Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

[DQ12]

What are the biggest cons of expanding?

We lose games against our actual big 12 buds and have to substitute them for games against weirdos like barfy Cincinnati and barfy Houston.

[sonofdaxjones]

Any university president that listens to Jon Wefald regurgitate Capt. Obvious factoids should be fired.

[sonofdaxjones]

As long as Houston has Tom Herman they'll destroy us in football.  It'll just be like playing Baylor and TCU. 

[Skipper44]

What are the biggest cons of expanding?

We lose games against our actual big 12 buds and have to substitute them for games against weirdos like barfy Cincinnati and barfy Houston.

my gut tells me OU and Texas want to put the old Big 12 South back together and we get the following divisions
South
OU
OSU
Texas
TT
BU
TCU

North
KU
KSU
ISU
WVU
Cincy
Houston

Maybe the swap TCU and Houston but the result is the same - The Big 12 South can compete to be "the best division in football" with the SEC West & Big 10 East while Nortard becomes a thing again. 

I will say the right coach can likely run roughshod over the Nortards and as Dax said Herman would be that guy right now.

[Pete]

I understand that WVU wants closer conference mates. No idea what OU thinks its getting by diluting the conference.

The only thing that OU appears to want is more votes to kill Longhorn Network and force a new more advantageous network situation for themselves. 

I mean, I can't really think of any possible reason OU wants this crap.  I do NOT believe they are "working with Texas" on this in any way, but that is just my opinion.

[TheHamburglar]

I can't shake the feeling that Boren is aiming #12 as UConn while working with ESPN to sweeten the TV setup.

This would set us up to split CCG appearances with WVU.

[Skipper44]

I understand that WVU wants closer conference mates. No idea what OU thinks its getting by diluting the conference.

The only thing that OU appears to want is more votes to kill Longhorn Network and force a new more advantageous network situation for themselves. 

I mean, I can't really think of any possible reason OU wants this crap.  I do NOT believe they are "working with Texas" on this in any way, but that is just my opinion.

OU would also like the additional non con game that an 8 game schedule would provide

I think Boren personally wants to do something he will be remembered for as UP - moving OU to the Pac10 was his first hope but now he has to settle for creating a real Big 12 network.

[Panjandrum]

1) There are a lot of setups where you can have us in the same division with OU/UT.  Honestly, they're probably the preferable setups for everyone.

West: OU, OSU, UT, Tech, KU, KSU
East: ISU, WVU, Baylor, TCU, Cincy, [Insert whoever]

That maintains most of the major rivalries.

2) I highly doubt we'd do an 8 game conference schedule.  Odds are that we'll do a 9 game schedule, probably with a cross/divisional rival.  That seems to be en vogue, and if we're going to have a revenue neutral/positive deal here, I'm guessing TV partners will demand more conference games.  Our "rival" would probably be ISU.

3) #12 is probably UConn or Houston.  BYU most likely isn't an option.  Memphis most likely isn't, either.

4) Pervasive thought amongst those on other boards that follow this way more than we do are convinced Fox or ESPN has already told Boren that we'll make money with a network.  If it's ESPN, thought is that they'll flip the LHN.  If Fox, they may flip a regional network to the Big 12 Network.  Either way, Texas probably gets a guaranteed payout equal to what they have for the remainder of the LHN contract, or everything else is a non-starter.

5) I'm fully expecting a lot of comments about how barfy the schools are and another page of how a network doesn't make sense.  I don't care, and I'm not debating that.  I'm simply regurgitating what I've read from folks that follow this stuff way more than even I do to provide context.

[KITNfury]

I've thought about it and it makes total sense. Adding some no name schools will definitely raise our conference prestige. OU can probably get in the playoffs if we do it.

[TheHamburglar]

The other option is to split into 2 divisions and do for everyone what the Pac does for the Cali schools. 

1. Create 3 groups of 4: Texas schools, Kansas/Oklahoma schools, ISU/WVU/Cincy/insert school
2. Split each group in half
3. Create 2 divisions containing 2 schools from each group
4. Stay at 9 conf games
5. Always play the other 2 from your group cross division
6. Rotate the other 4 cross division teams where you play 2 out of 4 years, just like old cross division rotation set-up.

[cfbandyman]

I favor the 2 divs with 1 permanent cross div team. Allows OU-Tex to be split but yet together.

