Originally published at: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/pac-12-big-12-merger-would-pull-new-conference-even-with-sec-big-ten/
This can’t happen, right?
I don’t think this makes geographical sense…
West Virginia in the same division as Washington and Oregon. I imagine all of those schools would say NO WAY.
IF, and this is completely hypothetical and will never happen, the Big 12 expanded into a MEGA- 16 team - conference, I’d love to see the following additions:
Cincinnati / Memphis / Houston / BYU / Air Force / Boise State
All are good at either basketball or football if not both, geographically it makes sense, it would add several new big TV markets and could provide some intriguing divisional matchups.
2 Likes
Blake…I am not sure what additional “big” TV markets this would bring.
I live in Cincy and while the market is certainly bigger than OKC and Tulsa, Cincinnati belongs to TOSU, not the University of Cincinnati in terms of eyeballs. The other schools/markets (other than BYU) don’t bring much. BYU already has their own network and since they don’t play on Sunday that brings a whole host of other issues to the non-revenue sports.
Yeah that’s a terrible idea and goes against everything that’s happening in college sports right now. Both UCLA and USC, even when they are struggling on the field, are way more valuable on their own than all those teams you listed. Your idea means we get to split our money with 6 additional teams that won’t add much to the bottom line.
1 Like
I wish we would have attempted a raid on the ACC when we were adding WVU. Would have been epic to add Clemson, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Florida State…then either the NC schools or Miami and Georgia Tech for the TV markets.
Memphis and Houston aren’t big markets? The Big 12 lost alot of Houston with A&M going to the SEC… BYU has a national following. the other schools make geographical sense and are solid programs.
Honestly the Big 12 made a huge mistake in my opinion by not adding Louisville and Cincy when they had the chance.
1 Like
Blake - Houston is a huge market. The Big 12 already owns Houston. Many more UT Grads in Houston than Houston grads. Memphis market is probably equivalent to OKC (slightly bigger) but has more Tennessee fans than Memphis fans. I agree with BYU (national market), but the Sunday issue was discussed ad nauseum when they were part of potential discussions several years ago.
I do absolutely agree that they missed the boat with Cincinnati and Louisville when they added WVU. Those three would have created a nice pocket for travel, recruiting and rivalries. However, with the changing dynamics the potential PAC 12 additions would add more than UC and The 'Ville.
I just don’t imagine the conference going THAT far West.
But then again I was surprised by the WVU add.
1 Like
Not sure I’m crazy about the divisions. They make sense geographically, but the recruiting would all be in the South (TX and CA).
The Pac 12 won’t just pack their bags for a simple realignment not after the money they will get next re-up. If anything they will force Big 12 follow the leader. The last tv deal that was by the pac 12 in 2011 was the biggest ever at the time $3billion (fafillion). Jk. But $3Beeeelion is gonna get a lot of benjamins added to that soon. That current deal sprayed all sports over espn & fox topping any conference by far.
Big 12 is gaining media popularity now respectively but the Pac 12 drives the NCAA. Stanford, UCLA, and The Trojans sit 1, 2, 3 with most NCAA National Titles. Networks want that on at night time. A deal will pop up.
Am I off topic?
Well that all figures into a potential merger of any.
Look Mike Bohn is driving up the bidding for the Trojans who are gonna have many options. If anything the Big12 and Pac12 will have to court them. USC could very well go independent which is very much a serious possibility out this way. NBC like Notre Dame has been thrown around as a landing spot to sign them if that were to happen. There are many troubling and embarrassing situations at USC that I am royally embarrassed to be a Trojan fan with so many off the field issues as well as struggling on the field. Clay Helton is a joke. We knew that years ago. But as soon as these issues get settled and paid$ to all the thousands getting settlements USC is gonna make a splash in the near future tied to all of this. The conference will not want USC gone because they make them money. I don’t mean to sound so one sided or disrespectful. But I don’t see the Pac 12 with no option and at the mercy to join so easily.
I wouldn’t be interested in Oregon or Washington.
Give me USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. Teams are closer to the current big xii and I wouldn’t do north south east or west.
Bebbe division
UCLA
USC
Texas Tech
Texas
Colorado
Utah
Kansas
Kansas State
Neinas division
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
West Virginia
Iowa State
Arizona State
Arizona
TCU
Baylor
Plays 9 conference
6 in division
3 from other division
1 of those three would be to save rivals
(Red River)
3 non conference games
Putting ISU/WVU in separate division as USC/UCLA means largest travel only happens every couple years.
Kyle, it wasn’t too long ago that you and Carson were hollering that the Big 12 was dead and OSU should do everything in its power to join the SEC.
I like where the Big 12 is at. Playing games two time zones away has zero appeal to me and many others.
It brings the Big 10 market (Ohio), brings SEC country (Memphis), Pac12 territory (Colorado and Utah).
1 Like
I’ve been writing for the last three years that the Big 12 is thriving and in a better spot than any national writer has given it credit for.
1 Like
I think everything is setting up for play off expansion (or play off qualification adjustments) to be the driver in “next round” conference realignments not TV deals.
Glad that you’ve changed your mind, but you and Carson were still claiming the big 12 was “dead”, when its actually been in a good position for quite a while.
I’m going to need some receipts on that. I know we said it, but it’s been a looong time.