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

[Panjandrum]

how?

It makes the ACC pod idea much less likely, and that was the true, "We're most likely screwed," scenario.  That was the only really plausible scenario where we get split from KU.

[doom]

PeteThamelNYT Pete Thamel
by DannyParkins
BREAKING: Syracuse and Pittsburgh in talks with the ACC. nyti.ms/oBLVQK

Personally, I think this is a good development for us.

Also could tear apart the BE, which if the Big12 holds, is great news.  scoop up cinci and Louisville and we're ready to rock.

[Panjandrum]

PeteThamelNYT Pete Thamel
by DannyParkins
BREAKING: Syracuse and Pittsburgh in talks with the ACC. nyti.ms/oBLVQK

Personally, I think this is a good development for us.

The BE is proud of it's bb first and foremost.  How can you see the fact that they may lose two good BB programs as good news for us?  Sure it may make room for us and little bro, but it indicates what many are saying in that the BE is a short timer.

The less options Texas has, the better off we are.  They're forced to negotiate to keep the Big 12 alive, or they are forced to go independent.  Either way, it means them dragging KU to some conference without us is pretty much off of the table.

If the ACC kills the Big East with this stroke, the SEC can go grab WVU to get to 14 pretty easily, and that takes Mizzou off of the table.  If OU stays (and I will assume they won't be extremely stupid until proven otherwise), it means we can pretty easily grab Louisville, TCU, and BYU to get back to twelve.

Or, if the SEC wants Mizzou to match 14, and they reciprocate, it means the odds of a KU/Mizzou pairing to the Pac-12 is off of the table.

Game it out.  Think past a lifeboat to the Big East.  A strong ACC is our friend.

[PowercatPat]

PeteThamelNYT Pete Thamel
by DannyParkins
BREAKING: Syracuse and Pittsburgh in talks with the ACC. nyti.ms/oBLVQK

Personally, I think this is a good development for us.

Also could tear apart the BE, which if the Big12 holds, is great news.  scoop up cinci and Louisville and we're ready to rock.

Or the BE leftovers could join the Big 12 leftovers.

[Dr Rick Daris]

how?

It makes the ACC pod idea much less likely, and that was the true, "We're most likely screwed," scenario.  That was the only really plausible scenario where we get split from KU.

there is no plausible scenario that has ku and kstate split. there just isn't. it's not a law but it just isn't going to happen. we are working with them. they are working with us. strength in numbers.

[wabash909]

Realignment Nuggets-Enjoy
i had dinner this weekend with someone who is close to a lot of the Big 12's moving parts regarding alignment. I'm equal parts disgusted/fascinated by all the realignment talk so I didn't spend all night talking about it, but this guy speaks weekly to Beebe and Dodds so its bound to come up.

1. Regarding the current Big 12, he isn't entirely sure its going to crumble. He even went so far as to say TAMU isn't as sold as they once were on leaving which kind of surprised me. He agreed the situation is "fluid" but feels certain advantages of having a "Central" college football league are what is keeping everyone from jumping so far.

2. This surprised me a little but his contact at TAMU says the SEC's ultimate target (outside of TAMU obviously and teams like UT and Notre Dame that won't happen) is North Carolina. This would balance out the east/west conundrum, its a brand name team, there is less friction from other schools to add them, they have some good TV markets etc.

3. This part is more opinion but he's sickened by the fact that perception is more important that reality in all these talks. Says he wishes the 10-team league would have/will be given a chance as it truly makes more financial sense. He agrees with many that the 16-team leagues will not work and will alienate many fans along the way (and not just the small school fans). Oh, and he wasn't floating my boat because he's not like that but says KSU suffers from perception. Says KU is not the stronger program but people are generally stupid and think because they are right by Kansas City that they are automatically going to make a league more money. He was at the KU/KSU football game last year and said "that stadium and environment isn't going to do much for any conference. They cheered louder for a Bill Self piece they played than they did before or during the game".

