Big 12, Pac 10 Mating Dance Has Begun

This makes no sense! Austin and College Station are much closer to Fayetteville and Baton Rouge than Tempe and Tucson!

To say nothing of Fort Worth!

Texas needs to take charge of this process. The Big 12 does not speak for us or represent our interest in any way.

That might be true, but it would make us look like the bad guy.

We have too much invested to risk going back to the SWC of the 90s. That’s really the only way we could ever stop being dominant in our athletic programs. As long as we have a pedestal, we’ll always be one of the elite.

“but it would make us look like the bad guy.”

And how would that differ from the way we’re currently perceived?

At some point, it’s inevitable – we will fall off our current run of excellence. I’d like to be in a situation where our conference mates look as it as an opportunity to advance themselves while also seeing us as proffering an excellent brand around which to build a strong conference schema, and with a full realization that our excellence raises all boats in the conference tide.

As opposed to some other (nameless) conference that see such an opportunity to take many, smelly, voluminous shits on one of the true remaining economic drivers in the NCAA world.

Decause tu is teh suk!

Nothing to worry about, guys, we’ve got Dan Beebe in there. He’ll do right by us.

Seriously, it seems like a Big 12/Pac-10 merger is directionally where we’re headed and this is just one of many steps along the way. I doubt that this is the first step, but what is significant is that this is the first public step. I expect that a “TV alliance” will continue to be discussed in the press until the departure of Missouri and/or Nebraska to the Big 10 is officially announced. The day that happens, it would signal the imminent demise of the Big 12 conference and change the game politically, freeing up Texas (and A&M) to more aggressively look after its own interests apart from the conference’s.

Until one of the Big 12 North schools bolts, though, there will continue to be this Kabuki Theater in the press involving Dan Beebe negotiating TV deals on our behalf. Just my opinion.

The PAC-10 is a co-owner of the Rose Bowl game, with the Big 10. This will keep all of its members in the big leagues through any shakeup. If the Big 12 were thinking strategically, they would try to work out something with the Cotton Bowl, getting Jerry to make them co-ownwers of the game in exchange for making it a BCS bowl.

http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2010/02/23/conference-realigment-in-pictures/

This is probably the wrong place to complain about it, but it is the first post on BC today. Someone has done a fairly shitty job of linking all the websites. There are approximately 5 linked at the bottom of the page. I’ve gone to visit them some. After reading one of Rover’s articles I realized there were many more fantakes, and some of them worth wasting a few minutes of my life on.

I thought “hmm…must be a directory or something. I can probably see all the other sites at fantake.com” WTF is up with that page?!! There are two posts. One by Trips and one by Sailor at his conscious awakening. Who the fuck would go to read either of those? And why is there no list on the side with all the fantake forums or something?

Someone needs to be punished with a Huckleberry binary lesson and a night at Sizzlechest’s house for dropping the ball on this. Or someone needs to point me to a damn list.

It appears there is still a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the driving forces that will shape any conference realignment.

“Nothing to worry about, guys, we’ve got Dan Beebe in there. He’ll do right by us.”

I laughed.

The word is the invites to the other schools to join the Big 10 are going out this summer. They want to go to 16. Mizzou and yes, even NU are expected to be in the mix for 2 of those 5 slots. One person I’ve talked to who has some inside knowledge on this expects Mizzou to be part of the new Big 10 by the time the season starts. Not officially yet mind you, they wouldn’t be an official member until at least 2010, but he expects them to be a member in waiting at least. Once the Big 10 dominoes start falling, everything else begins to go.

I think we are going to know what the new landscape will look like in the next 90-120 days. The question I have is what does a potential 4 super-conference alignment mean for the NCAA?

06, simmadownnow! Find what you need through the forum. Go to Fantakke forums and you’re set.

Sailor just doesn’t log enough computer time to fix those little quirks.

Texas is fucked.

