Topic: Big 12 to add 4 teams in 2017

[chemstock]

The Big 12 (really 10) announced it's going to explore adding as many as four teams through expansion. The league's board of directors has authorized commissioner Bob Bowlsby to solicit interest from potential candidates. Among the schools that might be considered potential candidates: Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Connecticut, Houston, Memphis, UCF and USF. Bowlsby said the Big 12 board "saw the path forward clearly and has taken steps. We need to look at it logistically and put a plan together."

[lovetheherd2]

Here we go again, ever changing landscape of NCAA football.....

Hope the smaller G5 schools are also talking.

[Huffnagel]

My guess and strictly a guess is that they add:
BYU
Cincy
Houston
and Florida school.

Any other thoughts?

[ThunderValley]

  Let the fun begin.

BYU
Cincy
Memphis
Houston

[MU42]

Houston won't get in, Texas doesn't want it. BYU cares more about their religion, and they should, than sports. They won't play on Sunday. So they are a no. In my opinion it will be all east of the Big 12 core. Cincinnati, Memphis, UCF, and UConn. That is my opinion.

AAC will need to add 4 schools. I think this is our chance to make it to the highest possible conference. Imo, the replacements will be So Miss, Marshall, ODU, and UAB. Again just my opinion.

[DJdaHERDfan]

Cincy and BYU are locks.
The real game is who gets in with Cincy and who gets in with BYU.
Memphis?
Houston?
Colorado St?
UCONN?

[The E-Man]

My guess and strictly a guess is that they add:
BYU
Cincy
Houston
and Florida school.

Any other thoughts?

I like two of your schools,
BYU
Cincy,I'm adding
UCONN and
Colorado State!

[FlyHawk98]

I also think Cincy and BYU are locks.

I hope the AAC brings us in to replace Cincy.

[svherd]

It's no secret UConn wants in the ACC with 'Cuse. Cincy would be a logical add so they could be a "geographic partner" with WVU. Not sure about BYU. Boise may hold for the P12. I think Houston would be a good bet. Maybe USF. I his don't seen UCF being close to B12 material.

[Huffnagel]

Could they be thinking about adding some NCAA basketball tourney credits? If so then you would think that Cincy, Memphis, and UCONN are locks. Throw in BYU and you have your four teams. That would give the polluters up north with travel partners.

[MUalumni0912]

Honestly, will there even be a Big 12 if Baylor gets the NCAA hammer and gets the Death Penalty before then? Causing everyone to find a reason to abandon Texas and their damn LHN?
(I know, I know, wishful thinking, it'll never happen despite deserving no doubt, of it).

Buuuut...since that's not happening...

Throw in Air Force from me...no doubt a service academy brings national interest...great academics, and pretty competitive sports.
They also will give the Big-12 Colorado once more.

BYU, wouldn't it be interesting if they were a FOOTBALL ONLY member? Sort of the same deal Notre Dame gets...they have their own network, likely wouldn't need as much of a payout because of that, and they're not a 100% fully introduced sports member, just football.
That would also make scheduling NOT Sundays, easier.

I think someone in Florida is gonna get the nod. I pray it's USF...mainly because I hate UCF...but actually, UCF is going to suck big time, I hope, which will diminish their chances of appeal.

Then you have Cincy...which wvu fans will enjoy but will also make it even harder on them since they'll have to travel far, far more because if a school from Florida is added...that's basically the same distance...hell, it used to be, probably the farthest they'd have to go.
If Seider ever gets a real job and bolts, goodbye Florida pipeline...especially when you have a school ALREADY IN FLORIDA, playing the same level of competition.

So there you have it from me...
Air Force
BYU (Football only)
Cincy
USF

Boise is likely NEVER going to the Pac-12...the Pac-12 actually has very strong academic schools...Boise is not one of those. Boise has no market appeal...unless you like potatoes. Boise has had some good seasons, no doubt, but as we saw what happens when they have equal or better competition in their own conference...they lose...and lose often.
Basically, they're falling back down to Earth.

Houston, well for the obvious reasons stated by others...Texas won't want them.

I doubt Memphis is going to get it...but if they do, they'll replace Cincy. I don't think they're going to be good enough, and show enough fan support, to garnish anything worthy...let's face it...their Fed-Ex CEO is energetic about the possibility...but when their entire city wears Orange over Blue? Yeah...they're gonna be a tough sell.

On a quick continued rant...wvu is praying someone like Cincy gets it...anyone else, by far, is going to be a chore for them to drive to...even in Florida...they'll have a small presence, but not enough to really make anything notable.

This is also contingent upon the market appeals being worthy of the new TV contract they got, which adds about $7 million to their pockets...of course, needing to share that amount with potentially FOUR other schools, diminishes their value...and if the TV networks don't think the added members are "worth it" then what?

Methinks several elements need to really fit into place for this to even work at this point...the Big-12 is looking to expand rather quickly and swiftly, but can collapse just as fast.

