Big 12 on Course to Become Big 8

It wasn’t too long ago that Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton spoke of “working every day to hold the Big 12 together.” Now he’s been tasked with helping decide whether the Tigers are the latest program to leave a troubled conference fighting for its future.

ESPN and the Associated Press reported that University curators voted unanimously Tuesday night to consider leaving the Big 12 instead of committing to the league for the long term. The governing board’s members agreed unanimously after a 4-hour closed meeting at the system’s St. Louis campus to give Deaton authority to look elsewhere, specifically “any and all actions necessary to fully explore options on conference affiliation….which best serve the (school’s) interest.”

Just one day earlier, the conference announced that presidents and chancellors of the remaining nine members, including Deaton, had agreed to equal revenue sharing and to seek approval from each university to hand over the most lucrative television rights to the conference for six years.

Now it looks as if the Big 12 might be losing two members for the second straight year. One year ago, Nebraska defected from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, with Colorado also leaving for what is now the Pac-12. Speculation has centered on a possible Missouri move to the Southeastern Conference, which recently agreed to accept Texas A&M from the Big 12 starting next year.

When the Longhorns entered the league in 1996 and stipulated inequitable revenue sharing, Texas bargained from a position of strength. If the (former) Big Eight schools wanted the ‘Horns, they had to meet UT’s demands.  The other big money-makers — OU, A&M, Nebraska — never dreamed that Texas could land a deal like the $300-million, 20-year contract with ESPN.

Texas-OU week has arrived, and the most dominant force in college football is neither player nor coach. A little-seen cable channel lords over the sport in this autumn of 2011. The Longhorn Network has reshaped the landscape. Gone are Colorado and Nebraska. Sent Texas A&M screaming to the SEC last month. Might do the same to Missouri.  Blame it on UT!

Texas Longhorns Continue to Oppose TCU in Big XII

With all nine Big 12 presidents announcing their intentions tonight to remain in the league, the latest development in conference realignment could become problematic for the Big East, which now has to be on guard for yet another raid on its membership — this one from the West.

In addition to remaining whole, the Big 12 said its expansion committee has been reactivated, with the first goal to increase the conference’s membership to 10.

Two Big East schools could be squarely in the Big 12’s sights: TCU, which isn’t scheduled to join the Big East until next year, and Louisville.

Geographically, TCU makes the most sense, but Texas’ long-standing opposition to adding the Horned Frogs could turn the Big 12 toward Louisville. The league already has a strong presence in the state of Texas (with Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech) and could extend its conference footprint by adding Louisville.

Orangebloods.com, a website that covers Texas and the Big 12, reported TCU “tops the list to be No. 10,” according to their sources.

But a leading college official with working knowledge of the situation told Tom Luicci/The Star-Ledger :

“Texas does not want TCU because TCU gives the Big 12 nothing they don’t already have and sharing money with a school that adds no value makes no sense.”

The requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of either side.

The Big East has been raided twice now in eight years (Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech went to the ACC in 2003) and is down to seven football schools, including TCU.  UConn wants in the ACC; perhaps Rutgers does, too. If they go, you can count Big East football schools on one hand.

Army, Navy, Air Force and Central Florida are on the Big East invitation list. East Carolina has applied for membership. This is not pulse-pounding news and surely must have Big East officials steaming that they didn’t sign a new TV deal when they had a chance a year ago. If the league survives beyond the next two years, will it even retain the AQ status that means everything in college football?

Mac Brown told us earlier in the week that it’s all about the kids and the high school coaches. The Big XII needs to remain a regional conference yada yada yada.  Well, Southwest Conference teams TCU, SMU and Houston are available.  Invites would give the Big XII, TWELVE TEAMS!

But Texas doesn’t care about any of that bullshit that Mac Brown threw out there for mindless organge blood consumption.  All UT cares about is the power and control, which brings in the most money for the tea sips. 

The Longhorns are as low as you can go when it comes to integrity and trust in NCAA college football conference.  Tea Sips are greedy bullies who have undermined the viability and status of the Big XII. UT ran off Nebraska, Colorado and Texas A&M.  Oklahoma had enough of UT and was on the way out too.  But OU was left standing at the altar with their crimson and cream ass hanging out when the PAC-12 unanimously rejected them because of UT greed. It was PAC-16 or nothing for the PAC-12.

Texas has long been the sole entity keeping the Frogs out of the Big XII.  Acceptance of a new member requires a vote by the board of directors — presidents and chancellors of the league’s schools — with a 75% majority of yay’s.

Can the Big 12 build a consensus without Bevo’s blessing? Perhaps in the freshly unified nine-team Big 12, Texas makes concessions?  Methinks not.

Remember the frog who was afraid of being stung during a ride across the river? But the scorpion argued that if it stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the scorpion, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both.

“You fool!” croaked the frog, “Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?”

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog’s back.

“I could not help myself. It is my nature.”

Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.

