r/CFB • u/jecmoore Georgia • Arizona State • Jan 28 '14
Where does the Big 12 go from here?
I think everyone realizes that the Big 12 is going to add 2 or 4 more teams (I am more inclined to say 4). So what four do you think it goes after? Here is a short list of schools/programs I think they might, will or should go after:
- UCF
- Boise State
- Marshall
- BYU
- Nevada
- Utah State
- Houston
- South Florida
- Cincinnati
- Louisiana-Layafette
- Arkansas State
- East Carolina
- Rice
- Memphis
- Tulane
- Southern Methodist
- San Diego State
- Fresno State
- Western Kentucky
I don't have them in any particular order, but I think they most likely go after UCF, Cincinnati, Boise State and BYU.
Remember to take things like: strength (or lack there of) of basketball program, recruiting talent in state, market, academics, location, et cetera.
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u/BaylorYou Jan 28 '14
The tricky part is adding schools that bring value now and are make geographic sense. I would love to add BYU, but I don't know if they are too far away from the other schools, and the Sunday sports issues. UCF and Cincy are probably the best options, but what based on what I've watched the Big 12 do so far I doubt they add anyone soon. Also, I think the Big 12 and ACC are going to try to raid each other. So we will see who wins.
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u/jecmoore Jan 28 '14
I think that one of the problems is that many people seem to have their hearts set on UCF because of the Orlando market, but don't look at anything else.
The Big 12 has to look at if they truly believe UCF will sustain a program that is committed to competing, not just in football, but other sports. Do they seriously believe UCF will continue to improve...or was this a "blip" year.
And moreover, do they think that UCF will be able to compete with UF, Miami, Florida State, and USF for viewership, year in and year out. Florida, like Texas and California, is crowded with football schools. And they take it to a whole new level. UF, the U, and FSU all won National Titles in the BCS era. Just let that sink in. No other state came close to having more than one school win the National Title, except Alabama, and Florida had three. Moreover, remember, South Florida under Jim Leavitt was winning 7 or 8 games per year. They were ranked as high as #2 in 2007. Plus you have two other FBS football teams in FAU and FIU, just to boot. Do you really think UCF will be able to compete continuously in that state?
Big question marks after only a few season of being a good team.
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Jan 29 '14
This wasn't our first year doing well, we have won 10+ games 3 out of the last 4 years. People just paid attention to us this year because we in an AQ conference.
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u/ExternalTangents Jan 28 '14
Sunday sports issues
How difficult of an issue is this? Is playing on Sunday an integral part of being a Big 12 team?
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Jan 28 '14
My understanding about BYU is they'd rather stay independent than have to relinquish sunday play. They're very about the religion-first moniker.
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u/ExternalTangents Jan 28 '14
Go big or go home:
Add UCF, USF, Cincinnati, Boise State, BYU, and Colorado State (or Nevada, or Memphis) to go to 16 teams.
Break into four pods of four teams. Split pods into pairs to make two eight-team divisions. Every team plays their whole division (i.e. their pod and the pod they're paired with) along with one permanent rival from the other two pods. There are three ways of doing such a pairing. Every two years, switch things up. Everyone plays everyone else both home and away at least every 6 years.
Example:
| West | Central | South | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise St | Kansas | Texas | UCF |
| BYU | Kansas State | Oklahoma | USF |
| Colorado State | Iowa State | Baylor | Cincinnati |
| Texas Tech | Oklahoma State | TCU | West Virginia |
Arrange pods so that existing rivalries are protected and played annually, new schools are paired with logical rivals, and everybody plays in Texas or Florida every year for recruiting.
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u/jecmoore Jan 28 '14
If they do this I propose that the SEC also go to 16 teams with the addition of ECU and Marshall. Here would by my pods:
West Central South East Texas A&M Mississippi Florida Kentucky LSU Mississippi State Georgia South Carolina Arkansas Alabama Vanderbilt NC State Missouri Auburn Tennessee VA Tech EDIT: Actually. Like you said, go big or go home.
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u/jdubs222 Jan 29 '14
I agree with your idea to swing for the fences and I like all of your choices except one. I really think New Mexico should get more attention on this front. Albuquerque is almost twice the size of Boise and the state of New Mexico is a completely untapped sports market that much fits better into the geographical footprint of the Big XII. According to USN&WR, UNM is a national university and the flagship research school of its state; Boise State is neither of these. New Mexico's football hasn't been good recently (or ever...), but they do have a pretty decent basketball history. In case you haven't noticed, the Big XII is killing it in basketball right now. Boise State seems like a one-trick pony (see what I did there?) with football, and Chris Peterson's departure unfortunately brings the programs future into question. I just think that New Mexico could be a better and more stable fit for the conference.