4. Believes KSU will ultimately be tied to KU wherever they go not because of a board of regents, but because of the strength of the two of them together outweighs them individually. He said the leagues looking at them will probably want both or neither. He says the chances that the Pac 12 comes calling are highly likely in the event that Texas goes to an eastern league but agrees playing out west would have huge disadvantages, especially for a KS school. He also said Missouri would want no part in a Pac 16 if they could avoid it.

5. Texas Tech isn't saying much but they would prefer to be invited to the Pac 12 and wouldn't mind being separated from Texas as much as people think. Says they are their own breed and so isolated from the other Texas schools that they run a little against the grain. Also said they are likely keeping quiet because if the PAC 12 doesn't call, they need their big brother to tag along with so they can't ruffle feathers.

6. Says Beebe is smarter than people give him credit for. Trying to hold together a league that was built on a faulty foundation is tough. Claims that the thing that's bothered Beebe the most is that they didn't aggressively go back to 12 teams after NU and CU left. He would have liked to do so but the teams that are key to the league sticking together (read Texas) wanted lower numbers so that the "double dipping" was worth more to them. (Double dipping in the sense that Texas gets a larger share of Tier 1/2 rights after 70% AND gets LHN profits).

7. He's a lifelong Texan but fully believes Texas has done an amazing job of somehow trying to seem like the "good guy" in all of this. His most recent example was telling the league "Okay, let's share ALL revenue equally on Tier 1 and 2 and allow schools to keep their own Tier 3 rights". They knew "damn well" that this would make them look like the saviors to the other 7 schools but piss off OU and put them at a slight disadvantage compared to the status quo.

8. Says Missouri is more committed than you might think to the thought of the league surviving. He claims Missouri never really hated any teams (kind of a dig at Nubbies), but said they were looking at their neighbors in the Big 10 that sucked (Illinois dig) and saw they were making twice as much off their TV contract with the Big 10. They aren't thrilled at their other options at this point. Says the administration would obviously love a big 10 invite, but that they now think the SEC isn't an option until they expand to 16 which may take time. They also realize being in the SEC would be really challenging for them.

9. He didn't have many details, but verified Beebe was in Manhattan this last week reviewing all of the potential scenarios and getting Currie's/Schultz's feedback. He says the possibility of the remaining 5 teams (ISU, KSU, KU, MU, Baylor) grabbing other teams and somehow piecing together a league was discussed. He mentioned the usual suspects in this case like Houston/SMU/TCU but threw in BYU/Boise State/and Air Force too. Call it the Mountain West if you like but he didn't feel this was a likely scenario unless those 5 teams had no other options.

10. Feels that Currie is a very strong AD but cautioned he's only padding his resume at KSU. Don't get too comfortable with him being around Manhattan, which I don't think shocks a lot of us. He also mentioned that he's interacted with Tim Weiser and Tim Allen at the big 12 offices and thinks that the high number of KSU people involved in athletic departments surely helps them out in all of this alignment mess. Ultimately, other things matter far more, but having connections helps.

11. This was his opinion, but he agrees Texas has sort of overplayed its hand and is about as trapped as anyone into committing to the Big 12. He says some of their actions would indicate that they are a little bit afraid of losing power if they head east or west. They fully realize their best bet, even if all revenue is shared equally, is to stay put. OU knows this and that's why they are pushing for things-again that was just his opinion. At the same time, he says there is still some resentment there for not getting back to 12 teams as apparently OU's admin. wanted to do so last year for the sake of stability.

12. Feels if TAMU does leave, the ideal scenario would be adding BYU-who he claims has nothing to lose by joining because they can always go back as an indy, aggressively pursuing TCU as the 11th team and then finding a 12th. He says the lack of a strong Central time zone team as a 12th member has really hampered some efforts the "league" has made to expand. He'd like to see Air Force and BYU lumped with the south schools while the OK schools are paired with the old "north" schools, potentially setting up a 2nd red river shootout every year which he says would be good for everybody in the league financially, no matter how much they may hate seeing those schools in a 2nd game.



Anyway, that's what I've got for now ladies and gents. I would say "stay tuned", but "hang in there" seems more appropriate.

