Did Horns (here) really want expansion
- Thread starter 12375CAT
- Start date
Independence has not worked for BYU. They have admitted that it's unsustainable.
Texas isn't going independent, and why someone would want that makes zero sense to me.
All the independents are trying to get into a conference. That would be stupid. What we should do is grab choklahoma and get the hell outta the big 12. After we're out the big 12 falls and we don't lose anything
Two reasons I can think of. They hate Texas and want you to screw yourselves or they love Texas and don't understand the likely outcome. Maybe there is a 3rd, but I can not imagine what it is.
I am in favor of staying in and keeping the Big XII, because it's our best chance to win a conference and make it in. I think we need more teams and more legitimacy. Passing on expansion was a big mistake. It would've rejuvenated the excitement surrounding the conference, brought in some new blood, and kept things going for a while. If the teams end up good at football, it makes the conference stronger. If not, we get some additional cupcake games. If you look at Michigan's schedule, since the B1G is so large now, Michigan plays several easy teams. Rutgers, Illinois, Maryland... It would be nice to have a few more beatable teams in a Big XII division, other than Kansas, to get some wins each year.
Hell Notre Dame isn't even really independent anymore. They play basically an ACC schedule. The only way I could see it working is if ND, BYU agreed to a yearly game and then we agreed to games with current big 12 teams, or made an agreement with another conference. It isn't going to happen.
I think we end up in big 10 take KU with us(they want KU bball)
I think we end up in big 10 take KU with us(they want KU bball)
The best cultural fit is the B1G. Excellent academics. Programs that do things the right way, generally. Great reputation, all around. Schools that can handle Texas and OU joining with maybe just a small ripple in power politics. (The Big 12 is a motley crew, with egos that couldn't deal with Texas, clearly.)
$EC is a terrible fit for Texas. UT is in Austin, a sophisticated, open-minded city. UT-Austin has a great reputation. It's a diverse school, or becoming increasingly so, in just about every way possible (race, religion, academic programs, etc.). The athletic program does things the right way. By comparison, the SEC is a bunch of schools in redneck territory with cheating programs / boosters. The schools themselves vary widely in academic reputation -- just not as much as the Big 12.
The Pac12 might be a decent cultural fit, but they're 1-2 time zones away. Expect road games to go past midnight, and possibly jet lag for some athletes (although it'd be worse coming back). The exposure for athlete awards isn't good, so it could hurt recruiting. The travel would be like what WVU faces, and that includes non-profitable sports like golf, cross-country, and women's soccer. Are they all going to fly? That's a lot of class to miss.
If the Big Ten is open to growing to 16 schools, and can work something out for the TLN, then Texas and Oklahoma should join. OU and Nebraska would get each other back, so that'd be a plus for them. Texas and OU don't compete in all the sports that B1G offers, e.g., lacrosse, but that's already true with the Big 12. Texas and OU in the Big Ten is better for those schools than staying or going independent, or any other alternative.
$EC is a terrible fit for Texas. UT is in Austin, a sophisticated, open-minded city. UT-Austin has a great reputation. It's a diverse school, or becoming increasingly so, in just about every way possible (race, religion, academic programs, etc.). The athletic program does things the right way. By comparison, the SEC is a bunch of schools in redneck territory with cheating programs / boosters. The schools themselves vary widely in academic reputation -- just not as much as the Big 12.
The Pac12 might be a decent cultural fit, but they're 1-2 time zones away. Expect road games to go past midnight, and possibly jet lag for some athletes (although it'd be worse coming back). The exposure for athlete awards isn't good, so it could hurt recruiting. The travel would be like what WVU faces, and that includes non-profitable sports like golf, cross-country, and women's soccer. Are they all going to fly? That's a lot of class to miss.
If the Big Ten is open to growing to 16 schools, and can work something out for the TLN, then Texas and Oklahoma should join. OU and Nebraska would get each other back, so that'd be a plus for them. Texas and OU don't compete in all the sports that B1G offers, e.g., lacrosse, but that's already true with the Big 12. Texas and OU in the Big Ten is better for those schools than staying or going independent, or any other alternative.