We are too big and powerful (minded) for any major conference to invite. What top team would want to add a 1000 lb gorilla to their back yard?

This time we are not in a position to lead. We gotta go begging. And we have a bunch of dead wood hanging on our coat tails.

No we are not fucked.

There does not have to be a Pac-10 Big 12 merger. A TV alliance — a true alliance with revenue sharing — has possibilities to dramatically increase the TV revenue for members of both leagues.

The Fox Sports Television group is very interested in putting together a Pac-10/Big12 Network package, much like the Big 10 Network (remember that Fox owns 49% of the Big 10 Network).

Both the Pac 10 and Big 12 contracts with Fox are up in 2012, and the Big 12 can opt out of its ABC/ESPN contract ifthe league starts up its own network. Putting together a channel that would combine the markets from the two leagues would virtually lock up the BCS schools west of the Mississippi.

In fact, you could see the Pac 10 go ahead and take in a BYU and Utah in order to get a conference championship game. Should Missouri leave the Big 12, such an alliance would survive that and still be a revenue producer.

Oh noes Bill, what will we do??

lazer2280, don’t expect that to change until after it’s said and done. Even then, there will still be those who continue to perplex.

Texas is most assuredly not fucked.

One last time for all you simpletons who can’t seem to understand the power structure of a major university and or basic arithmetic. It’s not the coaches making the decisions, its not the AD’s—it’s the University Presidents and the boards of regents most of whom care less about their athletic performance and more about their financial and academic performance (OU excluded of course).

We will go to a better conference and we will be making more money, it won’t be the SEC (at least not unless they promise to clean up that sewer they’re running) and it won’t have anything to do with former SWC members who just about drove us into the ground once before regardless of there geographical location.

The way some of you people talk it’s like a jet airplane has yet to be invented. What is it a 3 hour flight to Seattle from Austin? Remind me again how far it is from Austin to Dallas by car?

srr50, I like your positive attitude. I just do not see what you describe as being any kind of improvement for Texas. Survival is not the same as prospering.

As CJD says, we will eventually be in a slump like we were in the late 80s and it will be just as difficult to come out of it in your scenario as it was to get out of it in the old SWC.

Remind me how expensive it is for multiple people to take a single vehicle (or even 2) to Dallas versus flying to Seattle?

But I get your point. The revenue generated will greatly out weigh the extra travel costs. And it is not like we pack out opponents’ stadiums with Burnt Orange unless we are playing Baylor.

magnus – I will not simma. I want my lists! (and I’m not OCD!…)

I hope t.u. goes out to the PAC-10 and plays a bunch of midnight rainy games with Oregon State. That way when A&M goes to the SEC we’ll take back Texas in the hearts and minds of the people and recruits.

The Longhorns want to be a “cultural fit” with the PAC-10. I say let ’em.

Meanwhile A&M will join the best conference in football and thrive while you wither on the vine playing Wazzu at 11:30 pm central time.

Maybe you can invent some new traditions to supplant the ones you made up for A&M out west with one of those schools.

Congratulations! You douches are going to upgrade yourselves out of relevance.

srr50, I like your positive attitude. I just do not see what you describe as being any kind of improvement for Texas. Survival is not the same as prospering.

Currently Texas receives $7-10 million in TV revenue from the Big 12 contract. The proposed alliance (along with a network) conservatively should produce $13-14 million for each league member. That is a bit more than just surviving.

The reason we were in a slump in the 80’s and early 90’s is because no one wanted to watch Texas play Rice, Houston, TCU, and Tech. It was boring and certainly held no interest for anyone outside the state of Texas.

Elite (Texas) athletes did not want to come to Texas to play in front of a 1/2 full stadium so they went to Miami or FSU.

The only way we go back in that kind of a slump is if we stay in a dead Big XII too long.

I hope t.u. goes out to the PAC-10 and plays a bunch of midnight rainy games with Oregon State. That way when A&M goes to the SEC we’ll take back Texas in the hearts and minds of the people and recruits.

