What is best for Texas football?

[Win5002]

When considering what is best for Texas it seems to me a strong Big 12 with regional rivalries that revolve around the state of Texas. Notice I didn't say a conference is centered around political power of University of Texas. I'm not making this statement to just Texas fans but really the fans of all the teams in the Big 12 or potential wanted expansion candidates. I'm not sure what the fan base of Texas wants or if they even know because they are splintered but in my mind a rebuilt, robust Big 12 is the best. A league with strong regional rivalries centered around the state of Texas and probably an additional heavy population market that includes Florida with a FSU & Miami to draw in other top markets. Allow for interdivision games to be non-conference games in years where they don't meet as a conference game(the Big 12 should have done this with OU vs. Nebraska). If the league could be restored to this, Texas would have as big advantage recruiting wise as anyone being the flagship school in Texas. There would still be a political power drawn from the state of Texas due to Texas schools and the two Oklahoma schools benefiting from the same common interests.

How would B1G centered out of New York, the PAC out of California, SEC out of Birmingham, or ACC out of North Carolina & the northeast that makes its decisions primarily through a basketball view be any better? I also, don't feel a watered down Big 12 with a LHN is as good.

My question is this, do most Longhorn fans think Texas is or should be willing to fold the LHN into a conference network that would allow the league to attempt to be as good as any other league in the country? Before answering, I understand Texas tried to get the rest of the league to start a conference network and the league was not as forward thinking as Texas or willing to take the financial risks. But any of the other viable power league would require Texas to give up the LHN for a conference network. I believe it can be argued Texas is better served by a strong Big 12 than the net loss of revenue it might receive from giving up a LHN to a conference network. If Texas went from mediocre to a premier status any decreased conference revenues can be made up through donations, etc.

If Texas agreed to the conference network and was willing to be the chief recruiter for the league who knows what new teams or what old teams the league could attract. Is Arkansas and LSU possible? If those two came, Texas A&M would be on a bit of an island from the rest of the SEC. Try and bury the hatchet and go after Aggie to shut the SEC out of the state of Texas. Why wouldn't those teams be interested if the league could gain a foothold in Florida with FSU and Miami? With the above happening why not try for Nebraska especially if they have not had any serious success in the B1G by that time. Possibly a Missouri as well. I know most of those teams left but they left under a different structured league than what I am proposing.

Maybe the league cannot get any of Arkansas, LSU, A&M, Nebraska or Missouri and have to wait for the B1G & SEC to take teams from the ACC but even to present the league as a strong option to ACC schools that are left behind they may have to do a conference network instead of a LHN.

Again, I'm not blaming Texas but Boren's comments illustrate all is not well with the current Big 12 and I am assuming or at least a watered down Big 12 is not Texas' best option going forward.

I am curious to whether Texas fans even feel is their best option.

 

[TexExSpur]

Boren is hand wringing.....







What's good for Texas Football, you ask. Get back to winning! The rest will work itself out when it's time.

The list of candidates for expansion is not flattering: USF, UCF, Cincy, Houston, Memphis, BYU, etc...

 

[Fizzwilly]

Why do you say Boren is hand wringing, just curious? With the issues at Fox, seems like a lot of folks should be hand wringing.

 

[TexExSpur]

Sure, the Big 12 could expand to 12 teams and pay out less money to new members, but why does that really make sense? A round robin scheduling format where everyone plays everyone else almost got the conference two teams in the inaugural playoff. (While some argue that not having a conference title game cost the Big 12 a bid, not having a conference title game also almost got the Big 12 two bids. If Ohio State loses to Wisconsin and Missouri upsets Alabama then the Big 12 would have gotten both Baylor and TCU in the playoff).

What would people be saying had that scenerio occured? It wasn't far fetched and had TCU won the whole damn thing, then what?

Boren wants more teams and a network, his problem is the LHN. They can't pull the same kind of cash off tier 3 and he wants more $$$$.

 

[Win5002]

Boren is hand wringing.....







