New Big 12 members?

I really don't get this. The Big 12 has failed. Let it go. Hold UT and OU's feet to the fire. Pretend it is business as usual and when they leave for the SEC enforce the 70-80 million dollar penalty. Split the money. Fold up tents and move to the next stage of life. Hopefully for KU it would be the Big 10, but who knows.

Adding more teams to only fail in a year or two makes no sense and really isn't fair to those teams either.

Just my $.02

Kong wrote: I really don't get this. The Big 12 has failed. Let it go. Hold UT and OU's feet to the fire. Pretend it is business as usual and when they leave for the SEC enforce the 70-80 million dollar penalty. Split the money. Fold up tents and move to the next stage of life. Hopefully for KU it would be the Big 10, but who knows.

Adding more teams to only fail in a year or two makes no sense and really isn't fair to those teams either.

Just my $.02

While I agree that the Big 12 has indeed failed as a major conference, the black & white reality we are reading in the media and from supposedly "sourced" alums is that there is currently no action to expand by any of the B1G, ACC or Pac12. I keep reading that when those conferences do decide to expand again that KU is near if not at the top of the list for best next program to add. I also keep reading that nothing more is expected to happen with those conferences until the OUT move has happened, which by contract and announcement would not be until the summer of 2025..

With no place to go and at most 4 more years before OUT and their money are gone, the remaining best option is to build up the Big 12 conference so that KU has a home that is better than all the other non-A4 conferences AND DO WELL IN IT.

If a door opens in 2025, KU needs to be prepared, and given the landscape this is the best way to do that. Solid if non-glamorous competition in both the revenue sports in the interim, time to improve the resume in football, both on and off the field, and a fallback, albeit less desirable position, potentially at the top of what would rate out as the lowest A5 conference, should that door never materialize.

FTR, I'm hoping KU will be playing in the B1G once 2025 rolls in.

I understand what you are saying I just don't get the point here.

OU and UT signed their rights through 2025. They have accepted another conference next year. Next year they will begin playing in the SEC and will have to buy out the league from their rights.

At that point one could say that they have broken the Big 12 and then let folks go to other conferences without any penalty. If things are as you and others seem to think that KU is a gem to be had, then let someone take us. If KU isn't then I would rather know sooner rather than later and either expand to 12 then or move on.

This is death by a thousand cuts with no real alteration of things in site by this kind of expansion. Either we are desirable or we are not.

And there is no way, in my opinion, that the proposed alignment is worthy of any Power 5 consideration, so again, what it the point.

I guess if there is no home for us in the Power 5 conferences we might as well be in a group that does want us, but this all seems silly to me.

Kong wrote: I understand what you are saying I just don't get the point here.

OU and UT signed their rights through 2025. They have accepted another conference next year. Next year they will begin playing in the SEC and will have to buy out the league from their rights.

At that point one could say that they have broken the Big 12 and then let folks go to other conferences without any penalty. If things are as you and others seem to think that KU is a gem to be had, then let someone take us. If KU isn't then I would rather know sooner rather than later and either expand to 12 then or move on.

This is death by a thousand cuts with no real alteration of things in site by this kind of expansion. Either we are desirable or we are not.

And there is no way, in my opinion, that the proposed alignment is worthy of any Power 5 consideration, so again, what it the point.

I guess if there is no home for us in the Power 5 conferences we might as well be in a group that does want us, but this all seems silly to me.

1. OUT have stated they are staying Big 12 through their obligations, leaving in summer 2025. I doubt OUT will stay that long, but right now the cost of leaving summer 2022 — exit fees equal to two years of conference shares as if they would be staying *and* GOR penalties that amount to leaving up to three years worth of media rights — is talked about as being too big even for tu (the richest school in NCAA D1 from what I’m reading), let alone OU.

2. Even if OUT came up with the $ and left summer 2022, everything I have read indicates that given the current situation the Remaining 8 believe that adding these 4 programs — the only ones that “move the needle” for them — is their best bet to insure they have seats in the best available conference come 2025. Accordingly they are not going to opt to dissolve the Big 12 — and lose all that OUT $$ they can use to soften the blow through at least summer 2025 — unless and until enough of the Remaining 8 have landing sites lined up. Since any move other than to the B1G or the SEC or the ACC or the Pac12 is considered a HUGE step down from even the proposed Big 12 *and* none of the Big 4 conferences are presently planning to expand, those schools — including KU — are building a fallback position to ensure their survival at the best available levels.

When the Big 4 decide to expand, all bets are off. For now, an expanded B8/12 is the only boat available for the Remaining 8.