Div 1 (mostly Big 8)   Div 2 (Tex + Newbies)
KSU                         TCU                     
KU                           Bay
ISU                         Newbie II (Hou, Mem, w/e)
Cincy                       WVU
OU                          Tex
OSU                        TT       

Keeps all rivals, creates geographic balance (Texas schools together, Old Big 8 together, WVU has a "out there" buddy (or 2 if it's memphis)
Keeps relative balance amongst divisions usually equal.
You play 5 div games + 1 cross div always = 6. This spurs 3 home 3 away
Other 5 teams from the other div you play 3 of 5 for 9 total games. Have it be rotating 2 home, 1 away, 2 away, 1 home every other year like what we have now, just that those 3 teams and home/away changes. Though I admittedly right now I can't think of a good way to do so. Probably someway.

[Rage Against the McKee]

I favor the 2 divs with 1 permanent cross div team. Allows OU-Tex to be split but yet together.

Div 1 (mostly Big 8)   Div 2 (Tex + Newbies)
KSU                         TCU                     
KU                           Bay
ISU                         Newbie II (Hou, Mem, w/e)
Cincy                       WVU
OU                          Tex
OSU                        TT       

Keeps all rivals, creates geographic balance (Texas schools together, Old Big 8 together, WVU has a "out there" buddy (or 2 if it's memphis)
Keeps relative balance amongst divisions usually equal.
You play 5 div games + 1 cross div always = 6. This spurs 3 home 3 away
Other 5 teams from the other div you play 3 of 5 for 9 total games. Have it be rotating 2 home, 1 away, 2 away, 1 home every other year like what we have now, just that those 3 teams and home/away changes. Though I admittedly right now I can't think of a good way to do so. Probably someway.

That doesn't keep the CTR, and the cross-divisional rivalry just means we play them even less than 50% of the time.

[CHONGS]

Why not four divisions? Two in division games plus 1 cross-rival from each other division (bringing us to 5 conference games) then the winners from each division are seeded into a double elimination bracket (now up to 8 games)?

[HerrSonntag]

I'm stupid and not smart so someone explain to me why they are against expansion? Is it because we have to split the scrilla 12 ways instead of 10? Is it the perception that Houston, Cincy, Memphis, etc are gross and not worthy of the Big 12?

Give me 12 teams all day err day. Give me that championship game too son. More TV's, wider recruiting area ( ).

What are the biggest cons of expanding? I hope you have a nice day.

Throw in having fully half our games now played against smelly no-name teams and you get the idea.

[Cartierfor3]

It is beyond stupid that we are going to keep watching Nebraska vs. Rutgers, Mizzou vs. Vanderbilt, and now something like Texas vs. Cincinnati and they are all conference games.

[Rage Against the McKee]

The 10 team Big 12 is one of the few great things left in college football. We should do all we can to not lose it.

[ChiComCat]

Why would we add another Texas team?  Seems like promoting another Texas team to a P5 is a net loss for the conference.

[Pete]

Why would we add another Texas team?  Seems like promoting another Texas team to a P5 is a net loss for the conference.

There is probably a smoke filled room in Texas where this gets decided tho.

[chum1]

Why would we add another Texas team?  Seems like promoting another Texas team to a P5 is a net loss for the conference.

There is probably a smoke filled room in Texas where this gets decided tho.

It's not the cigars thread for no reason, boy!

 

[wabash909]

Let's not kid ourselves, if we pull of Cincy to the Big12 this would be the biggest coup since Kirk and John landed oscar Weber.

[CyberToothCat]

Put old Big 8 teams in a division. Put the others in a division. Call it a day.

OU, OSU, KU, KSU, ISU
UT, TT, BU, TCU, WVU

Play 8 conf games... 4 games in division, 1 perm crossover, 3 rotating crossover games. Host championship game in Dallas.

No need to expand. We get everything we want without having to add any midmajors. Seems too simple.

[Dr Rick Daris]

Cincinnati is a cold weather northern school. We aren't going there. The big 12 will get into Florida and not go further north than Ames.

[joda]

Cincinnati is a cold weather northern school. We aren't going there. The big 12 will get into Florida and not go further north than Ames.

What if I told you Cincinnati is roughly the same distance north as Manhattan

[OK_Cat]

Houston is definitely happening. Accept it.

[Dr Rick Daris]

Cincinnati is a cold weather northern school. We aren't going there. The big 12 will get into Florida and not go further north than Ames.

What if I told you Cincinnati is roughly the same distance north as Manhattan

Exactly. So gross and cold.