First of all hotshot, this is about a TV alliance, not a merger. Secondly, if we go, you go with us, so you can enjoy those midnight rainy games as well.

Changing—

Or A&M could become the doormat of the SEC. Say hi to Arkansas for us.

We’ll go our separate ways, hotshot srr50. We don’t want the PAC-10.

I guess we’re just not a “cultural fit” like you are.

“Meanwhile A&M will join the best conference in football and thrive while you wither on the vine playing Wazzu at 11:30 pm central time.”

Thrive on what? Being the doormat of yet another conference? Fight to the bottom between Arkansas and A&M – and not just on the football field: incestuous lovemaking, domestic abuse charges, bestiality charges….

Unfortunately, we’re going to have to take the ags wherever we go. But I’d be thrilled if we went west and they went to the SEC. Won’t happen though.

Bill, with Texas being so screwed and all, do you think there is a chance that we can join UT-Dallas and Texas Lutheran in the American Southwest Conference, or is that still shooting too high?

I pray for the first Kentucky vs A&M game prime time, while Texas vs UW, USC, UCLA, ASU, Oregon, ect gets washed away??

sounds like norberg and I agree. Let’s part ways. t.u. out west and A&M in the SEC. It’s how we both think of ourselves anyways.

And I know it is hard for some of you to fathom, but I think A&M would improve in the long run in the SEC. And to your detriment.

Aggies aren’t a “cultural fit” anywhere.

Srr- Thanks for the great post. Apparently it has some sort of dumb ass tractor beam.

06_UT – I fired three staffers and 10 interns over the lack of progress on the FanTake directory. You have my solemn promise we will endeavor to stop hiding our sites from you.

A&M already has a regular place in SEC land, it’s called Shreveport.

No, you morons. A key part of any Pac-10/Big 12 package is having two marquee matchups per Saturday, not just one. The CST schools get the mid-afternoon(CST)/early afternoon(PST) slots, and the west coast schools get the evening (CST)/late afternoon(PST) slots. That’s why a network would pay a premium.

I’m just happy there is at least one aggie left that feels like talking shit on a public forum. It makes life more fun and interesting.

Just a side question username: how many emails have you sent to $bill?

Yes, what is the ratio of self imposed blue ball squeezing to emails to Bill?

Sailor, I’m sure those “interns” were happy to be freed — I mean fired.

“I’m just happy there is at least one aggie left that feels like talking shit on a public forum. It makes life more fun and interesting.”

More likely it’s one of y’all having fun.

I really wish we had someone more competent at the helm of the Big 12 than Dan Beebe.

I’m not sure a TV Western Alliance survives for long if the Big Ten (sic) does take Nebraska and Mizzou and the SEC then goes for 16. Florida can veto adding FSU and Miami, S. Carolina can block Clemson, UGA can stop G. Tech. The VA legislature won’t let V. Tech leave UVA behind after what it took to get them into the ACC. Tobacco Road won’t split up, so that is enough critical mass to keep the ACC afloat. Even if the SEC can get an ACC team like FSU, are they really going to be satisfied with WV, Louisville and Cincy?

So the SEC will look west for some teams. I guess they could settle on TCU and UH, but surely they’ll woo the Horns and Ags first. Next targets will be OU and perhaps Okie State. I doubt that those two turn down the SEC to stay in a 10 or 12-school Big 12, even with a new TV deal and cable channel. 20 to 24 teams in the Pac 10-Big 12 footprint is still too watered down to come close to SEC money. At that point, do UT and Ag really want to keep plugging the conference holes with UH, BYU, UNLV, etc? They can foresee this possibility, so if the SEC acts then this non-merger Alliance may be doomed before it ever plays a game.

Vash, not to worry. Here’s a picture of DeLoss and Beebe at a negotiation.

