th share.

If they retain their Contract Bowl status, the rest of the A4 would still be loathe to give that conference a full share.

First, I am surprised at why so many keep mentioning Autonomy status. I agree, that is secure, there is no way a rump Big 12 has that removed. That involves the NCAA, has nothing to do with the CFP.

Second, while I agree you lay out the options under different circumstances pretty nicely, as I've said, I don't think a Big 12 that loses TX and Oklahoma has any chance of retaining Contract status after the current CFP deal expires in 2025. The Sugar Bowl and SEC are interested in having the Big 12 as a partner solely because of the prospect of Texas or Oklahoma playing in that bowl. Likewise, i don't see the Cotton or Fiesta Bowls being interested in offering a bid to a rump Big 12 either.

It isn't just about the money shares, it is about desirable bowl partners. The CFP deal already has one "Hot Potato" for the NY6 bowls, the bid that goes to the top G5 champ. No way do they want to create another Hot Potato, a conference champ nobody wants in their major bowl, which is what a Big 12 sans Texas and OU would be. They would IMO surely fall to in to the "Group" league status in the next contract. Well OK, never say never, but I just don't see any path for them.

Texas and OU are basically the vast bulk of football value in the Big 12.

(06-01-2020 05:08 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  If the Big 12 were to lose 4 teams, which teams would the conference reload with?

.

NOTE: They would have the option to reload with 4, 6, 8, or 10 more schools, to end up with 10, 12, 14, or even 16 teams.

Who is leaving - Baylor, TCU, Iowa State, and Kansas State?

This is a bit off topic, but I've long said that the Big 12 should go ahead and preemptively add UCF/USF as a pair and go to 12. That way when 2-4 schools inevitably leave in 2025 or 2034 of whenever the next realignment is then there will be much less of a prestige hit and they'll still be seen and retaining some sort of core membership.

Plus both of the Florida schools are huge in their own right and could become even stronger with Power 5 money. Access to Florida recruiting would also help West Virginina and possibly Iowa St and the Kansas schools as well.

(06-04-2020 10:19 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  This is a bit off topic, but I've long said that the Big 12 should go ahead and preemptively add UCF/USF as a pair and go to 12. That way when 2-4 schools inevitably leave in 2025 or 2034 of whenever the next realignment is then there will be much less of a prestige hit and they'll still be seen and retaining some sort of core membership.

Plus both of the Florida schools are huge in their own right and could become even stronger with Power 5 money. Access to Florida recruiting would also help West Virginina and possibly Iowa St and the Kansas schools as well.

Thing is even if they joined in time for the 2021 season, the media rights deal with the carriers aren't going to pay extra for those two schools right now. Their money will have to be taken out with the current take... and I don't see that right now. Maybe they add the FL schools in 2024/2025?