3. I am no expert on what is needed for the B8/12 to retain its Autonomous 5 (aka Power 5) designation with the NCAA. What I am reading in the media is considered opinion that the Remaining 8 + BYU + UCF + Houston + Cincinnati will enable the Big 12 to retain its A5(P5) status with the NCAA, even if the conference falls from 3rd to 5th in the A5(P5) rankings.

And even if the NCAA withdrew the Autonomous classification for the new Big 12, it will still be considered the best of the rest, light years beyond the current next best AAC, which probably won’t be “the next best” with losing UCF, UC and UH.

Bottom line — sitting on 8 is not a viable option, moving up is not currently a viable option, the best remaining option is expanding. And going to 12 instead of just getting back to 10 establishes a buffer for the schools should KU and another program get “Adult Table” invites in the not too distant future.

Nice article in the Deseret News

Why BYU should welcome a Big 12 invite if it comes

A somewhat rambling article, but with some good points.
CBSSports: Big 12 expansion: How adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF may change college football's power structure

Also of note, the Houston Chronicle reports that the UH Board of Regents on Tuesday voted unanimously to give university chancellor Renu Khator authority to pursue membership in the Power Five conference.
Houston Chronicle: UH to pursue Big 12 membership

Noted in the above article - “A formal vote by Big 12 presidents to extend invitations could come as early as Friday.”

Full text
#BREAKING: The University of Cincinnati has officially submitted an application to join the Big 12 Conference, per @jwilliamscincy.

The Big 12 is expected to announce Friday that Cincinnati will join.

UCF applies to join Big 12

CBSSports: Big 12 chancellors and presidents to rubber stamp invites to UCF, BYU, UH and UC on Friday

Clearly the Big 12 had done their homework in the past and quickly pulled out their files and updated things when OUT made their news public.
text:
BYU, UCF, Cincinnati & Houston have all officially applied for Big 12 membership, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. The Big 12 presidents will vote Friday to accept - & will accept those schools - sources said. Yahoo 1st report. A news conference is scheduled Friday, source said
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All but independent BYU are AAC teams, and are required to give 27 months notice to the AAC before leaving. BYU will almost certainly be on board next summer, the others — with some deals being worked out with the AAC — will most likely be on board Fall 2023 at the earliest (~23 months), even if OUT are still in the Big 12 until summer 2025. I think it unlikely, but it is possible the Big 12 could actually operate with 16 teams for a year or two.

And the AAC is already looking at adding programs in order to maintain its status as “the best of the rest.”
SI.com: AAC Commissioner: We Will Expand, Remain 'Power 6' in Light of Big 12 Realignment

Comments from poster Kbone on JayhawkSlant in response to folks complaining about the Alliance, the SEC and OUT. (link for Slant members)

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The SEC did what they felt was best for their conference. They didn't take OU and UT to screw KU, they did it to improve their own situation. Same with OU and UT, the end game wasn't to hurt the remaining eight, it was to improve their own situation. When a person leaves a company for a better opportunity, how the company handles it says a lot about the company and very little about the person. OU and UT gave us two years notice. They got a raise, a better title, and likely more pressure to perform. Now we have to respond.

If we truly believe KU and the remaining eight deserve to be a P5 conference, then we should have no issue behaving like a P5 conference. If we don't want to run with the big dogs, then maybe we should keep our G6 asses on the porch. We can sit around and bitch about OU and UT, bad mouth the SEC, cry about the Alliance, moan about why the B1G hasn't asked us to homecoming yet, talk about Vandy, Oregon State, Rutgers, and other weaker P4 members and say it just isn't fair. All of that self pity, playing the victim and excuse making will accomplish nothing.

Control what we can control. If we can't get to another conference right now, then do the absolute best we can in our current situation. Self has BB under control and HCLL is making strides. Girod and Goff have a lot on their plate and I am confident they are doing their best duck impersonation, calm and cool on the surface while paddling like hell under the water.

We may be in the process of going to one big power group breaking away from the NCAA. Being tight with the SEC may not be a bad position in that situation. KU is still likely the most attractive option outside the B1G, ACC, SEC, PAC. So, we need to be grinding to be as attractive as possible when the chips start falling.

LSU just scheduled USC, the Alliance is not exclusive. If a relationship with the SEC helps us stay relevant, gives us some prime time pay days, possibly maintains P5 status, then we take it.

We are not in a position to get petty. Just like everyone else is doing, we must do what is best for ourselves short and long term… making bad strategic moves out of spite is not something we can afford.
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hoshi wrote: From a pretty reliable source, KU is still looking at entering the Big10.

Sure hope it happens, too!

Meanwhile, the Big 12 may not be done expanding.
CBSSports.com: Big 12 expansion: Boise State, Memphis among schools being discussed as future conference additions

In case anyone was wondering.

USAToday.com: SEC set to release 2022 football schedule; Texas/Oklahoma not included