(07-24-2016 04:24 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(07-23-2016 11:27 PM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  If the Big XII takes four, it will be Houston, Cincy, BYU, and Colorado State.

Here's why:
1. Houston because of it's top ten television market (#10), and it appears that Texas politics and UT-Austin will play a role. What Texas wants Texas gets. (see aforementioned UT president tweet and tweets regarding quid pro quo UH removal of the decades old opposition to a UT-Houston)
2. Cincinnati because of it's television market (#36) and to finally provide a geographic balance for WVU.
3. BYU because of it's television market (#34), it's name recognition; and it adds a second (cozy eh?) religiously oriented private to balance Baylor.
4. Colorado State because of it's top twenty television market (#17) and to geographically balance the western side of the Big XII with BYU as Cincy will balance the east. The new 41,000 seat stadium doesn't hurt either.

Memphis is a longer shot with a lower television market of 50 and a slightly awkward geographic location. Additionally, GaSt fan Panama noted today that every single P5 school is a USNWR Tier 1 institution. Memphis would be the first non Tier 1. I am not, however, sure whether that is important to the the Big XII or not.

UConn has been mentioned, but it is too far of a geographic outllier, and is located in (NE US) a place where football is either stagnant or actually losing popularity. Not much of a chance for them. IMO.

If the BigXII takes only two, I think it more likely that Houston and Cincy are the ones chosen because of WVU and UT promoting Houston.
Either way I think the AAC only loses two, in which case the AAC might not backfill at all.

Television DMA source:
https://www.tvb.org/Portals/0/media/file...-ranks.pdf

USNWR source:
https://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.co...ersities/#

A coffee table magazine tells us how our school is ranked academically.

GTFOH. The people that matter are smarter than to rely on usnwr.

https://consumerist.com/2010/08/20/5-rea...e-of-crap/