(02-27-2015 02:10 PM)Merrick Wrote:  Okay, so the "BIGXII MEGATHREAD" is getting a bit unwieldy, so I decided to make this a separate thread.

There's been a RUMOR that the next round of expansion from the #EC would include Texas and Kansas. This wouldn't occur until ~2019 or 2020.

This would expand the reach for the $ECN, and bring two AAU schools on board.

This could make sense in that the $ECN will soon pay each conference member amounts similiar to what Texas is getting from the LHN. BTW, both $ECN and LHN are ESPiN products.

I don't subscribe to this theory; however, it DOES make one pause. This is an OLD rumor, so before someone hears this and begins shouting they've got the "Latest News" I thought I'd try to get in front of it.

Kansas makes no sense (no major TV markets)... Oklahoma on the other hand...

(02-27-2015 02:12 PM)ksigtigerdood Wrote:  Interesting news. I don't understand the Kansas idea, other than geographically. But, I didn't really understand Missouri, either.

Mizzou has two top thirty markets. Missouri borders three $EC states. Missouri has lots sponsorship opportunities. Mizzou is a natural rival for both Arkansas and Kentucky and conference rival for TAMU.

(02-28-2015 01:40 PM)SMUleopold Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 01:18 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 01:12 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 12:54 AM)spankadelphia Wrote:  No way UT wants to tangle with the likes of LSU, Bama, Auburn, UGA, and UF on a yearly basis. Not to mention A&M.

Why wouldn't they want to play those teams? Do they hate money?

Its not playing those teams that's an issue, its not being at the top of the totem pole.

In the B12, they are still top cheese and they get to wield a lot of influence.

In the SEC, they would be able to wield as much influence as Vandy.

In the B12, Texas can threaten to leave, and everyone gets butthurt.

In the SEC, Texas can threaten to leave, and the other members would laugh.

One of the issues the academics of Texas would have with the SEC is, well, academics.

Plus, I could see TAMU throwing a fit.

Well put.

Believe it or not, joining the SEC may actually result in less money for UT.
I believe the Big XII is the only conference that has a tiered payout system, with UT making substantially more than, say, Iowa State or West Virginia; they get a bigger slice of a smaller pie while in the SEC Vandy makes similiar money as Florida or A&M in terms of TV revenue. That, and the fact that the Big XII allows UT to have the Longhorn Network and it's hundreds of millions of dollars, along with getting revenue from Big XII media rights, is how UT makes more money on football than ANY other school in the country - more than Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida - anybody. Joining the SEC - or the PAC 12, or Big Ten - means that they may have to give up the LHN and take an equal payout.
That, and it's worth pointing out that ESPN just ranked Texas first in terms of getting to the playoffs: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_...he-playoff

The Big XII openly hands UT everything they want in order to keep them. Another conference would demand an equal playing field.

With a tiered payout system, expanding by two should be a no brainer for the Big XII. It's not like the new schools would get as much of the pie as the legacy teams unless they bring the money.

(02-28-2015 01:12 AM)George CantStandYa Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 12:54 AM)spankadelphia Wrote:  No way UT wants to tangle with the likes of LSU, Bama, Auburn, UGA, and UF on a yearly basis. Not to mention A&M.

Why wouldn't they want to play those teams? Do they hate money?

Texas is printing money.

(02-28-2015 02:32 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  With a tiered payout system, expanding by two should be a no brainer for the Big XII. It's not like the new schools would get as much of the pie as the legacy teams unless they bring the money.

Perhaps.

Or maybe the new schools you bring in change the internal politics of the conference and in two or three years they start to complain about making less money and find the voice or leadership to do something about it, working against the old conference members best interests - ask the old Big 8 schools how it feels to watch the new membership take over and form a voting block against you.

Or perhaps the new schools have a different idea about the identity and direction of the conference, or what sports need to be emphasized - ask the old Big East schools about that, or maybe the current membership in the ACC. In both cases the football schools in that conference were or are openly unhappy taking a back seat to the basketball schools. The ACC is worried right now about losing half their schools, including their biggest name in FSU, over money and identity once the media rights deal expires.

The bottom line is the right now UT and OU control their own destiny and make the most money. Any change threatens that.

(02-27-2015 02:22 PM)HometownTiger Wrote:  

(02-27-2015 02:20 PM)Merrick Wrote:  I dunno...

Strongest Hoops program...
Strongest (traditional) Football Program...
Both AAU (which raises the academic profile of the conference)...

For those conspiracy theorists....it would be ESPiN launching a Death Star attack at the B12, diminishing it from being a P5. OU would definitely look toward either the BiG or PAC if that were to happen.

& then we get added to a decimated B12 without the Power 5 pull. Just like the Big East before the same thing happened to it, essentially.

It would be a large leap in the right direction. You would take the top of the AAC and combine it with the remains of the Big 12. The only team that would catch on in a different conference is Oklahoma. For various reasons, the others have no where to go. The Pac is not going to take Tex Tech w/o Texas. The ACC may or may not take WVu.

I am the one who posted the rumor on the megathread. I got the information from a WVU message board. The person who initially posted it to the WVU board got his information from a Texas message board. So no one knows the validity of the rumor.

I will ask this about expansion; what does ESPN want? If I remember correctly, the Big East was doing okay until they refused an offer by ESPN. ESPN then helped negotiate Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC. That effectively killed the Big East. Now ESPN owns all the rights to the ACC and the SEC. ESPN does not own the tier 2 rights to the Big 12. Fox owns the rights to the Big 12. Out of all of the Big 12, ESPN only owns UT's third tier rights via the LHN. Like I have said before, I don't believe that ESPN will let go of the LHN because that is ESPN's way to hold onto UT. With ESPN holding all of the ACC's TV rights, it makes sense that ESPN would try to break up the Big 12 before the ACC. That's what makes me question if this scenario may be true.

As far kU, OU would be a better fit but if you can not separate OU from OSU, then getting kU is the next best option.