Exercise: How would you rebuild the B12 in 2020-something?
If I were the commish of a Big 12 left with Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor and Kansas State I would start by targeting BYU & Houston. They offer content & both have a good market. From there do we go east or west? WV is gone so there isn't an island to the east but now BYU is on one in the west. Therefore looking west Boise has the best football program & offers the best content. Colorado State would provide a good market & help bridge the western expansion. Do we go to 10, 12 or 14? Remaining candidates would be Cincinnati, SAN Diego State, UNLV, Memphis, UCF, USF, ECU, Temple & UCONN. Cincinnati fits geographically while having a good tradition & academics while also penetrating into the B1G, ACC & SEC area. That's a solid 10. 11 & 12 would be determined by the networks willingness to pay for them.
SD State & UNLV offer good markets & would cap off the west. Looking east you have more options & Cincinnati could work as a bridge. It would be hard to take UCONN without leaving them on an island, likely needing Temple & ECU to remedy that situation. Taking UCONN means going to 14 I think. Do you take a chance on ECU, a 5th school from NC? I think so as they would have the potential to be a top 2 or 3 football brand in their state. Going to 14 I would take UCONN, ECU, Memphis & USF. I think USF is on better footing for future success than is UCF.
Big 12 with 10:
Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, BYU, Houston, Colorado State, Boise & Cincinnati
Big 12 with 12:
East: Texas, TT, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, Cincinnati
West: BYU, Boise, Houston, Colorado State, SAN Diego State, UNLV
8 conference games with 1 permanent rival. Texas-BYU, Houston-TCU, Baylor-Boise, TT-Colorado St, Kansas St-SD St, Cincinnati-UNLV
Big 12 with 14:
East: Houston, TCU, Cincinnati, Memphis, USF, ECU, UCONN
West: Texas, TT, Baylor, BYU, Boise, Colorado State, Kansas State
8 conference games with no permanent rivals.
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2017 09:54 AM by Lenvillecards.)
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