What's good for Texas Football, you ask. Get back to winning! The rest will work itself out when it's time.

The list of candidates for expansion is not flattering: USF, UCF, Cincy, Houston, Memphis, BYU, etc...

I'm not referring to immediate expansion but long term expansion with quality adds. The league will probably not be able to stay at 10 forever. The whole point of the post was to discuss events that need to happen for the league to avoid those expansion options. Wouldn't Texas be better with at least some of the additions mentioned above like Arkansas, LSU, A&M, FSU, Clemson, Nebraska, Ga. Tech etc. Structuring the conference so it was desirable to do so. Why wouldn't a Big 12 with those teams be as desirable and marketable as an SEC?

 

[TexExSpur]

I'm not referring to immediate expansion but long term expansion with quality adds. The league will probably not be able to stay at 10 forever. The whole point of the post was to discuss events that need to happen for the league to avoid those expansion options. Wouldn't Texas be better with at least some of the additions mentioned above like Arkansas, LSU, A&M, FSU, Clemson, Nebraska, Ga. Tech etc. Structuring the conference so it was desirable to do so. Why wouldn't a Big 12 with those teams be as desirable and marketable as an SEC?

I told you who the expansion candidates are... None of the institutions you listed are going anywhere. The B1G and SEC are stable, the PAC and ACC are fairly stable.

Honestly, Texas has no reason to worry about the stability of the Big 12. That's something TCU, Baylor, Tech, ISU, etc... Should worry about.

The conference has run its course in my opinion. Texas will land where ever they want in the end game.

The best chance at survival is talking Texas into dropping the LHN and adding 6 schools to increase the national footprint and start a conference network. What would have to happen to get Texas to drop guranteed money? Unequal revenue.....

 

[Win5002]

I told you who the expansion candidates are... None of the institutions you listed are going anywhere. The Big and SEC are stable, the PAC and ACC are fairly stable.

Honestly, Texas has no reason to worry about the stability of the Big 12. That's something TCU, Baylor, Tech, ISU, etc... Should worry about.

The conference has run its course in my opinion. Texas will land where ever they want in the end game.

I realize Texas can land wherever they want. But do they want to be in in other leagues where there power structure is centered out of somewhere than the state of Texas and they become just another vote. Or would they want to give up a little of their power/advantages in the Big 12 that would still be centered around the state of Texas and Texas still has the most advantages in competing for that states talent?

As for other league's stability the ACC revenues will be dwarfed by the B1G & SEC. They are also considered the lesser of the P5 leagues, thus the poor bowl schedule and tv contract.

 

[TexExSpur]

Until the little guys worry...

 

[horn01]

As discussed in the OU/SEC thread...Boren is hand wringing because:

1. The football program is down
2. Bitching about the big 12 distracts from the team being down
3. He is legitimately concerned about teams in other conferences receiving more TV revenue than his program.

He is rocking the boat with no real power to effectuate a change other than causing a stir in the media and hoping it causes a land slide. OU can't move without the dissolution of the conference.

 

[TexExSpur]

I won't be a bit surprised to see this conference thrive. The talk will change when OU and Texas are playing for the conference title.

 

[HornosaurusRex]

At the end of the day it will be okie and Texas to SEC or ND and Texas to B1G. A lot of football to play (and a championship or two in the cabinet, knock wood) before then though.

Hook 'em

 

[Longyac]

OU and Texas right their ships and TCU and Baylor continue where they are now and all the Big 12 is a weak conference talk goes away.

Going into the last week of the 2014 regular season the Big 12 was the only conference other than the SEC to have 3 teams in the top 10 and the SEC has 40% more teams.

 

[Win5002]

OU and Texas right their ships and TCU and Baylor continue where they are now and all the Big 12 is a weak conference talk goes away.

Going into the last week of the 2014 regular season the Big 12 was the only conference other than the SEC to have 3 teams in the top 10 and the SEC has 40% more teams.