Beebe is UT’s useful idiot. They’ll keep him occupied running the numbers on this scheme while giving a ‘’Good team player’ cover story for UT and Ag meetings with Pac Ten reps and schools. Beebe’s Alliance numbers will provide a baseline to contrast the bigger financial gains of taking just a few schools to a Pac 16. Or even, gasp, the SEC.

William Hung is a huge fan of Survivor.

Gents,

Too much work, travel and fighting the demonic gas drilling companies makes AiT a dull boy. My two pennies worth….

Why is there always a suggestion that going to the SEC would be bad for A&M? Sure, it hasn’t worked out for Swine, but that’s because their recruiting grounds dried up when they left the SWC.

A&M will still be in Texas if we go to the SEC. Personally, I think the best possible path forward for A&M would be for Texas to go Pac 10 and A&M SEC. A&M will be the only SEC school in Texas and will have a great recruiting advantage over our present situation.

Would the SEC like to have A&M? Oh hell – God yes. They want to grow their very succesful business and Texas is a great place to go. Picking up A&M picks up Houston and a good chuck of D/FW.

Would A&M like to to join the SEC? That I do not know. It is not a good institutional fit. But I’m guessing it’s not a good fit for Vanderbilt either and they aren’t clamoring to get out.

I think the initial preference would be to stay with y’all and go to the Big 10. But if y’all decide to head west, I sure hope $ Bill will see the greener pastures laying out east.

I think UT and ATM should join up with the universities in Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora, then drop football all together and start up a knife-fighting league. Conference headquarters will be in El Paso, and UTEP gets to join as it is the host country.

If Texas were to join the Pac 10, it wouldn’t be very hard to work out a schedule that works for both time zones. When playing a west coast opponent, if the games start anywhere from 2:30 – 7:00 central time there would be no problem and that’s how I imagine it would work.

A&M going to the SEC would just open the door for more exposure from SEC teams to Texas talent. That wouldn’t be good for Texas or A&M, which is probably why A&M would do it.

SRR – I’ve been asking this question. How does the Pac 10 get anyone close to 14 mil per year? They only make 5-6 now. If the Pac 10/Big 12 deal were to put 14 mil on the table for everyone, public education math says that is about 10*9mil + 12*7mil = 174 million per year. How the hell do we get to that number (which is probably wrong because of public school math)?

Second, how does the Pac 10 help make a lot of extra interesting match ups? No one watches them as it is. That is why they come in at number 5 as far as TV reveunue goes.

You have 5 teams with big TV draws:
1) Tech
hahaha. Sorry. Coudn’t resist. Seriously now:
1) Texas
2) USC?
3-5) OU, A&M, and Nebraska in some order? — A&M can pull a lot of Texas, the other 2 have some ‘history’ and national draw

Say we want 2 prime time games a weekend. We need 4weeks*2 games*2teams = 16 teams.

Yes, USC vs any of the other 4 will be a big game. But that won’t happen more than once per year at best. It may happen even less because those 5 teams want to be in the NC discussion at the end of the year, and the loser of USC vs X is on the outside looking in before week 5.

So how do we make more big match ups? Did anyone really give a damn about OU vs Washington last year? I guess we’ll see what UCLA brings to the table since they will play both Texas and Kstate this year.

Yes, playing pac 10 teams is better TV than playing SMU, but we will still likely only end up with each big 12 team playing 1 BCS team. Now those BCS teams will be primarily Pac 10 teams. You have to get the Big 12 teams (and pac 10) to commit to averaging 2 BCS non con opponents

If we are talking about UT to the Pac 10, how is Texas worse off playing Baylor, Tech, ISU instead of Wash, WaSt, Stanford?

Sorry, I started with one question and ended up with 2. But I just keep seeing SRR and others throw out these numbers which don’t seem to make any sense based on current numbers or the number of quality teams (as far as viewership) in the Pac 10.

Someone sort through that mess I wrote, see if you can figure out what I’m asking, and then see if you can answer.

And get moving on that fahn-tah-kay list site list.

