Brainstorming teams is great, but leadership really needs to be thinking hard about how to make the Big XII fun and fan friendly. No matter who we add, there is no way to compete with the SEC on talent or prestige in the short term. However, college football has gotten progressively more corporate and less fan friendly over the past few decades. If the Big XII can figure out a way to reverse that trend and make this league truly about the fans, they will have a unique value proposition.
I think back to the old SWC. That was a truly fun conference. I would like to see the Big XII try to recreate some of that magic.
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Someone on recent article proposed a great bold dynamic move. It had 4 schools out west ( SDSU,UNLV, Boise St) 4 Texas schools ( Tech,Tcu,Baylor,Houston) 4 MidweT(Ku,Kst,Iowa St,Osu) 4 east schools (West Va,UCF,Cincy,Memphis) It combines inventory, with big new markets, covers all 4 time zones for many TV partner options to compete, includes large schools with future growing fan bases, combines attractive up and coming football schools for future fan streaming revenues. Covers a lot of new potential sources with options. Even had a good new name appeal, The Big American Conference
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Skipped the biggest name in west pod BYU
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I love the 10 team set up. No chance of a weak pod or division. That said.
I like the San Diego pod set up. I think the pod will get every more involved. I mean look at the sec u could die before everyone plays everyone. This pod keeps natural things flowing.
If we needed to expand with ou and Texas, why would 8 10 or 12 work now. This set up does give u time zones, recruiting and just openness.
I know this is just for football, in the pod u only have 3 far away games. Memphis isn’t that far, we go east every other year. We use to go to Boulder every other too. They do have this new invention called the aero plane.
Some were talking about the travel for the minor sports. Go check who they play now and where. Some talk about byu. So they dnt get any Sunday basketball games. The other sports can work around it just fine. Heard about byu being like Texas, mite work in the Mwc but not now.
Not getting byu would push tech out west. I’m not a 100% with Nevada or Memphis but can be worked out.
I am not a fan of this pod proposal. I would prefer to add BYU, Houston, and SMU. To me, those three are no-brainers. I have mixed thoughts on the fourth team that would get us back to 12. I could live with UCF. One team that I do not think is getting enough consideration is Tulane. They have a wealthy alumni base and just got a nice stadium in the New Orleans garden district, plus they make sense from a geographic and recruiting perspective. All the Big XII schools are going to struggle to maintain their current level of fan support and having a fun road trip to New Orleans every other year is a good way to keep people engaged.
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I have heard a couple of guys reason for school is holiday spots. Tulane is a small unproductive school. Memphis has a small some what ok school. Only byu plays a some what power five schedule. Houston San Diego, ucf and usf are large but will they translate more then a community College atmosphere. Smu has no place. Small school in Dallas, we have that now. Rich donors from other schools wouldn’t help osu or big 12.
We used to get a lot of good recruits out of H-Town. It’s still possible even if UH is let in, which I think they should be cause after discoTEX leaves H-Town media won’t follow the Big XII like they did before without them.
We’re not in the Midwest, neither is Kansas or Iowa.
We definitely could, and geographically it would be nice to have a conference footprint down there. I’m also going by the assumption we only add 2. If so, I think we have more to gain from UCF and BYU when it comes to recruiting.
But the more I type this, I’m fine with Houston instead of BYU. I think UCF would be a gold mine for expansion.
The big 12 should add 4. Give the 3 mentioned and a military school.