I am not saying the Big 12 can't have good football with these teams. I also think the current people in Big 12 markets can enjoy tuning into them but the footprint isn't large enough to get the viewers needed.

I do think OU might not like who their home schedules and would like some known names.

 

[TexExSpur]

I am not saying the Big 12 can't have good football with these teams. I also think the current people in Big 12 markets can enjoy tuning into them but the footprint isn't large enough to get the viewers needed.

I do think OU might not like who their home schedules and would like some known names.

That's what at least 2 of the 3 OOC games should be for.

 

[Longyac]

I think Texas and others got suckered into gilded cages.

I'm a big believer that ESPN tossed the LHN our way to keep us for going to the PAC which was setting up its' own broadcast system meaning zero tier 3 available to ESPN for one of the nation's largest fan bases and media markets.

I also believe the SEC conference network plays to Southern pride to keep the SEC from joining up with the rest of the P5 and negotiating a single college football deal for all tiers.

The NFL has a deal worth over $20 billion for the next 7 years. How much money could CFB get for a single deal for 60-65 teams with clear cut divisions and playoffs compared to the present payouts?

If money is the end all be all of college athletics then the natural evolution is the P5 to band together into a single negotiation entity to get max dollars and the networks benefit by keeping college ball broke up in smaller factions.

 

[bubba2023]

I think Texas and others got suckered into gilded cages.

I'm a big believer that ESPN tossed the LHN our way to keep us for going to the PAC which was setting up its' own broadcast system meaning zero tier 3 available to ESPN for one of the nation's largest fan bases and media markets.

I also believe the SEC conference network plays to Southern pride to keep the SEC from joining up with the rest of the P5 and negotiating a single college football deal for all tiers.

The NFL has a deal worth over $20 billion for the next 7 years. How much money could CFB get for a single deal for 60-65 teams with clear cut divisions and playoffs compared to the present payouts?

If money is the end all be all of college athletics then the natural evolution is the P5 to band together into a single negotiation entity to get max dollars and the networks benefit by keeping college ball broke up in smaller factions.

If this is what you believe, then Texas didn't get suckered they took a bribe and helped sucker everyone else.

 

[Longyac]

If this is what you believe, then Texas didn't get suckered they took a bribe and helped sucker everyone else.

Either way Texas is locked in another 10 years.

 

[WoadBlue]

Either way Texas is locked in another 10 years.

Probably, but all contracts are made to be broken with penalties and fines.

 

[WoadBlue]

OU and Texas right their ships and TCU and Baylor continue where they are now and all the Big 12 is a weak conference talk goes away.

Going into the last week of the 2014 regular season the Big 12 was the only conference other than the SEC to have 3 teams in the top 10 and the SEC has 40% more teams.

Maybe, but maybe not. It may be like the talk of the SWC being weak going away once Texas won big again. Texas could have won National Titles in 1977 and 1981, and the SWC was still doomed the moment the SEC decided to move against it. The primary reason? The SWC states' - only 2 states - population was small compared to other conferences. That alone was nearly a death blow.

The Big 12 is in that sense the SWC writ large in an era of much larger conferences. The Big 12 lost easily its 2nd biggest state, MO. So it now is TX and 5 small states.

That is potential trouble. Not definite, but always potential trouble. It is so bad, that the second Texas wants out, the Big 12 becomes nothing.

 

[WoadBlue]

At the end of the day it will be okie and Texas to SEC or ND and Texas to B1G. A lot of football to play (and a championship or two in the cabinet, knock wood) before then though.

Hook 'em

ND is never going to the Big Ten. That is less likely than Texas going to the SEC. And Texas cannot go to the SEC without making itself the sad little follower of Aggie's lead.

I assure you that UNC wouod never dishonor itself by following the lead of NCSU in anything. NCSU leaving the ACC and UNC later following NCSU? Hell would be frozen over a million times before that could happen. Alabama ever following the lead of Auburn into a different conference? As likely as the entire Moslem world converting, half to Judaism and half to Christianity.