Texas and the SEC isn’t happening nor should we want it to happen. A super conference with the PAC-10 is ultimately the road we’ll head down and I’m ok with that. A&M is most assuredly going to come with us but I would prefer it if OU is no longer in the same conference.

SRR – I’ve been asking this question. How does the Pac 10 get anyone close to 14 mil per year? They only make 5-6 now. If the Pac 10/Big 12 deal were to put 14 mil on the table for everyone, public education math says that is about 10*9mil + 12*7mil = 174 million per year. How the hell do we get to that number (which is probably wrong because of public school math)?

 The two combined leagues have approximately 35-40 million TV homes in their primary footprints (home markets) and almost 65 million in secondary markets. A Big 12/Pac 10 alliance for national and cable rights could be expected to produce at least $300 million a year. Fox gets the top football and basketball games for $100 million.

Using the Big 10 template, you would expect that the new conference network – placed on the expanded basic cable tier – would charge the providers $1.00 per subscriber in the dominant markets and as little as 10cents per subscriber in any other market. The $1.00 price is eased for carriers like Time-Warner who pay the 10 cents and then charge $6.99 per month to those who want the network outside the primary markets.

Also, the start up costs will be manageable if Fox is the partner since they have much of the foundation for such a network already in place.

After just three years the Big 10 is paying everyone, including Northwestern 22 million for its TV packages. Now this alliance would not come close to that, but getting to $300-325 million a year is attainable.

As for matchups, this network is a niche market, aimed at decidated fans and alums, and the live games are just part of the package.

The Big 10 Network sells itself on the variety of programming. The network features more than 350 live sporting events, studio shows, original programming, coaches’ shows and classic games. It also has each of the Universities produced programming for the “University Showcase,” section, which could be anything, including live coverage of a commencement address. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, programming a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising Olympic sporting events and women’s sports.

They recognized a niche market and they are meeting it, as well as serving as a template for others to follow.

Can someone very simply explain to me why “A&M is coming with us”. As posted above, GA and GA Tech – same state, different conference; Florida and FSU/Miami – same state, different conference. Why does your traditional geographical rival have to also be your conference rival? It’s like some of you think that austin and college station will actually be further than 90 miles apart after re-alignment happens.

In a conference larger than 9 teams with no divisions, or 12 teams with divisions, you just can’t have as many yearly rivalries. Right now we play OU and A&M every year. If we go to a superconference, we’re likely going to have to drop our yearly date with one of them even if we do stick together. It might even be MORE likely to maintain a yearly rivalry if it is an out of conference game rather than a conference game.

I believe the thought is that A&M and Texas together deliver the entire state of Texas. Either one or the other doesn’t deliver the total package of TV sets.

I am with 06_UT here in not quite understanding the love for the Pac-10? If the Big 4 of the Big 12 join up with the Pac-10, there still are only 5 big market teams (maybe 6 if you include UCLA) for marquee games each weekend. In a mating with the Big 10, there would be many more.

SRR – Thanks for putting some background into the numbers I’ve seen floating around. That makes a little more sense. I still feel like there just isn’t enough intrests in Pac 10 football. Hell, USC’s stadium only holds 93,000, and they only managed to put 84,700 butts into the seats on average last year (90.6%). They are at the top of their conference, and they’d be in a close 3 way tie in the Big 12 for largest attendance (with OU and Nebraska). As far as % filled goes, they’d be barely ahead of 5th place Mizzou (90.3%).

Next question, do you agree that the Big 12 would have to put an end to this D2 opponent crap? Or at least mandate an average of 1.5 BCS non con opponents per Big 12 team? I don’t see how we become more attractive to Fox or anyone else if we still have 8-12 games per year aggainst Webber, Sam Houston, ect.

srr50, you are dreaming. These discussion between the PAC10 and the Big12 are a sure sign of desperation.