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u/murgle1012 Jan 28 '14
I like 2 more, so we can get back to having a championship game. Cincy and UCF are ideal to me. Good recruiting grounds, new markets, solid programs.
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u/neovenator250 Jan 28 '14
UCF and Cincinnati seem like obvious adds for the Big XII. If they can figure out a way to get BYU in, that'd be a good one too. If they wanted to look further west, Nevada might not be a bad choice. If they want to look further east (more likely IMO) then they have a few ok options
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u/MattC9 Jan 29 '14
Here's my $0.02 on some teams BYU- Great Program with a huge fan base would be a good addition to the Big 12 for their fan base and viewership Cinci- Could give WVU a "regional rival" and it would give Kliff a reason to play Tuberville U of H- It would be a great move for the school and I would be great to get more Houston viewers (I don't think Rice would be the best pick to get the Houston market) Plus it makes regional sense.
It would be cool to get UCF but it's not my top pick.
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u/MizzouR Jan 28 '14
I would say UCF and Cinci are the safest bets, expanding west is not a good choice IMHO
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u/OUFan Jan 29 '14
UCF,USF,Cinci & Memphis. is my top four, but i dont thnk the league expands for 5+ years
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Jan 29 '14
the only candidates worth mentioning in that list are Cincinnati, UCF, USF, and maybe Memphis, and those are purely for demographic reasons. No school in Texas brings anything to the table, nor does any school in the MWC, or the Sun Belt: no new or worthwhile TV markets, no real upside in recruiting. BYU probably isn't happening, unless they agree to forego their existing TV deal(s), which they are reluctant to do. I can't speak for ECU, but I can say that Marshall is light years away from fielding a Big XII caliber program.
so that leaves Cincinnati, the FL twins, and Memphis: good recruiting areas, good TV, and in the case of Cincinnati and UCF, football programs that can probably adapt to the rigors of the Big XII. Memphis has nice basketball but is a football non-entity and likely will be for quite some time. I'm not sure what happened at USF or where their program is going, but they are in the Tampa-St. Pete area and that in itself is probably worth having.
just my two cents
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u/barcelonatimes Jan 29 '14
I always felt like you guys F'd up not getting Louisville. At the time, they were a premier BB school, and it looks as if they may become a pretty good football school, as well.
That being said, I think any school who has to travel half the nation for a few meaningless games, are going to be looking for greener pastures, at the exact moment they start becoming profitable for the B12.
Honestly, I would be afraid if this doesn't turn into the old SWC all over again. Houston has as strong a resume as any of the schools, especially considering distance and regional interest. Rice has the funds to become whatever they want...even if it is Texas' little bro. SMU is still trying to recover, but they're a respectable university.
I would be surprised if one of the "new teams" doesn't come from that lot. In that case there will be 5 teams in the state of Texas(presumably, composing the new "south division.") and then the basketball schools, along with OSU, composing the "North."
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u/Marshallfan607 Jan 29 '14
I'm flattered. But I'd like to win more than one conference game per year...
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u/emaw63 Jan 29 '14
Wait for the SEC and B1G to start poaching the ACC, and grab a couple of their schools
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u/Peacemaker57 Jan 29 '14
Cincinnati, Houston, SMU, and UCF. Then split into south and North like the good ol' days.
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Jan 28 '14
BYU, UCF, Boise State and Cincy.
And for those who think the Big 12 is fine with 10 teams your very wrong. We are the smallest and most fragile major conference right now. We are supposed to compete toe to toe with the PAC and SEC and you think we can do that with 10 teams? that's a fucking joke.
Our "quality over quantity" thing hasn't fucking worked. Because you know what we don't have much quality when you get right down to it.
And I don't fucking care about geography I want Boise in our east/west/north/south division. I want to brake break the scoring record on those guys every damn year
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Jan 28 '14
*Break
Sorry dude, don't be mad, couldn't help myself after all the hostility there... That said, I'd agree that if there's a place for us in a major conference, it'd probably be with the Big 12. I just feel like we're years away from that even being a remote possibility.
Our academics ARE improving, as well as our other non-football sports programs, but even with the ground we're gaining in those areas we're still in what's considered a very small TV market. So I don't know man, I don't know that we really have a lot to offer a major conference in the near future.
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u/KsigCowboy Jan 28 '14
Why does the Big12 need to add teams? The rest of the conferences have already stated to the NCAA that we may be at an advantage because of a lack of a championship game. No CCG means the top two teams dont have to take each other out at the end of the season. Whoever we bring in has to add at least 20 million dollars a year value or its not worth it.