I agree. Also think big 10 will want KU for its basketball. They are a big basketball conference
Yes. I think expansion is imperative if we want to keep the conference alive. Otherwise who knows what conference we'd be moving in to.
I would personally prefer 5 or 6 power conferences each containing exactly 12 teams. The conferences would largely be grouped based on location. Not on TV sets and TV deals. You know, so the student athlete wins. And so the students and fans could travel less and see more games.
I would personally prefer 5 or 6 power conferences each containing exactly 12 teams. The conferences would largely be grouped based on location. Not on TV sets and TV deals. You know, so the student athlete wins. And so the students and fans could travel less and see more games.
Language in the contract is pretty binding. If Texas leaves the Big 12, the school must keep the terms of the present agreement, provide ESPN an exclusive 60-day window to negotiate for the other rights and allow ESPN a 48-hour window to match any offer. A prohibition on licensing content to third parties, prevents Texas from participation in the Big 10 network. Unless ESPN allows the Big 10 to buy out the LHN contract our only landing spot before 2031 is SEC or ACC.
Yeah but ESPN is looking to cut costs anyway it can right now. If Texas come to them and said we'd like out of the LHN. I'm pretty sure they'd throw a party
Once ESPN recoups their initial investment its a 70/30 profit sharing model. The end of the contract is very ESPN friendly. They aren't going to let us walk without a substantial buy out.
I don't usually get into what I call " the college boy" arguments on here - as I am just a tee shirt fan - but we need to worry enough about who's causing the pants to be dropped to get that right.
The fact seems to have been that it was going to cost the TV rights buyers $25,000, 000 X two to expand the "Big 12." They really did not like that, so they offered the existing 10 schools something less than that divided up NOT TO expand, so the money men caused all the trousers to fall. I hate ESPiNSECSECSEC...
The Horns wanted a Big 12 TV Network. Did they get that? That answer would be no. To me, ESPin paid my team $15,000,000 ti take them off the air any time they want to. Late in the season, when the Alligator aggies and the little Sisters of the Poor are in a hard fought 3-3 tie up in Oshkosh with 9 minutes to go in the fourth Quarter due to 3 rain delays, ESPiN doesn't put UT on my TV Set in Houston, Texas and leaves that crap on. Did I say I hate ESPiNSECSECSEC...?
I would watch UT Sports on the UT Network as, although they are 'homers", they call the games as is without any ESPINSECSECSEC balderdash by people who do not have a clue about UT or Texas, but we get it piggy- backed on one of my Sons whose TV carrier carries it - and the stream hangs up enough that I turn it off and listen on an Austin Radio station that carries Craig Way.
Talk about trying to get the toothpaste back in the tube. I'm not saying it doesn't sound like a nice, idealistic concept for college football. But, I mean... at this point you might as well also say that you'd prefer wishbone offenses, smaller stadiums, and leather helmets.
I get that change sometimes sucks... but at this point the Big 12 and Texas need to continue moving forward and making the best of it. I think, if the conference and (more important to me, Texas), want to stay competitive financially (which, in turn, means competitive on the field too), that this was the best option given what we had to work with now.
Well 5 years in and the network is just now showing a modest profit(2million) at that pace ESPN would be lucky to break even.
That 2 million profit is based on projections by an outside firm that estimated 7.5 million subscribers both of which are disputed by ESPN. ESPN has claimed 20 million subscribers. The network is cash flow positive. A major setback was the inability to broadcast high school games. They will most likely get rid of the studio and run all the production from Bristol in order to maximize profits.
Even if the network was making 10 million profit this year it's not going to be a huge success for ESPN. As you said the inability to broadcast HS games and the slowness at which it became available to people like me outside the area really killed it. I bet ESPN and UT could come to an agreement on an exit if it came to that.