If A&M can barely win six games in the Big 12, what’s the hypothetical O/U for wins in the SEC?

Srr- Thanks for the great post. Apparently it has some sort of dumb ass tractor beam.

Well said.

Vash – well, we already know they’ll lose to Arkansas and Georgia… and I mean lose in Shawshank Redemption sort of way

Next question, do you agree that the Big 12 would have to put an end to this D2 opponent crap? Or at least mandate an average of 1.5 BCS non con opponents per Big 12 team? I don’t see how we become more attractive to Fox or anyone else if we still have 8-12 games per year aggainst Webber, Sam Houston, ect.

Those kind of games end up on the combined league channel. Take a look at the string of games that were played on the Big 10 Network this past season.

Eastern Ky. at Indiana
Akron at Penn State
Toledo at Purdue

and on and on

The confrence games that were on the network weren’t much better.

Because Michigan is down the Wolverines where put on the network a couple of times — the best being the Michigan-Michgian State contest.

Ohio State at Purdue
Purdue at Michigan
Michigan at Wisconsin.

Looks like A&M would be a staple of the Pac10/Big 12 network.

WE’RE DOOMED!!!

Ag_In_TX

- this is meant as a sincere question, I’m not messing with you.

 Regarding A&M pulling in the rest of the TV sets, how many aggie games were on tv last year? I have many aggie friends and I know of a few games that were either ppv or completely unavailable. If aggies can’t even watch their own team now because nobody will pick up the games, how does that provide tv sets to a combined network?

to answer my own question, I know that “if you air it, they will come”, but my point was the market forces currently deem the ags to be unwatchable.

Actually, TV Alliance between two 10-team conferences would pretty cool (assuming Neb and Mizzou bolt). We could get rid of this moronic North/South divisions and just play every team in our conference to determine a champion. That’s 9-games. Then, add a couple ‘Alliance games’ for a better OOC schedule.
With no need for a conference championship game, we could play an Alliance championship. The winner of that would be in a great position to play for the NC every year. And, the loser is still a conference champ in position for a BCS Bowl.

Less the substantial discount for the West Coast apathy factor. Too many other entertainment options, they just don’t have the same size and rabid fan base that the SEC, Big 10, and Big 12 schools do. That’s one of the reasons (but not the only one) why the Pac 10 contract pays less than ours.

Don’t get me wrong, this alliance could work out. But you could get 90% or more of that contract by simply adding Utah, Colorado, OU, UT, Ag, and TT (or KS.) Contract X divided by 24 is much less than 90% of contract X divided by 16.
 
A Western Alliance channel won’t have all of the advantages the Big Ten Network
profited from. The Big Ten has a large number of alumni across the nation, especially in
California, Arizona, and Florida, thus they’ve been able to offer it almost nationwide. Going to be more difficult to get a Western Alliance channel on systems east of the Mississippi.

So I wonder if after all this the $‘s for going to the SEC might be much higher, if ESPN and CBS agree to renegotiate the contract. Doesn’t the SEC have an opt out if they start their own cable channel? I keep hearing that the SEC is so academically inferior that Texas won’t consider it, but if that’s the case why is UT (allegedly) looking at staying in the Big 12? They’re pretty similar from top to bottom. If Aggie and Sooner insist on going to SEC, is UT going to play both out of conference? That gets to be a tough schedule.

No offense to another poster, but anyone who thinks UT will drop the OU or Ag game is clueless.

For those who are interested in some more info about how the $ flow around TV, Bill Gurley who is one of the smartest guys in Silicon Valley (and a Texan, a Texas fan and Texas MBA) writes a great piece adjacent to the discussion here:

When It Comes to Television Content, Affiliate Fees Make the World Go ‘Round

It’s a bad recruiting fit for A&M. As it is, LSU is plundering east texas. Ya’ll want to bring Alabama in to town every other year with LSU? Yah, that outta spiff up your recruiting classes.

Despite the postings here that would suggest otherwise, the A&M cares about it’s academic reputation.