[steve dave]

that was a good read, nothing ground breaking but not stupid sounding either.

[steve dave]

DanWolken Dan Wolken
That could be your new Big 12
28 seconds ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

DanWolken Dan Wolken
Mizzou, Kansas, K-St, Iowa St, Baylor, Louisville, Cincy, South Fla, UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis

["storm"nut]

DanWolken Dan Wolken
That could be your new Big 12
28 seconds ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

DanWolken Dan Wolken
Mizzou, Kansas, K-St, Iowa St, Baylor, Louisville, Cincy, South Fla, UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis

TCU 

[wabash909]

Would be a step up from Conference USA I guess.  Wonder if they would give us an AQ?

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

[chum1]

Mizzou, Kansas, K-St, Iowa St, Baylor, Louisville, Cincy, South Fla, UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis

sounds awful

[steve dave]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

[wabash909]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

It's basically Conference USA, because I don't see MU part of the equation.  If this thing goes SuperConference, they'll get taken.

If we go Big East, this is where it ultimately ends up anyway, but we'll have better basketball schools that don't play football in the mix like G-Town, Nova etc.

["storm"nut]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

This is still plan D, Right?

[steve dave]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

This is still plan D, Right?

unfortunately it's prolly plan B right behind praying to whatever god you worship that the Big 12 stays together

["storm"nut]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

This is still plan D, Right?

unfortunately it's prolly plan B right behind praying to whatever god you worship that the Big 12 stays together

I really hate this stupid crap, but I be you guys are loving the hits on the website. 

[steve dave]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

This is still plan D, Right?

unfortunately it's prolly plan B right behind praying to whatever god you worship that the Big 12 stays together

I really hate this stupid crap, but I be you guys are loving the hits on the website. 

as you can see by how aggressively we place ads all over this place we really don't give a eff other than it potentially bringing in new/good posters. 

[Mike Ahearn]

I talked with one of my co-workers who said he spoke with one of the Kansas BOR last week.  He indicated that she said they will never let K-State/ku split up.  She told him that the BOR does not want to be perceived as wanting one school to succeed and not the other. 

[steve dave]

I talked with one of my co-workers who said he spoke with one of the Kansas BOR last week.  He indicated that she said they will never let K-State/ku split up.  She told him that the BOR does not want to be perceived as wanting one school to succeed and not the other. 

good for them I say

[michigancat]

DanWolken Dan Wolken
That could be your new Big 12
28 seconds ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

DanWolken Dan Wolken
Mizzou, Kansas, K-St, Iowa St, Baylor, Louisville, Cincy, South Fla, UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis

I know you guys love to meltdown and stuff and Wolken has some interesting ideas, but he is kind of a dumbass.

["storm"nut]

This is sort of the CaptainCrap scenario, I deduct.

yeah, that's what I'm worried about

This is still plan D, Right?

unfortunately it's prolly plan B right behind praying to whatever god you worship that the Big 12 stays together

I really hate this stupid crap, but I be you guys are loving the hits on the website. 

as you can see by how aggressively we place ads all over this place we really don't give a eff other than it potentially bringing in new/good posters. 

I guess the question really is does a conference made up of BCA rejects with BCS AQ nugget make us any worst than the current Big East? The TV dollars will not be there but If we get some of these big city schools on board it may help to get a conference network off the ground which would help a little.

[steve dave]

Current BE would have better basketball should we join.  The New Conference USA in Wolken's scenario (and he's just pulling crap out of the air) would be pretty awful all around. 

[steve dave]

welp

espn4d Pat Forde
Report: Big East members Syracuse, Pitt in talks with Atlantic Coast Conference - ESPN es.pn/pAW38p

[steve dave]

Bring on the BE loser/Big 12 loser super conference!

[Pete]

welp

espn4d Pat Forde
Report: Big East members Syracuse, Pitt in talks with Atlantic Coast Conference - ESPN es.pn/pAW38p

eff, this is really, really inconvenient timing for me.