The behaviour of creatures like UT is irrepressible, no matter how they are treated and no matter what the consequences, the orangebloods will never go against their arrogant, greedy nature because they can’t help themselves.

Big XII Refuses to Die --- PAC 12 Standing Pat

Texas won’t give up.  Oklahoma is now saying they might stay but Big XII Commissioner Bebe must go.  Bottom line; Nobody knows and more and more are starting not to care. There is a serious effort being made, led by Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton, to try to save the Big 12, a high-placed administrator at a Big 12 school has told the mouthpiece of Texas,  Orangebloods.com

Meanwhile, the natives are becoming restless.  Just like when the NFL, NBA or MLB players and owners over the big bucks, it quickly becomes a battle of greed that the public doesn’t care to follow.  The public wants ball. Period.

I’m getting tired of it myself.  So here’s one last guess at how the Big XII may survive regardless of the numerous reports of its demise. Maybe it’s time to start writing about how bad Netflix killed the golden goose?

If Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech leave the Big 12 for the Pac 16, look for the depleted Big East to join the depleted Big 12 to form The Leftovers. Should Rutgers and Connecticut eventually join Pittsburgh and Syracuse in the ACC, the geographic edge goes to the Big 12.

Assume Missouri becomes the SEC’s 14th team. The “Mid” East might be Baylor, Kansas State, Kansas, Iowa State, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia, Texas Christian. Then bulk up by adding Boise State, SMU, Houston. Or maybe add some Rice to the mix.

This patchwork life raft might hold until the next big expansion wave. Or not.

Update on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 6:52AM by Bonzer Wolf

The Pac-12 Conference is standing pat for now.  At least six Pac-12 presidents opposed further expansion, and Larry Scott needed nine of 12 votes to approve any new additions. It’s all about MONEY and why share with four more teams? Texas shill publications are reporting that the PAC-12 didn’t want Oklahoma without Texas, who had decided not to join the PAC.  I don’t believe this bullshit for a second.  This “Texas” attitude is exactly why the Big XII is down to nine and still may lose Missouri to the SEC.

Texas A&M confired that they were leaving the Big XII not matter what the rest of the teams did.

The league’s presidents and chancellors voted late Tuesday night to reaffirm their decision to stay at a dozen members. Commissioner Larry Scott says “after careful review we have determined that it is in the best interests of our member institutions, student-athletes and fans to remain a 12-team conference.”

Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech were among those considering a potential move from the Big 12. After expanding from the Pac-10 with new members Utah and Colorado last year, members of the new Pac-12 won’t give them the chance.

The league already negotiated a landmark 12-year television contract with Fox and ESPN worth about $3 billion. And it appears plenty happy at a dozen.

UT Makes me LOL

Mack Brown’s speech on the Big 12 Conference: “As much as we talk about money,” Brown said, “as much as we talk about college football, as much as we talk about realignment, as much as we talk about great games, playoffs and all that stuff, we better go back and make sure that we’re taking care of the players and that the players and the high school coaches are always considered in the equation.”

Right. Texas wants the Big 12 to survive because it’s the Texas League, where it gets to do anything it wants. (And what do high school coaches have to do with this?)

One thing to understand: Just about everything here is about self-interest. Treat everything you read — from named and unnamed sources — as working an angle and you’ll be better off.

Update on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 8:56AM by Bonzer Wolf

Chip Brown’s latest report from Orangebloods.com indicates that Texas will make a decision within the next two weeks and that the reason the Longhorns will wait has to do with them wanting to see if OU/OSU can get into the Pac-12 without them.

If they can’t, Texas would have a lot more leverage to entice the OU schools to return to the Big 12. If they can, Texas could potentially go with them.

There’s also talk that Texas and Kansas moving to the ACC is still being kicked around.

Texas to "Pod-ner" with PAC-16 ?

My position from going through this whole Pac-16-with-Texas thing twice is the same as it was in 2010: The best deal for the old Pac-10 (now Pac-12) and for Texas is the Pac-16. Commissioner Larry Scott knows that. He did his homework. Texas, however, thought it could outsmart the market because it’s, well, Texas.  It couldn’t. So here we are again with Scott still being right and Texas perhaps coming around.

The Austin American-Statesman wrote about a potential solution to what worries many Pac-12 fans, most particularly those from Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado, who aren’t thrilled with the idea of being in an East Division with the old Big 12 teams.

What about pods? From the Austin newspaper:

If the four schools and the Pac-12 come to an agreement, a football conference could be aligned in four four-team pods, with Texas joined by Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Texas would play those schools every year to preserve rivalries.

How would the overall playing schedule work out for football? As of right now, the conference is discussing an alignment where teams would play nine conference games. Teams would play every other team in their pod each season, along with two teams from each of the other three pods.

It is believed the championship game would be decided by overall conference record, meaning any two teams could play in the championship game on a given year.

“I don’t know what kind of blunt instrument, like east and west, north and south, would make sense,” Scott said. “We’ve got a lot of flexibility and a lot of creativity we could bring to alignment issues. “