Craig James is awesome!

Actually, not really. I can’t stand his obvious anti-UT crap. Makes me want to puke. Why can’t analysts get their head out of and be somewhat objective like most of the rest of us have to in our real jobs. I understand you went to a washed up program. Deal with it. If you have state pride, show it.

First in his analysis of CFB realignment, he’s speaking for the state of Texas because he played there. We are Texas. You played at SMU. Most in the state wouldn’t want you speaking for them either.

Second, an exact quote of his on realignment was, “Who cares about GPA?” Nice.

I don’t want A&M in the SEC. It might be entertaining today, but long-term it damages UT in a number of ways. SEC schools with a better story to tell recruits, A&M with peer encouragement to return to cheating as well as a new recruiting hook, etc. Keep them with us where we can keep an eye on them and maintain status quo.

I am praying for a scenario in which OU gets left standing when the seats are reshuffled. I fear though they would be a good cultural fit with the SEC, with a similar incentive as above to freshly fund their athletic benefits program.

BTW – there’s a very entertaining post by Santa Rita on Orangebloods on this very topic. I suggest catching it before it’s deleted. Some translation and/or a pitcher of martinis may be required.

Anybody who sees the supposedly-proposed western alliance with the Pac-10 as the cure for all that ails the Big 12 is missing the point. It’s nothing better than sticking your finger in the dike while the whole dam’s leaking.

The Big 12 might (I emphasize: “might”) go on without one of Nebraska, Mizzou, and/or Colorado. It IS going to lose all three, barring divine intervention. Dr. Tom wants Nebraska as far away from UT, and the Big 12 South as they can get, and if it hurts UT, so much the better. His behind has been red toward us since the formation of the Big 12. Osborne blames UT for the demise of Nebraska’s famous walk-on program, not to mention their “county scholarships” that fueled the walk-on’s. Mizzou already considers itself a member of the Big 10, lacking only the formal invitation. Colorado’s much the same concerning membership in the Pac 10.

A lot of people seem to concede that aggy is going to follow UT wherever we go, at the behest of the legislature. That could be faulty thinking. There’s a large segment of the agriculturally-inclined that want to join the SEC, and ag has some appeal to that league, if for no other reason by giving it more access to recruiting Texas. zero-u and okie lite are also going to be attractive targets of the SEC. If agricultural joins up, SEC membership will give them a stronger selling point in recruiting, and carte blanche to begin working with Fed-Ex again too. Medium game Bob already does a good job of recruiting Texas, and if okie is an SEC school, he WILL pull more of our talent north of the Red River, and so will Coach Gumby at okie lite.

I’m not saying UT should all of a sudden start making kissy face with the SEC, but when they come calling, and they will, I think it would be prudent to take a longer view of things and give them fair consideration, rather than dismissing them out of hand to become a member of an alliance that may never get off of the ground in the first place. I understand that a lot of the opposition to the SEC is based on academic deficencies in that conference, but I’d hate to see UT make such a strong academics over athletics stand that we become another Rice, strong academically, but running way behind aggy and okie athletically. I hate losing to those two schools over all others, and that could come into play if we snub the SEC out-of-hand.

I’m going on the assumption that paying for a cable network and attandance are closely related(this may be incorrect)

but if there is a corralation the PAC-10 is a step down from current Big 12 and way below Big 10.

