A box of Cuban cigars.
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“I’m on the side of my boss, President (Gordon) Gee, who is in favor of expansion, as well”, he said.
It’s big news for the conference.
CT will get more serious consideration than some imagine both because of its proximity to the NY media market and the presence of its powerhouse men’s and women’s basketball program.
At its meeting Wednesday, the Big 12 board of directors moved toward expanding the conference from 10 to 12 or 14 teams. Chad Reuter ranks the top players to watch this fall. But it became apparent this week that coaches and league officials were unsure how to set up two five-team divisions. They’ve gone 7-29 in league games the last four years. The Big 12 is ready to pick up the phone. Boren made the announcement on a teleconference following the league’s football Media Days in Dallas.
Bowlsby said Baylor made a list of 125 recommendations. There are too many unknowns. Mostly I want to see if Rutgers is the runaway victor of the poll. Four? Will it start in time for the 2017 season? Kansas, which had the Big 12’s worst attendance last season, drew an average of 27,282.
Regardless of the change, the issue before second-year Steve Prohm is the same as it was on Monday.
A football-only membership would give newcomers access to the highest-level football, allow the Big 12 to share revenue at a reduced rate, have schools maintain some geographic sanity for non-revenue sports and kept Big 12 basketball scheduling at a preferable 18-game double-round robin.
The expansion news was as stunning as Holly Holm beating Ronda Rousey.
The action keeps expansion talk alive. Could be the Big 12 decided it better grab every nickel it can while it’s out there. ISU president Steven Leath said he didn’t feel “compelled” to expand the league in June.
Big 12 Conference expansion is alive again.
The ACC was establishing a conference network, had secured grant-of-rights from its members through 2034 and had dibs on Notre Dame, should the Fighting Irish ever decide to leave football independence. Who’s in our conference right now that could go someplace that would be better than where they are?
The ACC secured its long-term future.
The Big 12 schools will make million each from the 2015-’16 season. The Aspire Group will be on campus next week, bringing 11 or 12 people to work for UConn.
The leaders in the clubhouse for Big 12 expansion remain BYU, Cincinnati and CT. But Tuesday’s turn of events truly came as a surprise. “It’s already covered in our contracts, does not require additional negotiation of the contracts”. The usual suspects of BYU, Cincinnati and Colorado State will no doubt come calling.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the decision to further explore expansion and examine individual candidates was a unanimous decision by the 10 chancellors and university presidents on the board of directors.
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When it comes to zany conference realignment rumors, I’ve long conditioned myself to believe everything and nothing.