[whf]

I think it will be basketball based more than football.  Right now they need to make sure they don't mess up either rating, and there is no one on that list that helps in football so they have to find a football adequate school while adding a most protective, maybe even additive, roundball program or two.  I see it being Uconn and UC, then all others. Memphis basketball isn't what it used to be under Calipari; when his recruits ran out so did their dominance.  One eastern school isn't enough, they need two and Uconn basketball is going to be good for a long while.

[MUther]

I heard the Big 12 will be adding Marshall because WVU went to bat for us and threatened to leave if they didn't add us this go 'round.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

/sarcasm

I bet even our hybrid fans got a sour face on at the thought of us being in their conference.

[Buffalo Bop]

I heard the Big 12 will be adding Marshall because WVU went to bat for us and threatened to leave if they didn't add us this go 'round.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

I bet even our hybrid fans got a sour face on at the thought of us being in their conference.

[Thunders]

Best shot at us getting out of CUSA. I hope it happens otherwise we will be dead. The big conference are doing what we thought they would do and that's make G5 irrelevant.

[Herdfan73]

Boise certainly doesn't have PAC 12 academics but to say they're coming back down to earth on the football field? ???? They've won 40 games the past 4 years, and two conference championships.

[iherdya]

I also think Cincy and BYU are locks.

I hope the AAC brings us in to replace Cincy.

if they're willing to take football only byu would be a lock, but the sunday thing might come up and keep them on the outside of full membership.

[herdfan429]

Houston won't get in, Texas doesn't want it. BYU cares more about their religion, and they should, than sports. They won't play on Sunday. So they are a no. In my opinion it will be all east of the Big 12 core. Cincinnati, Memphis, UCF, and UConn. That is my opinion.

AAC will need to add 4 schools. I think this is our chance to make it to the highest possible conference. Imo, the replacements will be So Miss, Marshall, ODU, and UAB. Again just my opinion.

No way they add uab as a replacement considering they dropped football a couple years ago and only recently brought it back.

[MUalumni0912]

Boise certainly doesn't have PAC 12 academics but to say they're coming back down to earth on the football field? ???? They've won 40 games the past 4 years, and two conference championships.

They've tanked against better competition as of late. They are still good, but not exactly the world beaters they once were.

But other elements to add to Boise for being left out...
Very far to travel for the Big 12. Pac 12 is happy where it is. Endowment is $88 million...less than ours.
LET ME REPEAT THEY HAVE A LOWER ENDOWMENT THAN MARSHALL and they want in on the Pac 12? They don't have a market either...and their fans are a tiny contingent in the wastelands of America.

Finally, if UAB moves to the AAC and none of their fans are around to see it, do they still move up?

[bbcard1]

Best shot at us getting out of CUSA. I hope it happens otherwise we will be dead. The big conference are doing what we thought they would do and that's make G5 irrelevant.

I love you brother, but i am not sure I agree. Would being the lowest of the low man on AAC...not in terms of competitiveness but in terms of pecking order and budget be better than being the bellcow of CUSA? A better thought...have a backroom meeting of the best of CUSA and AAC eastern oriented schools and form a new conference, those not invited to the grown up table. These would include possibly Marshall, Southern Miss, MTSU, WKU, ECU, UCF, USF, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, ODU, UConn and possibly UAB. We might also pick up App or GA Southern from the Sunbelt and possibly see if OU would be interested, though I doubt they would. This would also liberate the western schools to form a more realistic conference for travel and rivalry purposes. I know it is not the way it has been done, but we are not getting where we want to go by doing thing the way they have always been done.

[GoGreen1980]

If CUSA loses any more teams and we don't get in the AAC we need to get on our hands and knees and beg the MAC to take us back.

[wasbarryb]

If CUSA loses any more teams and we don't get in the AAC we need to get on our hands and knees and beg the MAC to take us back.

You must be suffering from heat stoke.  No herd fan can be that dumb.

[herdinphilly]

Poll just taken of B12 coaches and they favor Houston and BYU (both received 5 votes out of 10).

Marshall can take Houston's place...

[Pinkerton99]

and their fans are a tiny contingent in the wastelands of America.

If Boise is a wasteland I'd hate to see what you have to say about WV.  Boise has half the poverty as Huntington, and household income is $10,000 higher.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Boise,+ID+vs+Huntington,+WV

[Flat Tire 2]

They've tanked against better competition as of late. They are still good, but not exactly the world beaters they once were.

But other elements to add to Boise for being left out...
 They don't have a market either...and their fans are a tiny contingent in the wastelands of America.

Have you ever visited Boise? There metro area is estimated to be 215,000 due to the migration of people from California to the area. Beautiful downtown area with brewpubs and fine dinning. Sun Valley; Ketchum and McCall resort areas are an easy drive. Boise is about an hour's drive to the Oregon State line.  BSU has a very good engineering school and is harder to get into than MU. I love MU and H-Town, but you need to be realistic.