Rank school league attendance(2009) average
1. Michigan 8 871,464 108,933
2. Penn St. 8 856,066 107,008
3. Ohio St. 7 736,830 105,261
4. Texas 6 607,049 101,175
5. Tennessee 8 793,760 99,220
6. Georgia 6 556,476 92,746
7. LSU 7 647,420 92,489
8. Alabama 7 644,084 92,012
9. Florida 7 634,446 90,635
10. Nebraska 7 601,216 85,888
11. Southern California6 508,796 84,799
12. Oklahoma 6 508,670 84,778
13. Auburn 8 676,911 84,614
14. Notre Dame 7 565,565 80,795
15. Wisconsin 7 560,764 80,109
16. Texas A&M 7 537,602 76,800
17. Clemson 7 530,553 75,793
18. South Carolina 7 527,580 75,369
19. Michigan St. 7 523,186 74,741
20. Florida St. 6 446,067 74,345
21. Iowa 7 491,499 70,214
22. Kentucky 7 487,156 69,594
23. Virginia Tech 6 397,398 66,233
24. Arkansas 7 455,783 65,112
25. UCLA 6 387,283 64,547
26. Washington 7 450,491 64,356
27. BYU 6 385,416 64,236
28. Missouri 6 384,719 64,120
29. Illinois 6 357,267 59,545
30. California 6 356,830 59,472

Some great Anti Big Ten thoughts w.r.t. Nebraska and Dr. Tom.

Also, here’s an article that says Big Ten TV Network made $66 M in profit.

Guys – I’ll try address the questions fired my way later – damned busy this A.M. – I appreciate to civil tone of conversation.

Sailor,

Those numbers are hard to ignore and Deloss knows how much we left on the table last time around.

Best of all for the 11 Big Ten universities: Even after paying its guaranteed rights fees to the conference of more than $60 million last year, the network was so profitable that the Big Ten’s share amounted to an additional $66 million, which each school shared in equally. “We hoped it would be profitable eventually. But it turned a profit in, what, its second year?” said Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi, whose athletic budget reaped an estimated $22 million in TV rights (including ABC, CBS and ESPN contracts) alone. “I don’t believe anyone truly expected to be this successful this quickly. It’s absolutely remarkable.”

A Pac-10/Big 12 super conference TV network could theoretically deliver $100 million in profit. I could also theoretically have a threesome with three two Brazilian supermodels at lunch today. Both are worth pursuing.

Are 2 of the Brazilians midgets, or are they just not letting you participate? I thought that would be called a foursome. Or a typical day at the range for Tiger.

I think his participation in the threesome involves a credit card and an internet connection… and a devout willingness to believe that those are, in fact, both Brazilian and supermodels…

Back from lunch. WOW. Whatever they were it was worth it.

And I would like to take all the credit for putting the wheels in motion …

And can anyone recommend a good proctologist?

The new king of College Sports is TV money not fans or traditional rivalries of the past.

Forget about any SEC or Big Ten teams bolting their conferences and heading to the Big 12; the money flow will not allow that movement. Arkansas may love to hang out with their old SWC rivals and LSU could be a great fit but not at the cost of millions of dollars.

If the Big 12 waits to react to the moves of the Big Ten and/or the Pac 10, the league will be dead.

The solution is simple. Go on the attack. Take these steps:

Step 1 – Get a better TV Contract. There is an escape clause in the current agreement if the Big 12 starts their own network. Create a television combined sports network with the Pac Ten. Use Fox Sports or NBC/Comcast. Split the start-up cost with the Pac Ten.

Step 2 – Enhance the inter-play between the leagues. Build on the hardwood classic that is currently played between the leagues. Schedule Texas vs USC in football and Kansas vs. UCLA in basketball.

Step 3 – Grow the Pac 10 by two teams. Add TCU and Utah to the Pac 10. This will add the Dallas market to Pac 10 and tie the regions closer.

Step 4 – Replace Mizzou if they bolt to the Big Ten. BYU would be the choice. Don’t schedule any games on Sundays. Maybe the good Baptists at Baylor would enjoy that too.

Between the a Pac 12/Big 12 Television Network and the tie-ins to the bowls, each Big 12 team should walk away with 15-18 million dollars per year and a potential to make more as the network develops. While 18 million dollar is still less than 22 million that a Big Ten team makes, it should stop the Big 12 from getting torn apart.

If the Big 12 moves first, it could come out as the big winner. Wait and it may be fatal.